GUWAHATI, Feb 13 � The alleged denial of information to an RTI activist by the Assam Forest Department and the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNP&TR) authorities on the power fencing of the national park has led to a number of questions concerning the motive behind the exercise.
RTI-cum-environment activist Rohit Choudhury has alleged that the State Forest Department and the KNP&TR authorities have denied him information on the issues concerning power fencing of the national park.
The bamboo posts in the park�s fencing have already been replaced with concrete posts. It seems like the execution of the decision of the joint meeting, held by the governing bodies of the Kaziranga Tiger Conservation Foundation, Manas Tiger Conservation Foundation & Nameri Tiger Conservation Foundation on August 25, 2014 at the Assam State Zoo Conference Hall, Guwahati, to extend the power fencing work of the park to its other areas has already started, Choudhury said.
The above meeting had decided to extend the power fencing programme to other areas of the park, barring the animal migration corridors. It was decided to fence the non-corridor areas such as Japaripathar, Tamulipathar, Dhanbari, etc.
Choudhury said that in view of the above decision of the joint meeting, he had filed RTI applications before the National Tiger Conservation Authority/Forest Conservation and Wildlife Division of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (WL), Assam/Principal Secretary, Department of Environment and Forests, Government of Assam,/Director, Kaziranga National Park. However, no information has been provided yet from any of the offices of the State government, i.e., from Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (WL), Assam/Principal Secretary, Department of Environment & Forests, Govt. of Assam/Director, Kaziranga National Park, Choudhury alleged.
The minutes of the above meeting and the RTI replies from the NTCA have exposed some more issues concerning the exercise, Choudhury said. These include � the management plan of Kaziranga National Park has not been approved, no permission under Forest Conservation Act, 1980 & Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 was granted for the power fencing by MoEFCC and also no permission from NTCA was given for power fencing as it is a Tiger Reserve.
