Karnataka rejects Kerala’s plea to allow more buses to ply through Bandipur at night

BENGALURU: Kerala's attempts to increase the number of state-owned buses exempted from the existing night traffic ban in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, suffered a setback Sunday, with Karnataka refusing to accede to its request and deciding to maintain the status quo.
The Karnataka govt's decision comes close on the heels of an interlocutory application filed by Kerala-based Baiju Paul Mathews in the Supreme Court seeking to increase the number of buses between two states during night hours.
Ever since the imposition of the ban on night traffic at Bandipur way back in 2009, both Karnataka and Kerala were permitted to operate four state-owned buses each. However, according to senior forest officials, Kerala pleaded before the apex court to increase the number of buses to eight, considering the surge in passenger traffic between the two states, especially during festivals and holidays.
In response to the plea, forest minister Eshwar Khandre held an emergency meeting in Bengaluru and decided to maintain the status quo.
The minister also directed forest department officials to withdraw the state's affidavit submitted by a DCF rank official. According to sources present at the meeting, it was revealed that the state forest officials had already submitted an affidavit to the court on the state's stand on a complete ban on the movement of vehicles.
HM Ganesh Prasad, MLA from Gundlupet, who was present in the meeting, said, "The meeting was held to reconsider the affidavit that was already filed on behalf of the govt, as the officer was not officially designated as legal conducting officer (LCO) in the matter and submit a fresh affidavit by collecting latest data from an experts' committee."
Prasad also clarified that Karnataka had no intention of either relaxing the existing rules or permitting additional buses to operate between the states.
Subhash Malkhede, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), also said it was decided to maintain the status quo. "There is no change in our stand and no additional buses will be allowed," he pointed out.
Official sources revealed that the govt resolved to constitute an experts' committee and collect fresh data on the existing ban, wildlife movement, and passenger traffic and present the same to the Supreme Court.
Over the past few months, Karnataka was under pressure to reconsider the existing ban on night traffic passing through the tiger reserve. Congress general secretary and Wayanad parliamentarian Priyanka Gandhi had assured her constituents to get the ban on night traffic revoked and it had been backed by Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar as well.