Tadoba to scrap add-on, reduce advance booking to 60 days

Nagpur: To check online booking fraud, Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in Chandrapur district has decided to reduce advance booking period for safaris from 120 days to 60 days, and also do away with the add-on facility for tourists.

TOI had on September 22 exposed how resort owners were fraudulently making bulk bookings in fake names without mentioning IDs. Some were booking with different names and same mobile numbers. Later, these bookings, for the peak tourism season in December, would be sold for a huge premium to visitors, whose names would be added to the passengers list using the add-on facility.

As reported earlier, a three-member committee of TATR had submitted a report on September 29 to chief wildlife warden AK Misra recommending reducing booking period to 60 days and withdrawal of add-on facility.

Misra has issued directions to TATR field director Mukul Trivedi to reduce safari booking period to 60 days, and also withdraw add-on facility from February 1, 2018.

Misra said, "We took cognisance of media reports. If we implement the scheme immediately, there will be inconvenience to some genuine tourists. We are still discussing modalities to improve the system to check frauds. A meeting of stakeholders has been called on October 23 to discuss the issue. We are incorporating several changes to check frauds."

Misra said, 'I've asked the field director to submit a comprehensive proposal."

Sources in the forest department said that after TOI exposed the booking fraud, TATR field director Mukul Trivedi had started implementing the 60-day booking period and withdrawal of add-on facility immediately. However, he has been asked not to implement it with retrospective affect.

They said the decision has been taken to defer implementation as many resort owners and influential tourists, who are regular visitors to Tadoba, complained about the inconvenience it will cause them. They told TOI that the recommendations have come after bookings were made, hence the rule should be applicable after four months.

Some officials feel that the change is being made owing to a PIL admitted in the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court against excessive tourism in Tadoba by permitting more number of vehicles than prescribed in Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP).