Baripada, Dec. 24: The authorities of Karanjia forest division in Mayurbhanj district have relocated people who had been staying at Kiajhari, situated in the buffer region of Similipal tiger reserve.

After months of preparation, the department has resettled them at Khandeidhar under Badagaon gram panchayat, about 15km from their native village.

Similipal field director H.K. Bisht said: "The relocation from the core and buffer zones will help in wildlife conservation and also increase the livelihood of villagers who were depending on the forest."

This is the first instance where villagers volunteered to move to a different place.

Around 217 persons of 79 families (47 from Khadia community and 32 from Kollha community) shifted to the new place. The forest department, besides facilitating their shifting, also built houses for them.

The villagers have been shifted along with their household items and livestock. They will be provided cooked food for seven months and thereafter, they will be given dry ration for three months. They have also been provided with utensils and warm clothes.

On October 7, the villagers had passed a resolution opting to relocate, following which a district-level meeting was held on October 27 to execute the resettlement plan.

"Earlier, the compensation for relocation and rehabilitation was available only for the core area. But the state government has now announced its policy to relocate everyone living in the buffer zone of the sanctuaries across the state," said divisional forest officer Prasanna Kumar Behera.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority provides Rs 10 lakh in cash for each family.

Besides, the district administration, under Integrated Action Plan, has provided a house built on 10 decimal land, and training for their livelihood earning in addition to the monetary assistance.

"Residents of Jenabill, Jamuna and Kabatghai, located in the critical core area, have already been relocated. Only Bakua village has been left out. Efforts are on to relocate the villagers," said Similipal deputy director Ajit Satpathy.