The Hindu : Wildlife Bill gets Parliament nod

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 20, 2002

National

National

Wildlife Bill gets Parliament nod

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI Dec. 19. Parliament today gave its nod for the Centre's proposal to make the penalties stiffer for poaching and other wildlife-related offences, with the Lok Sabha clearing the Bill to amend the Wildlife (Protection Act) in this regard. The Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill earlier this month. Under the new regime, hunting of wildlife and other such offences would attract a minimum penalty of three-year imprisonment, which is extendable up to seven years. Presently, the minimum punishment is imprisonment up to one year and extendable up to seven years.

Another major highlight of the new legislation is that it treats hardcore criminals, who had been convicted in the past for heinous wildlife crimes, on par with offenders under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and provides for forfeiture of their properties. In addition, it provides for the Wildlife Board, the highest-level agency for taking various decisions on wildlife protection and conservation, to be made a statutory body. At present, though headed by the Prime Minister himself, it is not a statutory body. The name of the Board is also to be changed as the National Board for Wildlife from the now Indian Board for Wildlife. As a corollary, the State-level Boards would also be renamed as the State Wildlife Boards and made as statutory bodies.

In another major change, it also envisages creation of two new categories of protected areas — conservation reserve including the land owned by the Central or State Governments and community reserve belonging to community or individuals.

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