The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to both the Union government and the Bihar government asking them to explain why the staff of Valmiki Tiger Reserve have not be paid their salaries on time, leading to the staff walking out of the park in October and threatening the security of the tigers in the reserve.Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) Trustee and member of the Project Tiger Steering committee, Mr. Ashok Kumar had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, seeking its intervention in the matter of security to the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in West Champaran district of Bihar.

Hearing the petition on Monday, the division bench comprising of Justice Ramesh Chandra Lahoti and Justice Brijesh Kumar, sought a reply from both the Centre and the state government on the delayed disbursement of salaries. This is, perhaps, for the first time that the Supreme Court has intervened in a case of financial irregularity in a national park, which s a common problem all over the country..

On October 14, all the field staff from range officer downward, walked out of this protected area to the reserve’ headquarters 35 km away in Bettiah. The staff was protesting against the non-payment of salaries for more than 14 months. The staff left the park, home to 43 tigers, unattended, as they went on an indefinite hunger strike.

Valmiki Tiger Reserve is spread over 840 sq km and was home to 80 tigers, as per the 1984 census. However, the 1999 census showed that this number had come down to 43. The reserve has an international border with Nepal. On the Nepal side, this forest adjoins the famous Chitwan National Park and Paras Wildlife Sanctuary.

The situation was brought to the notice of Mr. Kumar, on the afternoon of October 16. The same evening a writ petition was filed in the Supreme Court against the Bihar government. The management and administration of the forest are under direct control and supervision of the Bihar government. The Central Government provides special funds under Project Tiger to the park.

Soon after the petition was filed, the Bihar Government disbursed salaries to some of the staff in October, but the 44 forest guards, authorized to carry firearms, have yet to paid wages for 16 months. Two years ago, salaries had not been paid for 22 months. Many of the staff has also been borrowing money at high interest rates from private moneylenders, according to information available with Mr. Kumar.

The state government has not spent any money for the purpose it was earmarked. Project Tiger had released Rs 50 lakh, in July 2001 to the state government for anti-poaching measures, protection of the park and salaries for the guards for the financial year 2001-2002. “But the funds have not reached the tiger reserve and this park remains virtually unmanaged. It is the responsibility of the state government to protect the tiger reserve, which it has miserably failed to do so,” Mr. Kumar said.

The Bihar Government has been treating the Valmiki Tiger Reserve as a temporary project even after 10 years of existence. He pointed out that the extension is generally sanctioned in the last month of the financial year, thereby blocking the flow of funds, he pointed out. He accused the state government of releasing the funds on paper in the last month of the financial year, which cannot be used justifiably in a few days. Thereafter, the funds are treated as lapsed, he said.

Mr. Kumar said that the situation in many other national parks is the same. Almost 275 wildlife guards in Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttaranchal have not been paid salaries since April 2001 and the situation in the state of Jharkhand is no different.