Our Correspondent
Two union ministers of BJP government at centre have locked horn over killing of over 200 Neel Gaye, the blue bulls in Bihar. The killing of Neel Gaye has angered Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi who accused Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar of encouraging animal killing.
Maneka Gandhi, who is also a known animal rights activist, said that she could not understand the environment ministry’s “lust for killing animals”.
“Environment ministry is writing to every state, asking which animal should be killed and that they will give permission for it,” she said.
Prakash Javadekar however clarified that permission of culling of wild animals has been given on request of state government to protect crops. He said, it is a scientific management of animal population and the permissions for killing animals designated as vermin were restricted to particular areas and for time period.
Mr. Javadekar said, it is being done as per existing law and is not a central government programme.
Ms. Maneka claimed the Centre has allowed killing of ‘‘neel gaye’ in Bihar, elephants in West Bengal, monkeys in Himachal Pradesh, peacocks in Goa and wild boars in Chandrapur even when the wildlife departments of states are saying they do not wish to kill animals.
On the ‘neel gaye’ killing in Bihar, she said it has happened when neither the village head nor the farmers have called for their killing.
In a statement, Inspector General of Wildlife in Environment Ministry, Dr. S. K Khanduri also said, there are many complaints from MPs, people’s representatives, state governments and farmers about their crops getting heavily damaged in certain parts of the country.
He said, as per the provision of law, if there are complaints about the wildlife conflict, then Ministry examines the proposal of states and allows scientific management in a specific area for a limited time.
WHAT’S THE MATTER
The Bihar government had approached the Centre seeking permission to kill the blue bulls after they destroyed acres of standing crops of in the state.
The Nitish government had hired professional shooters to kill the animals after getting a go ahead from the Centre.