Even as farmers celebrate the latest State government order that empowers local bodies to legally cull wild boars posing threat to life and crops, the local body heads appointed as honorary life wardens to grant permission are worried about meeting the huge expenses involved. At least ₹4,000 is now required for the disposal of the carcass of a shot animal by complying with the legal formalities stipulated by the Forest Department. Local bodies may not find it a viable exercise if more animals need to be culled.
“In the latest order, there is no mention of the remuneration to be paid to the empanelled shooters from the panchayat funds. They are usually eligible for at least ₹1,000 for the toil. Apart from this, at least ₹3,000 will have to be found for the trench burial of the carcass,” says Alex Thomas, president of the Kodenchery grama panchayat who first exercised the right under the latest government order on Wednesday. He paid for the first culling in the village because of the limitations in using the local body’s own funds.
Mr. Thomas says the role of panchayat presidents as honorary wildlife wardens would become a liability if there is no proper provision to permit the use of local bodies’ own funds or any other special aid for the task. “As the Forest department is keen on enforcing the rules related to activities, we cannot settle for any crude form of burial,” he adds.
