By IANS,
Shimla : Selective killing of nilgai (blue bulls) has been allowed in several villages located in the lower Shivaliks in Himachal Pradesh as their exploding population is endangering crops, a minister said here Friday.
“To tackle the menace of the blue bulls, we have allowed their selective killing by the people in Kangra, Bilaspur, Una, Solan and Sirmaur districts,” Forest Minister J.P. Nadda said during the question hour in the state assembly.
He said a notification in this regard was issued March 2.
“Over the past few years, the farmers had been complaining about the havoc created by the blue bulls. They were demanding their killing. Like the selective killing of monkeys, wild boars, jackals, hare, black bears and parrots, the government has allowed the execution of blue bulls,” he said while replying to a question by legislator Mukesh Agnihotri.
The minister said only the affected people would carry out the killing of the blue bull.
“The forest department would not execute the killing of the animal. It would only dispose of the carcasses,” the minister added.
According to the government’s notification, the area divisional forest officer and range officers have been authorised to issue permits for killing the blue bull.
“The one-time licence would be issued for four weeks, during which a maximum of two blue bulls can be killed” by one person, said the notification.