The Alipurduar district administration has set in motion the process of relocating the residents of two forest villages, within 48 hours of the plan’s announcement by chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
Mamata, who was in Alipurduar on Sunday, had instructed the administration to relocate the people, who live in the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) area. As there is a plan to reintroduce royal Bengal tigers in the reserve, some of the forest villagers have to be relocated.
Altogether, there are 17 forest villages in the BTR but it is yet to be decided how many of them need to be relocated.
At the meeting, Mamata had said residents of Bhutiabusty in Kumargram block and Gangutiabusty in Kalchini block of the district would be shifted soon. The relocation would also help the villagers avert erosion, a problem which they face in their hamlets during monsoon months.
On Tuesday, district magistrate R. Vimla held a meeting with officials of the district land and land reforms department and the senior foresters who are posted in the BTR.
According to sources, there are 191 families in Gangutiabusty and 50 families in Bhutiabusty.
“The families living in both the hamlets have agreed to the proposal of relocation. The chief minister has specifically instructed us to take up the work and we have initiated it. Each family will be provided with compensation of Rs 15 lakh in two installments. We have received Rs 36 crore for this programme,” Vimla said after the meeting.
Foresters are making preparations for tiger augmentation in the Buxa reserve forest.