NAGPUR: Almost 16 months after large-scale poaching of tigers in Vidarbha region was exposed after arrest of organized poachers, the prime minister's office (PMO) has sought a report in the matter.

Principal chief conservator of forests for wildlife Sarjan Bhagat on Friday confirmed to TOI that his department had received a letter from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, seeking a detailed report on poaching of 15-22 tigers. "We will send a report in three days," he said.

Bhagat added Friday's meeting was pre-decided and had nothing to do with the report sought by MoEF. "With expected change in government in the state and winter session of the assembly in Nagpur, we are keeping our records ready," said Bhagat.

The report has been sought after complaints from local NGOs demanding action against Nagpur wildlife wing and territorial forest officials who were taking no steps to nab absconding poachers and lack of seriousness in pursuing some of the poaching cases whose preliminary offence reports (PORs) have been filed but no investigations are being done by the officials concerned.

After the letter from PMO, a closed-door meeting of the steering committee headed by APCCF for wildlife Meypokim Aier and investigating officials from Nagpur and Amravati was held on Friday for nearly three hours.

"All the pending cases of tiger poaching were discussed threadbare. The officials were told about the letter from PMO," officials told TOI.

However, sources said the Friday's meeting was precursor to the main meeting called by PCCF (wildlife) on October 28. At least 25 tigers were poached in 2012-13 from Vidarbha region by organized gangs of Baheliya poachers. The forest department has arrested at least 26 poachers and around 30 hardened poachers are still absconding. The department has registered 15 offences of tiger poaching.

Tiger skin seized

One fresh tiger skin was seized by Balaghat police from an Alto car (MH 36/ AH 2744) on Friday. Accused Madhukar Uddhav Meghrajani, a resident of Sakoli and Sudhakar Govind Khatwani of Lakhani in Bhandara district were taken into custody. The accused told the police that they had brought the tiger skin from Nainpur.