Protected Area Network in Orissa - Vasundhara

etween the Revenue Department and the Wildlife Department regarding thedemarcated boundary of the sanctuary and the revenue villages containedwithin it.The letter from the District Collector of Nuapada to the Chief WildlifeWarden on 17 th December 2000(Letter no. 5440, Courtesy: Viswas) clearlystates that the procedures adopted for declaration of wild life sanctuary werenot in accordance with certain provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.• Controversy Over Existence of Un-Surveyed Villages and Continuance ofRight of Inhabitants:There are 64 habitations inside the sanctuary boundary of which 34habitations falls under un-surveyed category. In 1988 the revenue departmentinitiated the process of settling the un-surveyed villages but due to thepressure from Sanctuary authorities the process of settlement wasabandoned. Further in 1997-98 the then Collector once again invitedapplications from the inhabitants of un-surveyed villages and landlessfamilies of revenue villages, which raised a number of questions in regards tothe status of Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary. According to the DFO, stategovernment has instituted Sunabeda Plateau as Sunabeda Widlife Sanctuary undersection 18 of WLP Act, 1972 on 26 th July 1983 (vide Notification No. 16045-FFAH)and finally notified as Sanctuary under section 26(A) of WLP Act 1972 on 10 th May1988 (vide Notification No. 10772-FFAH). Under this situation pattas cannot beissued inside the sanctuary area.But the opinion of revenue department authorities completely differs fromthat of the forest officials. According to Revenue department, since there are64 villages existing within the sanctuary, it automatically comes under thejurisdiction of the revenue department and the revenue department is theonly competent authority to settle Govt. land in favor of applicants fromrevenue and un-surveyed as the process of right settlement as required undersection 19 to 25 of WLP of 1972 has not completed. The revenue department had98