3439 SHRI RAMACHANDRA KHUNTIA
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS be pleased to state :-
Whether Government has approved the proposal of the State Government of Odisha to declare 15.33 km. area of Chilkanalaban sanctuary, entire Gahirmath sanctuary and Chandaka sanctuary as critical wildlife habitats?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
The Government of Odisha had forwarded proposals to the Central Level Committee for notification of Chilka Nalaban Sanctuary, Gahirmatha Sanctuary and Chandaka Sanctuary as Critical Wildlife Habitats under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. These proposals were considered by the Central Level Committee and were found to be incomplete. Therefore, the State Government was requested to submit revised proposal, which has not been received in the Ministry of Environment and Forests so far.