Assam Raises Human-Wildlife Conflict Compensation to ₹6 Lakh

Guwahati: The Assam government has increased ex-gratia compensation for deaths caused by human-wildlife conflict to ₹6 lakh and directed district authorities to disburse the amount to the deceased’s next of kin within 48 to 72 hours. According to a notification issued by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, ₹4 lakh will be provided under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and ₹2 lakh through the SOPD-G fund.

Under the revised procedure, forest officials and district authorities will verify the incident and the family’s eligibility before releasing the compensation. The government has also clarified that a post-mortem report will not be mandatory for payment under SDRF norms, except in cases involving legal, criminal, suspicious or medico-legal issues where the competent authority considers it necessary.