HYDERABAD: In a major tragedy for three families of shepherds in the Mahabubnagar district, the life of around 150 sheep owned by them was cut short, after most of them came under a running train.
Unfortunately, the chances of the affected shepherds receiving any compensation for the great loss seem bleak. The incident happened close to Koukuntla Mandal headquarters on Friday evening when a shepherd employed by the owners of the sheep was grazing the herd underneath the Rajoli railway underpass. A pack of stray dogs which hounded the sheep forced them to climb onto the railway track to escape them.
An oncoming train mowed the sheep down, killing almost 150 sheep, and grievously injuring around 50.
Kuruva Maasanna, Doolanna, and Tirupathaiah, the owners of the sheep, claimed that they suffered a loss to an extent of Rs 25 lakh. They have sought compensation from the State government, as they have lost their primary source of livelihood.
According to Udutha Ravinder, general secretary of Gorrela Mekala Pempakamdarla Sangham (GMPS), Railways do not pay compensation if sheep or any animal for that matter, enter the railway tracks. Even if the sheep have been distributed as part of the sheep distribution scheme, insurance for them is valid only for one year, which would have expired long back. In the case of this particular incident, they were not distributed under the scheme and had no insurance.
“When Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy was the chief minister of erstwhile AP, there was a scheme where the State government used to pay 50 per cent of the insurance premium and shepherds had to bear the rest. So, the entire sheep population was covered under the scheme back then. After the formation of Telangana, when sheep distribution scheme was being launched, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao declared that not only the ones distributed under the scheme but also all other sheep will be insured. That assurance was not fulfilled,” Ravinder says.
He also claims that every single day, at least 100 sheep get killed either on the railway tracks, on the roads, or by the dogs, but there have been no instances where shepherds received compensation.
The only hope for the shepherds affected by the train accident, he suggests, is if the Mahabubnagar Collector uses a special fund under his discretion to support the affected families for the loss, or if Devarkadra MLA under whose limits this accident happened, uses his funds to support them.