India, April 26 -- The state government has cleared a proposal to establish a Maharashtra State Wildlife Crime Control Cell to tackle wildlife offences in a more coordinated and effective manner. The plan was approved by the standing committee of the state wildlife board last month, with minutes finalised recently.

The minutes note that while wildlife protection efforts have improved and populations have risen in Maharashtra, crimes such as poaching, illegal hunting and wildlife trade have become more organised and complex. This has created the need for a specialised, intelligence-led unit with trained staff, better coordination and modern tools.

The proposed Cell will handle serious cases spanning multiple forest divisions, other state...