Prime Minister tells security bodies to curb rhino poaching

Ramesh Prasad Bhushal
KATHMANDU: In response to curb the increasing illegal poaching of the wildlife in the nation the Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal today called the security forces chiefs and high level officials from the ministries of forest, home and defence.
In last 11 months 28 rhinos have reportedly have died in Chitwan national park, home to nation’s largest rhino population. According to the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation, 13 rhinos were poached, 13 died naturally, while the reason for the death of remaining two is shrouded in mystery. Three rhinos were killed last week and the authorities have failed to nab the culprits.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation Deepak Bohara, Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Forest Secretary Yubraj Bhusal, Home Secretary Dr Govinda Prasad Kusum, Defence Secretary Naveen Kumar Ghimire, Chief of the Army Chhatra Man Gurung, Inspector General of Armed Police Force Sanat Kumar Basnet, Inspector General of Police Ramesh Chand Thakuri and the representatives from the National Trust for Nature Conservation and World Wildlife Fund Nepal.
“The army chief accepted that the reason for rising number of rhino deaths is security lapses in park territory. He committed to punishing army officials handling the wildlife directorate in the headquarters, as well as the battalion in the Chitwan National Park,”said a source who attended the meeting held in PM’s office. Later in the evening the Nepal Army directorate of public relations told THT it had formed a four-member court of inquiry led by Brig Gen Yagya Bikram Rana to probe into rhino poaching in CNP, where more than 900 army personnel have been deployed.
The PM called all the authorities concerned to stop the blame game and coordinate better to save the endangered species.
Deepak Bohara said, “The high-level meeting was purposed by his ministry to take quick decision to curb the problem.”
The prime minister had also directed the chief secretary to decide on the formation of the Wild life Crime Control Bureau under the high-level committee on wildlife crime control committee formed under the chairmanship of the prime minister a few months ago.”The file has already been submitted to cabinet and prime minister had directed to finalise it instantly,”said Gopal Prasad Upadhyay, Director General, DNPWC.
DNPWC met members of CNP buffer zone management committee this morning and decided to mobilise youths as informers. “Up to 50 of them will be recruited. Their salary expenses will be shared equally by the government and the buffer zone management committee,” added Upadhyay.
According to Bohara, the meeting will continue tomorrow and representatives of finance ministry will also be there.
Source: http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Prime+Minister+tells+security+bodies+to+curb+rhino+poaching+&NewsID=246886