Rhino horn verification process to begin from Thursday

Golaghat: The verification of rhino horns to check their genuineness and updating of the complete inventory of horns kept in various treasuries in the custody of Assam government since 1980, begins from tomorrow.

The first treasury to be opened will be Golaghat with the highest number of rhino horns in government custody with most from Kaziranga National Park, an official release said here today.

The Rhino Horn Verification Committee, under the chairmanship of former Assam State Information Commissioner Mohan Chandra Malakar, arrived here today for the purpose.

The 12-member committee has four wildlife experts, two representatives from media, one RTI activist, one forensic scientist beside four high officials of Assam Forest Department.

The forensic experts have set up a field lab at the Golaghat circuit house for scientific verification. The entire verification process will be streamed live for transparency.

The committee will visit every treasury of Assam where the horns are stored and are expected to file the report within 60 days, it said.

The rhino horns are scattered in 12 treasuries of Assam, the maximum being in Golaghat followed by Nagaon, Guwahati and Tezpur.