MP govt holding out on signing binding agreement to make its officials more accountable

Despite being in the limelight for being the state with the largest area under tiger reserves, MP govt rather than leading by example is telling us what exactly afflicts wildlife conservation in India. Official apathy, lack of accountability and protecting own turf at the expense of public good are some of the reasons why despite immense media and public pressure there has been little improvement in widlife conservation.

The centre has signed the new tripartite agreement with many other states. As we have posted earlier, the agreement makes flow of funds easier to the parks bypasssing the state wildlife ministries which are mostly corrupt and inept and are the biggestobstacles in money reaching genuine beneficiaries. The agreement alsomakes forest directors directly liable for penal action for the condition of the reserve. As we have seen in MP itself the director of Panna national park publicly claimed till last year that the park had a healthy population of tigers. After it was declared in march this year that alltigers had been killed the field director was actually promoted to the ministry of forest. Such officials need to be charged wtih criminal conspiracy and neglect so that they take their job seriously.

MP govt babus need to realise that tiger conservation is a matter of India's prestige and not about protecting state's turf over the matter. Since so many other states have willingly signed on the dotted line there should be no reason for further delay.

Madhya Pradesh opposes mooted MOU on tiger conservation

http://www.samaylive.com/news/madhya-pradesh-opposes-mooted-mou-on-tiger-conservation/657794.html