Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: The Assam government cut the compensation payout window for victims of fatal elephant attacks from 72 hours down to 48 hours. Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah confirmed the change Tuesday during a meeting at Aranya Bhawan in Guwahati. Families of the deceased will receive Rs 6 lakh under the new mandate. The government also fast-tracked crop damage relief to three or four days, paying out Rs 8,000 per bigha. District Commissioners now hold the authority to release these funds following joint damage assessments.
The state is shifting its defensive strategy. Authorities are expanding the Gajamitra teams from 81 units to at least 150. These teams focus on the high-risk window between November and March. Each unit contains 10 local residents and three dedicated Forest Department staff members. These forest workers have no other duties. Mallabaruah said, "The expanded teams are expected to become operational from November 7 or 8 after completing the required training and awareness programmes."
Volunteers will earn Rs 1,000 monthly for their work. Furthermore, the state is creating range-level committees led by Range Officers to manage local coordination. Each committee consists of five forest officials and 10 local residents. To handle the cash flow, the government set up dedicated central accounts in all 35 districts. These measures aim to curb human-elephant conflict through faster response times and boots on the ground.
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