Hearing on a Public Interest litigation on Thursday, the Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State Government to strengthen the State Forest Department’s anti-poaching cell while leaving on the Chief Minister, the decision regarding complaints against the principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden SS Sharma remaining apathetic to poaching cases in spite of being informed about these and the letter of the anti-poaching cell chief questioning the actions of the then field director of Corbett tiger reserve RK Mishra in the 2012 Bijrani tiger poaching case.
Informing The Pioneer about these developments, the petitioner, PFA Uttarakhand member secretary Gauri Maulekhi said that in response to the petition, a notification had also been issued for the formation of the Special Tiger Protection Force for Corbett while the Animal Husbandry department had deputed a veterinarian full time to Corbett.
Maulekhi said that the High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Barin Ghosh and Justice VK Bisht had on Thursday directed the State government to strengthen the anti-poaching cell. The CM will take a decision on allegations of anomalies in the functioning of PCCF
SS Sharma and former Corbett director RK Mishra. Sharma was accused by the additional PCCF (Wildlife) and anti-poaching cell director SK Dutt of ignoring more than a 100 letters of his regarding poaching and other wildlife crimes. Sharma was said to have failed to take required action in spite of being provided information on poaching and other wildlife crimes by Dutt.
Another letter written by Dutt regarding a 2012 tiger poaching case in Bijrani, Corbett had raised questions about the functioning of the then Corbett director. The HC on Thursday left it on the CM to take a decision in these two cases, said Maulekhi. She further informed that responding to the PIl, the State had issued a notification clearing the formation of a special tiger protection force for Corbett while the Animal Husbandry department had deployed a full time vet to this tiger reserve which was so far without a full time veterinarian.