Thaindian News

Bhopal, Dec 9 (IANS) Having signed a tripartite agreement with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the central government, Madhya Pradesh hopes to get ample funds soon to boost conservation and protection of the big cats in its six tiger reserves, an official said Wednesday.
The state government has sought about Rs.3,200 crore from the central government for relocation of 117 villages situated inside the six reserves.

Earlier, the central government did not release any funds as the Madhya Pradesh government was reluctant to sign the pact, saying that “it violates the federal character of the country as the NTCA would exercise direct control over park directors bypassing the chief wildlife warden”.

The state’s reluctance drew flak from environmentalists who feared that in the absence of central-sponsored funds, the state might lose its tag of a “tiger state”. Madhya Pradesh has around 290 tigers.

“The impasse was resolved last month after the union Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh spoke to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, urging him to ask the forest department to sign the tripartite MoU,” the forest department official said, requesting anonymity since he is not authorised to speak to the media.

“With this, the state would now receive funds for management of the tiger reserves that had been kept on hold for long,” he added.

Madhya Pradesh hitherto received Rs.18-Rs.20 crore annually from the NTCA for management of its tiger reserves. Besides this, the NTCA is now also likely to provide funds for relocation of villages from core areas of tiger reserves in the state.

In the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding, the central government, the state forest department through the chief wildlife warden and the park director were signatories.