The Gujarat government has sought the assistance of Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre for the Project Lion. A senior government official who is aware of the development said that the request is under active consideration for approval.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani attended an event organized by the state forest department to celebrate World Lion Day on Tuesday. He addressed the population via video conferencing and said that the allocation process of Rs 2,000 crore by the Centre was underway.
Also Read: Jaipur man chants Gayatri mantra as doctors remove a tumour from his brain
Under the lion project, the Gujarat government has been planning to establish a National Wildlife Disease Diagnostic Centre, with a projected investment of Rs 71 crore. CM Rupani said that under this project the state government would focus on the health of the lions and their conservation by developing a new concept of an advanced lion hospital.
Last year in June, Gujarat Forest Department told that the population of lions has been increased by 29 percent over the last five years. The population has increased from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020.
Project Lion was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2020. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lauded the efforts by the Gujarat government done to increase the population of lions in the state.
Also Read: Explained: Why August 15 was chosen as Independence Day?
Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday, tweeted, “The lion is majestic and courageous. India is proud to be home to the Asiatic Lion. On World Lion Day, I convey my greetings to all those passionate about lion conservation. It would make you happy that the last few years have seen a steady increase in India’s lion population. When I was serving as Gujarat CM, I had the opportunity to work towards ensuring safe and secure habitats for the Gir Lions. A number of initiatives were taken which involved local communities and global best practices to ensure habitats are safe and tourism also gets a boost.”