GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Environment and Forests
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.934
TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2011
Construction of Hotels/Resorts Inside National Parks
934. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS be pleased to state:
(a) Whether resorts and hotels are allowed to be constructed inside National Parks and protected parks;
(b) If so, the details of rules thereof;
(e) Whether Government is aware of resorts that have come up at National Parks in Karnataka;
(d) If so, the details thereof; and
(e) The steps Government has taken in this regard?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
(SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
(a) & (b) As per the proviso under Section 33 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, no construction of commercial tourist lodges, hotels, zoos and safari parks shall be undertaken inside a Sanctuary except with the prior approval of the National Board for Wildlife. By virtue of Section 35 (8) of the said Act, this provision is applicable to the National Parks also.
(c) & (d) As per the information provided by the Government of Karnataka, 'Jungle Lodges and Resorts' , a Government of Karnataka undertaking, owns resort at Kyathadebara Gudi in the Biligiri Ranganna Hills Sanctuary and at Bheemeshwari in Cauvery Sanctuary. In addition, tented accommodations (10 tents each) have been established by the Tourism Department in 7 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 1 National Park in the State. The details of these tented accommodation is given in Annexure.
(e) The implementation of the provisions of the Wild Life (Protect ion) Act, 1972 is the responsibility of the State Government. The State Government of Karnataka has conveyed that the accommodation is run by Jungle Lodges and Resorts for awareness and education purposes and that there is no private participation in the management of any of the said lodges and resorts.
ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (c) & (d) OF THE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 934 REGARDING "CONSTRUCTION OF HOTELS/RESORTS INSIDE NATLONAL PARKS" DUE FOR REPLY ON 09.08.2011 BY SHRI. RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR
List or tented accommodation (10 tents each) established by the Tour ism Department in Sanctuaries and National Parks in Kamataka