Railway retiring room grabs lion land

• TOI
• Ahmedabad
• Thu,08 Jun 2017
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  Summary: "If the retiring room was not to be used for guests or even family members of railway officials, then there was no need for the retiring room, as officers on duty are given rooms at government-approved rates. "Vyas went on to say: "I had written to the national board members, urging them not to approve the 8,000 sq ft retiring room." The retiring room project was mooted by the Indian Railways at Sasan; and the hotel project by a well-known brand in Sasan Gir.Forest officials, activists, and even State Board for Wildlife members were against building a retiring room at the Sasan Railway station. "The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife has restricted the use of the retiring room to officials and staff," said Rohit Vyas, a member of the State Board for Wildlife. A senior officer said that since the area is frequented by wild animals, the threat of human-animal conflict will rise if a retiring room were to built within the sanctuary.

  
  Ahmedabad: The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife has cleared the proposals for a retiring room and a hotel — as a consequence, around 7,600 square metres of Gir Sanctuary land will be diverted for the projects. The retiring room project was mooted by the Indian Railways at Sasan; and the hotel project by a well-known brand in Sasan Gir.Forest officials, activists, and even State Board for Wildlife members were against building a retiring room at the Sasan Railway station. "The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife has restricted the use of the retiring room to officials and staff," said Rohit Vyas, a member of the State Board for Wildlife.
  
  "If the retiring room was not to be used for guests or even family members of railway officials, then there was no need for the retiring room, as officers on duty are given rooms at government-approved rates."Vyas went on to say: "I had written to the national board members, urging them not to approve the 8,000 sq ft retiring room." Sasan does not need one, he said."The railways proposes to build it at the station even though only two-metre gauge trains operate in daytime — the need for a night halt for passengers does not arise," he said.Vyas said that the Sasan station buzzes with wildlife around the clock. There have been sightings of even leopards at the station. The movement of vehicles and construction activity will affect the movement of wildlife, he said.
  
  Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/railway-retiring-room-grabs-lion-land/articleshow/59042626.cms