Communist Party of India (CPI) district secretary Y. Nagarju and AP Rythu Sangham district president T. Janardhan on Friday demanded ₹30 lakh ex gratia each for Venkatesh and Selvi, the farmer couple who were killed in the recent elephant attack at 109 Ramapuram village in Gudipala mandal.
Speaking to the media here, the leaders said that the tragic deaths in Gudipala mandal were the Forest Department’s failure. “The construction of solar fencing should be completed soon, and the forest officers should wake up from their slumber and address the man-animal conflict in the Chittoor district,” Mr. Nagaraju said.
The kin of the victims should also be given government jobs, they demanded.
They further asked the government to compensate the farmers who lost their crops because of the attack of elephants and provide medical facilities to seriously injured farmers.
Delegation visits victims’ family
A delegation of the Rythu Sangam and CPI visited the bereaved family members of the deceased couple and consoled their children.
The delegation said that in the last 10 years, 25 people have lost their lives due to elephant attacks in the Chittoor district, and the Forest Department and the State government, which neglected to construct solar fencing, are fully responsible for the deaths.
It was observed that though the High Power Committee inquiring into the casualties due to wildlife attacks proposed an ex gratia of ₹ 10 lakh in 2004, to date, only ₹ 5 lakh has been given to the kin of the victims. The government should note the fact that the High Court bench suggested that at least ₹ 30 lakh be paid to the family of a girl child who was recently mauled to death by a leopard along the Tirumala footpath.
The delegation warned that if the government is indifferent to the poor farmers, the farmers’ associations and the CPI would have to prepare for a mass agitation.
