Farmers tear off circular on relief amount for elephant menace

MADIKERI: The farmers in Kodagu have requested the forest department to chase away five wild elephants from Siddapur area within 15 days and threatened to stage a protest in front of the forest office if they fail to do so.
They were speaking at a debate organised by the farmers’ association in Nagarhole guest house on Friday. Before the debate began, K B Hemachandra of the association tore off a circular sent by the department mentioning the relief amount for victims of elephant menace. The circular mentions a relief amount of just Rs 100 to 150 per acre for crop damages. The farmers demanded a relief amount 10 times for the damages in future.
Farmers association president Manu Somaiah questioned the recent memorandum submitted to higher officers for enhancing the relief amount from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for the families of death victims.
Chief conservator of forests Santosh Kumar responded that the recommendations are sent to the state conservator of forests.
Meanwhile, he also showed a letter recommending Rs 25 lakh compensation for a recent victim, S D Sudha of Shrimangala, who died in an elephant attack and assured that his family would receive the amount soon. The officials also assured that the barricade work to prevent elephants’ entry near Thithimathi range will be completed soon and the barricade distance will be extended to a further 1.5 km from the currently decided three kilometre limit. The farmers also opposed the shifting of Betta Kuruba families from Kuttandi Kateegundi. The officials have assured that they would not be shifted from the existing place.