Guwahati, Oct 2: As many as 500 poachers and woodcutter surrendered their arms at Chirang in Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) on Saturday.
Responding to the call of the BTR administration’s forest department, more than five hundred poachers surrendered in the BTR area, avoiding violence such as deforestation and killing of wild animals.
“Today, the surrender of this large number of poachers, who are directly involved in deforestation and killing of wild animals, is considered as a positive step in the protection of forests in the BTR region,” said Ranjit Basumstari, executive member, the forest department of BTR.
Basumtari said that a campaign would be launched to clear the protected forests in a very short period of time but before that all the people occupying the forests would be relocated.
He said they have submitted 254 hand-made guns, explosives, 12 pieces of wood, 70 pieces of wood, and ammunition.
“We have decided to provide Rs 50,000 to each poacher and skill development training would be provided to the woodcutter. We have appealed to the poachers and the woodcutter to surrender and responding to our call they have laid down their arms. It is a historic day for us in the whole BTR,” said Basumtari.
The surrender was done in presence of Ranjit Basumtari, Executive Member, Forest Department, Gautam Das, Executive Member, Social Welfare Department, Dhananjay Basumtari, Executive Member, Handicrafts and Textiles Department, MLA Jayant Basumtari, Special Superintendent of Police among others.
Recently, on the occasion of World Rhino Day, as many as 57 poachers surrendered their arms and wildlife parts near the Raimona National Park in Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
Pramod Boro, a chief executive member of the Bodoland Territorial Council that administers the four districts in the region, also gave financial aid to the poachers who decided to give up poaching and take up alternate vocations.
