Forest dept clears TTC funds after meat vendor threatens to cut supply

Nagpur: Within 24 hours of TOI reporting on a meat vendor's threat to cut supply to Nagpur's Transit Treatment Centre (TTC) — putting a pregnant tigress and leopards at risk of starvation — the state govt on Friday issued a resolution releasing funds for wildlife rescue centres across Maharashtra, with Nagpur division receiving Rs2 crore.The govt resolution issued on Friday grants Rs12.20 crore for nine forest divisions across the state. Nagpur's allocation of Rs2 crore includes Rs75 lakh under the supplies and materials head — the category that covers meat procurement and vendor payments.TOI reported that the TTC's meat vendor did not receive a single payment against bills raised every month since August last year, with dues crossing Rs16 lakh. Faced with no payment in sight, the vendor threatened to stop supply by the weekend. The pregnant tigress at the centre alone consumes around 11kg of meat daily, with total daily demand exceeding 20kg when leopard cubs are factored in. With the tigress due to deliver her litter in under two weeks, TTC staff were on edge about the unborn cubs' survival without regular food supply.On Thursday as additional chief secretary Milind Mhaiskar was made aware of the situation, he directed officials to act swiftly. Within an hour, Mhaiskar confirmed to TOI that budgetary provisions were being made and that a GR would follow. True to that assurance, the GR came through on Friday.The GR covers nine divisions: Nagpur, Pune, Thane, east Nashik, Nanded, Junnar, Ahilyanagar, Melghat (Akot Wildlife Division) and Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali. Proposals totalling Rs47.72 crore were submitted by the additional principal chief conservator of forests (Budget, Planning and Development), Nagpur, across multiple letters between August 2025 and February 2026. Against these proposals, the govt now released Rs12.20 crore. The total annual budget outlay sanctioned under the scheme for 2025-26 stands at Rs90 crore.Of Nagpur's Rs2 crore, Rs50 lakh is allocated under wages, Rs75 lakh under supplies and materials, and Rs75 lakh under minor construction. The supplies and materials component is the critical one — it is expected to cover the meat vendor's pending bills and restore uninterrupted supply to the TTC.Pune division received the largest share among all nine units at Rs3.49 crore, followed by Nagpur and Ahilyanagar at Rs2 crore each. Thane received Rs1 crore, while Melghat and east Nashik each got Rs1 crore as well. Smaller allocations went to Nanded, Junnar, and Sanjay Gandhi National Park.