Jaipur: Over three acres of land inside the core area of Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) was allegedly sold to and registered by a private individual in 2024 without the forest department’s knowledge. The matter came to light 10 days ago – a year and a half after the sale – when the private individual approached the local administration for approval to develop the plot and build a farmhouse on it.The proposal was rejected after forest officials checked land records and determined that the plot lies inside core tiger territory.Documents accessed by TOI show that 3.4 hectares in Khasra No. 905, located in Dhaneshwar village within the notified boundary of Jawahar Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary and the Ambarani block of MHTR, was registered through a sale deed in Aug 2024.“The landowner came to seek permission for construction on the plot. Upon verifying his documents, it was found that the sale was illegal as the land falls within the reserve’s core area,” a senior official source said.After the revelation, the deputy conservator of forests (DCF), MHTR, wrote to the Bundi district collector seeking action against the illegal sale, purchase and registration of the land.According to the letter, the land falls within the sanctuary’s boundary and is covered by Section 20 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The provision bars the creation of new land rights in an area after it is notified as a sanctuary. If such rights exist prior to the notification, they can pass only through inheritance or succession, making any sale or purchase illegal.“(The sale) is stated to be in violation of Section 20 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Therefore, it is requested that cognisance be taken of the illegal buy, sale and registration transactions and that necessary action be initiated in the matter,” the DCF wrote in his letter.“An investigation into the matter has been initiated and directions have been issued for the submission of a report to the district collector upon completion of the inquiry,” a senior district administration official said.Green lawyer Tapeshwar Singh Bhati said three tigers have been spotted moving in the territory where the plot of land in question is situated. “Action should be taken against the concerned officials in the district administration who facilitated the sale of sanctuary land, which is considered sacrosanct,” he said.
