DERGAON, June 24 – To combat the ongoing menace of poachers in the forest resources of the State, the Army will assist the Forest authority. As a part of this government decision, 2nd Mountain Brigrade of the Indian Army has been given charge of Forest Resources of Jorhat and Sivasagar districts along with Kaziranga National Park (KNP).

The State govt’s decision of giving responsibility of combating poachers has been widely debated by several nature organisations. Forest officials of the state have however, expressed their satisfaction over the matter. Talking to The Assam Tribune, KNP director SN Burahgohain said the Army would be given charge of security of the park. The Army will only assist the park authority in this routine duty of nabbing poachers just as other organisation extends help to the authority. The Director also revealed that the assistance by Army will continue help the authority to combat the menace.

Our Dalgaon correspondent adds: In a significant achievement against the alarmingly increasing threat to one horned rhinos, the Orang National Park (ONP) with active co operation of the Dalgaon police has arrested three hardcore poachers and recovered a .303 rifle along with seventeen rounds of ammunition from their possession.

The arrested poachers are namely Babu Ram Rongphar (45) son of Ram Sing Rongphar of Belaguri village under Howraghat police station in Karbi Anglong district, Dheku Ram Boro of Jhakuapara village near Koupati and Tula Ram Boro of Khajuabeel village near Koupati both under Dalgaon police station. As it was learnt, acting on a tip off, a team of the Park authority led by Range Officer Jayanta Deka with assistance from Silbori police out post under Dalgaon police station on the wee hours today conducted a search operation in the house of Dheku Ram Boro and made the arrest with the recovery.

The arrested poacher Babu Ram Rongphar confessed that he had sold two bighas of land to purchase the rifle at Rs. 40,000 from one Keysa Angami of Dhobinala near Dimapur town in Nagaland on June 21 last only with the evil intention to kill the rhinos in ONP. He made contact with one Darhiya- a notorious poacher who took him to Koupati and took shelter in the house of Dheku Ram Boro.

They made an attempt at poaching on Sunday last, but due to the rising water level of river Dhansiri they could not enter the Park on that day.

Meanwhile the Park authority with help from the police has been able to arrest the three poachers. Arrested Tularam Boro a domestic servant of Dheku Ram Boro, also made a plan to kill rhinos. Dheku Ram Boro also confessed that he was lured to join in the poaching with the assurance to receive the equal amount from the sale proceed of the rhino horn.

This year a total of four rhinos have been killed in ONP of which three were killed in the month of April alone and due to the prompt and timely initiative of the forest guards the rhino horns could not taken away by the poachers.

Earlier, the Park authority and the police recovered one .303 rifle, one .22 bore rifle.