Ex-gratia compensation handed over to kin of man-elephant conflict victims

A Correspondent

TANGLA: In a bid to provide succour to the kith and kin of man-elephant conflict victims, a total of 118 beneficiaries were ceremoniously handed over an amount of Rs 43.73 lakh by State Public Health and Engineering Minister Rihon Daimari at Paneri Forest Beat Office premises in Udalguri district on Monday.

The beneficiaries include kith and kin of those who lost their lives or were injured in man-elephant conflicts, including attacks by other wild animals, and also those whose crops and houses were raided and damaged by wild elephants.

“Awareness and alertness are two keys to mitigate the menace of man-elephant conflict. The border populace must prepare themselves to tackle the menace,” said the minister.

“Human-elephant conflict is one of the issues faced by the Indo-Bhutan border villages of Udalguri. There is obviously no quick-fix solution and rapid afforestation and eviction of encroached forest land, which are a part of the age-old elephant corridors, is the call of the hour. The ex-gratia compensation is just a bandage solution but we believe that this will help out these families during their hour of need,” said Divisional Forest Officer of Dhansiri Range, Udalguri, Madhurya Kumar Sarma. The meet, attended nearly 300 people, was also graced by Bodoland Territorial Council(BTC) MCLA Suresh Tanti.

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