GUWAHATI, Oct 4: “To ensure protection to wildlife and prevent the recurring cases of rhino poaching, the government has taken all possible steps. The Forest guards are now given the liberty to shoot at sight, any suspected poachers,” said the State Forest minister Rockybul Hussain at the 58the Wildlife Week celebrated centrally here today, in association with Assam State Zoo.
Stating that protection to wildlife needed the cooperation of all, the Forest minister said, “Our Government has been making all out efforts to stop illegal poaching activities in the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Assam. But in this, we need the support of the common people.”
Lauding the bravery of the forest guards, who had selflessly worked for the safety of wildlife at the risk of their lives, Hussain said his government is fully aware of their sacrifices and have been raising the compensation to all families of forest guards either killed or injured during animal attacks or in their fight against poachers.
“Respecting their sacrifices to the protection of wildlife, we have been raising the compensation amount over the years, from a sum of Rs 5,000 in 1986, we have raised the compensation to Rs 1 lakhs,” he said.
Hussain further said that to fight the crime against wildlife, the Assam government is mulling the establishment of a Wildlife Crime Control Cell and the PCCF (Wildlife) has been entrusted the responsibility to look into its constitution.
He said that the problems surrounding the Kaziranga National Park are many. “The area of KNP has remained the same but the population of animals as well as human beings in the park has increased.”
“To ensure severe punishment to the poachers, and to dispense greater power in the hands of the forest guards, we have fought for the amendment of the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act, which makes poaching a non-bailable crime,” he said adding that the forest guards today are provided modern equipments to match the poachers and every officer are given full freedom to shoot suspected poachers. He said that some lapses are however bound to occur, adding that the ministry is making full efforts fill the loopholes.
In the programme, 51 forest guards were felicitated for their selfless sacrifices for wildlife protection.
The programme was attended among others, Parliamentary secretary Forest Abu Taher Bepari, PCCF VK Bisnoi and PCCF (Wildlife) Suresh Chand, principal secretary (Forest) Saraswati Prasad.
