Chhatarpur (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 13 : Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari and several others were booked for allegedly entering a restricted forest area of Panna Tiger Reserve illegally, a forest official said on Wednesday.
The Congress leader, along with a few party workers, on Tuesday reached out to meet villagers staging protests after being displaced due to the construction of a Dhodhan dam under the Ken-Betwa river linking project in Dodhan village, Chhatarpur district.
The affected villagers have been raising objections over compensation distribution and have been staging protests for the past several days.
Speaking to ANI, Chief Conservator of Forest Bijendra Shrivastava said that Patwari, along with Congress workers, had reached Bhusor village to meet the protesting villagers. They were stopped at the Bhusor gate and informed about the restrictions on entering the core zone area without permission. But despite repeated warnings, the group attempted to enter the restricted area.
"Construction work of the Dhodhan Dam under the Ken-Betwa River Link Project is underway inside the Bhusor gate area of Panna Tiger Reserve. Congress leader Jitu Patwari, accompanied by several others, attempted to enter through the Bhusor Gate to meet with local villagers and protesters. They were, however, stopped right outside the gate and briefed about all the rules and legal provisions. Despite this, they repeatedly demanded that they be allowed to enter," Shrivastva said.
"Following the rules and regulations, officials prevented them from entering. But even after being denied permission, they allegedly forcefully entered the area through forest routes. In this connection, a case has been registered against Jitu Patwari, Abhishek Parmar and others under the relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, for unauthorised entry into the protected area," he added.
Other individuals involved in the matter will also be identified, and further action will be taken after investigation, he said, adding that the offence is non-bailable and carries punishment ranging from two to seven years imprisonment along with a fine between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh.
Meanwhile, Congress Chief Patwari on Wednesday addressed a press conference in the state capital, Bhopal and highlighted the denial of entry to meet protesting villagers during his visit to Chhatarpur.
Patwari claimed that the company which had the contract for the river linking project was also constructing the BJP's massive office in Bhopal. He alleged that this entire matter was linked to commission, corruption, and political patronage.
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