Sariska villagers shift out voluntarily

Jaipur, May 14 (UNI) The much awaited shifting of villages from Sariska Tiger project has started with villagers of Bhagani, one of the habitations in the core area, voluntarily moving out, paving the way for reintroduction of tigers in the sanctuary.

The villagers of Bhagani have started shifting their belongings from last night and conducted the bhoomi pujan today at Bardodrudhn, about four km from Behrod on the Delhi-Jaipur national highway.

A member of the state wildlife committee, Rajpal Singh told UNI that approximately 30 families have willingly shifted from the village in Sariska sanctuary.

Each family was given six bighas of land and Rs one lakh for construction of their houses. If a family has more than one adult member, he would be treated as another family and given the special package.

The market price of the land given to these villagers was around Rs 25 to 30 lakh, Mr Singh added.

Field director of Sariska Tiger Project, Somshekar, however, said the process of shifting villagers has been an on going process since some time.

The 881 square metre Sariska Tiger project has so far been denied the status of a national park due to presence of human population in the sanctuary. The sanctuary authorities has been under flak for disappearance of tigers from the sanctuary.

Sariska has 11 villages in the core area. In the first phase, two villages Bhagani and Kankawadi were to be shifted. The villagers have been surviving on dairy farming and cattle rearing in the sanctuary.

UNI