The Crossbill News Desk
The Accountant General of Madhya Pradesh’s report has highlighted several issues in the management of Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park (KNP). Key concerns include a “lack of coordination” between central and state government departments and issues with expenditure, according to a report published in The Indian Express.
The audit, covering records from August 2019 to November 2023, was released on Monday (September 16) following an RTI query by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey. Senior KNP officials have clarified that the audit is still in progress and its findings are preliminary.
“These are not allegations, just questions that will be answered in the coming months. It is wrong to state that this is a final report. We will give all responses in the coming phases,” an official stated.
Earlier in July, the Madhya Pradesh forest department had refused to disclose information under the RTI Act regarding the management of cheetahs brought from Africa and their cubs born in India.
According to The Indian Express, the audit report pointed out that the cheetah reintroduction was not included in either the work plan or the management plan for KNP. It also noted a lack of documentation on the initiation and process of the cheetah reintroduction effort.
Furthermore, it raised questions about whether the cheetah reintroduction aligns with the initial plan to develop Kuno as an alternative habitat for Asiatic lions, as mandated by the Supreme Court on April 15, 2013.
The report stated: “It is evident from the statements of the Forest Division that there was a lack of coordination between the departments of the Government of India and the Government of Madhya Pradesh.”
It also highlighted that ground staff and the Forest Division were not involved in the site selection or cheetah reintroduction study, and this issue has been escalated to the government.
Financial concerns were also noted, including an “unjustified” expenditure exceeding Rs 90 lakh on labour costs. The Kuno Wildlife Division’s work plan called for providing employment and alternative income sources for local residents. However, from September 2022 to June 2023, over INR 9,110,568 was spent on brushwood removal and trench deepening using JCB machines instead of employing local labourers, contrary to the guidelines, the newspaper reported.
The audit state that this practice led to job losses for local residents and increased costs. The Forest Department attributed this to a shortage of available labour and stated that payments were made according to manual labour rates.
Additionally, the audit found issues with the construction of a 5.9-km wall, noting a shortage of 67 bags of cement, leading to substandard construction. There was also an excess payment of Rs 4.14 lakh and failure to deduct royalties for materials such as sand, gravel, stone, and boulders, indicating potential revenue losses. The Forest Division attributed these discrepancies in cement usage and payments were due to “technical reasons” and promised corrective actions for future projects.
The audit report revealed that expenditure on Project Cheetah from 2021-22 to 2023-24 (up to January 2024) totaled Rs 44.14 crore, which did not align with the approved management plan.
A pre-approved plan had designated Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary as a secondary habitat for Asiatic lions, alongside Gir Forest in Gujarat. However, as of November 2023, no efforts had been made to reintroduce Asiatic lions.
The report also noted the transfer of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prakash Kumar shortly after he completed training in Namibia. The report criticized the transfer, stating that the “benefits of this training could not be utilised in the cheetah reintroduction, and the training proved ineffective”.
The audit, covering records from August 2019 to November 2023, was released on Monday (September 16) following an RTI query by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey. Senior KNP officials have clarified that the audit is still in progress and its findings are preliminary.
“These are not allegations, just questions that will be answered in the coming months. It is wrong to state that this is a final report. We will give all responses in the coming phases,” an official stated.
Earlier in July, the Madhya Pradesh forest department had refused to disclose information under the RTI Act regarding the management of cheetahs brought from Africa and their cubs born in India.
According to The Indian Express, the audit report pointed out that the cheetah reintroduction was not included in either the work plan or the management plan for KNP. It also noted a lack of documentation on the initiation and process of the cheetah reintroduction effort.
Furthermore, it raised questions about whether the cheetah reintroduction aligns with the initial plan to develop Kuno as an alternative habitat for Asiatic lions, as mandated by the Supreme Court on April 15, 2013.
The report stated: “It is evident from the statements of the Forest Division that there was a lack of coordination between the departments of the Government of India and the Government of Madhya Pradesh.”
It also highlighted that ground staff and the Forest Division were not involved in the site selection or cheetah reintroduction study, and this issue has been escalated to the government.
Financial concerns were also noted, including an “unjustified” expenditure exceeding Rs 90 lakh on labour costs. The Kuno Wildlife Division’s work plan called for providing employment and alternative income sources for local residents. However, from September 2022 to June 2023, over INR 9,110,568 was spent on brushwood removal and trench deepening using JCB machines instead of employing local labourers, contrary to the guidelines, the newspaper reported.
The audit state that this practice led to job losses for local residents and increased costs. The Forest Department attributed this to a shortage of available labour and stated that payments were made according to manual labour rates.
Additionally, the audit found issues with the construction of a 5.9-km wall, noting a shortage of 67 bags of cement, leading to substandard construction. There was also an excess payment of Rs 4.14 lakh and failure to deduct royalties for materials such as sand, gravel, stone, and boulders, indicating potential revenue losses. The Forest Division attributed these discrepancies in cement usage and payments were due to “technical reasons” and promised corrective actions for future projects.
The audit report revealed that expenditure on Project Cheetah from 2021-22 to 2023-24 (up to January 2024) totaled Rs 44.14 crore, which did not align with the approved management plan.
A pre-approved plan had designated Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary as a secondary habitat for Asiatic lions, alongside Gir Forest in Gujarat. However, as of November 2023, no efforts had been made to reintroduce Asiatic lions.
The report also noted the transfer of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prakash Kumar shortly after he completed training in Namibia. The report criticized the transfer, stating that the “benefits of this training could not be utilised in the cheetah reintroduction, and the training proved ineffective”.
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