CAG finds faults with Assam govt in running Kaziranga Park

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has detected a number of lapses and anomalies by the Assam government in maintenance of the Kaziranga National Park and dealing with the poaching of rhinos there.

Its report 'Performance Audit of Kaziranga National Park - Issues and Challenges', which was tabled in the Assembly today, said sudden increase of poaching of rhinos has attracted attention of the public, wildlife lovers, government and NGOs working on the field.

Besides, death of animals due to floods and disturbances from human encroachment in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) have been a matter of concern, leading to taking up of this performance audit by the CAG.

"To review the management plan despite the need for deviations from the core objectives in view of poaching pressure rendered it partially redundant resulting in a disconnect with the Annual Plan of Operations (APOs), which should otherwise flow from the management plan," the report said.

The CAG said against the financial outlay of Rs 93.76 crore propose in the original APOs for 2010-11 to 2012-13, the KNP authorities got only Rs 17.37 crore, which was about 19 per cent of the funds demanded.

"The funds allocated by the state government towards wildlife sector and KNP vis-a-vis total plan outlay of the state ranged between 0.03-0.07 per cent and 0.005-0.02 per cent respectively during the years 2008-09 to 2012-13," it said.

On manpower, the report said out of the 100 freshly recruited forest guards and Foresters-I in KNP, 73 were withdrawn within one year, resulting in deployment of aged staff on frontline duties.
"Reasons for transferring the fresh recruits out of KNP despite increase in poaching cases/arrests of poachers were not on record," it said.

The report further said none of the wildlife guards of KNP were imparted any training from 2008-09 to 2012-13 and they do not have firing practices as the fresher training module contains only theoretical training on arms and ammunition.
"Though 83 personnel had laid down their lives while on duty, family members could only get casual jobs instead of compassionate appointment, besides there is no adequate insurance on the life of the frontline staff," it said.
"The additional allowances paid to the frontline staff are not commensurate with the arduous nature of duties.
"There is neither sufficient number of anti-poaching camps nor a foolproof periphery protection plan, which resulted in increased poaching instances mainly near Park boundary," the report said.

"Out of six additional areas preliminarily notified in 1984-85, the KNP authorities are yet to take over three additional areas though records available show these areas had already been handed over to them by the civil administration in 2005," the CAG said.

Besides, survey conducted by Circle Officer in 2009 revealed substantial area of government land was under illegal encroachment, it said.

The report said 33 eco-development committees had been formed in 2002, but not a single has started functioning even after 12 years.

According to CAG, on the basis of the finding of the report, various recommendations were made under six heads - planning and financial, human resource management, anti-poaching action plan, habitat management, management of additional areas and eco-development activities and biotic pressure.

"They (Forest Department) have accepted all the recommendations suggested through this report and informed that the department was working on these suggestions for better conservation and preservation of the endangered animals, specially the one-horned Indian rhinoceros," it added.