MUMBAI: Maharashtra forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has unilaterally approved the diversion of 1.7 acres (0.69 hectares) of Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary to the Balayogi Shree Sadanand Maharaj Ashram despite opposition from members of the State Wildlife Board, including the principal chief conservator of forests Shomita Biswas, reports Clara Lewis.
A State Wildlife Board meeting called with only a 24-hour notice to panel members took place on Wednesday without the circulation of the agenda copy, which was provided to the members at the meeting, said sources.
When Biswas and an independent member raised concerns about the proposal being sub judice and illegal, Mungantiwar said that the decision had already been made by the chief minister and could not be scrapped.
The matter is currently pending before the SC, which is yet to rule on a review petition against its earlier order to demolish structures built by the ashram within the wildlife sanctuary.
In March last year, CM Eknath Shinde had instructed the forest department to submit a proposal with positive recommendations to the Centre & National Wildlife Board, ensuring compliance with SC judgments, to transfer the land owned by the ashram for exclusion from the sanctuary.