Assam Forest and Environment Minister Pramila Rani Brahma said this and added that the department is working on to re-strategies the existing anti-poaching measures to stop the poaching of one-horned rhinos and other wildlife crimes in the State, particularly from the protected areas of the State.
Brahma’s reaction came a day after the poachers had killed two one-horned rhinos within a span of one week inside the highly secured Kaziranga National park in Assam. While the poachers have killed one of the two rhinos when she was camping with two other Ministers inside the park, the second rhino was killed last Saturday. In both the cases, the poachers have managed to take away the horns of the rhinos.
“Our Government has tightened the noose on the poachers immediately after coming to power. However, the poachers have also changed their tactics and managed to kill the two rhinos within in one week. It is difficult to stop the poaching of rhinos with the present infrastructure and manpower,” she said while talking to newsmen on Monday.
The Minister, however, said that the Government has accepted the challenge thrown by the poachers and added that the Government is committed to stop the poaching at any cost. “We are working on to re-strategies the anti-poaching measures so that all kinds of wildlife poaching could be stopped in the State.
It may be mentioned here that the BJP had campaigned aggressively ahead of the polls on the failure of the erstwhile Congress Government to stop the poaching of one horned rhinos, often considered as a symbol of pride for the State.
Immediately after Coming to power, the BJP Government led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had shifted the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) to Kaziranga from Guwahati and asked the department officials to curb the menace of poaching.
The Assam Government had also recently removed the Director of the famous national park and appointed a new one to make effective strategies to stop the menace.