Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Supreme Court will take up the case concerning the proposed Tiger Reserve in Goa on January 27, Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane informed the Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
Rane declined to address specific queries raised by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, stating that the matter is currently under judicial consideration.
“The issue is sub judice and is pending before the Supreme Court. The next hearing is scheduled for January 27, 2026,” the minister said.
Alemao had sought clarification on whether the state government has begun the process of notifying Phase I of the proposed Tiger Reserve, as recommended by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), and whether a formal tiger conservation plan has been prepared.
Phase I of the proposal, as outlined by the CEC, envisages the declaration of a Tiger Reserve spread across 468.60 square kilometres, comprising the Netravali and Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuaries, along with portions of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park.
Sources indicated that during the forthcoming hearing, the Goa government is likely to place an affidavit before the apex court challenging the CEC’s conclusions, pointing to alleged shortcomings in the committee’s assessment.
The CEC has identified the presence of 102 households within the proposed Phase I area — including 50 families in Netravali, 41 in Cotigao, nine in the northern section of Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary, and two within Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park.
The committee has also observed that these forest regions share a continuous ecological corridor with Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve, strengthening the case for declaring a Tiger Reserve in Goa.
