Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 11 (PTI) Kerala Government today termed allegations of irregularities in the ongoing tiger census, especially in the Idukki and Ernakulam forest regions of the state, as completely "baseless".
The presence of tiger in Mankulam, Pooyamkutty, Malayatour, Thatekkad and Neriyamangalam in Idukki and Ernakulam forest regions had been recorded in the datasheet during the first phase of census itself, state Forest Minister Binoy Viswam told the state Assembly.
The census was conducted scientificaly under the leadership of Periyar Foundation and Wild Life Institute of India (WWI), Dehradun, Viswam said.
Raising the issue as a submission, Congress leader V D Sateeshan alleged that incidents of tiger presence in these regions were deliberately omitted from the records to help the forest encroachers and tourist resorts.
The encroachers and resort owners apprehend restriction in their activities if the area came under the ambit of tiger habitat, he said.
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