Uttarakhand government announces plans to upgrade Corbett Tiger park

Uttarakhand government will give a compensation of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of forest department employees who died while on duty, an official release said.

This was announced by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna while presiding over a meeting of the Tiger Conservation Foundation for the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) here yesterday, it said.

Bahuguna also expressed an agreement with a proposal for granting financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh to people injured in animal attacks in the CTR area, the release said.

The CM asked forest department officials to prepare a proposal for conducting an animal safari at the park and creating a separate cadre of 'Mahavats' and people associated with elephant management, it said, adding that Bahuguna also instructed officials to install CCTV cameras at each entrances of the Park.

The CM also gave his agreement in principle for setting up a state wildlife forensic lab and a wild life crime control bureau to encourage research on wildlife.