GS Asgotra
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 5: Notwithstanding huge annual budget and expenditure, the wild life department has failed to identify an endangered species of tortoise in the past six days seized in Janipur area.
Convenor of Sangarsh RTI Movement, Balvinder Singh informed Early Times that during a visit to Janipur areas, he along with few persons found an endangered tortoise species, put on sale by a shopkeeper.
"We suspect that the tortoise species are in categories of endangered species and their sale is banned, so we informed the wild life department for appropriate action", he said.
He further informed that Wild life department took the tortoise species in their possession and said that they would inform them after proper inquiry and would also lodge FIR, if the seized tortoises are from endangered species .
Castigating the WLD, Balvinder Singh said that when he enquired after six days, the department replied that a doctor will be consulted to ascertain the species category. "It is a big department and hundreds of lakhs of rupees in the form of salaries is given to officials deputed there. Despite having huge infrastructure and manpower if the department still required a doctor for consultation then this department should be closed", he rued.
He further said that according to rule, all the traders who sell pets, birds and other aquatic animals should be registered in the office of Jammu Municipality Corporation (JMC) and Wild Life Department but under the nose of these departments, some shopkeepers illegally not only selling pets and birds, even also selling those aquatic animals which is rapidly going extinct. |
