Guwahati: The Assam government restructured the State Board for Wildlife immediately. Officials acted under Section 6 of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma takes the helm as Chairperson. Environment Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah serves as Vice-Chairperson.
Three state legislators join the ranks. Rishiraj Hazarika, Victor Kumar Das, and Milon Das represent the Assam Legislative Assembly. The board also pulls in expertise from three major non-governmental organizations. Aaranyak from Guwahati, WWF-India, and the Wildlife Trust of India, both based in New Delhi, hold membership seats.
The government tapped ten conservationists and ecologists for the remaining spots. The list includes Padma Hazarika, Tuliram Ronghang, Debolal Gorlosa, and James Basumatary. Professors Parimal C. Bhattacharjee and Parthankar Choudhury join the group. A.U. Choudhury, Kaushik Barua, Soumyadeep Datta, and Purnima Devi Barman round out the team of experts.
Additional members bring administrative and security perspectives. The board features the senior secretary of the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department alongside the head of the Forest Force. The WPT and BC department secretary and the Managing Director of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation will also contribute. Special DGP Munna Prasad Gupta represents the State Police Department, joined by a representative from the Armed Forces. The notification noted the board is reconstituted "as amended from time to time."
Updated at 13th August 2026 at 10:15pm
The government notification clarifies the backgrounds of several members. Rishiraj Hazarika represents Sootea, while Victor Kumar Das represents Goreswar and Milon Das hails from Hailakandi. Among the experts, the state identifies Parimal C. Bhattacharjee as a retired professor from Gauhati University and Parthankar Choudhury as a professor at Assam University in Silchar. A.U. Choudhury is listed as a retired IAS officer associated with the Rhino Foundation for Nature in NE India, Kaushik Barua represents the Assam Elephant Foundation, and Soumyadeep Datta serves as the director of Nature's Beckon.
The appointment of three political figures to the conservationist category has raised eyebrows. Padma Hazarika, Tuliram Ronghang, and Debolal Gorlosa now sit under the board's environmentalist designation despite their primary roles as a BJP MLA and autonomous council leaders. Critics point out the state offered no explanation or track record of ecological work to justify classifying these politicians alongside seasoned scientists and researchers.
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