Pinarayi Vijayan Criticises UDF Government Over Handling of Wild Animal Attacks; Seeks Immediate Aid for Victims

Thiruvananthapuram: Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has demanded that immediate financial assistance be provided to the families of those who have lost their lives in wildanimal attacks and that compensation be granted to farmers whose crops have been destroyed by wild animals. He also called on the state government to adopt a more responsible approach toward the growing issue of wildlife attacks.

Pinarayi Vijayan stated that when the matter was raised recently, the Forest Minister responded casually by saying that "the elephant was unaware of the change in government." He criticized the government's handling of the situation, noting that six people have lost their lives in wildlife attacks across the state within the past two weeks.

The latest incident occurred in Wayanad, where a man identified as Raju from Kattikulam was killed in a wild elephant attack on Wednesday. However, criticism has emerged over the alleged absence of responsible officials and elected representatives at the scene, as well as the lack of any effective mechanism to assess and respond to the situation promptly.

According to the opposition leader, there are existing systems intended to prevent wild animals from entering human settlements and to capture or drive away aggressive animals. He argued that these protective mechanisms have not been deployed effectively since the change in administration, and that the continuing attacks and loss of lives are evidence of this failure.

He emphasized that standing with affected residents and providing them with relief and reassurance is one of the government's primary responsibilities. Any attempt to evade this responsibility, he said, would be anti-people in nature. He further urged the concerned authorities to intervene and take necessary action without delay.