Kali Tiger Reserve. | Photo credit: File photo
On the basis of documentary evidence and official responses to the assembly, questions and doubts have been raised about the legality of the relocation of 339 families from the Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) in the state.
Although the relocation was described as voluntary and touted as a model, activists find it interesting that the applications of 99 families who applied under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) were rejected.
The fact that the forest department rejected their applications for restoration of traditional rights under the FRA indicates that they could not prove their bona fides and were therefore encroachers, activists said.
It was pointed out that in reply to a question raised by Abhay Patil, MLA, in the Legislative Assembly on 18 December, Forest, Environment and Environment Minister Eshwar B. Khandre said that 339 families were relocated from villages and hamlets within the limits of 10 gram panchayats between 2022 and 2025. It was also revealed that the families were either rejected under 9 FRA or claims for 9 FRA families were still denied. pending processing. The government paid a compensation of ₹12.17 crore.
This unsettled activists who argued that such a casual approach to ascertaining the authenticity of claims undermines the rights of tribals. Besides, payment of compensation without prior recognition and settlement of forest rights is a violation of the FRA, said activists, who pointed out that even relocation without prior recognition of forest rights and informed consent of the gram sabha is expressly prohibited by law.
“Though the government was asked to submit a gram sabha resolution for the resettlement period, the forest minister reportedly submitted only a single resolution from Ulavi Gram Panchayat in 2014 – an 11-year-old document unrelated to the resettlement period in question,” the activists said.
Activists said such blatant violations are not isolated and pointed out that between 2020 and 2025, 498 families were resettled from various gram panchayats including Anshi, Ulavi, Kateli, Gangoda, Bajarkunang, Nandigadde, Badakan-Shirada, Kadra and Dandeli, Udhanttala, spread across Karnad, Uwarttara and Karnada Kanchayats. district. But information obtained under the Right to Information Act, 2005 from several gram panchayats revealed that no gram sabha meetings were held during the relocation period.
Activists, who provided documents from specific gram sabhas to support their view, alleged systemic disregard for the law and demanded a review of the project.
Published – 25 Dec 2025 20:03 IST
