This Article is From Aug 04, 2015

Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar Invited to be Ambassadors For Tiger Project

Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar Invited to be Ambassadors For Tiger Project

Big B and Sachin have apparently not taken a decision on the matter yet

Mumbai: In a bid to increase the tiger population, the Maharashtra government wants Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar to be 'brand ambassadors' for a tiger project.

Sudhir Mungantiwar, cabinet minister of finance and planning, and forest departments said he wrote to the two celebrities on July 29 - World Tiger Day - seeking their participation in the programme.

"We have not received any reply. Very soon I shall meet them and solicit their cooperation," Mr Mungantiwar told IANS.

"We want them to be brand ambassadors for this initiative. I have also invited Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar to visit the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Sanctuary in my home district Chandrapur," he told the media earlier.

Addressing a function on Tuesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urged people and the forest management to support the initiative.

"Tiger projects are not liabilities but are real assets for the people and the government. Let us come together and unite to protect tigers," he said.

Maharashtra, which has five tiger sanctuaries, has asked the central government to allocate special funds to conserve and protect the big cats in these four states.

The minister pointed out that Vidarbha had the potential to become the 'tiger capital' of the country, with its tiger population rising from 169 in 2006 to 190 in 2014. India is home to 2,226 tigers.
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