High Court hearing PIL, but no let-up in VIP vehicles entering TATR

Times of India: Nagpur: Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

Even as a public interest litigation (PIL) is being heard in the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court against excessive tourism in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), there is no let-up in number of VIP vehicles entering the park.

Information received under RTI Act for two months November-December 2017, when there is pressure of VIP tourists in the park owing to Diwali vacation and assembly session in Nagpur.

Abstract of information on tourist vehicles and fee received this month also reveals mismatch in vehicles and tourists entering the park and payment of fee by them.

In December, 3,242 vehicles with 14,171 tourists entered the park. Contrarily, abstract of fee shows 2,554 vehicles with 9,834 tourists paid fees. There is difference of 688 vehicles and 4,337 tourists. So does it indicate that these many vehicles and tourists entered without paying fee?

Interestingly, from December 23 to 30, more than double the number of VIP vehicles entered Tadoba than the specified capacity of 12.

TATR public information officer (PIO) & assistant conservator of forest (ACF) Shankar Khupse says, “I’ve supplied information which was gathered from the field.”

Of the 3,242 vehicles entering Tadoba, 504 were canters (126 vehicles considering NTCA formula of 4 Gypsies as one canter), 2,229 online, 489 VIP, 2 full-day and 18 premium vehicles.

The RTI information also reveals more VIP vehicles entered the park in December. Considering the prescribed quota of 12 VIP vehicles per day, 372 vehicles should have entered the park in a month, but 489 entered 117 vehicles excess than permitted.

Similarly, in November 2017, 2,764 vehicles and 11,517 tourists entered the park. But the abstract of revenue states 2,572 vehicles and 10,759 tourists paid fees. Here too there is mismatch of 192 vehicles and 750 tourists. Though the number of VIP vehicles entering the park was within permissible limit of 321.

During the hearings, it has been found that the wildlife wing is trying to counter RTI information submitted in the court about increasing VIP culture in Tadoba.