Village heads protest before J'khand ministers proposed move to declare Saranda a wildlife sanctuary
Village heads protest before J'khand ministers proposed move to declare Saranda a wildlife sanctuary
Chaibasa , Village heads on Tuesday protested before a group of Jharkhand ministers the proposed move to declare Saranda forest a wildlife sanctuary, officials said.
Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore, his Rural Development counterpart Deepika Pandey Singh, Labour's Sanjay Prasad Yadav, Welfare's Chamra Linda, and Transport's Deepak Birua, listened to local people's opinions regarding the proposed move to declare Saranda forest in West Singhbhum district a wildlife sanctuary as per a directive of the Supreme Court.
In the public meeting, headmen of 56 villages in the Saranda forest region said that people of the area depend on the forest for their livelihoods and the restrictions imposed after declaring it as a wildlife sanctuary would affect them.
They demanded a guarantee for the protection of traditional places of worship and religious sites.
Villagers also demanded that the closed mines be reopened and that employment be provided to the youth of Saranda.
They also raised concerns over fears of displacement and highlighted the poor state of health services.
Kishore said that after hearing people's views, the government will make a decision keeping their interests in mind.
"The sentiments of the villagers will not be ignored in any decision taken by the government. The Supreme Court has issued certain guidelines regarding the development of Saranda as a sanctuary, and the government will adhere to these guidelines, giving utmost importance to the public's voice," Kishore added.
Irked over non-compliance of its orders, the Supreme Court on September 17 directed the chief secretary of Jharkhand to personally appear before it on October 8 to show cause as to why the state government has not notified Saranda Wildlife Sanctuary and the Sasangdaburu Conservation Reserve as a conservation reserve.
Saranda forest is one of India's most ecologically significant regions, known for its rich biodiversity, elephant corridors, and iron ore deposits.
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