From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jul 15: The State Government has prepared a Rs 109.37 crore comprehensive project to check the man-elephant conflict in various corridors covering 15 districts of Karnataka.

Forest Minister B Ramanath Rai gave this information in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly during question hour on Monday.

Replying to a question from BJP member A Ravi Subrmanya, he said the proeject would be implemented in the next five years to deal with the issue of man-elephant conflict.

The districts in which the comprehensive  project is being implemented are in Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban, Mandya, Mysore, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar, Chikmagalur, Uttara Kannada, Hassan, Ramanagaram, Tumkur, Shimoga, Dakshina Kannada, Belgaum and Dharwad.

Former speaker and BJP member K G Bopaiah alleged that the government had done nothing for prevention of man-elephant conflict in Kodagu district.

An amount of Rs 30 crore had been allotted in the State budget for 2013-14, he said.
He said the State Governmet has to take steps on a war-footing to tackle man-elephant conflict,.

An expert committee will be set up to study the extent of deemed forests in the State and the government will file an affidavit in the Supreme Court based on the committee’s recommendations, he said.
 
In reply to another question from C T Ravi (BJP), the minister said the government would protect the interest of the poor and the farmers while declaring the extent of deemed forests in the State.

The government would file an affidavit in the Apex Court based on the report submitted by the expert committee in about six months, he said.

Earlier, BJP and JD(S) members demanded withdrawal of a list declaring 10.11 lakh hectares deemed forest across the State.

The Department has declared Kans, Kumki, Bane, Kharab lands as deemed forest and thousands of poor and famers would lose their lands if the list was implemented, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar (BJP) said.