Forest Dept accused of not starting culling

Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 13

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) has accused the chief wildlife warden and the state Forest Department of not starting the culling process of monkey even a month has passed since the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had declared monkeys as vermin in Shimla city last month.

“The Forest Department and the chief wildlife warden are not serious about culling monkeys, let alone taking the matter with the MoEF to declare wild boar and blue bull as vermin in all forest ranges of wildlife-affected 2301 gram panchayats in the state,” said Dr Kuldip Tanwar, CPM secretariat member, in a statement here yesterday.

“The MoEF has declared monkeys as vermin as pleaded by the CPM, HKS-supported kheti bachao samiti and Shimla MC within the municipal limits of Shimla city,” Dr Tanwar said. But the chief wildlife warden and the Forest Department had done nothing in this direction so far, giving relief to residents of the city, he resented.