Project Cheetah audit: Lack of coordination between Centre, state, 'unjustified' expenses

Highlights:

• A recent audit by the Accountant General of Madhya Pradesh has flagged significant concerns regarding the management and execution of Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park (KNP).
• The audit, conducted from August 2019 to November 2023, highlighted issues related to coordination between central and state government departments, expenditure discrepancies, and lack of proper planning in the cheetah reintroduction process.
• The findings were made public in response to an RTI query by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey.

Key Issues Highlighted in the Audit

Lack of Coordination Between Government Bodies:

• The audit revealed a lack of coordination between the Government of India and the Government of Madhya Pradesh, particularly in the implementation of Project Cheetah.
• It noted that ground staff and the Forest Division were not involved in the site selection or study for cheetah reintroduction, leading to gaps in communication and execution.

Absence of Cheetah Reintroduction in Management Plans:

• The audit flagged that Kuno National Park's management plan did not include any provisions for the reintroduction of cheetahs.
• Originally, the park was earmarked as an alternative habitat for Asiatic lions, as per a Supreme Court directive from April 2013.
• The audit raised concerns over the deviation from this plan and the absence of specific documents detailing the beginning of the cheetah reintroduction project.

Unjustified Expenditure and Loss of Employment:

• The audit identified an "unjustified" expenditure of ₹90 lakh on labour costs. The audit revealed that machinery such as JCB machines was used for tasks like brushwood removal and trench deepening, which were supposed to be done manually, resulting in a loss of employment for local residents.
• The Forest Department defended the decision, citing the non-availability of labour, but the audit noted that manual labour rates were still used for payments.

Irregularities in Construction Projects:

• The audit also flagged discrepancies in the construction of a 5.9-km wall. The usage of 67 fewer bags of cement than required led to substandard construction, and an excess payment of ₹4.14 lakh was made.
• Additionally, there was no deduction of royalty for materials such as sand, gravel, and stone, indicating potential revenue loss.

Financial Mismanagement in Project Cheetah:

• The audit revealed that ₹44.14 crore was spent on Project Cheetah from 2021-22 to 2023-24 (up to January 2024), but this expenditure was not in line with the approved management plan.
• The original plan for Kuno was to develop it as the second habitat for Asiatic lions, but no efforts to reintroduce lions had been made as of November 2023.

Training Ineffectiveness:

• The report also criticized the transfer of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prakash Kumar after he had received specialized training from Namibia for cheetah management. His transfer, the report noted, meant that the training proved ineffective as the park could not benefit from his expertise.

Response from KNP Officials:

• Officials at Kuno National Park have clarified that the audit is still ongoing and that the concerns raised are preliminary. They stated that responses would be provided to address the flagged issues, and the final report is yet to be concluded.

Prelims Takeaways:

• Kuno National Park (KNP)
• Project Cheetah