Hit by paucity of funds in the conservation of wildlife and management of wild habitats, the Environment Ministry has made a strong case for a four-time increase in Central outlay for the next Plan period.
In its correspondence and recent meetings with the Planning Commission on the 12th Plan, the ministry has sought around Rs 3,600 crore in the Plan period — up from a relatively measly Rs 900 crore — for Project Elephant and Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats (IDWH), the two of the three Central schemes.