By IANS,
New Delhi : As many as 19 tigers were killed in the country in the first four months of this year, taking the number of tigers below the official figure of 1,411, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh informed the Lok Sabha Monday.
The highest mortality of three each was reported from Uttarakhand and Kerala, Ramesh said.
The minister said that 66 tigers were killed in the country in 2009 while 31 were killed in 2008.
Ramesh also apprised the house of the steps taken by his ministry for protection and conservation of tigers in the country.
The Public Accounts Committee, in its report tabled in the Lok Sabha last week, had criticised the ministry for failing to take adequate measures for the preservation of tigers.
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