Govt junks its plan to hand over Bandipur rooms to JLR

MYSURU: The forest department has dropped its plan to hand over the management of Bandipur Tiger Reserve tourist rooms to Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR) following opposition from conservationists. The short-staffed forest department has been trying to strengthen the wildlife conservation and forest protection activities by pulling out the guards and officers from the affairs of the cottages.
Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) is popular among tourists for its vast forest cover and huge tiger population. Tourists, especially from cities within the state, make online bookings for BTR rooms and wildlife safari months in advance.
Those who could shell out more money usually book rooms and safaris at JLR's Bandipur Safari Lodge, which has 22 cottages. The tariff starts from Rs 7,000 per cottage. Those who seek budget rooms book with the forest department, which runs 27 cottages. The maximum rate is Rs 3,200 per cottage.
Nearly 466 forest personnel manage 13 ranges - where 200 of the staffers are thinly spread out to manage 50 anti-poaching camps (APC). They patrol by walk and in vehicle in 112 beats, monitor and maintain the 600 camera traps installed in the BTR, and carry out border, monsoon, night and boat patrolling.
Conservationists and nature lovers who opposed the move to hand over the cottages to JLR claimed that it will lead to a hike in tariff. "Middle class people who are interested in wildlife can never afford JLR room rates. Forest department is not a revenue generating organization, and wildlife safari has an educational purpose. It is not for profit making. Once the rooms are handed over to JLR, they will also increase the safari rates, which has already been revised by the government. The proposal to hand over the cottages to JLR is a bad decision," said nature lover Purushotham.
BTR director T Balachandra told TOI that there was a proposal to hand over the management of the cottages to JLR. "But there was opposition claiming that JLR will increase the tariff for the rooms. We wanted to do away with hospitality activities and concentrate on protection and conversation activities," he said.
The forest department, however, still wants the protection staff to focus more on conservation and other related work. With the plans to hand over BTR cottages to JLR falling apart, the department is actively considering a separate wing with additional staff, who can be entrusted with the work of room and safari bookings alone.