Relatives of a 12-year-old boy, critically injured in a bear attack, has sought compensation from the state government, saying that this is the time when they need it the most as the money can be used for the treatment of the boy.
While money is always welcome in a poor family like ours, the relief should be paid to the victim when it is needed the most, said Bashir Ahmad, brother of Manzoor Ahmad Bumla of Ahlan-Fatan village who is recuperating at a government hospital after he was attacked by the animal on September 28 this year.
"There should have been a mechanism under which a victim of wild animal attacks be given immediate relief to meet the medical expenditure," he said.
"Nobody (from the government) came forward to help us financially for the treatment. I am working as a labourer in Srinagar and lost my working days. Whatever money I had saved for the coming winter has almost exhausted," Bashir claimed.
Bashir claimed that he had approached the village sarpanch for some relief from the government, but to no avail.
"He refused to even pursue our case on the plea that he is not authorised," Bashir said.
Reacting to a recent statement of the Minister for Urban Development Nawang Rigzin Jora that Rs 2.40 crore has been paid as compensation to victims of man-animal conflict over the past five years, Bashir said, "When does the government pay this compensation money? We need it right now as I am not in a position to pay for all the treatment of Manzoor."
Manzoor, a Class 5 student hailing from Ahlan-Fatan village, was leaving for school when the beast pounced on him near his house in South Kashmir Kokernag constituency.
"Profusely bleeding, the boy somehow managed to escape from the clutches of the bear and enter the house of a neighbour (500 yards away), who informed his family and took him to the sub-district hospital in Kokernag. From there, he was referred to a hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment," Bashir said.
The man-animal conflict in Jammu and Kashmir is on the rise with dozens of attacks reported every year. In Kupwara district alone, over 100 cases were reported in the past three years.
On September 17 this year, the state government enhanced the compensation to Rs three lakh in cases of loss of human life, Rs 90,000 for those grievously injured and Rs 15,000 for minor injuries in the man-animal conflict.
The decision to this effect was taken at the third meeting of the State Board for Wildlife chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
