Compensation For Wildlife Victims To Be Paid Within A Week
Cattle owners must attach a veterinary certificate confirming the animal’s death. The veterinary officer will determine the compensation amount based on the type and value of the animal.
ADILABAD: The forest department has expedited the process of paying compensation to victims of wildlife attacks, including cases of cattle kills, human deaths, and crop damage caused by wild animals such as wild boars. The compensation amount will now be directly deposited into the victims’ bank accounts, unlike in the past.
Applicants can now submit their claims through MeeSeva, after which local forest officials will conduct spot verification and process the applications. Those eligible include people whose cattle were killed, crops damaged, or family members injured or killed in wildlife attacks.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Kagaznagar FDO Sushant Bobade said the department recently introduced an option on MeeSeva for submitting compensation claims. “Cattle owners can now receive compensation within a week. As immediate relief, forest staff will pay ₹5,000 to the affected cattle owner to build confidence and trust in the department,” he said.
Cattle owners must attach a veterinary certificate confirming the animal’s death. The veterinary officer will determine the compensation amount based on the type and value of the animal.
Bobade explained that in cases of human deaths, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Telangana, will verify applications through a separate portal login and approve compensation of ₹10 lakh. For cattle kills, divisional forest officers (DFOs) will process and clear applications. The finance department will directly credit the approved amount into the applicants’ bank accounts. Separate portal logins have been created for DFOs to verify and process applications efficiently.
In the past, delays in compensation led to frustration among local tribal communities and cattle owners. In one such incident, an Adivasi man, upset over the prolonged delay in receiving compensation for eight cattle killed by a tiger near Dharigaon forest beat in Kagaznagar mandal in January 2024, allegedly poisoned the tiger in retaliation.