Times
of India: Nagpur: Thursday, 18 December 2014.
The wildlife
wing of the state forest department seems to be reluctant to share information
even under the RTI Act on the tiger that was allegedly shot dead amid political
pressure on August 19, 2014, in Dongarhaldi (Pombhurna) in Chandrapur district.
On October 13
& 14, RTI activist Avinash Prabhune, Nagpur, had filed two separate
applications seeking information regarding shooting of tiger, which was dubbed
man-eater by the officials, in Dongarhaldi in Chichpalli range of Forest
Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM). The area falls under forest
minister Sudhir Mungantiwar's constituency Ballarshah.
However, even
after two months there is no reply from the public information officer (PIO)
concerned. The applicant had sought know about documents seeking permission to
shoot tiger and it was not tranquillized first.
Prabhune also
wanted to know measures taken by the authorities before granting permission to
shoot the tiger and whether National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
protocol was followed before shooting it.
The
application also sought to know whether locations where tiger killed humans
were inside the forest area or outside. If humans were attacked in the forest
area then what action was taken against them for trespassing.
"Generally,
it is observed that there is no monitoring of tigers in areas outside national
parks and sanctuaries and hence it is free for all. Villagers venture deep into
the forests for poaching wild animals, extracting timber and forest produce and
are attacked by large carnivores. Providing compensation in such cases is a
loss to state exchequer as Rs 5 lakh to the next to kin of the victim is
paid," said Bandu Dhotre, honorary wildlife warden of Chandrapur.
TOI on
September 11, had highlighted reluctance of the department to share information
under RTI on tiger numbers in the state. "I don't have hope from the
appellate authority too as he hails from the same department and tends to be
lenient towards his subordinates. I have filed second appeal before state
information commissioner (SIC), Nagpur, for imposing punishment for not
providing information in stipulated 30 days," said Prabhune.
The RTI
activist on December 2 even called up the appellate authority and PIO with the
office of PCCF (wildlife). Both assured to give information within a week and
expressed regrets for the delay, but still information has not been supplied.
Prabhune is
in process of filing complaint with SIC under Section 18 of the RTI Act for
imposing penalty of Rs 250 per day for the delay by the PIO and also demanded
disciplinary action against officials who failed to discharge their duty under
RTI.
"Not
replying to RTI application is not the sole issue. Forest officials delaying it
without any fear of seniors is really surprising. Killing of tiger due to
failure of forest department is not an information to be hidden. This also
suggests total lack of transparency in the forest department," said
Prabhune.
Prabhune's is
not the only case. Another applicant Sachet Khandeswar said he too has been
denied information on rescued wild animals that were brought to Seminary Hills
for treatment during 2013-14.