CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has substantially enhanced compensation for damage and losses caused by wild animals, raising the maximum relief for major human injuries and partial disability to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 59,100.
The revised compensation applies to major injuries or partial disability resulting in 20% to 60% incapacity, duly certified by a District Medical Officer or a constituted medical board. The revised rates were notified in Government Order issued by
Kakarla Usha, Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department.
Under the revised norms, compensation for minor human injuries, for which no compensation was previously provided under the existing rates, has been fixed at a maximum of Rs 20,000. The enhanced compensation will cover human-wildlife conflicts occurring both within and outside protected areas and reserved forests, subject to the condition that the affected person has not violated provisions of the Forest or Wildlife Acts or related rules.
The government has also increased compensation for crop damage from Rs 25,000 per acre to Rs 40,000 per acre, or the proportionate amount based on the actual damage assessed, whichever is lower.
Compensation for damage to coconut trees has been revised based on their age, with relief fixed at Rs 500 per tree for saplings up to one year old, Rs 1,000 for trees aged one to four years, and Rs 2,000 for trees older than four years that are yielding. For banana plants, the government has introduced compensation of Rs 250 per plant.
Relief for fully or severely damaged pucca houses has been increased from Rs 95,100 to Rs 1.5 lakh per house, or the assessed actual damage, whichever is lower. For fully or severely damaged thatched or kuchcha houses, the revised ceiling is Rs 15,000, while compensation for partially damaged houses has been raised from Rs 5,200 to Rs 10,000, subject to actual damage assessment.
Compensation for the loss of milch cattle has been enhanced from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per animal.
The order follows an announcement made by the Minister for Forests on the floor of the Assembly on September 7. The revisions were approved following a proposal from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, with the concurrence of the Finance Department.