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Rajasthan Government Relocates Hundreds of Families from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve without Rehabilitation

Reported by

Eleonora Fanari

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

August 22, 2017

May 17, 2022

Edited on

August 22, 2017

State

Rajasthan

Sector

Conservation and Forestry

People Affected by Conflict

7445

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

111300

ha

Starting Year

1973

Location of Conflict

Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

Sawai Madhopur

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Protected Areas

Tiger Reserve

Land Conflict Summary

Ranthambore National Park is located in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. It was notified as a Tiger Reserve in 1973. Between 1973 and 1979, 12 villages comprising 681 families were evacuated by the forest department in an attempt to arrest poaching and preserve the tiger population. The government started the relocation project again in 2002. Pathra was the first of the four villages still remaining inside the national park to be evacuated. About 110 families were relocated near Kailashpuri village in Khandar. In 2007, the government prioritised the relocation of the remaining three villages Mordungri, Indala and Khatoli. This move came ahead of the notification of Ranthambore as a Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) in December 2008. Between 2007 and 2014, the residents of the three villages were allegedly coerced by the forest department to move out by accepting a cash settlement package. However, 28 families in Mordungri did not accept the cash offer and demanded alternative land and facilities. They were finally relocated in 2014 in Girirajpura. The relocated families were promised schools, health facilities, temples, irrigation facilities and land titles, but none of these have been fulfilled by the government, and the affected families continue to demand rehabilitation and land ownership. Meanwhile, with the declaration of the CTH, the limits of the park expanded. There are now a total of 53 villages that need to be relocated. In 2016, five villages among nine others planned for relocation were prioritised Talda Khet, Kala Khora, Gadhi, Maharo and Kiradki comprising 260 families.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for rehabilitation

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Complaint against procedural violations

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common

Type of Common Land

Forest

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):

Type of investment:

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

Central/State Government Policy, Other, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

National Tiger Conservation Authority (Normative Standards for Tourism Activities and Project Tiger) Guidelines, 2012 dated October 15, 2012
Guideline 10.2.3 [Provides affected families with an option to opt for a cash or rehabilitation package]
Project Tiger, 1973
Under Project Tiger, Ranthambore was declared a Tiger Reserve
Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
Section 38V(4)(i) [Critical Tiger Habitat areas are notified as such by the state government in consultation with an expert committee constituted for the purpose]; Section 24 and 25 [Procedure to acquire land to constitute a sanctuary or national park]; Section 38V(4) [Subject to the Act, while preparing a Tiger Conservation Plan, the government shall take into account the agricultural, livelihood, developmental and other interests of people living in tiger reserves]
National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007
Paragraph 3.1(b) [A family whose primary place of residence or other property or source of livelihood is adversely affected by the acquisition of land for a project or involuntary displacement is caused for any other reason is an affected family to whom the policy applies]; Paragraph 2.1(b) [The policy aims to ensure adequate rehabilitation package and expeditious implementation of the rehabilitation process with the active participation of the affected families]
Rajasthan State Village Relocation Policy, Government of Rajasthan, 2002
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 4(2)(e) [For resettlement of forest rights holders, the consent of the Gram Sabha in the areas concerned has to be obtained in respect of the proposed resettlement and the package]
Paragraph 4.9 [Relocation of villages from Critical Tiger Habitats within a timeframe by providing a better relocation package and supporting states for settlement of rights of such people]
These guidelines lay down a detailed procedure and safeguards under the Wild Life (Protection) Act and the Forest Rights Act 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

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:

Forced evictions/dispossession of land

Lack of legal protection over land rights

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)

High Court of Rajasthan

Case Number

D.B. Civil Writ Petition No.2627/2019

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

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

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Jaipur Forest Department

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:

Gramin Shiksha Kendra

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

Ranthambore National Park is located in Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. It was notified as a Tiger Reserve in 1973. Between 1973 and 1979, 12 villages comprising 681 families were evacuated by the forest department in an attempt to arrest poaching and preserve the tiger population. The government started the relocation project again in 2002. Pathra was the first of the four villages still remaining inside the national park to be evacuated. About 110 families were relocated near Kailashpuri village in Khandar. In 2007, the government prioritised the relocation of the remaining three villages Mordungri, Indala and Khatoli. This move came ahead of the notification of Ranthambore as a Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) in December 2008. Between 2007 and 2014, the residents of the three villages were allegedly coerced by the forest department to move out by accepting a cash settlement package. However, 28 families in Mordungri did not accept the cash offer and demanded alternative land and facilities. They were finally relocated in 2014 in Girirajpura. The relocated families were promised schools, health facilities, temples, irrigation facilities and land titles, but none of these have been fulfilled by the government, and the affected families continue to demand rehabilitation and land ownership. Meanwhile, with the declaration of the CTH, the limits of the park expanded. There are now a total of 53 villages that need to be relocated. In 2016, five villages among nine others planned for relocation were prioritised Talda Khet, Kala Khora, Gadhi, Maharo and Kiradki comprising 260 families.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for rehabilitation

Demand for legal recognition of land rights

Complaint against procedural violations

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common

Type of Common Land

Forest

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

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

Central/State Government Policy, Other, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

National Tiger Conservation Authority (Normative Standards for Tourism Activities and Project Tiger) Guidelines, 2012 dated October 15, 2012
Guideline 10.2.3 [Provides affected families with an option to opt for a cash or rehabilitation package]
Project Tiger, 1973
Under Project Tiger, Ranthambore was declared a Tiger Reserve
Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
Section 38V(4)(i) [Critical Tiger Habitat areas are notified as such by the state government in consultation with an expert committee constituted for the purpose]; Section 24 and 25 [Procedure to acquire land to constitute a sanctuary or national park]; Section 38V(4) [Subject to the Act, while preparing a Tiger Conservation Plan, the government shall take into account the agricultural, livelihood, developmental and other interests of people living in tiger reserves]
National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007
Paragraph 3.1(b) [A family whose primary place of residence or other property or source of livelihood is adversely affected by the acquisition of land for a project or involuntary displacement is caused for any other reason is an affected family to whom the policy applies]; Paragraph 2.1(b) [The policy aims to ensure adequate rehabilitation package and expeditious implementation of the rehabilitation process with the active participation of the affected families]
Rajasthan State Village Relocation Policy, Government of Rajasthan, 2002
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
Section 4(2)(e) [For resettlement of forest rights holders, the consent of the Gram Sabha in the areas concerned has to be obtained in respect of the proposed resettlement and the package]
Paragraph 4.9 [Relocation of villages from Critical Tiger Habitats within a timeframe by providing a better relocation package and supporting states for settlement of rights of such people]
These guidelines lay down a detailed procedure and safeguards under the Wild Life (Protection) Act and the Forest Rights Act 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

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:

Forced evictions/dispossession of land

Lack of legal protection over land rights

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)

High Court of Rajasthan

Case Number

D.B. Civil Writ Petition No.2627/2019

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Land occupation

Protests/marches

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Jaipur Forest Department

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:

Gramin Shiksha Kendra

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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