"The number 1,411 should ring the alarm bells," is how Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram voiced his concern over the depleting number of tigers in the country as he announced a special grant to save the animal in the Union Budget 2008-09.

"That is the number of tigers in India. The tiger is under grave threat. In order to redouble our effort to protect the tiger, I propose to make a one time grant of Rs 50 crore to the National Tiger Conservation Authority," Chidambaram said in his Budget speech.

The bulk of the grant will be used to raise, arm and deploy a special Tiger Protection Force, he said.

The Budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Environment and Forests has been increased from Rs 1,539 crore in 2007-08 to Rs 1,707 crore in 2008-09 and the funding for the Project Tiger programme has been enhanced from Rs 61.50 crore to Rs 72 crore.

The budgetary allocation for forestry and wildlife departments has been increased from Rs 704.45 crore to Rs 819.92 crore. The funding under the head of wildlife preservation has been raised from Rs 188.64 crore to Rs 226.25 crore.

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