Centre plans to set up wildlife
crime bureau 16 May 05
New Delhi: Concerned over increasing assaults on wildlife and
forest wealth, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as head of the
National Board for Wildlife, has decided to set up a ‘wildlife
crime bureau’ on the lines of the highly successful Narcotics
Control Bureau.
This was communicated to a Supreme Court bench comprising
justices Y K Sabharwal, Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia by
solicitor general G E Vahanvati even as the court directed the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to look into a recent case
related to the seizure of 43 leopard skins in Delhi.
The bench asked the CBI to ‘unravel the main persons behind
the illegal trade in animal skins’ and submit a report on the
April 6 seizure of animal skins within three months. The court
observed that those caught are usually the carriers of the skins
or the agents of the mastermind behind the illegal trade. This
results in unabated poaching of animals, driving many of them to
the edge of extinction.
On the setting up of the wildlife crime bureau, Vahanvati said,
“The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) has taken
proactive steps to stop poaching and a proposal for creating a
‘wildlife crime bureau’ on the lines of the narcotics bureau
has already been approved by the National Board for Wildlife,
headed by the prime minister.’’
The PM had recently asked the CBI to probe reports that there
were no tigers in the Sariska National Park, a tiger reserve.
The agency confirmed the reports. The court has issued a notice
to the Centre on an application by environmentalist Ashok Kumar
seeking similar probe into the affairs of all Project Tiger
reserves.
The affidavit filed by the MOEF said the Wildlife Crime Control
Bureau (WCCB) would act as a ‘multi-agency unit with full-time
officers from forest and wildlife departments, and various para-military
forces.
“The proposed national WCCB, with its headquarters at New
Delhi and nine regional offices, shall require the creation of
260 new posts at various levels to ensure its operational
efficacy and to meet the objectives set,’’ the ministry
said. PTI
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