Fate of nilgai, wild boar's hunting plan hanfs in balance

The Pioneer , Thursday, August 04, 2011
Correspondent : Staff Reporter | Bhopal

Forest Minister Sartaj Singh's controversial proposal of issuing licences for the hunting of neelgais and wild boars is still making rounds within the Forest Department after five months of the announcement made by the Minister in Assembly.

The proposal is yet to reach the Law Department, which would assign the approval after which the same would be presented in the State Cabinet.

In the Budget Session of the State Assembly in February 2011, Forest Minister Sartaj Singh had announced that with the aim of preventing crop damage by neelgais and wild boars, limited hunting would be allowed. The announcement had raised several eyebrows, especially from a section of environment lovers, who had expressed apprehensions that the hunting permission could be misused for poaching.

Following these objections, the State Government also took congnisance.

This was perhaps the first occasion when the Forest Department meant for safeguarding the wild animals had proposed hunting. The Minister had argued that neelgais and wild boars are listed in Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act, so the State Government could allow limited hunting. According to the proposal, the farmers were to be given limited hunting permission in a pre-specified block.

The Minister had pleaded that Centre's approval was required if these animals were listed in Schedule 1, 2 or 3. The permission was to be sanctioned for two months in a year and a registration is required for the purpose. Moreover, the hunting could be done in the presence of forest officials only. However, the proposal has gone nowhere in the last five months.

The State Government is backtracking on the proposal as several volunteer organisations have threatened to move court, if the State Government persists with the same.

Till date the provisions make the farmers present the crop loss before patwaris for receiving compensation. If the patwaris recommends then the SDM allows the hunting but the process is too tedious. The proposed rule would make the process easier but it could also fuel the poaching menace.

Volunteer activist Ajay Dubey criticising the proposal said that the proposal could be disastrous in a State which is already countering thousands of poaching cases. He warned that the wildlife lovers are quite prepared to take the matter to judiciary, if the same is not rolled back.

 
SOURCE : http://www.dailypioneer.com/358205/Fate-of-nilgai-wild-boars-hunting-plan-hanfs-in-balance.html
 


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