Chhattisgarh: Congress claims tiger poaching, wildlife smuggling up in Bastar; govt rejects charge

Raipur, Jul 15 (PTI) The opposition Congress on Wednesday alleged in the Chhattisgarh legislative assembly that wildlife smugglers have become active in the Bastar region after it was declared free of Left-Wing Extremism, prompting the government to reject the charge. However, the state government said five cases of tiger poaching or trafficking had been reported in the state since 2024, resulting in the seizure of six tiger skins and the arrest of 41 accused. Raising the issue through a calling attention motion, Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant and Congress MLAs Sheshraj Harbansh and Vikram Mandavi expressed concern over alleged tiger poaching in the Indravati Tiger Reserve in Bijapur district. They claimed that three tigers were poached around five months ago and two more recently, with a joint team of the police and forest department arresting five persons and seizing two tiger skins in the latest operation. The Congress legislators also claimed that those arrested included personnel associated with the Maharashtra police who were posted near the Chhattisgarh border. According to the Opposition, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) had advised the state forest headquarters in May to intensify patrolling and surveillance in areas where tiger and leopard movement are reported. Despite these warnings, the department failed to act effectively, they alleged, adding that crores of rupees are spent annually on tiger conservation, but poaching and smuggling of tiger skins and body parts continued, leading to public anger against the government. Chhattisgarh, particularly the Bastar region, which had grappled with Left-Wing Extremism for over four decades, was declared free of armed Maoists on March 31, coinciding with the Centre’s deadline to eliminate the menace from the country. In his reply, Forest and Climate Change Minister Kedar Kashyap rejected the allegation that wildlife smugglers became active after the end of “red terror” in Bastar. He also denied the claim that three tigers were poached in the Indravati Tiger Reserve five months ago. Kashyap informed the House that a wildlife offence was registered in Dantewada forest division on March 17 this year, following the seizure of one tiger skin. Based on the statement given by the accused, the tiger was suspected to have been poached inside the Indravati Tiger Reserve. Fourteen accused have been arrested in the case, which is pending before a court, he said. According to the minister, under a joint anti-poaching operation on June 29, two persons were intercepted on the Bande-Pakhanjur road in Kanker district while they were allegedly transporting two tiger skins from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra to Chhattisgarh. The team seized the tiger skins, 13 whiskers and a motorcycle from the accused, identified as Gadchiroli residents Biyeshwar Gedam and Baburao Madavi, he said. During interrogation, the accused disclosed that Gedam was a constable with the “intelligence cell of the Maharashtra police’s Special Branch in Gadchiroli, while Madavi was a police informer”, the minister said. Following the arrests, the Maharashtra police have suspended Gedam and disengaged Madavi, he added. Kashyap said sustained searches along the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border later led to the recovery of a third tiger skin concealed near the Indravati river and the seizure of snares, knives, 12 claws and four canine teeth from suspects’ houses in Netiwada village. Samples have been sent to the Wildlife Institute of India for DNA analysis to determine the genetic and geographical origin of the seized wildlife remains, he said. The minister said seven more accused were arrested on July 6, taking the total number of arrests in the case further, while three forest personnel were suspended for alleged negligence. He acknowledged that the WCCB had issued a general advisory to forest departments, police and security agencies in May to remain vigilant in sensitive wildlife areas, but denied that it had specifically warned about tiger poaching or trafficking in the Indravati Tiger Reserve. Rejecting the Congress’ allegation that seven to eight tigers had been poached during the tenure of the incumbent government, Kashyap said five cases of tiger poaching or trafficking had been detected since 2024, resulting in the seizure of six tiger skins and the arrest of 41 accused. He said anti-snare operations were being carried out in forests and the government was taking strict action against offenders as well as negligent officials. Responding to a supplementary question by Congress MLA Vikram Mandavi, the minister said five tigers had been officially confirmed in the Indravati Tiger Reserve as per the 2022 assessment. He added that although six tiger skins had been recovered in different cases, it was yet to be scientifically established that all of them belonged to tigers from the Indravati Tiger Reserve. The annual budget of the reserve is around Rs 10 crore, he said. PTI TKP NR