The Gujarat High Court yesterday heard a petition filed by Jamnagar-based Halar Utkarsh Samiti Trust challenging permission given for the development of a private mini zoo in the city. The petition has also sought a stay on transfers of scheduled animals. The organization claims that the development of the zoo cannot be approved under rule 9 of the Recognition of Zoo Rules 2009 in Jamnagar. The zoo, Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, is a project by Reliance Industries Ltd.
After hearing the case, the bench of Chief Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice A.J. Shastrai ordered the central and state zoo authorities to file their replies before August 18.
Earlier this month, the petitioner, through its advocate Aditya Choksi, submitted before the court that the zoo had been given recognition under the Wild Life Protection Act Section 38 (h) on August 17, 2020, by the Central Zoo Authority.
The Trust had filed a petition asking the developers of the zoo to produce permissions given by the central and state zoo authorities in 2020 for transferring the wild animals to the private zoo. The High Court had said that the petitioner must file an RTI for the documents as the respondent had said that the documents were not open to the public.
