Financial assistance to tiger attack victims increased

Financial assistance to tiger attack victims increased

Bipin Chand Agarwal, TNN 22 December 2009, 05:24am IST

BAHRAICH: An immediate financial assistance of Rs 5,000 will be given to those injured and Rs 10,000 who lost their lives in attacks by tigers and leopards in the forest area. Compensation for those killed in the attack will be given later. Earlier, the compensation was paid by WWF. Now, this this responsibility has been entrusted to UP Tiger Preservation Authority (UPTPA). The new scheme has been enforced in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary with immediate effect.

Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a `reserved forest area’ in 1976. The `Tiger Project’ began in 1996. WWF started to provide security and preservation of wildlife.

So far WWF was paying Rs 2000 to the injured persons and Rs 5,000 to the family members of those killed by tigers and leopards.

During a meeting of Central Forest and Environment Directorate last week, the responsibility of payment of assistance and compensation has been given to National Tiger Security Authority (NTCA).

Divisional forest officer RK Singh said that under the new scheme, the responsibility of payment of compensation in reserved forest area of the state has been given to UP Tiger Security Authority (UPTSA). Now UPTSA will pay Rs 5,000 to the injured person and Rs 10,000 to the family members of those killed as immediate financial assistance. Compensation of Rs 50,000 for adults and Rs 25,000 for minors killed in the attacks will also be paid to the family members later.

The Central Environment and Forest Directorate (CEFD) had entered into a five-year agreement with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). The officers of WTI will visit the reserved forest area from time to time to take stock of the situation. They will also impart training to the forest employees. About four dozens attacks have taken place since January this year in which several persons received serious injuries. Six persons were killed by tigers or leopards. Most of the attacks took place in March, May, July and September.

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