New
Delhi: The
Supreme Court Thursday stayed an order of Jim Corbett National Park allowing
buses of a private operator in the core area of the Tiger reserve in Uttarakhand.
A
bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian
issued notice to the Centre, Uttarakhand, National Tiger Conservation
Authority, National Board of Wildlife and officials of Jim Corbett National
Park and sought their responses.
Advocate
Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who filed the petition, told the bench that the decision
of the Jim Corbett National Park was in violation of Wildlife Protection Act.
He
alleged that forest officials of the State in order to provide wrongful gain to
a private sector company has allowed their private buses within the core area
of the Tiger reserve.
Mr.
Bansal contended that as per provisions of Wildlife Protection Act is required
to be kept as inviolate area for the purpose of tiger conservation.
“It
is respectfully submitted that Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve vide its Office
Order dated December 23, 2020 has allowed buses of a private sector company in
the core area of Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand”, his plea said.
He
said that director of Jim Corbett National Park, while allowing private buses
in the core area of the tiger reserve, respondent number-7 (director of Jim
Corbett National Park) has not only violated the law of land but has also
compromised with the safety, protection and conservation of the national animal
“Tiger”.
“It
is respectfully submitted that Section 38 (O) of the Wildlife Protection Act,
1972 provides that Tiger Reserves shall not be diverted for ecologically
unsustainable uses, and in case it is required, than it is mandatory for State
of Uttarakhand and its Forest Department officials to do the same only after
taking approval from National Board for Wildlife and on the advice of National
Tiger Conservation Authority,” the plea said.
Mr.
Bansal claimed that in the present case neither the forest officials have taken
any approval from National Board for Wildlife nor have taken any advice from
National Tiger Conservation Authority.
“It
is also important to mention here that recently Wildlife Institute of India
also conducted an assessment study wherein it is mentioned that the area in
question is home for 19 Tiger's family”, he claimed, adding that movement of
buses in the core area is nothing but an act of compromise with the protection
and conservation of the national animal.
Mr.
Bansal sought quashing of the order of the director of the national park.
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