Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project

[Rishi]

Gujarat had been insisting on completion of over 30 studies recommended by the IUCN, but not mandatory, in it's guidelines for species translocation before releasing the lions. 

“Everyone the committee, barring the representatives from Gujarat argued that some of these studies could take place while the relocation took place. But the Gujarat government didn’t budge,” said a member of the relocation committee that was set up on order of the SC.

After the contempt petition filed by activist Ajay Dubey was discharged in March 2018, after the MoEF assured the court that it would expedite the project, Delhi-based advocate Gaurav Bansal had filed an RTI (exercise of the Right to Information Act) about the current status of the Reintroduction Project to Kuno.

In its response, the Union Ministry for Environment and Forest said, "So far six meetings of the Expert Committee have been convened to discuss upon various issues pertaining to translocation of Asiatic lion from Gir Wildlife Sanctuary to Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh.  
After intense discussions in various meetings a detailed Action Plan for the reintroduction of the Asiatic lions in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary Madhya Pradesh have been prepared and is under process of finalization." Reply