Small spending for big cats; Project Tiger fails to achieve results

Tuesday December 12 2006 13:07 IST

BHUBANESWAR: Project Tiger, launched in the State in 1973 to preserve wildlife and protect tiger population, failed to achieve the desired result because of low expenditure of the funds available and non-approval of the management plan. The project was implemented in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR).

The latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) observed that though the proposed outlay for 2003-04 alone was Rs 7.64 crore, only Rs 7.35 crore was made available. However, the expenditure was Rs 6.28 crores. The CAG observed that the project lacked proper planning and the annual plan of operations (APOs) were prepared as per periodical requirement.

As per the National Wildlife Action Plan 2002-2016, a minimum of 15 percent of the Forest budget should be allocated for conservation of wildlife. It was, however, noticed that the budget provision for conservation of wildlife ranged between 1.75 percent and 5.65 percent for 2000-04 and during 2004-05, the allocation was a meagre 0.4 percent.

The State Government also failed to create a development fund out of the revenue generated from the reserve. As per the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002, the fund should have been created for augmentation of available resources for conservation. Though Rs 49.03 lakh was realised as entry fees from the tourists during the period under review, this was deposited in the treasury as Forest revenue.

According to the CAG, the State Government also failed to relocate the families residing in the core area of the STR. Out of the 180 families living in the area, only 72 families could be relocated by June, 2006. Besides, out of Rs 1.3 crore paid for the purpose to the Collector, Mayurbhanj, Rs 66.1 lakh was unutilised.

Wanton felling of tress in the reserve area also affected the habitation. As many as 20,990 cases were lodged during the period and 74,277.32 cft of timber was seized. CAG observed that though there was a decline in the
offences reported after the deployment of Sabuja Bahini, a strike-force consisting of ex-military persons in 2004-05, it has not been significant enough to protect the flora in the reserve.

Failure to regulate tourism activities in the area also had its impact on the reserve. CAG also doubted the reliability of the methods for conducting tiger census. It observed that enumeration of tigers and leopards was not done annually.

Besides, decrease in population of adult tigers in the absence of any report of death or poaching raises doubt on the accuracy of the figures, it added.