In an appeal to locals around Buxa, West Bengal Environment Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon asked them to cooperate with the state Forest Department to protect and conserve wildlife within the core area of the tiger reserve in Alipurduar.
The minister issued this appeal through a video message on his social media account following protests by a section of forest villagers and local residents.
Over the past few days, a group of people has been protesting against forest officials for strictly enforcing the state government’s annual 90-day closure of the reserve, which will remain in force until September 15.
The restrictions prevent outsiders and tourists from entering the forest through Rajabhatkhawa and Jayanti in Alipurduar.
The mandatory closure is aimed at ensuring that wildlife is not disturbed during the breeding season. The restrictions on the entry of outsiders and tourists have been imposed to protect and conserve wildlife in the tiger reserve and other national parks across North Bengal, the minister said.
Oraon claimed that a section of people had been dishonestly facilitating the entry of tourists into the core area by falsely claiming them to be relatives of forest villagers.
“We, as responsible citizens, should not support those who are bringing tourists into the core area in the guise of relatives of forest villagers for commercial gain. We should stop such people from entering the forest and should not allow tourists to stay in hotels or other establishments during the closure period,” he said.
The minister clarified that genuine relatives of forest villagers would be allowed to visit, but outsiders and tourists would not be permitted during the restriction period.
Oraon also apologised over the inconvenience caused to Chinmay Bandyopadhyay, who regularly visits the forest villages every month to provide free medical services. The doctor was reportedly asked to leave a forest village two days ago, triggering further protests.
Meanwhile, a section of forest villagers, including homestay owners, staged demonstrations despite strict security at the forest entry gates. They also alleged that they were being prevented from carrying construction materials needed for repairing and rebuilding their houses within the core area.
Forest villager Jagadish Oraon said, “We are being deprived of our forest rights. The present forest officials are trying to force us out of our villages by imposing restrictions on our movement.”
Responding to the allegations, the minister said the three-month restriction had been in force for many years but had not been properly enforced in recent years.
“The Forest Department will look into the concerns of the forest villagers. However, the present system of restrictions must be implemented in the interest of wildlife conservation,” he said.