Deadline to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as tiger reserve ends; Congress says “will notify or stonewall it”

New Delhi: As the three-month deadline given by the high court to the Goa government to notify the Mhadei Tiger Reserve ends on Tuesday

Former environment Minister Jairam Ramesh questioned the state government and said “will it notify or will it stonewall”.

“Will the Modi government get the BJP state government to finally fall in line?” Ramesh said on social media post on X.

The Bombay High Court court in its order dated July 24, had directed the government to notify the areas around Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve within three months, following which the state filed a petition before the Supreme Court to nullify the order.

However, the apex court on September 25 refused to stay the high court order.

“Today the three-month deadline given by the High Court and upheld by the Supreme Court for the Goa government to notify the Mhadei Tiger Reserve gets over” Ramesh said

“What will the Goa government do? Will it notify or will it stonewall?” he alleged.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra had sought responses from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and others on the petition.

The Congress leader said the surprising bit is the “defiance” of the state government when the Union government including the present one has consistently been in favour of the Mhadei Tiger Reserve being notified.

The three-month deadline to declare and notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas as tiger reserve, ends on Tuesday.