Current Affairs

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New Delhi, Aug 03: With increased poaching taking a toll of tigers in protected areas, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked state governments to recruit frontline forest staff, especially in sanctuaries for conservation of the big cat.

The directive came following a recent meeting where Singh reviewed the implementation of the report of the Task Force on the animal, which said a large number of frontline posts in the Department of Forests were lying vacant in several states.

"This may have happened on account of recruitment bans imposed at a time when state finances were under stress. The situation has changed and states should fill the vacancies at the earliest," a release from PMO said on Friday, quoting the Prime Minister.

Singh shot off a letter to Chief Ministers, urging them to create a "development agency" in each tiger reserve for increasing local participation in reserve management.

"These agencies would be under field directors and involve local panchayats and professional wildlife experts, as outlined in the Wildlife Protection Amendment Act 2006 and related guidelines issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority," the statement said.

The Prime Minister also asked the states to consider major parks and tiger reserves as autonomous profit centres.

According to the statement, Singh suggested creation of a development fund in each tiger reserves, which would be eligible for receipts, assistance from governments, funds from compensatory afforestation management and planning authorities.

Current Affairs

PM asks states to protect the big cats.............