Haryana urges PM to set up Wild Life Department at Centre

Chandigarh, Apr 28 (UNI) Haryana Minister of State for Forests and Tourism Minister Kiran Choudhary today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare the area around all the National Parks and Wild Life Sanctuaries as reserved area and also to set up a separate Wild Life Department at the Centre.

Ms Choudhary today met the Prime Minister at New Delhi. In a letter submitted to the Prime Minister, Ms Choudhary had written that by reserving the area around National Parks and Sanctuaries, the protection of animals could be ensured.

She said that recently she had visited the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh and she had noticed that Eco Sensitive Zone had not been prescribed even there.

"The Central Government had prepared a scheme in the year 2007 for setting up Eco Sensitive Zones. However, no notification had been issued in this regard till date," she added.

"The deforestation around the National Parks and Wild Life Sanctuaries is posing a serious threat to wild life. Moreover, non-declaration of these areas as reserved is also the violation of Government's directions," Ms Choudhary said.

She urged the Prime Minister to set up the Wild Life Department separately and demanded for the appointment of Secretary and other officers in this department.

Ms Choudhary also apprised Dr Manmohan Singh about the problems of salaries of IFS Officers. "Many anomalies could arise in the salaries of these Officers in the proposed recommendation of Sixth Pay Commission which have to be averted," she said asserting that the IFS Officers were the backbone of the Forest Department.

Ms Choudhary also requested the Prime Minister to set up a new airport at Bhiwani. She said that a request in this regard had already been made to Union Aviation Minister Prafful Patel.

Bhiwani, she said is located in the middle of Haryana adjoining Rajasthan and hence, the setting up of an airport in this area would benefit the people of Haryana as well as of Rajasthan.

She said that Dr Manmohan Singh had given assurance for appropriate action on all the issues raised by her.

UNI PS JS1942