Union Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Bhupendra Yadav has said that officers and employees involved in Cheetah conservation and management will be selected and sent for study tour to Namibia / South Africa under Cheetah Project.
All possible cooperation including financial resources will be provided by the Central Government for the protection, conservation, promotion and proposed Cheetah Protection Force. Union Minister Yadav was discussing with Chief Minister Chouhan, Forest Minister Dr. Vijay Shah and senior officials of the state government in a high-level meeting at Samatva Bhawan, Chief Minister’s residence today.
Urging for the arrangement of additional forest guard and Forester for Kuno National Park, Union Minister Yadav said that both infrastructure and human resources are necessary. Misleading information related to the project often comes. Common people should also get authentic information. Presently 7 cheetahs are living in open forest area and 10 cheetahs are living in adaptation enclosures in Kuno National Park. Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary is also being prepared as an alternative habitat for cheetahs by coming November. Even in Kuno, there are fewer cheetahs than the estimated potential. The staff who look after the cheetahs are also hardworking. The project will definitely be successful. Madhya Pradesh government is seriously working for the implementation of the project. The services of foreign experts are being provided continuously in the project. The Union Minister said that he would visit the Kuno National Park on June 6 to take stock of the arrangements.
Chief Minister Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh is a tiger state. It is a matter of prestige. The state government is committed to the success of Project Cheetah. Information about the survival rate of birth of cheetah cubs was given in the beginning itself. The entire staff associated with the Cheetah project is working dedicatedly.
The progress of the project is satisfactory. Chief Minister Chouhan instructed that necessary arrangements should be completed on a war footing in the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary for alternative habitat for cheetahs. The activities of tourism development from the project were also discussed in the meeting.
Forest Minister Dr. Shah also suggested providing modern vehicles for the safety of the employees deployed in the monitoring of Cheetah.
Central Director General of Forests and Special Secretary C.P. Goyal, Madhya Pradesh’s Additional Chief Secretary Forest J.N. Kansotia, Member Secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi Dr. S.P. Yadav, Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Wildlife J.S. Chauhan, Additional Secretary Forest Department Ashok Kumar and other officers were present.
