Proposed tiger reserve in Goa: Decision after reviewing central panel's report, says CM Sawant

Panaji, Nov 26 (PTI) Days after the Supreme Court's Central Empowered Committee submitted its recommendations on the proposed Goa Tiger Reserve, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said a decision will be taken after going through the report.

The CEC, in its report, said the state's protected areas that are directly contiguous with the core of the Kali Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) and have relatively few households, namely Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary (50 households) and Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary (41 households), should be considered for inclusion in the first phase of the proposed Goa Tiger Reserve.

The protected areas with significantly higher numbers of households, such as the southern part of Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, shall not be included in the first phase of the reserve, it recommended.

The CEC submitted its report before the Supreme Court on November 21, after the panel's two members -- Chandra Prakash Goyal and Sunil Limaye -- met all the stakeholders, including NGO Goa Foundation.

The NGO had filed a PIL in the high court, mandating that the state government declare the area a tiger reserve.

Sawant told reporters here on Tuesday that the government will not comment before going through the findings in the report.

"As far as the tiger reserve is concerned, we are yet to receive the report," the chief minister said.

Once the government receives the report, it they will go through the recommendations, he said.

"We will go through it (report) and after that will decide how to implement it. It is not fair for me to comment right now without going through the report," the CM added. PTI RPS GK