Maneka Gandhi ropes in Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan for elephant rehabilitation

The cabinet minister and wildlife activist Maneka Gandhi has demanded rescue and rehabilitation centres for pachyderms. Gandhi feels not enough is being done for elephants protection to save them from the ill-treatment almost every day. She holds charge of the ministry of women and child development and she has demanded this by slamming government for its apathy in saving elephants in the nation.

Now the nation has only 22,000 elephants left and around 6,000 are in brutal, illegal captivity. Every year sees death of 600 elephants owing to beating, starvation, ill-treatment and drowning. Maneka Gandhi talked about this by saying that "The elephant like the tiger must be treated with the highest degree of legal protection. But because of government inattention, they are languishing...many are tortured and found begging in temples. The government must take responsibility,"

The expense of each elephant costs around Rs 50,000 to 60,000 every month in terms of feed, medical care and rehabilitation. That means each elephant's yearly expense is Rs 7 lakh. Rs 15 to 20 lakh is the expense of each elephant's infrastructure like ponds, protected contact enclosures, enrichment structures, covered shelters and elephant keepers. Housing facilities and creating infrastructure price for 50 elephants is around Rs 10 crore an Rs 3.5 crore is the recurring cost for 50 elephants every year.

In order to funds generation for pachyderm rehabilitation, Maneka Gandhi has roped in Bollywood celebs like Amitabh Bachchan , Salman Khan and artistes like Jogen Chowdhury, S H Raza, Thota Vaikuntam and Subodh Gupta who have painted on elephants fiberglass statues. Proceeds from this exhibition will go to the rescue centre.