The Allahabad High Court today sought an explanation from the principal secretaries of the forest and home departments on the delay in constitution of the Tiger Protection Force (TPF) in Uttar Pradesh.
The court's Lucknow bench also expressed serious concern over the construction of a broad-gauge railway line through the Dudhwa National Park.
A bench of justices Vikram Nath and D S Tripathi asked the petitioner to make the Railways an opposite party in the petition.
In a PIL filed by S K Mishra, on which the court gave its order, the petitioner alleged that in 2009, Rs 93 lakh was sanctioned, but till date the TPF had not been constituted.
It was said that 112 posts were sanctioned, but the appointment process was yet to start.
On the other hand, the director of the Dudhwa park told the bench that a suggestion was given to the Railways to construct the line outside the park or through the buffer area, but no heed was paid.
The director told the court that the broad-gauge line was constructed till Sitapur and soon, it would be started in the park.
It was said that due to the already existing metre-gauge railway line, two tigers, as many elephants and 38 deer were killed.
The court asked the petitioner to add the Railways as a party in the petition and fixed September 9 as the next date of hearing.
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