‘Unauthorised’ lease deeds stall Pilibhit’s proposed Rs 48-cr leopard safari
The project, proposed to the Union ministry of environment, forest, and climate change (MoEFCC) through the state’s principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) in March, has an estimated cost of Rs 48 crore. However, construction has been stalled over a dispute involving 30.53 hectares of the proposed site. Divisional forest officer DFO Bharat Kumar DK said lease deeds for the reserve forest land were allegedly issued to 35 villagers by Puranpur’s then SDM in 1983, despite lacking the authority to do so. “After the department learnt about the unauthorised lease deeds in 1991, legal proceedings were initiated in the district magistrate’s court. The deeds were cancelled on Oct 30, 2001,” the DFO said. Officials plan to install a 12-foot-high chain-link fence around the designated area to contain the rescued animals, prevent their movement beyond the enclosure, and reduce the risk of human-wildlife conflict.
Stay updated with the latest Bareilly news.
The land had also not been transferred to the revenue department, he said. “The matter is still pending before the ADM’s court,” Kumar said. Pilibhit : A proposed leopard safari in Pilibhit, billed as Uttar Pradesh’s first such facility, has run into a land dispute over alleged unauthorised lease deeds issued decades ago for reserve forest land. It is intended to provide rescued leopards with a semi-natural habitat and promote ecotourism alongside Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR). The unresolved ownership issue has prevented the forest department from starting fencing work, a key requirement for the safari. Forest officials are now awaiting the district magistrate’s intervention to resolve the administrative and legal hurdles and enable work on the project to begin. Download the TOI App.
The villagers challenged the decision before the additional commissioner in Bareilly, but their appeal was dismissed on Oct 17, 2002. They subsequently approached the Allahabad high court, where a division bench ruled in favour of the forest department in 2010. The villagers then challenged the verdict before a higher bench, which stayed the division bench’s order in 2011.
After years of litigation, the HC disposed of the matter by transferring it to the additional district magistrate (judicial), Pilibhit, and directed the officer to decide the dispute within six months.
The safari is planned over 1,716 hectares of forest land in Gopalpur forest under Puranpur tehsil. It will house leopards rescued from different parts of Uttar Pradesh, providing them an alternative to prolonged confinement in conventional zoo enclosures.