CHANDRAPUR: In a blatant violation of wildlife norms, Member of Parliament from Chandrapur, Balu alias Suresh Dhanorkar allegedly coerced his entry into core of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in his private vehicle on Saturday afternoon. Instead of deterring the MP, the TATR management provided a forest guard with him, said sources.
According to sources, Dhanorkar with his wife MLA Pratibha reached the Moharli gate at around 3pm and demanded entry to the park in his private vehicle. DFO and ACF rank officers tried to convince the MP that they need to take a tourist gypsy.
As Dhanorkar insisted on taking his own vehicle, the officers also offered the forest department gypsy and even agreed to arrange a SUV, but in vain.
Dhanorkar refused to budge and called field director and CCF, TATR, Jitendra Ramgaonkar. “After a lengthy conversation, Dhanorkar was allowed inside the park in his own vehicle without his bodyguards and weapons. A forest guard accompanied the MP during his trip,” said Ramgaonkar.
The Dhanorkars reportedly stayed for nearly two hours inside the park.
It is mandatory for visitors to take a gypsy inside the tiger reserve. Sources said dignitaries like Governor of Maharashtra, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Sachin Tendulkar during their visit to TATR had taken tourist gypsy in the core.
Ramgaonkar told TOI that maybe he (Dhanorkar) had some medical issues and hence insisted on going into the park in his own vehicle. “As he couldn’t be convinced, we provided a forest guard to accompany him during the trip. He is the area MP and we are verifying his privileges. Accordingly, further course of action will be decided,” he said.
Dhanorkar told TOI that he entered the park in his vehicle and claimed he was not there for safari, so did not need any gypsy. “I was doing official inspection of development work like water holes being made for the tigers and other wild animals, rehabilitation work going on for the villages inside, preventive measures to deter the forest fires etc,” he said.
“We were accompanied by foresters and stayed briefly inside the park, and returned soon after inspection was over,” he told TOI.
The MP ratified that his wife Pratibha, who has jurisdiction over more than half of tiger reserve under her Warora constituency, too accompanied him.