We want muzzleloader gun free villages in tiger reserve Palamu,” said PCCF Jharkhand lal Ratnakar Singh. The PCCF was in Betla to take stock of the post tusker killing situation.
Speaking to the Pioneer on Sunday morning the PCCF said there are 168 villages here in PTR and all these are to be surveyed and identified if these villages have muzzleloader guns and if it is then it has to be taken off from houses.
He said it has to be done on war footing. An operation is required for this. The search operation is to be done every six months or so Singh said.
Reminded that local blacksmiths manufacture and sell it for price ranging between 700 to 1,000 rupees depending upon the ‘finish’ of the gun PCCF said the manufacturers and the sellers along with the buyers would be on our scanner.
Sources said such guns take two to three days time to get ready to shoot. Villagers in PTR keep this for various reasons like shooing away hyena, wolf, wild boar and sometimes flock of birds that swarm their grain laden fields.
PCCF said holders of such guns will be first persuaded to give up this and fear not at all for any action but those who show reluctance to give up will be taken care of by police if any exigency arises.
Singh reminded that many holders of such guns do not know the consequences of its keeping and when made aware of it these villagers may step forward to give it up.
He sounded tough when he said that those who have criminal mindset and want to use this kind of gun to inflict loss of life or injury would be dealt with jointly by PTR and police.
PCCF was very forthright when he said any registration for gun in protected areas of sanctuary, reserve or park is to be first approved of by the authorities of sanctuary, park and reserve. Sources said there is no count of as to how many muzzleloader guns are in villages of PTR.
The PCCF said his department is contemplating to build a fleet of Van Jiv Mitra here in this PTR who will act as a bridge between the PTR management and the villagers.
PTR authorities here who were pushed to the wall following the killing of the single tusk elephant found a real comforter in PCCF lal Ratnakar Singh who lauded the efforts of the PTR team for busting this tusker case in just 48 hours time as he said ou investigation and follow up action was flawless and speedy.
Field director PTR MP Singh said so far 9 such guns have been seized and all without any visible resistance. He said gun holders on being challenged and chased by our forest guards, foresters, rangers just abandon it and scurry for life.