The Tamil Nadu government has reconstituted the State Wildlife Board with 30 members drawn from elected representatives, conservation organisations, biological and wildlife experts, and government departments. The board, headed by the chief minister, is responsible for taking decisions related to implementing wildlife conservation projects across the state.
The reconstitution was notified through a government order issued by Kakarla Usha, secretary of the Forest and Environment Department. The order follows a change in the state government and establishes a new composition for the statutory advisory body dealing with wildlife-related decisions.
The chief minister will continue as chairperson of the State Wildlife Board, while the state forest minister will serve as vice-chairperson. The new members include Sudhakar, MLA from Katpadi; Karthikeyan, MLA from Madurai East; and Pallavi, MLA from Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar.
Representatives from three voluntary organisations working in wildlife conservation have also been appointed to the board. Their inclusion places conservation groups alongside elected representatives, technical experts and government officials in the body responsible for considering wildlife-related programmes.
The board will additionally include 10 biologists and other experts. Fourteen officials from different departments, including the forest department secretary, have also been appointed as members. The composition therefore combines administrative representation with specialist expertise and non-government participation.
The board is ordinarily formed with 35 members, including officials, public representatives, voluntary organisation administrators and experts. The government order reported in the notification names 30 members for the reconstituted board. The chief secretary of the state government will participate as a special invitee.
The State Wildlife Board provides the institutional forum through which decisions connected with wildlife projects in Tamil Nadu are considered. Its membership determines how elected representatives, conservation organisations, technical specialists and departments participate in that process. The new board will now function under the leadership of the chief minister and forest minister, with the government order setting out its reconstituted membership.
