Avni killing: Report delayed, will be submitted on Nov 30
MUMBAI: The report by the committee constituted to probe the killing of tigress T-1, also known as Avni, earlier this month, will now be submitted on November 30, an official who is a part of the committee told HT.
The report was expected to be filed with the state on Friday.
The official said the report for the entire operation that began in 2016 leading up to the incident on November 2, when T-1 was shot and killed by a hunter and forest staff in controversial circumstances, will now be submitted on November 30.
“While the interrogation with forest staff, villagers and researchers was completed on Friday, it will take time to collate information from experts and compile the detailed report,” a committee member said.
The committee constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which was investigating the incident of November 2, said only a draft report had been submitted so far.
“The final report is expected next week. The committee has time till November 26,” said Anup Kumar Nayak, additional director general, NTCA.
Meanwhile, the cubs of tigress T-1 ate another bait on Thursday, said forest officials who are trying to rescue them. Forest department said that tiger T-2, the father of the cubs, was also in the same region and was spotted by locals and forest officials.
“The cubs have eaten four baits so far with the latest one of a goat on Thursday. They are eating well and it seems they are comfortable with this zone, which will help us in rescuing them. Every operation is being done with the help of experts from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dehradun,” said AK Misra, principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife), state forest department. “The presence of T-2 increases the safey of the cubs.”
Sarita Subramaniam, the petitioner who had approached SC to stop T-1’s killing, doubted claims made by the department. “If the department claims that the cubs are eating well, they should release camera trap images. We do not know if some other animal or even T-2 is eating the baits. We are still not sure whether the earlier camera trap images were doctored by them or not,” she said. MUMBAI:IN a potential case of conflict of interest, the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) has awarded contracts worth ₹5 crore to an engineering firm largely owned by a senior professor at the institute.
The institute has launched an internal probe to determine if the contracts, which pertained to constructing industrial plants to convert farm waste into fuel for various companies, violated any of its rules and regulations.
In September, the institute removed Arvind Lali, the professor, from his position as the coordinator of department of biotechnology (DBT)-ICT centre for energy Bbiosciences (CEB), based on recommendations of a preliminary inquiry committee.
The professor, while acknowledging the contracts with Vidyan Bio-commerce Limited, the company of which he is the majority shareholder, defended his position. “I have done nothing wrong. The truth will come out once the inquiry committee completes its probe,” said Lali.
However, the material pro- curement committee of the institute, which is responsible for ratifying all purchases and contracts made by the institute, has recommended cancelling the ongoing orders placed to Lali’s firm and initiating disciplinary action against him for violating the rules of the institute.
“To avoid a conflict of interest, the committee recommends to take up a circular regarding the conflict of interest in line with the statute of the institute,” read the minutes of a committee meeting. The internal committee was constituted later this year, the professor said.
The stature of ITC prohibits teachers from engaging in “any trade, business, coaching classes, or any occupation” that is not part of their duties. The professor said that he had created the company in 2013 to provide engineering services for setting up the industrial plants, for which the technology was developed at CEB. “The other engineering firms were unable to construct plants according to our technology. There was a risk of technology getting leaked,” he said, adding that the institute was aware of the ownership of the firm.