Taking the issue of poaching of rhinos in Assam seriously, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday asked the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Superintendent of Police (SPs) to go all out to stop the rhino poaching even as the Government on Wednesday effected a major change of guards in the National Park.
Sonowal on Wednesday held a high level meeting with the DCs and SPs of Jorhat, Golaghat and Nagaon districts—that surrounds the Kaziranga national park—and asked them to leave no stone unturned to protect the rhinos from falling prey in the hands of poachers. Sonowal said that the State Government will take help from international experts if needed to stop poaching and added that anyone found linked to the poaching of rhinos in Kaziranga National Park will not be spared.
“To save rhinos from extinction you have to take it up as a mission to protect them from poachers. To save the pride of Assam we will extend all possible support to you to stop it from extinction,” Sonowal said.
“Whatever measures need to be undertaken will be adopted for protecting the rhinos and Kaziranga National Park, the World Heritage site. We will take advice from international experts on protection of rhinos” Sonowal said.
The Chief Minister appealed to the people living on the fringes of the park to remain alert against rhino poachers and urged them to also identify poachers and those having links with them. Sonowal also appealed to the journalists to help the Government in its efforts to stop the killing of rhino once and for all.
Meanwhile, the Assam Government on Wednesday posted Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of Cachar Wildlife division in the State, Tejas Nariswamy as the ACF Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, under which the Kaziranga National Park falls. Similarly, Kushal Kumar Deka, the existing Forest Ranger of Karimganj wildlife division in Barak Valley was transferred and posted as forest ranger of the Bagori range of the Kaziranga national park.
Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF), Pallav Deka who was attached to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) headquarters in Guwahati was posted in the same rank in the park. Deka was attached to the Director of the park.
Another DCF, Altamus Baig, who was attached to the PCCF (Wildlife) in Guwahati was also posted as the DCF to the Kaziranga National Park.