Chennai: A few days ago, the rank and file of the state forest department were in a for surprise shock when they came to know that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswamy is all set to chair the fifth wildlife board management meeting at the state secretariat on Tuesday.
Usually, the state wildlife board meetings are conducted at Panagal building, state forest headquarters in Chennai, and is chaired by the forest minister who is vice chairman of the board. Though the chief minister is the chairperson, it is a rare case to see the top brass attending the event, wildlife sources said. The meeting, which lasted for less than an hour, saw issues related to projects and environmental clearances for these, leaving very little time for wildlife and conservation.
It may be noted that the State Board for Wildlife is to assist government in the selection and management of protected areas and formulation of policies for protection and conservation of wildlife, but the information department for the crucial meeting unusually chaired by the Chief Minister issued no press release or detailed statement.
Forest minister Dindigul C Srinivasan, chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and Ulundurpet MLA Kumaraguru also attended the meeting. Interestingly, DGP T K Rajendran was also invited for the meeting along with officials from fisheries, tribal welfare and horticulture.
