Worried Indian PM to raise tiger death issue with states

New Delhi, Mar 20 (PTI) With rising tiger deaths in
India becoming a "great cause of worry" for the government,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has decided to personally take
up the matter with the states, Environment Minister Jairam
Ramesh said Saturday.
The prime minister expressed his concern regarding
tiger deaths in the reserves during the meeting of National
Board for Wildlife held on Thursday, Ramesh told reporters
in the national capital.
Pointing to 60 tiger deaths last year, the minister
said "a conspiracy" has been hatched by mining and estate
mafia with the support of some politicians.
"The prime minister has agreed to lend weight of his
office for monitoring state governments. He will also take up
the matter with the chief ministers of various states,
particularly Uttarakhand government about unnatural tiger
deaths in Corbett National Park," he said.
"It is a great cause of worry that 60 tigers died last
year against the average mortality of 30 reported in the past.
These are not accidents.
"It is a conspiracy hatched by mining and estate mafia
supported by politicians who will be benefited by eliminating
tigers. They want the land for mining and construction
purpose," Ramesh said when asked about the reasons for the
tiger deaths.
As per recent official estimates, there are about
1,400 big cats across the 37 tiger reserves in the country, a
sharp decline from 10,000 reported a decade ago.
According to Ramesh, at least 18 tiger reserves are in
a precarious situation with tiger populations nearing
extinction. The government has initiated a process of moving
out local communities from tiger reserves by providing
financial package of Rs 10 lakh to each family. PTI AJ
KAB