Karnataka has emerged as the 1st state to deploy
Special Tiger Protection Force (STPS). Giving away Awards for best
performance to various Tiger Reserves of the country in the national
capital the Minister of State (I/C) for Environment & Forest Smt.
Jayanthi Natarajan said that field protection continues to remain very
high on our tiger agenda. The states are supported in a big way to
deploy local workforce for protection. Besides, we are persuading the
States to raise, arm and deploy of the Special Tiger Protection Force
(STPF). This needs to be expedited by the States. Despite, 100% central
assistance to four States (Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and
Orisa), the deployment of STPF has not taken place.
The Minister was addressing All India Meeting of Field Directors of
Tiger Reserves. Smt. Natarajan said that since last year, we have
sharpened our focus on the tiger. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of
Project Tiger was revised in August, 2011. Its allotment was stepped up
to Rs. 1216.86 Crores, especially to support the States for securing
inviolate space for tigers. Several additional components have also been
included: (i) Change in the funding pattern in respect of North Eastern
States (90:10), (ii) Raising compensation for man-animal conflict to
Rs. 2 lakh, (iii) Acquisition of private land for making the
core/critical tiger habitat inviolate, (iv) establishment of Tiger
Safari, interpretation/awareness centres under the existing component of
‘co-existence agenda in buffer/fringe areas’, and management of such
centres through the respective Panchayati Raj Institution, and (v)
Re-introduction of Cheetah.
The Minister said that Project Tiger is one of the most important
flagship programmes of my Ministry. Soon after taking over as Minister, I
have been addressing the State Chief Ministers on various issues,
besides supporting new initiates to strengthen the cause.
Tiger conservation is a collective responsibility between Government of
India, State Governments and Civil Society. Today tigers need support
form one and all.
The Minister revealed that the 2010 country level snapshot assessment of
such assessment in 2006. However, the outcome has highlighted the need
for restoring the fringe areas of tiger reserves and the connecting
forest linkages. The independent Management Effectiveness Evaluation of
tiger reserves has also underlined the actionable points. Both these
finding should be factored in our tiger conservation strategy by
reflecting them in the Tiger Conservation Plan of tiger reserves.
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