PANJIM: Giving up its initial reluctance to include Goa region of Western Ghat in the World Heritage Site of UNESCO, Forest Department has finally admitted that Goa along with contiguous forests of Karnataka and Maharashtra, is one of the best potential tiger habitat in this bio-diversity hotspot.

It has been alleged that various governments were dragging their feet on declaration of Western Ghat region as sanctuary for ‘tiger reserve’ since it would lead to the closure of at least 40 mining leases, 20 of which are active.