New Delhi: Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung on Saturday ordered an inquiry into the monkeys rehabilitated in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary allegedly not being fed and dying to starvation.
"The attention of the Delhi government has been invited to press reports regarding the condition of monkeys in the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary. Inter alia, Government has noted that the monkeys have reportedly not been fed since December 4," said a statement issued by LG house today.
"The Lt Governor has thus ordered an inquiry to be conducted by two senior IAS officers in the rank of Secretaries," the statement added.
According to officials, Sanjeev Nandan Sahay, Principal Secretary (Revenue) and S C L Das, Secretary (Health) have been asked to look into the circumstances that resulted in the simian population in the sanctuary not being fed.
"They would also identify the systemic reasons for the same and fix responsibilities, if any, of any individual and the involvement and the extent of responsibility of the Municipal Corporations," the statement said.
The Committee shall determine the number of monkeys that may have died due to starvation.
The Committee has been asked to furnish its report in one week and also suggest corrective measures required to avoid repetition of such incidents.
The Delhi High Court on December 23 sought response from the city government on a plea seeking contempt proceedings against it for allegedly failing to comply with the court's 2007 direction to provide food to monkeys rehabilitated at Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in Delhi.
Several monkeys are reported to have died in Delhi's Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary after pending bills led to stopping of their food supplies earlier this month.
