Kapil Dave | TNN | Feb 24, 2016, 11.11 AM IST
Gandhinagar: Gujarat government has officially dropped Rs 750 crore
'Long term Conservation of Asiatic Lion Plan' pursued by then CM and now
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the then Congress led UPA government
aggressively .
Since past more than five years Gujarat
government had pursued the project with the central government and had
asked all the Members of Parliament (MPs) to follow the project up with
the Union ministry of forest and environment(MoEF) rigorously . However,
now the Gujarat government has officially dropped the plan for some
unknown reasons. It has also re moved it from the official list of
pending issues of Gujarat with the government of India recently given to
Gujarat MPs.
The Gujarat government had re-submitted the Rs
750 crore 'Long term Conservation of Asiatic Lion Plan' to the govern
ment of India soon after Narendra Modi had taken over as the Prime
Minister in May 2014.
The project was shelved by ear lier UPA government. The key component
of the plan was to relocate Maldharis from the Gir forest at the cost of
Rs 97.50 crore outside the forest area and construction of ring road to
restrict vehicle movement in the forest at approximate cost of Rs.600
crore.
When asked, state forest and environment minister Mangubhai Patel said,
"The government of India has not approved the plan yet. However, we
will pursue the project. It has been dropped from the list for some
reasons.'' The minister, however, did not specify the reason.
The plan was first submitted to the deputy inspector general of forests
(wildlife), MoEF in 2009 for the funding under the centrally sponsored
scheme, out of which government of India's expected share was 90% of the
cost. The main objective of the proposal was conservation of Asiatic
lion and its associate biota in the greater Gir region including the Gir
sanctuary and national park with main components like relocation of
Maldharis (Rs 97.50 crore), habitat improvement (Rs 15 crore), wildlife
protection (Rs 30 crore), veterinary care, rescue and conflict
management(Rs 7.50 crore) eco-development, awareness, participation and
ecotourism etc.
The state government had submitted a proposal for Asiatic Lion
conservation under which construction of ring road around the Gir
Protected Area System (Gir National Park and Gir, Pania, Mitiyala and
Girnar Sanctuaries) was proposed at an approximate cost of Rs 600 crore.
Earlier the project was downsized by the Planning Commission of India
to Rs 150 crore (except the ring road).Thereafter, it was dropped by the
earlier Union government.Gir ring road proposal was also rejected by
the government of India. After Modi took over as PM the state government
forwarded these proposals to the government of India. However, it
received no response since Modi came to power.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Govt-drops-lion-conservation-plan/articleshow/51118087.cms
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