Ganesh temple priest, not officials, involved in birthday gathering at Ranthambore temple, finds NTCA probe

Officials of Rajasthan's Ranthambore tiger reserve were not involved in organising a birthday party on April 4 at the Trinetra Ganesh Temple inside the Ranthambore Fort, a central inquiry team is learnt to have informed the National Tiger Conservation Authority, adding that the party was held by the temple's priest and his family members.
The three-member team was formed to inquire into Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena's complaint to the Centre. He had alleged that a 'birthday party' was held at the ancient temple, inside the Ranthambore Fort, in connivance with forest officials.
The inquiry team has submitted to the NTCA that the birthday party was a gathering the temple priest had held to celebrate a family member's birthday, according to sources aware of the developments.
The people at the gathering had come in vehicles and overstayed their visit to the temple, past the sundown deadline to leave the tiger reserve. In light of the findings, the three-member team has recommended strict enforcement of the deadline to exit the tiger reserve, which is often frequented by religious pilgrims, it is learnt.
The inquiry team has asked the state forest department and the Ranthambore field officials to create a mechanism to inform visitors to Trinetra Ganesh temple of the tiger reserve's entry and exit times, through announcements, for instance. The inquiry team included representatives of the NTCA, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and a senior official of the Rajasthan forest department.
The Ranthambore field staff had fined the vehicle owners for overstaying, The Indian Express reported earlier.
In his April 5 letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Meena also alleged that on the evening the birthday party was held, locals were disallowed to pray at the Ganesh temple, even as they were entering the park within the prescribed time limit. The NTCA had sought an explanation from the Rajasthan forest department and Ranthambore field officials and formed a three-member team to inquire into the matter.
The Trinetra Ganesh temple is located in the core zone of the Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve. The temple is widely revered in the region, with locals visiting it almost daily and crowds thronging it during festivals.
Incidentally, between April and June, three people have died in tiger attacks. One of them, Kartik Suman, a 7-year-old boy, was killed near the Ganesh temple. On May 11, Range Officer Devendra Singh was killed near the Jogi Mahal gate, an erstwhile hunting lodge facing the Padam Talao lake. Kartik and Devendra were killed by Kankati, a sub-adult tigress born to the famous Arrowhead tigress, which died on June 19. Kankati was moved to Mukundara Tiger Reserve on Thursday and will be kept in a soft enclosure.
Soon after Meena's complaint, the Ranthambore field director K R Anoop and the Rajasthan forest department defended itself in a letter to Centre. It said that Ranthambore field staff found private vehicles near Jogi Mahal and when they reached the Ganesh temple, they had found the priest and others preparing for bhajan. The officials had ordered all except those who live in the temple to leave, seized their vehicles, and recovered Rs 3,50,000 in fines.
When contacted, Anoop said, 'The basic premise of Mr Meena's complaint was that we had helped organise a gathering, but we were never involved in any such thing, nor did we give such permissions. The Ranthambore Fort and Ganesh temple are under the Archaeological Survey of India and they manage the premises. After the April incident, we have stepped up coordination to ensure visitors do not overstay.'
An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change.
Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

NDTV

4 hours ago

• NDTV

Centre Clears Major Road Projects In Nashik Ahead Of Simhastha Kumbh Mela

Mumbai: A meeting was held at the Chief Minister's Secretariat in Nagpur's Hyderabad House. The 2027 Sinhastha Kumbha Mela in Nashik was the top agenda. The meeting focused on improving the road infrastructure to handle the surge in pilgrims in the city. The meeting was attended by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan. Also present were Minister of State Shivendra Raje Bhosale, other public representatives, and senior government officials. Highway Approvals And Centre's Support "We had requested the central government - I had personally requested the Prime Minister - that the road network required for the Kumbh should be taken up by the Centre. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari held a meeting on that issue," Mr Fadnavis said. He added eight major roads, including those from Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Gujarat, Mumbai, Dhule, and Palghar, which will be used heavily during the Kumbh, have been approved. "Some internal roads that fall under the Centre's purview were also discussed. Nitin Gadkari has approved almost all of these roads. The detailed project reports (DPRs) will be prepared soon, and the required funds will be allocated," the chief minister said. 🔸CM Devendra Fadnavis, along with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, chaired a review meeting regarding road development works for the 'Simhastha Kumbh Mela', to be held in 2027 at Trimbakeshwar (Nashik). Minister Shivendra Raje Bhonsle, Minister Girish Mahajan, MP Smita Wagh, MLA... — CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) June 22, 2025 Major Road Projects in the Pipeline Highlighting the urgency of road upgrades, Mr Mahajan said, "This year, we are expecting a record crowd for the Kumbh. That's why road works on national highways are essential." Among the key projects discussed is the construction of a four-lane highway connecting Ghoti to Trimbakeshwar via Jawhar, with an estimated cost of Rs 3,700 crore. Additionally, there are plans to expand the Nashik-Sinnar stretch and upgrade national highways linking Nashik to other major cities, aiming to improve regional connectivity ahead of the 2027 Kumbh Mela. Dwarka Junction To Be Built In Two Phases "We are executing the project in two phases. The first will be completed before the Kumbh, and the second will begin afterward. This is to ensure no work remains unfinished during the event," Mr Fadnavis said, referring to the major bottleneck in Nashik. Mr Mahajan said the underpass at Dwarka is not being utilised efficiently. "We've directed MSRDC to come up with a new design. Work is expected to begin in the next three months," he added. Nashik Ring Road Update The Nashik Ring Road project, pending for years, has finally been cleared. "Instructions have been given to complete the project within 18 to 24 months," Mr Mahajan said. He said a new connection between Jalgaon and Sambhaji Nagar is under consideration, which will improve access to Mumbai. In addition, roads leading to pilgrimage hotspots like Shirdi and Shani Shingnapur will be upgraded to accommodate increased traffic.

