Chennai, February 17: The government will bring in comprehensive amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 in the coming Parliament session to make punishment far more strict, Union Forests and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said today.
“We will give punishment under the Wildlife Protection Act of vastly enhanced nature. I believe the man who violates foreign exchange laws and man who violates wildlife protection laws should be treated on par with each other,” he told reporters here. The amendments would also enable scientists to work in forest areas, he said.
There was a proposal to have India’s second lion sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and talks are being held with the Gujarat government for sending some lions to Madhya Pradesh which would swap tigers in their state, he said.
“…if an epidemic comes, we will lose the lions so we have to have another location for the lions.
–Agencies