In an unprecedented move to strengthen security for the tiger and other endangered wildlife species in reserves across the country, the Government is set to grant additional powers to the Army in all states to crack down on the poaching and animal-trafficking industry.

The Army and the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) are currently drawing up a detailed schedule of the deployment and duty plan, that will include a Sanctuary Task Force comprised of trained ex-Army jawans.

Sources told The Sunday Express that Army formation commanders based in areas with endangered wildlife or animal reserves will be nominated and given executive powers on par with those of state Chief Wildlife Wardens. Their brief: counter all illegal activity including poaching, hunting, animal trafficking and destruction of the environment.

Protection of tiger reserves, worst-affected by the dwindling tiger crisis—as first reported by The Sunday Express—including Sariska and Ranthambore will, in the event, get priority, followed progressively by reserves in the East and South.

This significant move comes following Army chief Gen J J Singh’s assurance to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a meeing of the National Wildlife Board earlier this week that the Army had the “interest and ability” to do the job.

Significantly, one Brigadier-rank officer will also be nominated by the Army in consultation with the MoEF, for representation on all state Wildlife Boards. The Army’s Quarter Master General (QMG) branch plans to complete this list of nominations and send it to the MoEF by next week.

The designated officers at the formation level and those nominated on Wildlife Boards will also be administered by laws applicable to their civilian counterparts at the same level, the

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