Different voices over tiger reserve likely to delay proposal

Panaji, Jul 19 (PTI) Even though the Indian Ministry of
Environment and Forests (MoEF) has asked the South Western
Indian state Goa government to submit a proposal for a tiger
reserve in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, lack of consensus on the
issue is likely to cause a delay, a senior state minister
said.
"There are apprehensions about the tiger reserve among
the people," State Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira said.
"The issue needs to be deliberated before taking a final
stand," he said while addressing a youth convention in Panaji.
Former Indian Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam
Ramesh had asked Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to submit a
proposal to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger
reserve, which is spread across 280 sq kms.
Sequeira said there are two voices as far as setting up a
tiger reserve is concerned. "One voice says that we want a
tiger reserve, another says, we don't want it," he said,
adding that the government is confronting the practical
problem.
"The opposition to the tiger reserve is similar to the
opposition to buffer zone, which was supposed to be 10 kms
from the boundary of wildlife sanctuary or reserve forest," he
added.