Wildlife Control Bureau to control poaching: Namo Narayan Meena

Jaipur, Sep 30 (UNI) The Centre will constitute a Wildlife Crime Control Bureau on the lines of Narcotics Control Bureau to tackle the issue of poaching and trading of wild life, Union Minister of State for Forest and Enviornemnt Namo Narayan Meena said here today.

Speaking at a seminar on ''Wild Life and Enviornmental Protection'' organised by the Siddharth Singh Natural History Trust, Mr Meena said the bureau will be entrusted with the task of preventing poaching and trading of wild life parts and would coordinate with international agencies in tracking the mafia engaged in smuggling of wild life parts.

The Tribal Act, which will legalise land rights of the tribals on forest lands will not be applicable to the about 600 protected areas like national parks and sancturies, Mr Meena said. He said such village habitats located in the 'core areas' of protected areas will be shifted out and relocated outside the protected areas.

The minister, while emphasising the need for wild life protection, stressed upon the need for involving the local population as stake holders and developing protected areas as income generating sources so that the local population would take active interest in the protection of the sancturies and national parks.

The minister said the government is coming out with an ambitious project to extend the green cover areas form 25 per cent to 33 per cent by 2012. The governemtn would shortly launch a massive afforestation drive in six million hectares of land at an expenduiture of Rs 5000 crore to achieve this aim.

Rajasthan chief wildlife warden R N Mehrotra and Trust patron former Director General of Rajasthan police Shantanu Kumar also spoke on the occasion.

UNI