Sikkim forest department holds inaugural board meet for wildlife clearances
Sikkim's Forest Department convened its first Standing Committee session to review wildlife clearance proposals. The focus was on enhancing compliance with existing wildlife protection laws.
- Dec 08, 2024,
- Updated Dec 08, 2024, 8:36 AM IST
The Sikkim Forest Department held the inaugural meeting of the Standing Committee of the State Board for Wildlife on December 7 at Tragopan Hall, Forest Secretariat, Deorali. The committee deliberated on 16 proposals for wildlife clearances within wildlife sanctuaries.
The session was chaired by Minister for Forest & Environment Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, with key attendees including Dr Pradeep Kumar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF)-cum-Secretary, senior forest officials, and representatives from agencies like the 17th Mountain Division (Army), GREF/BRO, SSB and Sikkim Power Department.
The meeting deliberated on 16 proposals for wildlife clearances within Wildlife Sanctuaries, ensuring strict adherence to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023.
Dr. Pradeep Kumar stressed the importance of following established guidelines and addressed issues requiring attention from the concerned user agencies.
Minister Lepcha highlighted challenges in processing proposals and called for better coordination between user agencies and Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs). He urged stakeholders to ensure compliance with the Act and submit proposals as per prescribed rules to streamline approvals.