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Orissa politicians unrepentant about partying in wildlife sanctuary

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

Environmentalists and wildlife lovers are up in arms against Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, his ministerial colleagues and other legislators for feasting in the Chandika wildlife sanctuary, about 25km from Bhubaneswar, on Wednesday in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act.

Typically, however, no legislator had raised the issue in the state assembly on Thursday (till the lunch break).

Noted environmentalist Banka Behary Das, president of the Orissa Krushak Mahasangh and leader of the famous Chilka Bachao Andolan in the 1990s, said Patnaik had violated the WPA. "Patnaik should have known that entry into the sanctuary other than for watching wildlife is prohibited," he said. "Anybody, chief minister or common man, can be granted permission for watching wildlife, not to arrange a feast in the sanctuary."

"If the protector of the law violates it, it's a great shame," Das told rediff.com

The secretary of the Wildlife Society of Orissa, Biswajeet Mohanty, also expressed shock at the gross violation of the WPA by Patnaik, his ministers and legislators of various political parties.

The Chandika sanctuary has more than 70 elephants, deer, leopards, monkeys, birds and other animals. "By arranging a feast inside the sanctuary, laws were ignored," Das said.

But no one had raised the issue in the assembly on Thursday till the lunch break. "We expected the opposition to object to the violation of the WPA, but no such thing happened," said Sambit Mohapatra, a wildlife lover in Bhubaneswar.

Another wildlife lover, Saroj Mohanty, said that since politicians of all parties were involved in violating the WPA, they must have decided not to make an issue of it.

According to sources, the Congress politician who hosted the feast had not sought permission from the authorities. "If reports are to believed, even Orissa's chief wildlife conservator, S K Patnaik, expressed helplessness because the lawmakers themselves were attending the feast," sources told rediff.com

EARLIER REPORT:
Orissa CM feasts while nations pays tribute to Kargil martyrs

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