Ahmedabad: Forest Minister Mulu Bera on Thursday ordered the forest department to take action against unauthorized private websites offering Gir Safari permits. This directive follows a notice from the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC), urging the department to address the issue.

Bera held discussions with Principal Secretary Sanjeev Kumar and Head of Forest Force U. D. Singh. After the meeting, Bera informed the media that such unauthorized acts fall under the purview of cybercrime, and he has instructed officers to take immediate steps to tackle the issue.

The minister also urged the public to book their safaris at Gir National Park, Devaliya Safari Park, and Ambardi Safari Park only through the official government website, girlion.gujarat.gov.in, to avoid being misled or overcharged.

The GSHRC had previously questioned the forest department regarding whether an individual named Vivek Tiwari and a portal called ‘Gir National Park’ were authorized to handle bookings. A complaint was filed concerning the portal’s resemblance to the official site. The inquiry revealed that Tiwari had no authorization, and despite the park being closed, the website continued to accept bookings at inflated prices. The commission warned Tiwari that failure to provide an explanation within a week might result in further action. DeshGujarat