Guwahati: The Congress party has raised concerns about a “proposed agreement” between the Delhi Zoo and Vantara, an animal rescue and rehabilitation center operated by the Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son Anant Ambani.
The party questioned whether this agreement could be a precursor to the privatization of the zoo.
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As of now, neither the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, which oversees the zoo, nor the Reliance group has made any official statement on the potential agreement. However, anonymous zoo officials have indicated that a pact is indeed in progress.
Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary and former environment minister, voiced his apprehension on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the “proposed MoU” between Delhi’s National Zoological Park and Reliance’s Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, which manages Vantara.
He suggested that such an agreement might lead to the privatization of the zoo.
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Vantara, formerly known as Greens Zoological, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, a venture by Reliance Industries and the Reliance Foundation, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 4 in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Sources familiar with the matter stated that the proposed agreement primarily involves knowledge sharing and is not intended as a management takeover.
Despite these assurances, Ramesh criticized the “hush-hush manner” in which the agreement is allegedly being pursued, demanding greater transparency.
He further questioned, “Is this the first step towards handing over the zoo to a private enterprise?” referencing the government’s past record which, according to him, “does not inspire confidence.” Ramesh firmly asserted that zoos, national parks, reserves, and sanctuaries should never be privatized.
Sources indicate that a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been prepared and circulated to the relevant parties. This proposed agreement is expected to facilitate the exchange of information on animal care, the organization of workshops, and provide veterinary support.
The Delhi Zoo, established in 1959, is home to 95 animal species. It has recently faced scrutiny and a six-month suspension by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums in October 2024 due to alleged mistreatment of Shankar, an African elephant gifted to India by Zimbabwe in 1998.