Allow people to shoot down man-eater tigers: Veena Achaiah

'If the government does not control the situation, the people may take to the guns, left without any choice'

Veena Achaiah urged the state government to give permission to the people to shoot down man-eating tigers.

If the government does not control the situation, the people may take to the guns, left without a choice, she said.

Addressing reporters, she said, “It is agreed that preservation of wild animals is our duty. But, when it comes to the danger posed to the lives of people by tigers, we cannot keep quiet. If the government cannot stop the attacks by wild animals, give a free hand to the villagers.”

Veena also alleged that the forest minister does not even have the courtesy to speak when a phone call is made to him.

The forest minister, during his visit to Kodagu recently, did not listen to the woes of the villagers and farmers, she said.

Also, the higher officials in the forest department, should come out of the air-conditioned rooms and should come to Kodagu to know the ground realities of people here, Veena Achaiah said and urged the government to provide a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the family of those who lose their lives during wild animal attacks.

Permanent compensation should be provided to those who have been impaired, she said.

Stating that there is a situation of panic in the district after the tigers killed two people in a row, she said that the people are losing their patience.

Many farmers have lost their cattle due to tiger attacks. Now, people are clutching their guns while going to coffee plantations The government should wake up before the people take the law into their hands, she said.

She further said, “Even though a tiger has been captured on Sunday, another tiger has killed two cows. A girl has fainted after seeing a tiger. Around seven tigers roaming about in the region.”

The MLC said that a ‘Vidhana Soudha Chalo’ movement will be taken out, condemning the lackadaisical attitude of the government.

‘Man-eaters released in Kodagu’

MLC Veena Achaiah alleged that man-eater tigers captured in various parts of the state are being released in Nagarhole limits of Kodagu district. This has resulted in the loss of lives of innocents.

District Congress leader Dharmaja Uttappa said that huge lorries are moving in Srimangala, Kutta and Ponnampet regions near Nagarahole after 12 at midnight.

The man-eater tigers captured in other districts are being released in Southern Kodagu. Earlier, the cases of tiger attacks were very less, he said.

As the Nagarhole, Brahmagiri and Pushpagiri divisions are declared as preserved forests, authorities from other districts might have considered the entire Kodagu district as forest land and released captured tigers in the district. Tiger movements have increased in the southern part of Kodagu and there is a situation of an undeclared bandh in the region, he said and urged the Central and the state governments to provide a permanent solution for the attacks by wild animals.

District Congress Committee spokesperson Tatu Monnappa said that the forest department officials are upto converting the district into a tiger reserve.

Perhaps, the experts might have said that Nagarahole is the best area for the reproduction of tigers. Therefore, the captured tigers are being released in Kodagu, he added.

He said that the MP and the MLAs representing the district are directly responsible for the loss of lives due to tiger attacks.

Congress party Ponnampet taluk president Miderira Navin and others were present.