Bondla zoo's registration as foundation places lion's share in decision-making within reach

PANAJI: State goverment has approved the establishment of the Bondla Zoo Foundation for Goa's only zoo at the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary. Sources from the forest department said that the foundation has been registered under the Societies Registration Act.

"Once operational, the foundation will streamline administrative processes, allowing for direct allocation of funds to the zoo, bypassing the conventional route through the govt treasury.

This autonomy is expected to facilitate more efficient utilisation of resources and expedite decision-making processes," a forest official told TOI.

While govt has tentatively sanctioned the formation of a committee under the foundation's umbrella, the official notification is pending.

The proposed committee structure comprises both steering committee members and management committee members, whose roles and responsibilities have not been finalised.

A senior forest official said that the department is in the process of obtaining approval from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) as a prerequisite for further progress.

"Once clearance is secured, the focus will shift towards exploring diverse funding sources and devising strategies for revenue generation. The foundation will have the capacity to attract corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding as well," the official said.