Expressing concern over the Supreme Court order restricting tourism in many areas of the state, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said the government might move the apex court if the need arises.

"If the need be, we will also approach the Supreme Court and try to see what steps can be taken to ensure that tourism is not affected in Madhya Pradesh," he told reporters here as he left for New Delhi. Chouhan said that tourism in Tiger Reserves has been affected due to the supreme court order, which also affected places like Pachmarhi where majority of tourist spots are situated in core areas.

In New Delhi, the MP CM met Union Environment and Forest Minister Jayanthi Natarajan and sought her intervention to cope up with the fallout of a recent Supreme Court directive banning tourism in core areas of tiger reserves across the country. During the meeting, the Chief Minister urged her to intervene in the matter saying the apex court verdict would affect livelihoods of thousands of persons dwelling in and around the forest covers.

Chouhan said that livelihood protection of local inhabitants is as important as wildlife conservation. He said that tourist activities in forests reserves and wildlife sanctuaries will not affect wildlife and forests. The CM of the BJP ruled state said people residing in 108 of the total 831 villages, which come under forest cover areas, are ready to shift to some other place. He also requested the Central Government to provide appropriate funds for resettling villagers at the earliest.

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