AGARTALA, August 22 (TIWN): Forest Minister Naresh Jamatia today visited Tuisingram under Promodenagar Assembly constituency under Teliamura forest division, where an elephant was found dead with tusks removed last Saturday. The minister interacted with the local residents and urged for cooperation to stop similar incidents in the future.

“Poaching wouldn’t be tolerated under any circumstances”, he said. The minister’s visit came in the midst of anger among the local residents after two elephants were found killed and tusks removed in a short succession of three months. Two deers were found to have been killed in the vicinity as well.

Forest minister Jamatia today said that the state government would be soon forming joint committees of elected public representatives and forest officials to pitch in ideas for conserving elephants in the state. He added that the government is laying utmost stress on conserving other wildlife species including deer. He urged the local residents for extending cooperation to forest officials in protecting endangered wildlife species.

The state government, in a recent cabinet meeting, decided to scrap the three year old proposed project for setting up an elephant conservation reserve. Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha said shortly after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday that local self-government bodies, forest department functionaries and local residents would be consulted through a joint committee to decide on the next course of action to this end.

Speaking on a similar strategy, forest minister Jamatia today said that proposals would be invited from these committees.  Wildlife conservation in the forestlands have become critical with expansion of tribal habitations in forest lands these days. According to forest department estimates, the state has currently got 25 elephants in two groups, moving around in Atharamura range and Gandhari.