LUCKNOW: With the Mayawati Government focussing on the launch of 14 new schemes in wildlife conservation and social forestry, the grandiose project of a lion safari in Etawah district and the intensive plantation scheme of the Mulayam Singh Government have been virtually abandoned.

However, the present regime has redoubled efforts, including substantial budget allocation, to fully develop the Bhimrao Ambedkar Bird Sanctuary in Benti, the fiefdom of former Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya. The Benti lake had been acquired in 2002 during the previous regime of Ms. Mayawati and was notified as a wildlife sanctuary. Work came to a standstill after she resigned in August 2003.

The lion safari — the second after the one in Gir sanctuary — had been proposed by the former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh in the Fisher Forest area of his home district, Etawah. The project had been planned in 2004 and forest officials were commissioned to find lions for the proposed safari. Around Rs. 1.51 crore had been allotted for the safari in last year's budget but not a penny was spent.

State Principal Secretary (Forest), V.N. Garg conceded that the lion safari was a low-priority area with the present Government. Mr. Garg said that the project failed to meet the 10 necessary conditions set by the Central Zoo Authority. One of which was the presence of at least 10 lions for the safari.

" Rs. 1.51 crore was in the Public Ledger Account [PLA] but there are other high-priority areas", Mr. Garg added. One of these high-priority areas was the development of the Benti bird sanctuary in Pratapgarh district.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail