Shortage of police personnel encouraging wildlife crimes

The Pioneer , Monday, June 22, 2009
Correspondent : PNS | Ramnagar

Even as the strike undertaken by employees of urban local bodies caused severe disruption of civic life in Ramnagar, factors including a shortage of police personnel on duty in Ramnagar are encouraging an increase in activity of poachers and smugglers of wildlife commodities here.

According to information provided by reliable local sources, among the various wildlife crimes committed here, one took place in the Jim Corbett park area where three Saigon trees were axed and transported by smugglers without raising the blink of concern from officials concerned.

Local sources inform that the civic law and order situation in Ramnagar is dependent on the mercy of the gods who rein over Dev Bhumi because of a severe shortage of police personnel in Ramnagar town. Presently the posts of police personnel approved for Ramnagar town include one Kotwal, 11 Daroga, 11 head constables and 76 constables but in fact presently only 7 Daroga are posted on active duty in Ramnagar. The police DG and SSP had in the past directed the transfer of 17 constables from Ramnagar to District HQ in Nainital. The Daroga earlier posted here Shyamlal Vishwakarma and Sanjay Deshwal were respectively transferred to Uddham Singh Nagar and Haridwar.

The transfer of police personnel from Ramnagar has drastically reduced the number and morale of the few remaining with nine police constables. The acute shortage have not gone unnoticed by criminals, especially those involved in the thriving poaching and smuggling of wildlife components including the animals and forest products including timber and medicinal herbs.

Local sources inform that miscreants axed three Saigon trees and transported them from the site in Jim Corbett park area without the official concerned being aware of the crime. The incident took place in Ringauda area inside the park area where the Saigon trees were cut without anyone being able to ascertain as to who acted and how were the trees chopped. At the time of this report being filed the Corbett Tiger Reserve administration had neither acknowledged the incident nor registered any official report about the same which has raised suspicion against those employed in the park.

It is alleged that some of the employees working for Corbett Tiger Reserve administration are also involved in this and several other incidents of precious trees being axed illegally and transported without any action being taken against the same.

 
SOURCE : Monday, June 22, 2009
 


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