Concerned over the disappearance of tigers from sanctuaries like Sariska in Rajasthan and considerable fall in their population in other reserve forests, the Supreme Court has directed the Centre to address all the 19 points raised in a petition by a former member of the 'Project Tiger'.

The Union Ministry for Environment and Forests had already agreed to implement the 12 of proposals spelt out in the petition by Mr Navin Raheja with the help of the states.

A Bench of Mr Justice Y. K. Sabharwal and Mr Justice P. P. Naolekar directed the Ministry to consider the remaining 7 issues also.

Mr Raheja had resigned from the 'Project Tiger' few years back as no concrete results were forthcoming out of the project because the authorities had failed to put into action the policy on it.

He had moved a public interest litigation (PIL) in the apex court in 1998 seeking the court's mandamus to the government for implementing the project properly.

The Court on Friday last directed Ministry's counsel A. D. N. Rao to hold discussions with Mr Raheja for preparing a draft or a brief note on the 12 agreed issues as well as the remaining 7 on which the government was "silent".

It directed the said note to be placed before the Bench so that appropriate directions could be issued to the Centre and the state governments for the time-bound implementation of the 'Project Tiger'.

The Ministry, in its affidavit, had said it had arrived at a consensus with the state governments sregarding implementation of the 12 proposals but it had no comments to offer on the remaining 7 issues.

The 12 issues, which the government agreed to implement with the help of the state governments were: Timly release of funds to tiger reserves, filling up of vacant posts of forest officials, timly payment of compensation to owners of cattle killed by tigers.

Organisation of field formation in forests to prevent poaching, proper training to forest officials and guards, legal powers to forest officers to take action against culprits, settlement right to tribals, intelligence networking, incentives and rewards for catching poachers were other issues.

The issues also included proper transfer and posting policy for forest officials, setting up of rationalisation committees and creation of effective communication networks in the reserved parks.

The seven issues on which govt was silent included setting up of legal cell in reserved forest areas, education of local population about the importance of the species through media, interbreeding and gender exchange, development of peripherial area of the reserved park, tourism and raising of fund through it,.

Relocation of roads and rail lines from sancturies and parks and control on giving licences for guns were the remaining such issues on which govt was silent.

Mr Raheja has sought implementation of all the 19 points raised in the petition, saying that they formed the foundations of the policy on 'Project Tiger'.