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New Wildlife Regulations in Odisha

Bhanjanagar: In a significant move, Odisha has implemented stricter wildlife protection regulations, empowering forest officials to initiate case diaries for wildlife crime investigations. This development was highlighted during a recent training session focused on wildlife and forest laws, held at the Lal Singh Nursery in the North Ghumusar forest division of Ganjam district. The training aimed to equip forest personnel with the necessary knowledge to manage wildlife crime cases under the newly revised legal framework.

Ashok Pattnaik, an advocate at the Orissa High Court and a former honorary wildlife warden, led the training, detailing the updates to the wildlife regulations. The Central government revised the Wildlife Protection Act in 2022, and Odisha has now adopted these changes to the 1974 law, which took effect on April 30. The new regulations are considerably more stringent than their predecessors, allowing forest personnel to file case diaries in wildlife crime cases. Specific forms are now required for documenting inventories, filing complaints, and detailing crimes.

Under the updated guidelines, individuals found guilty of wildlife offenses within a tiger reserve could face fines ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, along with imprisonment for three to seven years. Conversely, wildlife crimes committed outside these reserves will incur penalties between Rs 25,000 and Rs 1 lakh. Pattnaik also pointed out that the recent national laws, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), enacted in 2023, will now govern forest-related offenses.

Rajendra Pradhan, a government advocate at the Bhanjanagar court, noted that many offenders previously took advantage of legal loopholes to evade justice. The new regulations aim to simplify the prosecution and conviction process, provided that forest personnel are well-versed in the law and apply its provisions correctly. The training camp was inaugurated by Divisional Forest Officer Himanshu Shekhar Mohanty, who served as the chief guest.

During the latter part of the session, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Rashmi Ranjan Sain offered comprehensive guidance on maintaining and writing case diaries. Other officials in attendance included ACF Bibek Das, advocate Dhurba Tripathy, Mujagada forest ranger Bimbadhar Sahu, and central forest division officer Prithviraj Pradhan. Foresters Anup Bisoi and Jeevan Tripathy also contributed to the program.