Agartala, July 31, 2025: In a bid to address long-standing grievances of elephant-repelling volunteers, Tribal Welfare Minister and Krishnapur MLA Bikash Debbarma held a crucial meeting on July 28 last at the Krishnapur Mandal office in Teliamura. The minister assured the volunteers of resolving their financial and administrative issues, acknowledging their crucial role in protecting lives and property from wild elephant incursions.

The meeting was attended by 42 volunteers, Mandal Vice-President Gopal Das, Khowai District Minority Front President Rashid Mia and other mandal leaders.

The volunteers voiced concerns about inadequate and delayed salaries despite their dangerous duties in forest-adjacent villages. “We have been working for years at great personal risk, but our remuneration is not only insufficient it’s often delayed,” one of the volunteers said.

Recognizing their hardship, Minister Debbarma said, “The current government believes in human values. These volunteers are an invaluable asset to the government and society. We give importance to their fair demands and are taking steps to ensure their salaries are timely and reasonable.”

During the meeting, the Minister directly contacted senior officials of the Forest Department and recommended increasing the monthly allowance for each volunteer to over Rs 5,000. He also instructed officials to streamline administrative processes to eliminate payment delays.

Wild elephant attacks have been a recurring threat in villages bordering the forested areas of Teliamura subdivision. While the issue was largely overlooked in the past, the present government has appointed local volunteers to tackle the crisis.

Local members present at the meeting welcomed the minister’s initiative. “This is a reflection of the government’s humane and responsible approach,” said one local leader.