For lions' second home, Gujarat rolls out scheme to relocate pastoralists from Barda sanctuary

The Gujarat government has announced a scheme for the voluntary relocation of maldharis seminomadic pastoralists from the Barda sanctuary in Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts being developed as a second home for Asiatic lionsAs part of the scheme an amount of Rs 15 lakh will be given per family to the eligible beneficiaries for voluntary relocation outside the sanctuary area it saidWith the increase in population of lions the government has identified Barda spread across Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka districts as a new sanctuary area for lions Currently Asiatic Lions are concentrated in the Gir Wildlife SanctuaryIn Porbandar for the Van Mahotsav event Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the scheme on Thursday for the voluntary relocation of maldhari community members from the Barda sanctuary areaUnder the scheme and in accordance with the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority NTCA Rs 15 lakh will be given per family to the eligible beneficiaries in a lump sum for voluntary relocation outside the sanctuary area he saidAfter the payment the beneficiaries will no longer be eligible to make any further rights or claims regarding the Barda areaThe scheme aims to open up a large part of the Barda sanctuary for wildlife freeing the area from the biotic pressure caused by human encroachment and the relocated families will be able to join the mainstream access better livelihood education healthcare and promising employment opportunities an official release saidThe collector or districtlevel committee concerned may allot a 100squareyard residential plot to a maldhari family free of cost located near a village outside the boundaries of the sanctuary and the ecosensitive zone and beyond a distance of 10 km from municipal corporation limits and five km from municipality limits the CM saidAdditionally if a family owns livestock they may request a plot of up to 100 square yards for the animals The cost of this plot calculated at market rates will be deducted from the Rs 15 lakh assistance amount and the balance will be paid to the family Patel saidThe definition of a family under this scheme will be determined in accordance with the guidelines of the NTCA and a statelevel committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the principal secretary forest and environment to review and provide guidance on the implementation of the scheme according to the releaseAdditionally a districtlevel committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the respective district collectors to oversee the schemes implementation gather data on the number of affected families verify necessary supporting documents and finalise details regarding people to be relocated it addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever