PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has asked officials to expedite procedures to declare wild boar as vermin and to settle land rights in forested areas in the State.
The chief minister was speaking to reporters after chairing a review meeting with forest department officials on various issues at the Secretariat on Monday.
Stating that people have been facing severe problems due to the presence of wild boars, Sawant said: “The government has begun with the process to declare wild boar as vermin. I have asked officials to expedite this process.”
He said there had been growing incidents of human-wildlife conflict in many parts of the State and added that the government has been trying to resolve the issue.
The chief minister also chaired a comprehensive review meeting with forest department officials on various reforms to be initiated, including e-governance initiatives, recruitments, forest rights cases and other issues.
Stating the issue of land rights would also be expedited, Sawant said a survey would be conducted with the land survey department to address issues pertaining to land rights in forested areas.
People from Sattari have regularly clashed with forest officials over claims to land rights in forested areas and the exclusion of their villages from the wildlife sanctuary limits.
The Goa State Wildlife Board had recommended to the National Wildlife Board (NWB) to declare wild boar as vermin, on account of considerable damage to agriculture in the State.
Incidentally, poaching of wild boar occurs frequently in the western ghat areas where wild boars are in large numbers. Wild boar meat is officially banned but is considered a delicacy in the State.
The governments of Uttarakhand and Bihar had declared wild boar as vermin in 2016. Section 62 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act empowers the Central government to issue notifications declaring any wild animal, other than those specified in Schedule I and part II of Schedule II, as vermin.
