The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Centre's help sought for catching monkeys

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Centre's help sought for catching monkeys

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 22. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) member, Padma Devender Reddy, created a mild flutter in the Assembly on Tuesday by stating that nearly 100 persons who recently consumed the milk of a buffalo, that was bitten by a dog and died subsequently, in her constituency of Ramayampet in Medak district, were battling for life.

She raised the issue to drive home the point that the anti-rabies vaccine was not available in most Government hospitals.

Raising the problem of monkey menace in villages during question hour, Ms. Reddy said it aggravated the problems of farmers on account of drought. The anti-rabies vaccine which was also used to treat monkeybite was not available for their treatment. As a result, villagers were fleeing en masse.

Ms. Reddy said a person demanded Rs. 5 lakhs to catch monkeys in Ramayampet village. The gram panchayat was in no position to meet the demand.

The Forest Minister, S. Vijayaramaraju, said the forest staff had caught 6,132 monkeys last year and released them in the forest. Realising that the business of catching monkeys was linked to funds, the Government had sought an assistance of Rs. 6.5 crores from the Centre. The State Government had released Rs. 1 crore pending Central assistance.

There were peals of laughter when the Speaker, K.R. Suresh Reddy, asked the Minister to shoulder the responsibility of catching monkeys.

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