Members of the tiger task force, set up by the PM, are sharply critical of the manner in which a Bill meant to implement its key proposal, to set up a national tiger conservation authority to empower Project Tiger, has been put in deep freeze.

The Wildlife (Protection) Act Amendment Bill, 2005, was passed by the Cabinet on May 9, listed for introduction in Parliament on May 17 and then tagged “delayed.”

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi’s reason: it must wait until the Tribal Bill, which itself is under dispute and is being discussed by a House panel.

Despite several attempts, tiger task force chairperson Sunita Narain declined to comment.

“What do you say when a Bill, conceived to implement the recommendations of the tiger task force led by a top tribal rights activist (Narain), is scuttled by the tribal lobby to promote its own Bill?” said P K Sen, former director, Project Tiger.

“It’s surprising that the chief of the task force (Narain) was silent while the tribal lobby worked overtime to scuttle the Bill she herself prescribed,” said Valmik Thapar, Narain’s colleague in the task force.

This was echoed by H S Panwar, another member and former director, Project Tiger. “Delay in passing this Bill will do irreparable damage to conservation efforts.”

The tribal lobby’s main concern is two provisions in the Bill which they feel will come in the way of the tribal Bill’s mandate to give forest-dwelling tribals’ right to land: the proposed tiger authority’s control over tiger-bearing forests outside national parks and its power to ensure that such forests are not put to ecologically unsustainable uses.