Itanagar / Roing, Arunachal Pradesh – The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee has strongly condemned the state BJP government for what it calls “criminal negligence” in handling the recent tiger attack that claimed the life of a villager near Mayodia in Lower Dibang Valley district. Party leaders have demanded immediate ₹10 lakh ex-gratia compensation and a government job for a member of the deceased’s family.
The attack occurred when the victim, a local farmer, was working in his field close to the forest edge. Forest department officials had received multiple prior alerts about tiger movement in the area, yet no preventive measures—such as early-warning sirens, fencing, habitat diversion, or rapid response deployment—were reportedly put in place.
Congress Leaders’ Sharp Criticism
Addressing a press conference in Itanagar, senior Congress functionaries accused the government of:
- Repeatedly ignoring ground-level warnings from villagers and field staff
- Failing to install even basic conflict mitigation tools despite recurring tiger sightings along roads and near settlements
- Showing insensitivity toward grieving families by delaying relief and compensation
- Prioritising paperwork and meetings over actionable field-level protection
“Time and again we see the same story: alerts are given, nothing is done, and a precious life is lost. This is not wildlife management; this is administrative failure,” said a prominent Congress spokesperson.
The party specifically pointed to the Mayodia Road stretch, where tigers have been frequently sighted and photographed in recent weeks, yet public movement restrictions came only after the tragedy.
Specific Demands Placed Before the Government
The Congress has submitted a formal memorandum demanding:
- Immediate release of ₹10 lakh ex-gratia to the next of kin (higher than the standard ₹5 lakh norm)
- Compassionate government appointment for one eligible family member
- High-level judicial inquiry into the lapses that led to the death
- Suspension of the concerned DFO and Range Officer pending investigation
- Urgent installation of solar-powered sirens, camera traps, and community response teams in all known tiger corridors across Lower Dibang Valley, Papum Pare, East Siang, and Changlang districts
Party workers have warned of statewide protests if the demands are not met within a stipulated timeframe.
Rising Human-Tiger Conflict in Arunachal
The Mayodia incident is the latest in a series of fatal and near-fatal tiger encounters in Arunachal Pradesh over the past 18 months. Activists and opposition parties argue that the state’s rapid infrastructure expansion, habitat fragmentation, and inadequate conflict mitigation planning have sharply increased interface zones between humans and tigers.
Congress leaders reiterated that protecting both human lives and endangered species requires proactive governance—not reactive compensation after tragedies occur.
The state BJP government and Forest Department are yet to issue an official response to the fresh allegations and demands.
Relevant Tags
Mayodia Tiger Attack, Arunachal Congress Demand, Human-Tiger Conflict Arunachal, Lower Dibang Valley Tiger Death, Ex-Gratia Compensation Demand, Govt Job for Victim Family, Wildlife Negligence Allegation, Roing Forest Division, Arunachal Opposition Criticism, Northeast Tiger Incidents
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