Compensation for crocodile victim

Kendrapada, Dec 4 (UNI) After more than a year the family of a woman who had been killed by salt water crocodile inside the Bhitarkanika National Park, finally received a compensation of Rs 1 lakh from the forest department under Wild life Protection Act, 1972.

Forest officials said Chhaila Parida(33), wife of Sarbeswar Parida, a resident of Banabiharipur within the Bhitarkanika National Park was killed when a crocodile attacked her on July 27 last year while she was crossing a river.

Later the villagers fished out the body of woman from the creek.

Her husband Sarbeswar Parida, lodged an FIR with the Rajnagar police station and brought the matter before the Divisional Forest Office of Rajnagar.

According to Rajnagar Divisional Forest Officer A K Jena the victim's family member produced all the relevant documents before the state forest department to claim the compensation amount. The state forest department, on last Friday, provided Rs 1 lakh as compensation amount to the next kin of the victim.

Mr Jena said, earlier the state Forest department had given Rs 10,000 as compensation amount to the next kin of the victims killed by salt water crocodile. But since 2004 the compensation amount has been increased to Rs 1 lakh.

Officials claimed that since 1999 at least 9 people had been killed and 19 others injured critically by crocodile attack. In majority of the cases more than 16 feet long male crocodiles were found responsible for the tragic incident.

UNI XC-DP KK SS1654