Foresters beaten up by villagers in Sariska

TNN | Apr 3, 2012, 05.44AM IST ALWAR/JAIPUR: The Sariska Tiger Reserve continued to be at the receiving end of villagers agitation for the fifth day on Monday. While the gate to the reserve and resorts near it remained shut for visitors, at least four foresters were beaten by a mob of these villagers near Nangalheri under the Talvriksh range. This despite the fact that a majority of the people, protesting under the banner of the Bharatia Kisan Union, had shifted their focus to the collectorate in Alwar. Nearly 200 persons on Monday gathered near Roopbas, and after a meeting, took out a procession to the collectorate in Alwar. The gathering included a number of villagers from the periphery of the forests. They were demanding rights for registration of villagers' land and a repair of the state highway passing through the reserve. The protestors later met Alwar collector Ashutosh A.T. However, with the collector unable to meet their demands, some of the protestors decided to stay at the collectorate for the night while the remaining ones continued with their protest at the reserve. Their demands are something that has to be addressed by the Centre. The Section 20 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 prevents registration of land within forest areas and there are guidelines set by the Supreme Court that has to be complied with before the road can be repaired," said the collector. As per the orders of the Supreme Court on state highway number 13, between Bhartrahari and Thanagazi, plying of commercial vehicles is to be stopped totally and other vehicles can ply only from sunset to sunrise. Along with this, plying of all vehicles has to be stopped on state highway number 29A between Sariska and Tehla via Kalighati before any repair on the above road sections. However, the forest authorites tried to execute this order for commercial vehicles in 2009 but could not succeed due to opposition by locals. Since then the traffic has been going on unrestricted and the roads have worn out. "None of the issues that the villagers are demanding is in our hands. For registration of land, the law has to be changed. And so it is useless that the villagers protest in this manner and block the gates to the reserve inconveniencing tourists to it. Most unreasonable is the fact that four of my people were beaten up. We are lodging an FIR in this regard," said RS Shekhawat, field director, Sariska. But be that as it may, Bhupat Baliya, who is leading the agitation, warned, "If our demands are not met we will soon bring in supporters of the union from Uttar Pradesh and intensify our stir." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Foresters-beaten-up-by-villagers-in-Sariska/articleshow/12512944.cms