Assam Forest Department files FIR against Patanjali Food Park for their negligence in providing Safety to Wild Elephants

Ghoramari (Assam), Nov 25, 2016: An FIR was filed against the Patanjali Mega Herbal and Food Park in Sonitpur by the Assam Forest Department for their negligence in providing safety to wild elephants and digging pits for construction resulting in the death of an elephant.

The foundation stone of the food park was laid by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in the presence of yoga guru Ramdev, the founder of Patanjali, Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries Babul Supriyo and the state Industries Minister Chandramohan Patowary.

NewsGram brings to you latest new stories in India.

According to PTI reports, the Additional Conservator of Forest of the West Sonitpur Forest Division said that the FIR was lodged in the Salanibari police outpost which falls under Tezpur police station.

The allegations have been targeted at Uday Goswami, the parks builder and the coordinator of the Patanjali Park at Ghoramari Assam Industrial Development Corporation complex.

Ahmed said that there were over 14 open pits and a few were filled after Forest Minister Pramila Rani Brahma visited the site after the death of an adult female elephant.

Go to NewsGram and check out news related to political current issues

Goswami proposed the construction of a solar powered, low-voltage electric fence at the construction site. To this proposal, the Forest official said that the fence needed to be verified by specialists of the Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) before being established.

The Forest Minister asked Goswami to keep half of the 200-acre land void of construction to provide room for the movement of the elephants.

A calf was rescued on Wednesday. The calf ran out of an elephant herd and towards the construction site. It was followed by its mother and another male elephant calf which was afterwards rescued from the pit and sent to the wildlife rescue centre at Kaziranga.

Look for latest news from India in NewsGram.

A member of Aranya Surakha committee, Dilip Nath told PTI that the region was known to be an elephant prone zone where these large mammals often wander into from the nearby forest.

Apurba Bhattacharya, a state Congress spokesperson revealed that the area was used by the elephants for giving birth and that the previous Congress administration in the state did not allow the government land to be given to anyone.

-prepared by Shivam Thaker of NewsGram. Twitter: @Shivam_Thaker