Ex-soldiers to guard Rajasthan wildlife parks

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Rajasthan, which has drawn severe flak for losing its tiger

population to poaching, has decided to appoint 1,000 former soldiers

to help guard wildlife sanctuaries throughout the state.

 

After getting a sanction from the finance department, the state

forest department has already started the appointment process.

Rajasthan has two tiger projects, a bird sanctuary and 25 wildlife

sanctuaries besides 32 closed areas.

 

'For the safety of wildlife and to curb the incidence of poaching,

as many as 1,000 retired army soldiers would be hired and deployed

on contract basis in various sanctuaries and national parks at a

monthly remuneration of Rs.4,000,' L.N. Dave, Rajasthan's forest

minister, told IANS.

 

The former army personnel would be given intensive training and

would also be provided with firearms, he said, 'We are in the

process of inviting applications and the last date to submit the

application is Aug 20, while the final list would be declared on Sep

1 after which the short-listed candidates would have to undergo a

physical test,' Dave said.

 

Though no official statistics have been released so far, sources in

the forest department said that 125 security personnel would be

deployed in Ranthambore, 100 in Sariska, 75 in Udaipur, 70 in

Chittorgarh forest areas.