MP inks pact with Centre for tiger conservation

NEW DELHI: After dithering for months, Madhya Pradesh Government has inked a pact with the Centre for the conservation of big cats to avail funds for its six tiger reserves.

With the signing of the pact, Madhya Pradesh has joined 16 other tiger-range states in the country who have already availed the fund for the current fiscal year to boost conservation and protection of the wild cats which are on the verge of extinction.

The Centre had put on hold the fund release to the state which had been expressing reservations over various clauses of the pact which makes three parties--the Centre, the state government and director of tiger reserves accountable in protection of the endangered big cats.

"However, two weeks back, the Shivraj Chauhan government signed the pact with the Centre through National Tiger Conservation Authority ( NTCA), agreeing with the clauses it was opposing earlier. We have released funds for its reserves," official sources said.

According to the recent estimates, only 1,400 big cats are left in the 40 tiger reserves situated across the country.

The central state had earlier expressed reservation over the clauses in the pact that makes directors of tiger reserves accountable for any lapses and the field directors of tiger reserves signatories to the MoU.

It also wanted to continue with the old system under which the state's chief wildlife warden was a signatory to the document with the NTCA's secretary general on behalf of the state government.