After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh grilled the Ministry of Environment and Forest officials on action taken since the CBI submitted its Sariska report in March this year, the Government today decided to act on the CBI proposal for reviewing the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to strengthen its provisions against poaching.The suggestions are likely to be forwarded to the five-member Tiger Task Force and be part of its report due next month.Meanwhile, CBI Director U.S. Misra told an agency that ‘‘the Government has decided to set up a dedicated, investigative task force — with members from the forest department, CBI and other agencies — to ensure conservation of tigers and other wildlife’’. While top environment ministry officials claimed they were not aware of any such move, sources attributed the confusion to a possible nomenclature problem as the proposal for the National Wildlife Crime Bureau — which will also include CBI members on deputation — has reached its final stage and is now with the Finance Ministry.‘‘The Prime Minister was very positive to our suggestions. Now it all depends on the ministry concerned how soon these changes can be brought about. However, the ministry officials didn’t have much to list when the PM asked them about what action had been taken so far,’’ Deputy Inspector General B K Sharma, who led the CBI’s Special Investigation Team in Sariska, told The Indian Express.‘‘We made a presentation which explained all the measures taken in Sariska and elsewhere, including monsoon patrolling and security protocol. We are satisfied with our efforts and open to any idea that helps the cause of conservation,’’ Project Tiger Director Dr Rajesh Gopal said.Apart from discussing ways to check poaching, the CBI in its 90-minute presentation at the PMO this morning confirmed The Indian Express March 16 report on at least 10 cases of tiger poaching in Sariska. Among the recommendations made by it to amend the Wildlife Act are:• Provision for filing direct chargesheet instead of mere complaints to make the prosecution faster.• Provision for denying suspension or remittance of sentence on the basis of appeals moved. As under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act, one convicted under Wildlife Act must stay behind the bars till one’s appeal is heard and not get out on bail immediately.• Provision for calibration of punishment — one caught with 20 skins shouldn’t be treated at par with one held with one skin.• Setting up of specific wildlife courts to do away with pendency of cases.Leniency towards the bail applications moved by wildlife criminals has been a major problem faced by the investigative agencies. The latest to join the long list of absconders is Jassu — a resident of Samalkha in Haryana and a supplier to notorious wildlife trader Sansar Chand — who recently managed to get out on parole from a Jaipur jail. According to information given to the authorities by Jeevan, one of the prime accused in the Sariska case, tiger and leopard skins were supplied to Jassu who passed them on to Sansar Chand’s gang in Delhi. Jeevan was arrested in January 2005. He was given bail and is now absconding.Commenting on the CBI’s presentation, Belinda Wright, Executive Director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said, ‘‘The CBI has hit the nail on the head. So many key wildlife criminals are absconding after they were given bail.’’
