Assam Speeds Up Wildlife Ex-Gratia Disbursal to 48 Hours, Adds 69 New 'Gajmitra' Teams

Guwahati: Moving swiftly ahead of the vulnerable harvesting season, the Assam government has formally tightened its operational rules for wildlife conflict. The state has cut the mandatory deadline for disbursing ex-gratia compensation to the next of kin of individuals killed in human-elephant conflicts from 72 hours down to 48 hours.

The fast-tracked timeline follows a high-level review meeting chaired by Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah at Aranya Bhawan alongside senior forest officials and Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs). Under the updated guidelines, the compensation amount of ₹6 lakh for the loss of human life must be processed and released within two days.

“Compensation of ₹6 lakh for loss of human life is to be released within two days, while ₹8,000 per bigha for crop damage is to be disbursed within three to four days,” Mallabaruah confirmed following the meeting.

Dedicated central accounts have been operationalized across all 35 districts, giving District Commissioners (DCs) direct authorization to clear the funds immediately following joint assessments by local administrative and Forest Department teams.

Beyond accelerating financial relief, the state is rapidly deploying structural field defenses as the high-risk November-to-March migratory period begins. The government announced it will nearly double its frontline community-based monitoring footprint, expanding the number of active Gajmitra teams from 81 to at least 150.

These expanded 13-member units will pair 10 local volunteers with 3 dedicated Forest Department personnel. The departmental members will be explicitly freed from routine office responsibilities to focus strictly on community tracking, early warning monitoring, and elephant-driving maneuvers.

To maintain the community network, local Gajmitra volunteers will receive a monthly allowance of ₹1,000. The new units are scheduled to become fully operational following localized training modules.

The twin strategies—coupling immediate financial assistance with scaled-up grassroots tracking—aim to mitigate escalating friction. Data highlights the urgency, with official state records noting over 1,100 human fatalities stemming from animal conflicts over the past decade.

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