The Hindu : New Delhi News : PM intervention sought on tigers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 05, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

PM intervention sought on tigers

Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member, Karan Singh, has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up the issue of tiger conservation on a priority basis.

Dr. Singh met the Prime Minister on behalf of the Tiger and Wilderness Watch, a group of Parliamentarians on tiger conservation — and expressed concern over the depletion of tigers across the country and particularly in the 10 reserves.

They had sought an appointment with Dr. Singh but authorised veteran Congress leader, Dr. Karan Singh, to meet him on behalf of the group. ``The Prime Minister responded by saying that all efforts were being made to save the tigers and, to begin with, a task force had been set up,'' Dr. Singh told The Hindu .

The 10 sanctuaries under threat include Manas (Assam), Namdapha and Nagarjuna (Andhra Pradesh), Valmiki (Bihar), Similipal (Orissa), Palamau (Jharkhand), Indravati (Chhattisgarh), Pench and Panna (Madhya Pradesh) and Tadoba (Maharashtra).

Dr. Singh replaced the lion with the tiger as the national animal of India in 1967 and Project Tiger was also his initiative. Besides heading Project Tiger, he was also the chairperson of the Indian Board for Wildlife.

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