Guwahati: The Assam government has reconstituted the State Board for Wildlife with immediate effect under Section 6 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended from time to time.
According to a notification issued by the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will serve as the Chairperson of the board, while Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah will be the Vice-Chairperson.
The board includes three members of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Rishiraj Hazarika, MLA, Ranganadi; Victor Kumar Das, MLA, Goreswar; and Milon Das, MLA, Hailakandi.
Representatives of three NGOs, Aaranyak, Guwahati; WWF-India, New Delhi; and Wildlife Trust of India, New Delhi, have also been included as members.
The notification lists 10 eminent conservationists, ecologists and environmentalists as members. They are Padma Hazarika, MLA; Tuliram Ronghang, CEM, Karbi Anglong; Debolal Gorlosa, CEM, DHAC; James Basumatary, EM, Forest, BTC; Parimal C. Bhattacharjee, retired Professor of Gauhati University; Parthankar Choudhury, Professor, Assam University, Silchar; A.U. Choudhury, IAS (Retd.), the Rhino Foundation for Nature in NE India; Kaushik Barua of Assam Elephant Foundation, Guwahati; Soumyadeep Datta, Director, Nature’s Beckon; and Purnima Devi Barman, eminent conservationist.
The board will also include the Senior Most Secretary to the Assam government in the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Head of Forest Force, Assam, and the Senior Most Secretary to the Assam government in the WPT & BC Department.
The Managing Director of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation will also serve as a member.
Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta will represent the State Police Department, while a representative of the Armed Forces will also be included as a member.