Question mark over tiger safety in S’pal, Satkosia

| | BHUBANESWAR | in Bhubaneswar

With an inordinate delay in receiving funds from the Union Government, the tiger reserves of Odisha are crying for funds and authorities are facing a Herculean task to handle the affairs.

There are two major tiger reserves in the State — Similipal Tiger Reserve and Satkosia Tiger Reserve — which are starving of funds as the Government of India is yet to release resources for 2018-19.

After five months of the Financial Year of 2018-19, there is no funds flow for both the major tiger reserves of the country, officials admit.

While Project Tiger is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), both the tiger reserves are entitled to receive Central resources for the protection of the tigers and wildlife in these forests.

Way back in November last, as desired by the Union Government, the Similipal Tiger Reserve authority had submitted an Annual Plan of Operations (APO) worth Rs 15.54 crore for approval for 2018-19.

Similarly, the APO of Rs 17.32 crore for the Satkosia Tiger Reserve was also sent to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

Once the APO was sent, it was expected that the Centre will approve and release funds, pointed out a senior officer in the Department of Forests and Environment. In order to facilitate early release, the State Government had also sent the progressive utilisation certificate and expenditure statement for the year 2017-18 through online along with the tripartite MoU and compliance status for release of funds.

And with the presence of Siddhant Das as Director General of Forests, it is obvious expectation that funds flow to Odisha will be smothering as Das not only belongs to Odisha and also an Odisha Cadre IFS officer, but posted in the highest ranks in the Ministry of Environment, Forests  and Climate Change.

Sources said that though Das is favourably disposed towards the State, however, bureaucratic wrangling is posing a problem.

Official queries about delay in releasing funds are also not answered by the authorities; and the State Government is left high and dry over such a dire situation, admitted a senior officer in the Department of Forest and Environment.