Railways Converts Retiring Rooms Into 'Illegal' Holiday Home Inside Gir Sanctuary, Sparks Fury

Western Railway has run into a major environmental controversy in Gujarat’s Junagadh district after top officials converted retiring rooms inside the ecologically sensitive Gir Wildlife Sanctuary into a dedicated holiday home for railway staff. Environmental activists have raised strong objections, demanding immediate regulatory action against what they term an illegal, unauthorized repurposing of protected forest land.

The facility, spanning roughly 8,000 square feet at Sasan Gir Railway Station, was originally approved by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) during its 43rd meeting on June 27, 2017. However, the clearance came with strict, non-negotiable conditions.

Violation Of Mandatory Clearance Norms

According to Clause 8 of the NBWL clearance, the premises were strictly restricted to official operational duties of on-duty railway personnel. The approval explicitly prohibited using the space as a recreational rest house or tourist lodging.

Despite these clear mandates, Western Railway officials recently repurposed the structure into a full-fledged holiday retreat. On August 10, 2026, Western Railway General Manager Ramashray Pandey and Sujata Pandey, President of the Western Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation, officially inaugurated the newly renovated holiday home at Sasan Gir.

Following the launch, the Bhavnagar Railway Division issued a circular on August 25 outlining booking guidelines for serving and retired railway employees and their families. The tariff was fixed at a nominal ₹30 per 24 hours for serving staff and ₹60 for retirees, with bookings allowed up to 45 days in advance for a maximum stay of two days.

Threat To Asiatic Lion Corridor

Environmentalists point out that Sasan Gir station sits directly inside the core natural movement corridor of endangered Asiatic lions and rich wildlife biodiversity. The station currently sees minimal rail traffic, serving just three to four metre-gauge trains daily with sparse passenger volume.

Wildlife advocates argue that encouraging commercial stays and leisure tourism within sanctuary limits directly disturbs lion habitats and violates established conservation laws. Supreme Court rulings strictly bar commercial resorts or holiday lodging within national parks and sanctuaries. Furthermore, regulatory guidelines prohibit such recreational conversions even within a one-kilometre Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ), making the setup inside the sanctuary proper illegal.

Local conservation groups have urged the Forest Department and state wildlife authorities to intervene immediately, seal the facility, and initiate legal action against the responsible officials for violating national wildlife clearance mandates.