TEZPUR, April 26 - The State Government will soon release an amount of Rs 4 crore to be paid as compensation to the next of kin of those killed by wild elephants, besides people injured or having suffered standing crop damage by the slatey grey giants.
The above was disclosed by State Forest Minister Atuwa Munda while addressing a press meet held at the Circuit House here yesterday. In all, 91 persons were killed and 88 people injured, while 2,255 dwelling houses were damaged by wild elephants during 2015-16.
Sharing data on the casualties due to unchecked man-elephant conflict that has been going on since the last many years in the State, he also mentioned that in Nagaon (South Division) Hojai four, Nagaon Division 52, Lakhimpur Division four, Sonitpur East Division 12 and in Sonitpur West Division, 19 people were killed by wild elephants during 2015-16, while several were injured and many dwelling houses damaged by the marauding pachyderms.
�Though we should had released the aforementioned compensation earlier, but due to non-receipt of the respective commissioner�s report, it could not be executed.
However, we have by now received the said report, and based on this document we will release the funds to the wild elephant depredated victims within a month,� he said.
He also mentioned that last year wild elephants had killed all the members of a family at Gohpur. In the incident, a small kid was miraculously saved. The Assam Government and the State Forest Department will take the entire responsibility of the child, including his education, Munda revealed.
Meanwhile, replying to queries of newspersons regarding the post-election feedback, the Forest Minister claimed that his party was extremely confident of forming the next Government at Dispur under the leadership of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for the fourth successive time. Claiming that the Congress alone will form the Government in the days to come, he claimed that a stable Government is possible only by the Congress party.
�After I took over reins as Forest Minister, rhino poaching has registered a marked decline,� he claimed.
