Lok Sabha Question No. 6660 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-06
Subject: Villages situated inside Wild Life Reserves
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: OM BIRLA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.6660

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.04.2018

## Villages Situated Inside Wild Life Reserves

6660.  SHRI OM BIRLA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has identified a number of villages situated inside the various wild life reserves and sanctuaries across the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (c) the fund allocated or the assistance provided by the Government in the relocation of  these  villages  to  a  safe  place  outside  wild  life  reserves  during  the  last  three years and the current year;
- (d) whether  the  Government  intends  to  release  an  amount  of  Rs.150  crore  for relocation of villages from tiger reserve and enhance the relocation package at an early date; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the time by which it is likely to be done?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) and (b) Yes  Madam.    The  details  of  number  of  villages  situated  inside  the

core/critical tiger habitat of tiger reserves (as reported by States), Statewise, is as under:

## Number of Villages inside the core / critical tiger habitat

|   S. No. | Name of the State   |   No. of Villages inside the core / critical tiger habitat |
|----------|---------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Andhra Pradesh      |                                                         28 |
|        2 | Arunachal Pradesh   |                                                          3 |
|        3 | Assam               |                                                          0 |
|        4 | Bihar               |                                                          0 |
|        5 | Chhattisgarh        |                                                        126 |
|        6 | Jharkhand           |                                                          3 |
|        7 | Karnataka           |                                                        102 |
|        8 | Kerala              |                                                          0 |
|        9 | Madhya Pradesh      |                                                         68 |
|       10 | Maharashtra         |                                                         35 |
|       11 | Mizoram             |                                                          0 |
|       12 | Odisha              |                                                          7 |

| 13   | Rajasthan     |   102 |
|------|---------------|-------|
| 14   | Tamil Nadu    |    49 |
| 15   | Telangana     |    37 |
| 16   | Uttar Pradesh |     4 |
| 17   | Uttarakhand   |     0 |
| 18   | West Bengal   |     7 |
|      | Total         |   571 |

| (c)         | Details of financial assistance provided to state governments for relocation of villages to safe places outside wildlife reserves during the last three years under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of 'Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats' is given in the Annexure . No funds have been provided for relocation of villages during the current financial year, 2018-19.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|-------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (d) and (e) | There is no such proposal. Making core /critical tiger habitat of tiger reserves inviolate is a statutory requirement for which there is provision of voluntary village relocation in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Funding assistance is provided to the States for the said purpose under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger based on demand from tiger range States and subject to availability of funds. A detailed proposal depicting number of families along with their willingness and due diligence besides fulfillment of other stipulated formalities is required to be submitted by the State. No decision has been taken in context of enhancing the relocation package. |

****

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  6660  REGARDING  'VILLAGES  SITUATED INSIDE  WILD  LIFE  RESERVES'  RAISED  BY SHRI  OM  BIRLA  DUE  FOR REPLY ON 6.4.2018.

The fund allocated / provided under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger for voluntary village relocation during last three years and the current year is as under:

2015-16 Rs. 47.52 crores

2016-17

Rs. 167.00 crores

2017-18

Rs. 152.26 crores

2018-19

--

The reserve-wise (State) break-up of above funding is as under:

| Sl. No.   | Name of Tiger Reserve            |   2015-16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |
|-----------|----------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| 1         | Kali (Dandeli Anshi) (Karnataka) |         0 |    786    |         0 |
| 2         | Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh)     |         0 |   1338    |         0 |
| 3         | Satpura (Madhya Pradesh)         |         0 |    630    |      2076 |
| 4         | Sanjay Dubri (Madhya Pradesh)    |         0 |   8209.96 |      6610 |
| 5         | Tadoba Andhari (Maharashtra)     |         0 |      0    |       858 |
| 6         | Melghat (Maharashtra)            |      2532 |   2856    |      2886 |
| 7         | Pench (Maharashtra)              |         0 |   1020    |         0 |
| 8         | Bor (Maharashtra)                |         0 |   1860    |         0 |
| 9         | Mudumalai (Tamil Nadu)           |      1410 |      0    |      1530 |
| 10        | Sariska (Rajasthan)              |       810 |      0    |         0 |
| 11        | Achanakmar (Chhattisgarh)        |         0 |      0    |       798 |
| 12        | Satkosia (Odisha)                |         0 |      0    |       468 |
|           | TOTAL                            |      4752 |  16700    |     15226 |

## (Rs. in lakhs)

Financial assistance provided to state governments under CSS- Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats for relocation of villages to safe places outside wildlife reserves during the last three years:

## (Rs. in lakhs)

| Name of States   | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-18   |
|------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Kerala           | 270.00    | 1108.80   | -         |
| Mizoram          | -         | 1044.00   | 261.00    |
| Madhya Pradesh   | -         | -         | 748.80    |