No compensation paid to Wayanad farmer household: Minister

Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Monday clarified to the Legislative Council that Karnataka has not paid any ex-gratia quantity to the household of a farmer from Wayanad who was trampled by an elephant.

His clarification got here after members from the Opposition accused the federal government of discriminating in awarding compensation in man-animal conflicts.

The problem of Karnataka offering compensation to a Wayanad farmer after a nudge from Chief of Opposition within the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who previously represented Wayanad, had come underneath criticism.

The Minister, who was responding in a debate on two elephants deaths in South Canara, clarified: “I’m conscious that you’ve been trolling us on social media platforms. Now we have not paid a single paisa to the Kerala household.”