NEW DELHI, July 31 - Under attack from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), State Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma has urged the Centre to immediately sanction the creation of a Special Task Force (STF) for deployment in the Kaziranga National Park and the Orang Wildlife Sanctuary.
Brahma met Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday and underlined the need to immediately set up an STF.
She also discussed plans to deploy STF in the Karbi Anglong hills to keep a vigil on the endangered species, which migrate from the Kaziranga National Park to the hills during the monsoon season. Currently, there is no deployment of forces in Karbi Anglong to check poaching of wildlife.
She told newsmen that recently 112 posts under the National Tiger Project Authority were filled up. The latest weapons procured at a cost of Rs 10 crore are likely to be deployed in September, she said.
Meanwhile, in a Rajya Sabha reply, Dr Vardhan said that at least 83 hog deer, seven rhinos and two sambar deer, totalling 92 endangered species, have perished in the recent floods in Assam.
The Government of India, through the National Tiger Conservation Authority, provides funding assistance to tiger reserves under the Centrally-sponsored scheme of Project Tiger, based on the Annual Plan of Operations submitted by the tiger reserve concerned for various activities, which include measures taken during floods like creation of highlands, preventive structures against erosion, provision of boats, rescue of animals, desiltation and creation of road network.
Meanwhile, Brahma also met Union Social Justice Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot and Union Tribal Affairs Minister Joel Oram and urged them for release of scholarship for the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste students.
