No room in Sariska, PM to visit Ranthambore

Sources said, the PM, scheduled to go to Ranthambore on May 23 and 24, will hold formal talks with directors from five to six Project Tiger Reserves, which the Environment Ministry will chose. He will also hold informal talks with forest guards and tiger reserve employees to understand the ground situation.

Environment Minister A Raja, Project Tiger Director Rajesh Gopal, Secretary Dr Prodipto Ghosh and Wildlife Institute of India experts will accompany the PM, the sources added. The delegation will focus not just on tigers but also on issues like man-animal conflict.

Also, the Tiger Task Force, set up by the PM, will meet on May 18 and 19. Centre for Science and Environment chief Sunita Narain, chairperson of the task force, has convened the meeting. The task force has been set up to review the management of tiger reserves, suggest measures to strengthen conservation and improve the methodology of census.

The task force, which includes wildlife experts, will submit its report in three months. On May 27, chief wildlife wardens and directors from the Tiger Reserves will meet.