New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) The Centre has provided a financial assistance of Rs 194.50 crore in 2020-21 to 19 tiger-range states under 'Project Tiger', nearly 40 per cent less funding compared to 2018-19.

Responding to a query on the funds provided to state governments under 'Project Tiger' from the year 2018 to 2020 in Parliament on Friday, Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Choubey said the funding assistance is provided under the ongoing centrally-sponsored scheme of Project Tiger to states for conservation and protection of tigers.

In 2018-19, the 19 states got a total of Rs 323.17 crore for tiger conservation, in 2019-20, Rs 281.75 crore were given to these states and in 2020-21, Rs 194.50 crore were provided to the states.

"The budget allocation is prioritized in order to maximize protection, monitoring and eco-development activities while dovetailing with resources available with other schemes and state governments,” the minister said.

According to 2018 census, there are 2,967 tigers in India, with the maximum of 526 big cats in Madhya Pradesh.

The state has received Rs 25.51 crore central funds in 2020-21, down from Rs 53.43 in 2018-19 under 'Project Tiger', the minister said in his written response

The state which has received the maximum funding is Maharashtra. It was provided Rs 30.98 crore in 2020-21 for tiger conservation. The state is home to 312 tigers. In 2018-19, the state was provided Rs 110 crore under 'Project Tiger'.

The other states which have received the central funding under 'Project Tiger' in the last three years, include, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Nagaland.

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