Alipurduar, Sept. 23 -- The Forest Department's decision to stop jeep safaris from Jayanti in Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) has triggered fresh anger among residents, with the department citing National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines. The dispute over overnight tourist stays has also remained unresolved.

"Forest for the tiger, tourism for the forest" - the department said it was willing to relax some tourism restrictions, but would not put pressure on the reserve's core area.

Forest Minister Manoj Kumar Oraon said: "We have always been working towards tourism development. However, we have to protect the forest and follow forest laws. We are also looking at ways to ensure that tourists can enjoy Buxa."

Following the reopening of the forests on September 16, jeep safaris from Jayanti were stopped and the local ticket counter was closed. Safari operators alleged that they now have to travel an additional 16 km to Rajabhatkhawa.

According to NTCA guidelines, jeep safaris cannot originate from a tiger reserve's core area. Safaris must start from the buffer zone, enter the core area and return to the buffer zone.

Jayanti residents staged a day-long protest last Saturday and hoped Monday's marathon meeting with Debashish Sharma, Deputy Field Director of BTR's East Division, would resolve the issue. However, a Forest Department official said on Wednesday, "We do not have the authority to violate the NTCA guidelines. Therefore, it is not possible to allow jeep safaris to operate from Jayanti under any circumstances."

Residents questioned when Jayanti was declared a core area and demanded the notification.

Jayanti Gram Sabha secretary Shubhojyoti Basu said, "When was Jayanti converted into a core area? Where is the notification? If necessary, we will sit on an indefinite hunger strike."

The Forest Department said overnight stays cannot be allowed in the core area, while the Jayanti homestay association is demanding permission, citing a Calcutta High Court stay order.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.