The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea filed against the non-functioning of National Board for Wildlife constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and The National Board for Wildlife.
The bench of Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian was hearing a petition filed by Chandrabhal Singh, who submitted that the Board has not only failed in following the mandate for the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 but has also failed miserably in upholding the Directive Principle of State Policy and has violated fundamental right.
The petitioner reveals that the National Board of Wildlife has not even met once to conduct a meeting whereas the statutory period of once a year is prescribed by its parent legislation, the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 which provides guidance to the laws and policies relating to wildlife conservation including prevention of illegal trade.
In such circumstances, the policy-making powers have been taken over illegally by the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife, without any delegation as per the Section 5B (1) of the Wild Life Protection Act.
The petitioner submitted that due to such arbitrary processes, the highest statutory authority in the country for wildlife conservation has been reduced to a clearance granting body, and the entire National Board for Wildlife has been diluted and subverted.
The petition also highlights that there is a gaping lacuna in the conversation and preservation of wildlife and combating illegal trade of wildlife and poaching, among other concerns such as monitoring of the Protected Area Network, restriction of activities in protected areas, among others and therefore, there is an urgent need to filled this lacuna, in the interest of the environment and wildlife of the country.