Kerala: Local bodies granted power to cull wild boars

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The cabinet has decided to grant powers to local bodies for culling of wild boars that are destroying crops, lives and properties. The demand has been pending before the government for a long time.
However, wild boars cannot be killed by poisoning, using explosives or through electric shock. The decision would mean that the permission of the forest and wildlife department will not be required hereafter for culling wild boars. As per the Wildlife Act, the grama panchayat president, municipal chairperson or corporation mayor can be designated as honorary wildlife warden by the government, and secretaries of the local bodies can be designated as concerned officials for the purpose by the chief wildlife warden. Heads of local bodies where attacks by wild boars are rampant will be designated as honourary officials for the purpose of killing wild boars.
Wild boar attacks in a forest area from 100 acres and above will be controlled by the forest department. While destroying wild boars, the respective local body officials should ensure that it does not affect the lives of humans, domestic animals, or other wildlife. Once the wild boars are killed, their carcass should be buried in a scientific manner, and details should be maintained in a register in the respective local body.
Other decisions:
Considering the Covid-19 crisis, the cabinet has decided to give ratification to the decision to extend the quarrying lease and permit of quarries functioning in the state for one more year. The cabinet decided to grant land for constructing the headquarters for the Kerala state backward classes development corporation. A decision has also been taken to extend the service period of J Upendranath, the court officer of the chief justice of the high court, for two more years. Posts of project coordinator and junior resource person for observing and supervising large-scale projects in the state will be created. In another decision, it has been decided to create temporary posts in the general administration department equivalent to the number of appointees in the Kerala administrative service (KAS) for disbursing the salaries and other allowances for KAS recruits during their training period. These posts would be abolished when they complete their training period.
The government will waive off the registration fee and the stamp duty for the registration of houses of 32 families who lost their houses in the landslide in Koottickal and Mundakayam last year.