Shillong, Mar 12: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has assured protection of wildlife in the state.
“It is one of the qualities of our state and we would like to preserve and protect it,†Sangma told reporters at the sidelines of a cabinet meeting held here on Monday.
He was reacting to a query with regards to the letter written by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi asking the Meghalaya government to take steps to end poaching of wild animals and birds in the state that has pushed the highly-endangered ape species – the Western Hoolock Gibbon – to the brink of extinction.
Though he is yet to go through the letter, Conrad however admitted that it is definitely a matter of concern for the state government.
“We are concerned and once things start moving, I will be sitting with the respective departments and figure out how to move forward in that line,†Conrad said.
The Union Minister has also charged the forest department officials as “high inactive†and are allegedly involved in felling of trees as many of them are not either in the forests or in the villages but in the state capital.
