Kerala govt hikes honorarium for shooters authorised to kill wild boars

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 7 (PTI) The Kerala government on Friday said it has increased the honorarium for shooters authorised to kill wild boars that enter into populated areas, posing a threat to lives, property, and livelihoods.

The Disaster Management Department has hiked the honorarium to Rs 1,500 from the earlier Rs 1,000, according to a government statement.

Additionally, Rs 2,000 has been sanctioned for the burial of animal carcasses, it said.

Previously, this amount was paid by panchayats from their own funds, creating an additional financial burden on them, it added.

Now, it has been decided to allocate funds for shooting wild boars and burying animal carcasses in the panchayats from the State Disaster Response Fund, the statement said.

A cap of Rs 1 lakh per local body per financial year has been set for these allocations, it added.

The decision was made by the State Executive Committee of the Disaster Management Authority following a directive from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Since human-wildlife conflict has been classified as a state-specific disaster, funds for preventive measures will be drawn from the SDRF, the statement said. PTI HMP SSK HMP SSK SA