Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan questioned the alleged indifference and misplaced priorities of the government, even as six people were killed in man-animal conflicts over the past few days. “It is unfortunate that the indifferent attitude towards people has come out so early in the government’s tenure. Instead of visiting the child injured in a recent elephant attack in Idukki, the forest minister travelled on the Aluva-Munnar cart road to find out if it can be opened,” he added.
Allegations of Negligence
Vijayan claimed that the Rapid Response Team (RRT) had alerted authorities about elephant presence in the area, but the forest department did not take preventive steps. The reaction of the forest minister to these issues is tantamount to mocking people’s lives, he asserted, adding that the government declared compensation only after public outcry.
Compensation Comparison
He noted that when the LDF was in power, it provided Rs 14 lakh as compensation, while the UDF, then in opposition, had promised Rs 21 lakh. “There is no talk of this now,” he remarked. Vijayan also alleged that the UDF did not cooperate with the LDF when it opposed the forest law brought in during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s time.
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