Fwd: Tough wildlife warden in Punjab shifted

[Guest guest]

DEAR MADAN PAL JI, ADVOCATE,

PLEASE GO THROUGH THE CONTENTS OF THE NEWS ITEMS AS WE HAVE SENT NOTICE TO

THE GOVT. OF PUNJAB UNDER RTI ACT, 2005 & DR. SANDEEP JAIN ALSO SENT NOTICE

TO THE GOVT. NOW THIS IS THE TIME TO FILE AN PIL IN THE HIGH COURT AT

CHANDIGARH. PLEASE GO AHEAD, I AM COMING TO CHANDIGARH ON 4th. JAN. , 2007.

REGARDS,

NARESH KADYAN

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Dr.Sandeep Kumar Jain <jeevdaya04

Jan 2, 2007 7:18 AM

Tough wildlife warden in Punjab shifted

aapn , Ashok Kumar <ashok,

animalnet

 

 

 

Tough wildlife warden shifted

Shahtoosh lobby's will prevails

Sarbjit Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 1

The Chief Wildlife Warden, Mr Swarn Singh, who had refused to bow to the

dictates of certain influential possessors of shahtoosh shawls in the state,

has been transferred to an insignificant post in the Punjab Forest

Department. He was transferred a day before the enforcement of the code of

conduct on December 29 with regard to the Punjab Assembly elections. Mr

Swarn Singh, who was posted as the Chief Wildlife Warden only a few months

ago, has assumed charge of his new post. Sources said that Mr Swarn Singh

had been removed from the post of Chief Wildlife Warden at the behest of

certain possessors of shahtoosh shawls because they were feeling

uncomfortable owing to the tough stand taken by him with regard to the

issuance of the certificate of ownership to them. As many as 150 keepers of

such shawls had applied for the certificate of ownership.The possession of

such shawls without the certificate is illegal. The ownership certificate

makes just one legal possessor or

custodian of the shawl but does not give one the right to sell it. The shawl

remains government property and if one goes to another state with the

shawl(s), one has to inform the wildlife authorities regarding its

possession. Among the possessors of such shawls are families of influential

politicians, bureaucrats, police officers, industrialists and " feudal

lords " . In fact, as the price of one such shawl ranges from Rs 1 lakh to Rs

5 lakh, middle class families cannot afford to buy it. Shahtoosh shawls are

made from wool derived from the undercoat of the chiru, a Tibetan antelope

that has been declared an endangered species in various parts of the world.

The animal has to be killed to obtain the wool. The Union Government had

issued a notification giving an opportunity to the possessors of wildlife

articles such as trophies, shahtoosh shawls and ivory jewellery to declare

these within a specified period to avail themselves of the certificate of

ownership from the

Chief Wildlife Wardens in the respective states. About 600 persons in Punjab

had declared that they had shahtoosh shawls and 450 of them were issued the

certificate of ownership by the authorities without completing the

procedural formalities. However, Mr Swarn Singh as the Chief Wildlife Warden

had instructed his DFOs to make a detailed inquiry from the remaining

possessors of such shawls regarding the source of the shawls, the weight,

colour,etc. The sources said that following such queries, some of the

possessors started saying that their shawls were not of shahtoosh. Mr Swarn

Singh directed his officials to ask such possessors to deposit their shawls

for scientific testing. As Mr Swarn Singh refused to oblige anyone and

remained firm on following the provisions of the Wildlife Act, he was

removed from the post held by him. In the past few months, Mr Swarn Singh

had also made life miserable for poachers and got cases registered against

many of them. Asked to

comment on his transfer, Mr Swarn Singh said: " I have been doing my duty

honestly all my life and upholding the law. Some people like it and some

don't. But I remain happy in all situations. "

 

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070102/main9.htm

 

Dr.Sandeep K.Jain

Send free SMS to your Friends on Mobile from your Messenger. Download

Now! http://messenger./download.php