Panaji: Amidst growing demand from environmentalist to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as tiger reserve, local MLA and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has strongly opposed it.
“No one has right to declare tiger reserve in Sattari. We will not allow. Environmentalist should not tell us. Declaration of tiger reserve will stall development,” Rane told reporters responding to a question.
“The tigers are basically transitory, coming from Karnataka. We can protect their corridor with specific buffer zone but cannot have a tiger reserve,” Minister said.
He said that government as well as the people are for the protection of tigers and their corridor. “You just cannot declare the reserve. There has to be some study,” he said adding that he was not even aware untill, the killing of four tigers, that the wild cat exist in Sattari.
