Will the Rajasthan government really provide Rs 10 lakh compensation for human-wildlife conflict deaths?
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Jaipur, Feb 3 (NationPress) – The government of Rajasthan, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of individuals who tragically lose their lives in incidents of human–wildlife conflict. This was confirmed by the Minister of State for Forests and Environment (Independent Charge), Sanjay Sharma, during a session in the Assembly on Tuesday.
During the Question Hour, Sharma reassured that residents living in villages within the Karauli Tiger Reserve Sanctuary will not be forcibly relocated.
As per a government directive from 2022, the compensation amount for deaths resulting from wildlife attacks was previously set at Rs 5 lakh. However, acknowledging the seriousness of these incidents, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has sanctioned an increase in this amount to Rs 10 lakh.
Amendments to the relevant regulations are in progress, and the updated compensation amount will be implemented shortly.
In response to supplementary inquiries from MLA Jaswant Singh Gurjar, the minister explained that compensation does not apply to villagers cultivating barren land within the reserve area under current departmental policies.
Additionally, Sharma mentioned that a committee has been established to identify the Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) in the Dholpur–Karauli region, following directives from the Supreme Court. The findings of this committee were submitted to the apex court, leading to the official notification of the CTH.
Regarding wildlife incidents, the minister reported a recent event where a tigress in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar died after being injured in a confrontation with another tigress. A post-mortem was conducted in accordance with established protocols, and the animal was given a respectful cremation.
Earlier, in a written response to the initial question, Sharma indicated that the voluntary relocation of villages from the Critical Tiger Habitat in Dholpur–Karauli has not commenced.
He reiterated that if any voluntary displacement occurs in the future within the Karauli Tiger Reserve, particularly in areas of the Bari Assembly constituency, compensation will be awarded strictly following the guidelines set by the state government and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) as per the notifications issued on November 2, 2002; February 21, 2008; and July 24, 2025.