Plea to form task force in Bhutan

TT, Alipurduar: Senior officials of the Bengal forest department on Friday said the government of Bhutan had been asked to form a task force to prevent smuggling of animal parts and animals across the border.

The officials, who attended a border district coordination meeting in Thimphu on October 24 and 25, said t the neighbouring country had also promised to look into some other issues also.

"At the meeting, we discussed the illegal trade of wildlife items and small animals through the India-Bhutan border. We have asked them to form a special task force to address the issue like we have formed in north Bengal. It will also help exchange information and curb such illegal activities," said Barun Roy, the divisional commissioner of Jalpaiguri.

A senior forest officer who was present at the meeting also mentioned the task force and said the animal parts like ivory, rhino horn and small animals like Gecko, birds, pangolin were smuggled through the border. They had also said eight Bhutan nationals had been arrested by the task force in Bengal in the past one year for wildlife crime.

"That is why, we feel, the Bhutan government should form a task force," said M.R. Baloch, the additional principal chief conservator of forests (north), said.