Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi and governor PB Acharya – who is only holding additional charge – have landed at loggerheads over unabated poaching of rhinos in the world-famous Kaziranga National Park. While Acharya feels “another agency” should be engaged if the present mechanism has failed, Gogoi has pushed the blame to the Centre, saying Delhi has not sanctioned funds. “If they cannot stop rhino poaching then we should get another agency. I am very much concerned about rhinos. It is a very important symbolic thing. A small group of criminals are challenging the government. How can you tolerate this?” governor Acharya told journalists after addressing the budget session of the state assembly here on Monday. Assam has lost five rhinos in the first two months of 2015, the last even as newly-appointed forest minister Atuwa Munda was holding a meeting with Park officials in Kaziranga last Thursday. Govornor Acharya in fact had summoned state forest and environment minister Atuwa Munda and Kaziranga National Park director MK Yadava to Raj Bhavan on Sunday to inquire why rhino poaching had not stopped. “I wanted to know what is lacking. The director came and briefed me of the situation. If he is not in a position to prevent killings, then he should quit gracefully. We will appoint another agency,” the governor said. The governor, who had taken additional charge of Assam on December 11, had on January 7 had not only said that increased poaching had put a question-mark on the integrity and efficiency of the protection force, but also suggested changing the existing set of security personnel deployed in Kaziranga. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi however has taken exception to the governor summoning the minister to Raj Bhavan. “According to the Constitution he cannot interfere. If his order is not constitutional, then we will not adhere to it. He is a governor now, not BJP,” Gogoi had said on Sunday. When the two met in during tea time in the state assembly, governor Acharya directly asked Gogoi if he had found him (the governor) crossing the line. “I asked him (Gogoi) directly if he had said I had crossed the line. But the chief minister clarified he did not mean it. We are the in same wavelength on protecting rhino.I have told him to take strong action against poachers. Yes, I am proud I was in the BJP. But now, since I am governor, I am an all-party man,” governor Acharya said. Chief minister Gogoi on the other hand blamed the Centre and said the state government alone cannot put an end to rhino poaching. “I am not saying that there has been no poaching. We are highly concerned. But the government of India has not accorded sanction (to our proposals). Javadekar had come and given lot of assurances. But nothing has happened afterwards. We need cooperation of the Centre too,” Gogoi said. “The poachers and smugglers are from outside the state. They have extremist links outside the state. How can I solve this problem without cooperation of the government of India?” chief minister Gogoi said.
