Panchayati Raj ministry to be roped in for tiger conservation
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) will be tying up with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj for tiger conservation in the buffer zones of reserves across the country.
In a recent meeting, the NTCA decided that a training capsule along with a video would be prepared by it and sent to the ministry. An NTCA official said the management of the buffer areas of tiger reserves would be done with the assistance of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
“The Panchayati Raj Ministry has capacity-building programmes which will be dovetailed with matters relating to tiger conservation. Details of tiger reserves shall be forwarded to the ministry to include their conservation in these programmes. A training capsule prepared by the NTCA within a month will also be sent to the ministry for further action,” he added.
The NTCA also discussed declaring Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh a tiger reserve. The plan to declare it a tiger reserve has been in the offing for several years, but the Idu Mishmi tribe has opposed the move, fearing it would restrict its access to the forest.
“It was suggested by senior officials in the meeting that due diligence should be exercised while proposing the notification of new tiger reserves as this results in resentment among people because of the potential restriction of their rights,” the official added.
