Assam: Principal Conservator of Forests Sandeep Kumar replaces MK Yadav as Chief Wildlife Warden ahead of President Murmu's visit

In a big development ahead of President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to the state of Assam for the Gaj Utsav, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Assam, Sandeep Kumar has been appointed as the New Chief Wildlife Warden on April 1.

Sandeep Kumar replaces Chief Wildlife Warden MK Yadava and takes on the charges with immediate effect.

A notice stating the new appointment has been released stating, “In the interest of public service, Sri Sandeep Kumar, IFS (RR: 1989), Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife and Bio-diversity) cum Project Director, Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation Society, shall henceforth hold the charge of Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) with immediate effect, until further orders”.

The order further stated, “Sri Mahendra Kumar Yadava, IFS (RR:1989), Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of Forest Force, Assam, holding the additional charge of Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) shall hand over the charge to Sri Sandeep Kumar, IFS, immediately. Further Sri Sandeep Kumar, IFS, will continue to hold the charge of Project Director, Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation Society”.

It is important to note, ahead of President Murmu’s visit to the state, her predecessor Ram Nath Kovind’s visit to Kaziranga National Park, had stirred quite a controversy.

The former President visited the KNP on February 26 and 27 last year and the two-day visit cost the park authorities a whopping Rs 1.64 crore, as per reliable sources. What’s more ironical is that part of the money used for Kovind’s visit came from the corpus fund of the Tiger Foundation, and the rest from a general wildlife fund.

This shocking details of former president Ram Nath Kovind’s two-day visit to the national park’s expenditure and its subsequent cost covered using the government’s funds has flared a controversy.

The details of the visit was revealed by Kaziranga field director’s office in response to a query filed under the RTI Act by activist Rohit Choudhury. Of the Rs 1.6 crore spent on Kovind’s visit, Rs 1.12 crore (68 per cent) came from Kaziranga Tiger Conservation Foundation’s (KTCF) corpus fund. This allegedly misappropriated fund was used for a variety of things such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner, renting a tent, buying an air purifier, renovation of the convention center, interior items, and furniture repair.

Also read : How Rs 1.12 crore meant for tiger conservation in Kaziranga was spent on former president Kovind’s visit