The beautiful Great Indian Bustard is on the verge of extinct. The state bird of Rajasthan needed some extended care and the state government has thought right in this direction. Very soon, the state government will hold a committee dedicated to rise the conservation of Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan. With this, the government is also aiming to foster some growth in villages which come under Desert National Park. Gajendra Singh, the state forest minister has assured the news, in reply to the questions raised by Jaisalmer MLA Chottu Singh. He had talked about the issues faced by villagers dwelling near the areas of DNP.
Mr. Chhotu Singh mentioned it like, “There are farmers whose farms fall into the demarked DNP area and they are not allowed farming there. They are stopped in the name of strict rules framed for the conservation of GIB”.
In reply to this, Gajendra Singh complied to all the issues mentioned by him and highlighted the point that, to conserve the state bird, some rules must be enforced. He said, “The numbers are fast dwindling and there are only 100 GIBs. These are shy birds and move away from human settlements. Already we are facing problems as the birds in the park have chosen to move within Army’s firing ranges in Jaisalmer”.
Previous year, Rajasthan government decided to support the existence of Great Indian Bustard with a sum of Rs. 12 crore. Mr. Gajendra also admitted that, some share of that money should also be used for the progress of those villages which are situated around the periphery.
He finally came to conclusion that, a dedicated committee will be looking after the state bird conservation and many other related issues. He said it like, “Elected members including you (Chottu Singh) would be part of the committee. The committee will focus on ensuring both protection of the bird and development of the locals”.
