Bhubaneswar: With an average of 25
elephants dying from electrocution annually, the Odisha
government on Thursday formulated Rs 20 crore Elephant Protection
Plan to avoid such mishaps and announced increase in ex-gratia
for death of humans in jumbo attacks.
"The plan will be implemented in Dhenkanal, Angul and
Keonjhar districts where electric wires pass through forests,"
official sources said after a high-level meeting chaired by
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The government also decided to set up 51 special
squads to monitor elephant poaching in forests including the
Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district.
The forest department was allowed to monitor the
movement of elephants through global positioning system, teh
sources said.
Patnaik directed increase of ex-gratia from Rs 1 lakh
to Rs 2 lakh in case of death of humans in elephant attacks.
The divisional forest officer would be authorised to
disburse compensation and ex-gratia in order to avoid delay,
they said.
The compensation for damage of crop due to elephant
depredation was also hiked from Rs 1,000 per acre to Rs 10,000
per acre, they said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, November 18, 2011, 00:08