Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Tuesday accepted failure of “governance and administration” in the death of a tiger in Rajasthan’s Sariska Tiger Reserve.

“A team of experts from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is in Sariska to look into the incident. I admit there has been a failure of governance and administration, and I take full responsibility for that,” Ramesh told reporters here.

The tiger that died was relocated from Ranthambore national park to Sariska as part of the tiger revival programme after it was discovered that no big cat was left in Sariska, once a tiger’s den.

Ramesh did not clarify whether the failure was of the Rajasthan government or the NTCA.

Ramesh said it is wrong to say that the relocation programme is not working, and added that the tiger translocation would not be halted.

“Contrary to the propaganda, translocation was carried out on a strict protocol by the best scientists of India. It has not been done on unscientific principle but was based on protocol agreed at NTCA conference,” he said.

The environment minister said that mining leases around Sariska and Ranthambore are posing a grave threat to the two tiger reserves.

“I have written thrice to the Rajasthan chief minister and he said they will soon review all mining leases around tiger reserves in the state,” he added.