BHUBANESWAR: Minister for Forest and Environment Bikram Keshari Arukh on Tuesday informed the Assembly that 797 persons have been killed in attacks by elephants during the last 14 years.
In a written reply to a question from Sanjib Kumar Sahu (BJD), the Minister said 784 elephants have died in the State in the same period for different reasons. As many as 334 persons have been killed in elephant attacks during the last five years in the State, Arukh said in a written reply to a question from Bibhuti Bhusan Harichandan (BJP). He said ex gratia of `2 lakh has been paid to the next of the kin of each of the dead persons. The Minister said the State Government also paid compensation of `10,000 per acre for damage of paddy crop and `12,000 per acre for damage of vegetables, sugarcane, banana and other such crops.
Elephant squads have been deployed and rapid response teams constituted to check attack of elephants on human habitations.
Replying to a question from Anshuman Mohanty (Cong), the Minister said `10.19 crore has been spent for development of Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary in three years from 2011-12 to 2013-14. An estimate of `4.2 crore has been made which would be spent for the development of the sanctuary in 2014-15, he said.