Chandigarh, October 4
Many rich and famous families in Punjab are in trouble as the Union Government has directed the Punjab Forest and Wildlife Department to confiscate shahtoosh shawls and wildlife stock kept illegally by such families.

Sources said there were many prominent families in the state which had not declared in time their wildlife stock and shahtoosh shawls. As it is illegal to keep wildlife stock, including tiger skins, ivory statues, spotted deer heads and black buck and sambar heads without availing of a certificate of ownership from the government authorities concerned, an order has been issued by the Directorate of Forestry and Wildlife of the Union Government to confiscate the material from the families illegally retaining such stock.

The sources said there were 30 such families which had in their possession 43 shahtoosh shawls, four tiger and leopard skins, two tiger/leopard trophies, one trophy each of sambar and black buck, two spotted deer heads and six articles made of ivory. Among the families having illegally in their possession shahtoosh and wildlife material are a leading industrialist family, the family of a former senior police officer, the family of a senior IAS officer and the family of a Minister.

All Divisional Forest Officers and Divisional Wildlife Officers concerned have been supplied with a list of names of the families which are to be told to surrender the shahtoosh shawls and wildlife stock, it is learnt. However, as the families are influential, the Forest and Wildlife Department officers are facing problems in confiscating the material.

Notices have also been sent to the families directing them to surrender the shahtoosh shawls and wildlife stock, if any, with them.

The Union Government had framed rules in 2003 allowing all those having wildlife stock in their possession to declare it and avail themselves of a certificate of ownership from the state Forest and Wildlife authorities. In the light of the rules, the Union Government had issued a notification on April 18, 2003, giving a period of 180 days to all concerned in the country to declare the wildlife stock in their possession.

The sources said 180 families had declared their stock within the stipulated period. However, a number of families failed to approach the authorities to declare the items held by them within the stipulated time. Some of the families declared the stock after the due date and the Punjab Forest and Wildlife Department forwarded their declaration forms to the Union Government for approval. However, the Centre refused to give the approval, arguing that the time limit had not been extended. While refusing to give approval, the Union Government also directed the state Forest and Wildlife authorities to confiscate the stock from the families whose declaration forms, submitted after the due date, had been rejected and to initiate legal action against them. Those who had declared their stock by the due date have been given the certificate of ownership.

Shahtoosh shawls used to be woven in Jammu and Kashmir. These are made from wool prepared from the fur of a Tibetan antelope, which is called chiru in the Ladakh region. Forest and Wildlife officials say that without killing the chiru, its fur cannot be used. It is an endangered species. Under Section 40 of the Wildlife Protection Act, the hunting of the chiru and preparing any stuff from the wool made from its fur is illegal.

Shahtoosh shawls, which are often bought by the rich and famous, fetch a high price in the national and international markets. The sources said its price varied between Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 3,00,000, depending on the quality, weight and percentage of chiru wool used to manufacture it. One Amritsar-based family has six shawls and another family in the Malwa region five. The wife of a senior officer has four shawls, it is learnt.