Deadline to shift Gir lions over long back, PCCF reminds MoEF.

TNN | Jan 6, 2015, 06.13AM IST
BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh forest department has shot yet another letter to Union ministry of environment and forest reminding it that deadline set by Supreme Court for translocation of lions from Gir in Gujarat to Kuno in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district, has ended long back.

The letter was sent by state's principal conservator of forest (PCCF) and chief wildlife warden Narendra Kumar to additional director general of forests (wildlife) MoEF, Vinod Ranjan on December 30.

"Nothing has happened in the last six months in this matter. We have not been allotted any funds for the translocation. Prey base density of the extension area of the Kuno has also been studied meanwhile by the scientists of the WII as decided by the expert committee and its report must have been submitted to the GoI, MOEF as directed," the letter (copy in TOI's possession) reads.

Narendra Kumar wrote, "I had submitted in the last meeting of the expert committee to fix a timeframe for implementation of the action plan otherwise it would not take off. Once again I request you to take an early action in this regard because the deadline of 6 months decided by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India has passed long back."

This is reportedly the fourth reminder.

Reacting to a story published in ToI on December 5 that zoo-bred lions might roar in Kuno, Narendra Kumar said letters to Hyderabad zoo for a pair of lions was written by Van Vihar director for shifting them to zoos and not to Kuno.

"The zoo director has written to several zoos which was a routine letter but not a separate attempt by the state government to get zoo-bred lions for Kuno," Narendra Kumar wrote.

Wildlife and RTI activist Ajay Dubey who has moved a contempt petition against Gujarat government for dillydallying the shifting of tigers, told TOI that he would move an application before the court for urgent hearing on his petition.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Deadline-to-shift-Gir-lions-over-long-back-PCCF-reminds-MoEF/articleshow/45771009.cms