Cheetah Reintroduction in India

[Sanju]

8 New villages got Displacement money in 38 villages linked in Relocation process

• 12 Villages already displaced last year,
  

• Displacement money reached on account of 8 new villages. So Now, total of 20 villages (8 now+ 12 last year) got the money to be displaced out of the Sanctuary,
  

• Process is started in balance 18 villages too!!!
  

76 villages going to be displaced from the Nauradehi Sanctuary, of which 38 are "mainly" related to the displacement process. - The budget for the displacement of the village is 1600 crores of budget was allotted, this spending can increase over time!!!

Total 76 villages in the 1197 square kilometer area of the sanctuary are to be displaced out. Process began almost 8 years ago But, till December 2018 only 12 villages were displaced. Out of 76, 30 Villages are demanding relocation themselves by enrolling in applications.


The Central Government had allocated a budget of 1600 crores to spend on displaced people till March.

To speed up expenditure, the work of displacement paced up. In the last two months, the displacement of 8 villages has been made through the district collector by sending money to the accounts of people living in these 8 villages.

While 18 new villages have joined the displacement process. Of the 76 sanctuary, 38 villages have been linked to be displaced outside the reserve. Out of these 38, 12 villages are already  displaced out. 8 villages are being displaced and 18 villages are being surveyed for displacement and displacement started.

All 38 will be displaced out of Nauradehi till the end of this March.

1600 crores allotted but the expenditure may increase
Central government's Ministry of Forest and Environment had allocated a budget of 1600 crores for the displacement of the village in the month of December last year to the Nauradehi Sanctuary. To accelerate the displacement work, it was to use the maximum amount of money in this budget till March.

There was a budget to spend 533 crores on displacement every month till March. The Forest Department has displaced 8 villages in the last two months using this budget and the process of displacement of 18 villages is going on with this money. Forest officials claim that this money is being used more and the central government can also increase the time limit for spending this budget.


Encroaches of the forest in the last 5 years, will also be out
The Supreme Court has recently decided that in the last 5 years, a person who has settled in forests temporarily, should also be taken out of the forest reserves. Under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, tribes that are living in forests for the last three generations or for more than 75 years and are working for conservation and promotion of forests.

Under this act, there is a provision for leasing them, but under the guise of this act some other people started settling in the forests and applied for leases and land ownership documents. While hearing, the Supreme Court has ordered such people to be immediately expelled from the forest boundary. Because these people will not conserve and promote forests, but deforest by cutting trees by showing land ownership and leased documents and will start cultivation and crop harvesting .
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These village had been displaced:-

Rampura, Bijini, Bardapani, Chhoti Pappala, Bada Pappala, Bhadra, Kusvari, Nauradehi, Tara, Tindani, Lagra and Kusami.
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Efforts will be to increase the budget
The villages outside of the border of the Naurdehi Sanctuary. The displacement process has started in more and more villages. I don't think the rest of villages don't object to get displaced outside the reserve. A budget of 1600 crores to spend on the displaced people till March was received from the center. Efforts are being made to increase its time limit. Expectation is also that we can  increase the amount of money spent.

- Dr. Ankur Awadhiya, DFO, Nauridehi Sanctuary
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