Maha: Assistance for kin of those killed in attacks by wild animals increased to Rs 20 lakh

The Maharashtra government has hiked the financial assistance for loss of human life in attacks by wild animals from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Wednesday. In 2019-20, 47 people lost their lives in attacks by wild animals, 80 people died in such incidents in 2020-21 and 86 died in 2021-22, he said.

The Maharashtra government has hiked the financial assistance for loss of human life in attacks by wild animals from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Wednesday. Making the announcement in the Legislative Council, he said the incidence of human-animal conflict was rising in the state. In 2019-20, 47 people lost their lives in attacks by wild animals, 80 people died in such incidents in 2020-21 and 86 died in 2021-22, he said. "The financial assistance (in such cases) has been hiked from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh," Mungantiwar said.

The assistance is provided in the case of death due to an attack by tiger, leopard, bear, gaur, wild boar, wolf, hyena, crocodile, wild dog and elephant, the minister said. The compensation for the death of cattle in such attacks has been hiked from Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000.

If a sheep or goat is killed, the amount has been hiked from Rs 10,000 to 15,000.

In case of cattle suffering permanent disability, the compensation has been hiked from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000, and for sheep and goat it has been increased from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000.