The government is making an action plan on wildlife attacks. Symbolic picture
Highlights
Difference in compensation amount for wildlife attacks. Compensation amount in Maharashtra is Rs 25 lakh. Villagers are dissatisfied with the low amount.
State Bureau, Naiduniya, Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government is now preparing to give compensation like Maharashtra for the loss of life in wildlife attacks. The process has begun in this regard, but only nine months ago this compensation amount was increased from Rs. 4 lakh to Rs. 8 lakh, so the forest department is facing difficulty in increasing the amount.
In Maharashtra this compensation is Rs 25 lakh
In fact, the compensation amount for loss of life due to wildlife attacks in Madhya Pradesh is many times less than that in Maharashtra. In Madhya Pradesh, this amount is Rs 8 lakh per person, while in Maharashtra it is Rs 25 lakh. A contradictory situation is being created regarding the compensation given for the death of a person due to wildlife attack on the state border.
This issue was also discussed in a meeting held recently with the officials of MP and Maharashtra and work will be done in coordination with both the states by making an action plan for giving compensation.
Compensation is less in MP compared to Maharashtra
Officials of the Forest Headquarters say that most of the tiger and leopard-rich districts of Madhya Pradesh are located on the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border. Due to this, it is natural for the compensation amount to be paid in Maharashtra to be compared with the compensation amount given in the state and it is also natural for the relatives of the deceased to get angry with the wild animals on receiving less compensation amount.
Local villagers are angry about the compensation amount and demand to increase the amount
The Forest Headquarters had presented a proposal to the government that in the cases of loss of life that happened in the past, the local villagers have demanded to increase the compensation amount. In the year 2023, three lives were lost to tigers in the buffer zone of Pench Tiger Reserve and one in South Seoni Forest Division.
Villagers expressed great dissatisfaction in the case and demanded that the compensation amount be increased from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 25 lakh as is given in Maharashtra state. Due to the low compensation amount, there remains a possibility of villagers affected by the loss of life poisoning and harming wild animals.