ZEE NEWS, 20th August, 2009

New Delhi: Madhya Pradesh has expressed reservation over signing of a tripartite pact with the centre for tiger conservation despite the state facing flak for several deaths of the big cats in its Panna and Kanha reserves.

The state officials are particularly worried over a clause in the pact that make directors of tiger reserves accountable for any lapses in the park.

"When already a bilateral agreement with the Centre and the State exists why to drag the director in the matter regarding tiger conservation. The funds are being doled out to the states and not to the director.

"And what if the director is shifted in between his term period," Prashant Mehta, Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) of Madhya Pradesh, asked Union Minister Jairarm Ramesh at a national conference on forests ministers here.

The issue came up during the deliberation when Ramesh called upon states to expedite signing of tripartite agreement which aims to make the stakeholders including director of the reserve responsible for protection of the big cat.

The agreement is a move to boost tiger conservation as it make three parties -- Environment Ministry on behalf of the Centre, state government and the tiger reserve -- accountable for their actions in protection of the big cats which are on the verge of extinction due to various reasons.

Refusing to buy the theory of the state government, Ramesh asked the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) member secretary Rajesh Gopal to hold a meeting with the state officials to encourage them to sign the pact.

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