Mysuru: As per the government’s direction, any compensation amount which is to be given to the farmers who reside near the forests and neighbouring villages, is being remitted to their bank accounts. However, most of the farmers are not able to get the compensation amount sanctioned to them, as the money deposited to their accounts are paid towards the loan which they had taken from the bank. Disgruntled by the fact that the compensation amount is being paid for the loan taken by default, farmers are reportedly setting the forest on fire.
The forest department pays compensation in case of death or crops destroyed by wild animals and attack on livestock. Earlier the compensation was given to the farmers by cheque, but now it is being deposited to their bank accounts. This has enraged the farmers living near the forest areas, and the officials of the forest department suspect that the farmers could be setting the forest on fire.
The forest department has approached the government to make arrangements to pay the compensations directly to farmers by cheque, so that a good relationship between forest officials and local people are maintained, which in turn will help avoid fire as well as illegal activities in the forest.
Speaking to Newskarnataka, Ambadi Madhav, Chief Conservator of Forest, Mysuru zone, said “Earlier the compensation to farmers in case of death or crops destroyed by wild animals and attack on livestock were paid directly to the farmers but for the past couple of years, the compensation is deposited in their bank accounts. A lot of farmers complain that they have not got their compensation amount. Though we have remitted the compensation to their bank accounts, they are not able to draw the amount because it is getting paid to the loan they have taken. Due to this many farmers are not happy with the forest officials. Some of them even show their anger by setting the forest on fire”.
“The farmers also do not have patience. They want their compensation at the earliest. It takes around 1-2 months to complete the formalities and sanction their amount. Once we start providing compensation directly to the farmers at the earliest, we can definitely develop a good relation with them, and to some extent we may also be successful in avoiding forest fire”.
