Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik on Tuesday announced in the Legislative Assembly that the state government has drafted a proposal to provide permanent government jobs to the next of kin of citizens killed in wild animal attacks. The decision will take effect immediately upon receiving clearance from the state cabinet.

Key Announcements in the Assembly

In an unusual measure aimed at keeping carnivores within forest limits, Minister Naik also announced plans to set up rabbit farms modelled after poultry farms, alongside an aggressive fast-tracking of deer species breeding. The intent is to ensure predators find sufficient prey inside forest boundaries and do not stray into human settlements.

The announcements came during a discussion on a calling-attention motion raised by MLAs Atul Bhatkhalkar, Sudhir Mungantiwar, and others, triggered in part by a recent incident in Chandrapur district where four women harvesting Tendu leaves were killed by a tiger.

Scale of the Crisis

According to Minister Naik, 55 fatalities have been reported across the state due to wildlife attacks. The government has identified 10 highly sensitive districts and approved an action plan worth ₹260 crore to address the escalating conflict.

MLA Bhatkhalkar noted that human-wildlife conflict is no longer sporadic but has become an almost daily crisis across Maharashtra's forest-fringe communities.

Socio-Economic Dimension

Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar highlighted the stark socio-economic divide, pointing out that while wealthy tourists pay thousands for a glimpse of tigers, poor residents living on forest fringes are losing their lives. Wadettiwar demanded that surplus tigers be relocated and that apex predator density be matched to each forest's actual carrying capacity.

Expansion of Forest Zones and Relocation Plan

In response, Minister Naik outlined a comprehensive expansion strategy. A new Tadoba-style forest zone spanning 5,500 hectares will be developed in Nashik to ease pressure on existing reserves. Over the next 42 months, several new sanctuaries will be established to systematically redistribute roughly 450 tigers.

Extensive bamboo plantations will serve as bio-fences to prevent animals from entering human settlements. Preparations are underway across Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Satara, Kolhapur, and parts of the Marathwada region.

Faster Compensation for Affected Families

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudhir Mungantiwar flagged bureaucratic delays in disbursing compensation, noting that families rarely receive relief within the mandated 30-day window due to slow fund releases from the Finance Department. He demanded the implementation of a Negative Authorisation system to bypass this bottleneck.

Minister Naik accepted the demand, announcing that emergency relief funds will henceforth be directly accessible at the District Collector's level — a structural change aimed at ensuring compensation reaches victimised families without administrative delays.

With the cabinet clearance pending and multiple policy shifts announced in a single session, the coming weeks will test whether Maharashtra can translate legislative intent into on-ground relief for its most vulnerable forest-fringe communities.