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Villagers in Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve Refuse to Relocate, Seek Higher Compensation

Reported by

Ashish Gaur

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

December 9, 2017

May 17, 2022

Edited on

December 9, 2017

State

Rajasthan

Sector

Conservation and Forestry

People Affected by Conflict

4000

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

0

ha

Starting Year

2013

Location of Conflict

Mukundra

Kota

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Protected Areas

Tiger Reserve

Land Conflict Summary

Residents of 12 villages within the periphery of the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve are refusing to relocate from their villages unless they are given adequate compensation. The Forest Department is planning to reintroduce tigers into the Reserve, which had previously lost all its tigers. In June 2017, the villagers had requested the Government for a revised compensation package as they are unhappy with the current one which conforms to the norms laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. An article dated 4 March, 2018, states that the Centre has approved 100 hectares of land near Kota to be the area to which the villagers will be rehabilitated. However, the compensation package remains unchanged and the villagers are refusing to shift out of the reserve. Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) is the third tiger reserve of Rajasthan after Sariska and Ranthambore. MHTR was notified as a Tiger Reserve in 2013 by the State Government. Spread over 759.99 square kilometers, comprising a core area of 417.17 square km and a buffer area of around 342.82 square km. Of the total 14 villages that come within the periphery of the MHTR, only two, Lakshmipura and Kharli Baori, have been rehabilitated. Based on the norms set by National Tiger Conservation Authority's (NTCA), the Forest Department has promised to pay Rs 10 lakh and also assured to provide compensation for land as per Government rates. The villagers, however, are unhappy with this and have been demanding a better compensation package. As per a report dated December 6, 2017, District Collector of Kota, Rohit Gupta, had said that a revised compensation package had been sent to the State Government for approval. Deputy Conservator of Forests, MHTR, SR Yadav, confirmed that the revised package had been sent to the Union Government through the State Government. He further added that "relocation of villagers was priority but it has to be voluntary". However, the compensation package remains unchanged and there are no updates on the revised package that was requested.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for more compensation than promised

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

73

Type of investment:

Investment Expected

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Environmental Laws, Central/State Government Policy, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
Section 38V(5): Scheduled tribes and forest dwellers may not be resettled unless the state government meets the strict conditions listed in this provision, or unless they have been voluntarily relocated on mutually agreed terms and conditions.
Revised Guidelines for the Ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger, 2008
Guideline 4.9: The guidelines recommend an amount of Rs. 10 lakhs as translocation compensation.
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 2(o): “other traditional forest dweller” means any person who has primarily resided in and depended on forest land for at least 3 generations prior to 13 December 2005; Section 4: Forest rights provided in Section 3 vest in Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers; Section 4(2): Certain stringent conditions must be fulfilled before forest dwellers are settled or any of their forest rights are affected; Section 6: Procedure for claims under the Act.
Ministry of Environment and Forests Guidelines for Voluntary Village Relocation in Notified Core/Critical Tiger Habitats of Tiger Reserves, 2010
These guidelines provide the procedure and safeguards for voluntary and consent-based relocation in areas identified as critical tiger habitats.
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

Yes

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-rehabilitation of displaced people

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Rajasthan High Court at Jaipur

Case Number

Civil Writ Petition No. 6827 of 2016

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

Displacement

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Land occupation

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Forest Department, Government of Rajasthan

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

Residents of 12 villages within the periphery of the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve are refusing to relocate from their villages unless they are given adequate compensation. The Forest Department is planning to reintroduce tigers into the Reserve, which had previously lost all its tigers. In June 2017, the villagers had requested the Government for a revised compensation package as they are unhappy with the current one which conforms to the norms laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. An article dated 4 March, 2018, states that the Centre has approved 100 hectares of land near Kota to be the area to which the villagers will be rehabilitated. However, the compensation package remains unchanged and the villagers are refusing to shift out of the reserve. Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) is the third tiger reserve of Rajasthan after Sariska and Ranthambore. MHTR was notified as a Tiger Reserve in 2013 by the State Government. Spread over 759.99 square kilometers, comprising a core area of 417.17 square km and a buffer area of around 342.82 square km. Of the total 14 villages that come within the periphery of the MHTR, only two, Lakshmipura and Kharli Baori, have been rehabilitated. Based on the norms set by National Tiger Conservation Authority's (NTCA), the Forest Department has promised to pay Rs 10 lakh and also assured to provide compensation for land as per Government rates. The villagers, however, are unhappy with this and have been demanding a better compensation package. As per a report dated December 6, 2017, District Collector of Kota, Rohit Gupta, had said that a revised compensation package had been sent to the State Government for approval. Deputy Conservator of Forests, MHTR, SR Yadav, confirmed that the revised package had been sent to the Union Government through the State Government. He further added that "relocation of villagers was priority but it has to be voluntary". However, the compensation package remains unchanged and there are no updates on the revised package that was requested.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for more compensation than promised

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Total investment involved (in Crores):

73

Type of investment:

Investment Expected

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Environmental Laws, Central/State Government Policy, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
Section 38V(5): Scheduled tribes and forest dwellers may not be resettled unless the state government meets the strict conditions listed in this provision, or unless they have been voluntarily relocated on mutually agreed terms and conditions.
Revised Guidelines for the Ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger, 2008
Guideline 4.9: The guidelines recommend an amount of Rs. 10 lakhs as translocation compensation.
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 2(o): “other traditional forest dweller” means any person who has primarily resided in and depended on forest land for at least 3 generations prior to 13 December 2005; Section 4: Forest rights provided in Section 3 vest in Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers; Section 4(2): Certain stringent conditions must be fulfilled before forest dwellers are settled or any of their forest rights are affected; Section 6: Procedure for claims under the Act.
Ministry of Environment and Forests Guidelines for Voluntary Village Relocation in Notified Core/Critical Tiger Habitats of Tiger Reserves, 2010
These guidelines provide the procedure and safeguards for voluntary and consent-based relocation in areas identified as critical tiger habitats.
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

Yes

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Non-rehabilitation of displaced people

Legal Status:

In Court

Status of Case In Court

Disposed

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Rajasthan High Court at Jaipur

Case Number

Civil Writ Petition No. 6827 of 2016

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

Displacement

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Land occupation

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Forest Department, Government of Rajasthan

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

Other Land Conflicts in Rajasthan

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