The Hindu

4 hours ago

• The Hindu

Deve Gowda writes to PM seeking procurement of mangoes by NAFED to bail out Karnataka growers

Former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking that the Centre instruct National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) to procure mangoes under the price deficiency payment (PDP) and market intervention scheme (MIS) to bail out Karnataka's mango growers who are in distress due to crash in prices of the produce. In separate, but similarly worded, letters dated June 22, Mr. Gowda brought the plight of mango growers to the knowledge of both Mr. Modi and Mr. Chouhan and said that mango was one of the major horticultural crops in Karnataka, cultivated over an area of 1.39 lakh hectares, particularly in Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Chickballapur, Kolar, and Bengaluru South (formerly Ramanagara) districts, with an estimated production of eight lakh to 10 lakh tonnes during the rabi season. However, due to weather vagaries and diseases, the mango yield has dropped to less than 30% this year, he pointed out. 'From May to June this year, heavy arrivals caused unsustainable price fluctuations. Prices fell from ₹12,000 per quintal to ₹3,000 per quintal, while the cultivation cost itself is ₹5,466 per quintal. This has financially stressed farmers, with many small and marginal mango growers unable to cover basic costs, leading to protests,' Mr. Gowda said. He expressed concern that Andhra Pradesh's ban on Totapuri mango varieties entering Chittoor district, adjacent to Karnataka, has disrupted the supply chain and resulted in a risk of post-harvest losses for Karnataka's border area mango growers. This has created tension among the mango growers, leading to protests in many districts, especially in Kolar and Chickballapur, he pointed out. The Chief Minister of Karnataka and the Chief Secretary have asked Andhra Pradesh to revoke this ban immediately. Additionally, the State government has requested the Centre to start procurement through Central agencies such as NAFED and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd. to aid farmers and alleviate rural distress, he noted. 'I request the Central government to instruct NAFED to procure mangoes under the PDP and MIS. This will support farmers by ensuring fair prices through direct purchases from farmers and through farmer producer organisations (FPOs),' he said. 'I trust that the Central government will promptly take appropriate actions to support Karnataka's mango growers by providing adequate financial benefits under various schemes,' he said.

Hindustan Times

5 hours ago

• Hindustan Times

Jai Ram raises questions over Phina Singh project's tender process

Jun 22, 2025 08:10 PM IST Former Himachal chief minister and leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday accused the Sukhu government of looking for ways to indulge in corruption in the Phina Singh irrigation project funded by the central government. Himachal Pradesh leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur (File) Thakur said that the manipulations being done by the Sukhu government in the tender terms are causing a loss of crores to the state. 'By banning joint ventures, the Sukhu government is not only flouting the rules but also pushing many big companies out of the tender process. As a result, several companies were excluded, reducing competition. This pre-planned game paved the way for the government's favoured companies to step in and act together,' he said. He said this situation arose because the government banned joint ventures and excluded many companies from the tender process. Had more companies participated in the bidding, the tender could have been awarded at 25 to 30% less, potentially saving the state ₹ 75 to 90 crore, said Jai Ram. He further said that in light of these revelations, the government should immediately halt the tender process and investigate all allegations. The long-awaited Phina Singh irrigation project in Kangra district, which was started in 2011, was included under PMKSY in July 2024 by the Centre. The project aims to interlink Kalam Nallah and Chaki River — two tributaries of the Beas river flowing through Nurpur. It also involves constructing a concrete gravity dam across the Chaki river. Water from the dam is to be transported through a 4,307-m tunnel to irrigate 4,025 hectares across 60 villages in Nurpur.