BENGALURU: The State Government’s decision to pay Rs 15 lakh as compensation to a person killed in an elephant attack in neighbouring Kerala’s Wayanad district has come under sharp criticism from opposition BJP and JDS leaders.
While some forest officials have also expressed concern, angry villagers of Hebbanahalli in Hassan district have questioned the government’s ‘generosity’ towards the family of the victim in Kerala while the family of an earlier victim from their own village in Karnataka was paid Rs 7.5 lakh and has been waiting for a full compensation of Rs 15 lakh for over a year.
The Opposition BJP termed this as “misuse of Karnataka taxpayers’ funds to curry favour with Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi”.
BJP state chief BY Vijayendra said: “Illegally allocating state fund of Rs 15 lakh to a deceased individual from Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad constituency, falsely blaming an elephant from Karnataka is an appalling betrayal.”
Vijayendra posted Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre’s letter (dated February 19) to Rahul, on social media, which stated that compensation was announced as per Rahul’s advice conveyed to him by AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal.
‘Jumbo attack relief will set bad precedent’
Opposition Leader R Ashokaasked if Karnataka is the propertyof the Congress party to releaseKarnataka taxpayers’ moneyon the advice of Kerala MPs.A senior forest departmentofficial also expressed concernsaying such a decision wouldset a bad precedent.
“Only becausethe elephant was radiocollaredby the Karnataka ForestDepartment, the state ispaying for it…Karnataka hasradio-collared many elephantsand they are roaming free inthe neighbouring states.
Withthis case, should compensationbe paid to other states if thereare similar untoward incidents?”he said, not wanting tobe named, and pointing outthat compensations to hundredsof farmers who sufferedcrop damage and losses werestill pending and there areanomalies with salaries to bepaid to the staffers of the elephanttask force.
According to a statement issuedby the department, a tusklessmale (Makana) elephanthad been captured in Belurtaluk of Hassan district on November30, 2023, and then radiocollaredand translocated to theBandipur Forest area.
Aftermore than two months, it hadstrayed into Chatigadha inWayanad district of Kerala,where, on February 10, a mannamed Ajeesh (47) was killedby the elephant. “The electedrepresentatives and Governmentof Kerala requested theKarnataka Government to belargehearted and pay compensation,”the statement said.
Afterminister Khandre discussedwith the CM, they decided topay the compensation of Rs 15lakh to Ajeesh’s family at parwith any citizen of Karnataka,while full compensation to thevictim in Hassan district is stillpending.