Himachal Government on Tuesday said that over 75,000 monkeys in the State have been sterilised to check their population and save the crops of the farmers.
“Till now seven sterilisation centres have been set up by the State Government and over 75,000 monkeys have been sterilised,” Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri informed the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in the Winter Session.
He assured that a comprehensive policy is on the anvil to tackle the wild animal menace in the State. The Minister was replying to a resolution moved by senior BJP MlA Gulab Singh Thakur on the destruction of crops by wild animals.
“We need to rise above party line and think the problem in bigger perspective,” said Agnihotri. He added that the high court has put a stay on culling ordered by the previous State Government and now the Government is moving forward to get the stay on culling vacated.
Monkey problem has resulted with rural area not sowing the seeds leading to low cultivation of crop in the State. “To check monkey menace, fruit bearing trees will be planted in the forest as data shows that large number of monkey population has migrated from forests to urban or human habitat areas,” said Agnihotri.
“This is a multi-dimensional problem and needs to be dealt multi-dimensionally and with prolong strategy,” said Agnihotri.
Earlier, Gulab Singh Thakur said that people are fed up with the problem and crop is being destroyed in large-scale in the State. leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal also participated in the debate and said that during previous BJP Government discussions were underway with Central Government to export the monkeys to different countries but now the talks are on hold and State Government should reconsider the initiative and take up the matter with the Centre.