State jobs for kin of persons killed in animal attacks- 434 persons from 11 districts as Home Guards -Jalpaiguri (96), Alipurduar (73), Darjeeling (26), Kalimpong (8), Cooch Behar (2), South 24 Parganas (66), Bankura (62), West Midnapore (47) and Jhargram (46)

584 persons in 14 districts of the state were killed by wild animals from the year 2015 to 31 October this year.

SNS, SILIGURI, 21 NOVEMBER 2020 :  The state government has announced jobs as Home Guards personnel to family members of people killed by wild animals.

The government rolled out the first phase of the scheme on Friday.

According to data available with the state government, 584 persons in 14 districts of the state were killed by wild animals from the year 2015 to 31 October this year.

Senior forest officials said most of the victims in north Bengal were killed by elephants, while some were attacked by leopards and bison.

"The man-elephant conflict also claimed lives in south Bengal districts, but in South 24 Parganas, people were killed in attacks of the tiger, mostly in the Sundarbans," a forest official said today.

According to a notification issued by the Home and Hill Affairs department of the state government, 434 persons from 11 districts will get the jobs in the first phase. Of the 434, a total of 205 persons are from five north Bengal districts and most of them are from Jalpaiguri (96), followed byAlipurduar (73), Darjeeling (26), Kalimpong (8) and Cooch Behar (2).

The others are from South 24 Parganas (66), Bankura (62), West Midnapore (47) and Jhargram (46) in south Bengal.

The decision follows an announcement made by chief minister Mamata Banerjee during her Jhargram visit on 6 November.

Senior "Trinamul Congress leaders today said the move might help the party garner support from the people living in such man-animal conflict zones.

"It will help those economically backward families and also us, in making them understand the humane face of the government. Definitely, the move will take the party ahead when only a few months are left for the elections," a party leader said.

Sources said the enrolment will be made in relaxation of educational qualification, physical standard, age and residence proof in terms of Rule 3(i)(bb) of the West Bengal Home Guard Rule-1062.