Jumbo menace victim kins get Rs 2.5 lakh

HOSUR: The Tamil Nadu government has sanctioned Rs 2.5 lakh solatium to kins of the victim, who was trampled to death by elephants, while instructing the Krishnagiri district forest department to provide details over the crop damage caused by elephants in the district.Seventy-year-old Muniappa of Thinnathur village in Denkanikotta taluk was trampled to death on May 25. Besides, the pachyderms have also damaged crops in various parts of the district in recent months. A detailed report on this was carried by Express on May 19 and May 26. Based on this report, the government has sanctioned Rs 2.5 lakh to the kins of Muniappa. The forest department has sanctioned Rs 1.5 lakh while Rs 1 lakh will be disbursed from the Chief Minister relief fund. The government has decided to disburse the compensation to the farmers, who lost their crops when the jumbos ransacked their fields on many occasions in the past one year.Talking to Express, Krishnagiri District Forest Officer A K Ulaganathan said, “Immediately after the incident, we have handed over Rs 25,000 to the kins of Muniappa. The complete solatium will be given to them soon.” Further, the district forest department has prepared a crop damage estimate of Rs 62 lakh by pachyderms for the financial year 2010-11. Of this, around Rs 43.4 lakh has already been disbursed to 869 farmers.