From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: In the wake of a spurt in the killing of one-horned rhinoceros recent in the famed Kaziranga National Park and other places in the State, Assam government has transferred the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Park, Dibyadhar Gogoi bowing to mounting pressure to remove him from various quarters.
Gogoi has been transferred to Guwahati Wildlife Division. S K Sil Sharma has been appointed as the new DFO of Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gogoi was appointed the DFO of Kaziranga National Park (KNP) on May 7, 2008 and since them 70 precious one-horned rhinos have been poached in the national park exposing his utter failure to control the menace. As per figures available 16 rhinos were poached in the year 2008, 13 in 2009, nine in 2012, eight in 2011 and 26 in 2012. Eight rhinos have been killed in Kaziranga Park by poachers so far this year.
Kaziranga National Park boasts a treasure trove of over 2000 one-horned rhinoceros as per the last rhino census conducted in the Park last year.
Meanwhile, influential All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has launched a statewide agitation in protest against unabated poaching of rhinos in the State. The AASU have burnt effigies of State Environment and Forest Minister Rakibul Hussain all over the State for failing to protect the rhino, the pride of Assam.
The AASU had earlier demanded a CBI probe into the continuing poaching of one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga National Park and deployment of Army in the National Park to protect the rhino in danger.
Meanwhile, the State Forest department has asked Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to move the Union Home Ministry to expedite the process of allotment of AK-47 series of rifles to forest guards in Assam.
Nine rhinos have been killed by poachers in the State so far this year making mockery of government’s claim to have augmented protection measures. The alleged nexus of some insurgent elements with poachers would also be probed into.