The West Bengal government would provide jobs to the next of kin of victims killed by elephants in the state, chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Tuesday.
“A villager killed by an elephant used to get a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh from the state government. We have taken a policy decision that a family member of a victim will get a job in the Home Guard department,” said Banerjee.
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At least 433 people have been killed across West Bengal between April 2014 and September 2019.
Similarly, in Odisha, elephants claimed 447 human lives, followed by Jharkhand (391), and Chhattisgarh (329) during the corresponding period.
“There are around 200 and 500 elephants in south and north Bengal, respectively. Man-elephant animal conflict is common in both parts of West Bengal,” said a state forest department official.
Chief minister Banerjee, who chaired an administrative meeting of West Midnapore district in south Bengal on Tuesday, also promised a job for a family member of any person, who was abducted by the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) over a decade ago and is yet to be traced.
{{/usCountry}}Chief minister Banerjee, who chaired an administrative meeting of West Midnapore district in south Bengal on Tuesday, also promised a job for a family member of any person, who was abducted by the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) over a decade ago and is yet to be traced.
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