Panaji, April 16 : Goa Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane on Saturday said that he does not require any advice from the environmentalists over wildlife-related issues. In a video message, he said he said he welcomed all criticism but he is not one who changes his decision. He said Goa is a small state and hence does not require a tiger reserve. ”Tiger reserves are something meant for bigger states,” he said. Rane had on Friday said that he was opposed to setting up a Tiger Reserve in the state. The state had attracted criticism from environmentalists and NGOs. The minister said he would be hiring retired forest officials for wildlife area management in the state. He also reiterated his statement that there was no proposal before the state government to declare any part of the state as tiger reserve. ”There is no proposal before the state government to declare any wildlife area as a tiger reserve. There is already a tiger corridor in the state,” he said. He said expertise from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, will be sought to prepare a roadmap for the management of wildlife sanctuaries. The minister lamented that wildlife sanctuaries, including Bondla zoo, were not properly maintained and were in not good condition. AKM GK
