Peacock off proposed vermin list, Bison under review: Goa BJP

Panaji, Feb 20: Ruling BJP today said Peacock has been removed from the proposed list of vermins in Goa while a decision on including Indian Bison in the category of nuisance animals is still under consideration.

The statement comes in the wake of a recent report that the national bird and Indian Bison (Gaur) were among animals proposed to be listed as vermins, making them easier to cull. The government move had drawn flak from activists and environmentalists besides opposition Congress, which dubbed the proposal as "suicidal".

"Peacock is deleted from the list but other names are being considered. Gaur is still on the (proposed) list and its deletion is being considered," BJP Goa unit president Vinay Tendulkar told reporters today. He said the government has listed out nuisance animals after receiving complaints from farmers about crop damage caused by them.

Responding to a question, he said the process to declare any animal as vermin is a lengthy one. "It is not an overnight process. It's a long process. Everyone has to be taken into confidence before taking the decision," Tendulkar said.

"We would like to point out that Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Pratapsingh Rane himself had raised the issue on the floor of the House in the past wherein he had demanded that Bison be declared as a nuisance animal," Tendulkar said.

PTI