KHAMMAM: The Wild Life Department has booked cases on Sunday against four officials of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) and three contractors for taking up road formation connecting two villages in the core area of the Kinnerasani wildlife sanctuary.

They would be charge-sheeted with a request for issue of arrest warrants in the Judicial Magistrate court at Kothagudem on Monday. Charges were being frames against an IAS officer S. Suresh Kumar, who was formerly the ITDA project officer at the time of road formation, according to the DFO Kondal Rao.

He said that the 12-kilometre long road stretch connecting Regalla village and Markodu in Gundala forest pocket was undertaken some time in September last without the permission of the forest department. Since it was falling in the core area of the wild life sanctuary, the then project officer was requested to stop the work. The Engineering Department of the ITDA had accordingly suspended work. But work was resumed some time later without informing the department.

Drains divide habitat

Two drains were formed on both sides of the road thus dividing the habitat of the three tigers left out in the sanctuary. A male tiger aged about 10 years, more or less got isolated in the forest block, in the vicinity of Regalla village.

Such activities, which sans the prior approval of the forest department would attract the provisions of the wildlife protection Act.The DFO said cases were booked against M. Veerareddy, Executive Engineer, Tribal Welfare, Ramesh, DE, Gopal Rao, AE, and contractors T. Srinivas Reddy, Khajaa and Salim.

A senior officer of the Khammam forest circle said that that the issue was discussed at the district level forest development committee in its last meeting.

It would be sorted out across the table, he said.

"Steps would be taken to avoid confrontation between the Government departments as we all work for the same cause." Our officers would certainly be taken to task if they failed in checking activities that disturbed wild life and hence they were forced to respond to such instances, he added.

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