Former Chief IT Commissioner on Gujarat's advisory panel on lions

Mumbai, Apr 19 (UNI) Mumbai's former Chief Commissioner of Income Tax Prakash Dubey has been appointed member on the Advisory Group, constituted by the Gujarat Government recently, to deal with the issue of poaching of lions in the State.

An environment lover, Mr Dubey, who recently retired from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), has also authored a book ''Birds of India''. Besides writing, his other passions include wildlife photography.

Following the poaching of Asiatic lions in the Gir Sanctuary in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, the Modi government has recently appointed a permanent 10-member panel of experts for the conservation of the endangered species.

The State Committee comes close on the heels of the Centre appointing one.

The State Committee, to be headed by the Principal Secretary in the Environment and Forest department P N Roy Choudhury, would keep reviewing the security systems from time to time and recommend necessary measures.

The newly-formed panel is also expected to suggest additional sites in the state for the protection and growth of the lions and help overcome the managerial constraints in the protected areas.

About 16 lions have died, of which six were allegedly killed by poachers, during the first three months of this year.

UNI