Uttarakhand HC Seeks Report On Gypsy Operators In Jim Corbett National Park

Nainital: The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the director of Jim Corbett National Park to submit a detailed report within 10 days on the registration process of new gypsy operators, an initiative taken to provide employment to the locals.

During the hearing, the park director appeared in court via video conference, as per a previous order. A division bench of Chief Justice G. Narendra and Justice Subhash Upadhyay heard the petitions filed by local residents Chakshu Kargeti, Savitri Agarwal, and others.

The petitioners alleged that the guidelines for participating in the lottery process for gypsy operators in the park excluded many local residents. They complained that all people having valid permits and meeting the prescribed conditions were not being allowed to participate in the lottery process for selecting gypsy operators, alleging that the process lacked transparency. Many newly registered vehicle owners are not being included in the lottery process despite meeting the standards, they alleged.

The petitions also stated that Jim Corbett National Park was registering gypsy owners under a special category and not allowing people who obtained their permits from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) last year to participate, in violation of previous court orders.

Due to this exclusion, many operators have become unemployed. The newly unemployed individuals are unable to find jobs, even though they are local residents, the petitioners stated.

In response, the government said that permits were granted to vehicle owners who met the standards and those who did not were excluded from the list issued by the national park for gypsy operators.

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