Haryana makes disclosure of wildlife items mandatory

Chandigarh, Jun 20 (UNI) The Haryana Forests Department has made it mandatory for the owners of wildlife, wildlife products and trophies to disclose the details of such belongings to the Department.

Giving this information here today, an official spokesman said this decision had been taken as per the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in the year 2003 and a public notice in this regard had already been published in various newspapers.

He said the owners of the wildlife items belonging to schedule I and part II of schedule II should have the Certificates of Ownership issued by the Chief Wildlife Warden, Haryana.

The spokesman said the Forests Department had issued Certificates of Ownership of declared wildlife and wildlife products and had sent them by registered post to those who had declared the articles and where all requirements were fulfilled.

But some letters, he said, had returned undelivered with the comments that the addressees were not residing at the mailed addresses and hence the registered letters could not be delivered to them.

All such persons who had not received the ownership certificates should immediately produce affidavits regarding their present addresses for correspondence as soon as possible to enable the Department to take appropriate decision regarding ownership certificates, he said.

If addressees were found false, the declared wildlife and wildlife products would be seized and legal action would be initiated against such persons, he added.

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