NEW DELHI: The Madhya Pradesh government and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) overseeing the Tiger Project in the country have locked horns over the issue of proposed translocation of endangered 'Gaurs', popularly known as Bisons from one park to another in the state.

The Rs1.25cr plan envisages shifting of twenty gaurs including six males with the help of an African firm from Kanha in Mandla district to Bandhavgarh park in Umaria district by March next year.

As per plan, the species would be captured and shifted via road to the nearby Bandhavgarh park, where the officials claimed the animal no longer exists and there was a need to boost the population.

However, the NTCA has refused to buy the theory insisting that the animals were being sighted around Bandhavgarh sanctuaries and it was the only matter of taking efforts to revive the population in the park spread over 505sqkm area.

To justify the claim, the NTCA has referred to its survey done two years for tiger census which reported the bison occupancy in Bandhavgarh park which is the habitat of Royal Bengal tigers besides other wildlife.

"The species (bison) are being spotted near Bandhavgarh tiger reserve in the state and hence there is no need for them to be disturbed and translocated from one park to another. Instead the government should assure revival of corridors between the two sanctuaries," NTCA member secretary Rajesh Gopal said.

He said, "What is the wisdom behind the project? Instead the state government give priority to revival of the existing corridors connecting the two sanctuaries for free movement of animal."

Gopal minced no words as he said, "Despite repeated requests, they are yet to set up steering committee to ensure improved buffer areas and wildlife management in the region."

Why the State government wants to translocate such a bulky animal and that too by investing huge sum of money is very surprising, he said. However, HS Pabla, MP Chief Wildlife Warden insisted that there were no bison in the area.

"The translocation would help boost the population in the reserve spread over 505sqkm in Vindhyas in the state and so as to spread the animal in a larger landscape," Pabla said.

Now the ball is in the court of environment ministry which, in a recent meeting asked the state government to re-examine status of bison in the park as claimed by Gopal.

"In view of objection from the NTCA, we have asked the state government to study whether bison exist or not in the area around Bandhavgarh park," a senior officer in environment ministry said.

However, for the time being the proposal which was planned to be executed November this year stuck in between. The Madhya Pradesh had ambitious plans to execute the translocation by March next year.

Bison is protected by Schedule - I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972) and is included in the Appendix I of the Conservation on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

According to the 1997 action plan of the International Union for Conservation of Nature for Asian Wild Cattle and Buffaloes, the estimated population of gaurs in India is between 5,000 and 10,000.