Congress parliamentarian Jyotiraditya Scindia has welcomed Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Anil Dave’s statement that soon lions from Gir would be brought to Madhya Pradesh.
Scindia in a statement here on Sunday said, “I on my own and from the side of people of State express gratitude towards the Union Minister Dave for his statement that soon some lions from Gir would be translocated to the state.”
Scindia further said that my serious demand has been fulfilled readily by the central government. The chief whip of Congress party in the parliament has on many occasions in the past demanded to bring lions from Gir to Palpur Kuno and has also raised the issue in the parliament. Recently, on August 9 has raised the issue of bringing lions to state from Gir in Gujarat.
Scindia said that it is matter of pleasure that action has been started over the advice of wildlife experts that some lions from Gir should be shifted to Puno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh.
Notably, Dave while talking to media persons here on Saturday over the controversy of translocation of Gir lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh said that apart from his statement in the Parliament to a query by Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia, his department is trying hard to get result to the problem. “I would announce only after translocation of the lions to MP as efforts are underway and in positive direction,” he had claimed.
Despite Supreme Court order in April 2013 that some lions should be immediately shifted to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh from Gir in Gujarat nothing has moved so far.
Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are locked in a legal battle over the issue for the past few years, with Gandhinagar loath to part with its lions. Officials believe that the lions are not reaching their new home any sooner in the near future.