Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Orissa high court approved the constitution of a joint task force comprising members of the forest department, Odisha police and a wildlife activist that would recommend suitable criminal provisions to be applied to persons involved in elephant poaching.
According to the reports hearing a PIL filed by a Cuttack-based wildlife activist seeking an amendment to the Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972 on the lines of the Wildlife (Protection) (Assam Amendment) Act 2009 to add more teeth to wildlife crime control efforts, the two-judge bench of chief justice S Muralidhar and justice RK Patnaik took note of the affidavit filed by the state DGP which suggested the formation of a task force comprising police officials and wildlife experts.
The HC said the committee will intervene in not just elephant poaching cases, but also other wildlife animals like tiger and pangolin trading.
As forest officials were not empowered to book wildlife offenders under the Indian Penal Code (IPL), the committee will suggest IPC provisions that need to be applied to the offenders. The HC also gave nod to the constitution of an advocate committee that will put forward their suggestions regarding the prevention of elephant deaths in the state.
The next hearing on this matter will be held on September 26. The state police will present facts and figures on elephant deaths in the next hearing.
