By IANS
Jaipur : The Rajasthan government’s plan to recruit ex-soldiers to guard wildlife sanctuaries and stem the rise in poaching has evoked a poor response.
Sources in the forest department have said that only 700 applications for the posts were received, though 1,000 were sought.
“The response was poor and almost 10 percent of those who applied were not found suitable,” the sources said, adding that government planned to continue with the recruitment exercise.
The guards are to be provided with latest arms in an effort to catch poachers.
Meanwhile, an animal protection group has said that cutting and smuggling of trees and cases of poaching have increased in the state because of the failure of the government to appoint wildlife wardens.
“These honorary posts were aimed at conservation and protection of wildlife in the state. However, even after over four years, the Vasundhara Raje government in the state has failed to appoint them,” said Babulal Jaju, state-in-charge for People for Animals (PFA).
“I have written five times to the chief minister on the matter. I also met her personally and stressed upon the need to have these wardens. But it seems my efforts have proved futile as nothing has been done so far”, Jaju said.
A report submitted in March 2005 by the Wildlife Institute of India confirmed that there were no tigers left in Sariska tiger reserve.
An official census conducted in 2004 had indicated that between 16 and 18 tigers lived in the reserve. But from the middle of 2005 no tigers were sighted.
Rajasthan has two Project Tiger reserves, a bird sanctuary and 25 wildlife sanctuaries besides 32 closed areas.