Monkeys on Shimla’s Mall Road. The Centre has, on state’s request, declared monkeys as vermin within Shimla MC limits, paving the way for their scientific culling. Below (left): A farmer with rifle in his fields at Cheog, 40km from Shimla, after the state government had allowed them to kill monkeys. (Express Photo by Lalit Kumar) Monkeys on Shimla’s Mall Road. The Centre has, on state’s request, declared monkeys as vermin within Shimla MC limits, paving the way for their scientific culling. Below (left): A farmer with rifle in his fields at Cheog, 40km from Shimla, after the state government had allowed them to kill monkeys. (Express Photo by Lalit Kumar)

The Centre on Tuesday said it has not allowed culling of any species posing a threat to farmers, but said wild boar, nilgai and monkeys have been placed in Schedule V of the Wild Life Protection Act that allows people to drive them away in specific areas.

Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, his first as a Minister of State for Environment and Forest, Anil Dave said Bihar, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh had requested to include “problematic wild animals” in schedule V in accordance with section 62 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972.

Accordingly, nilgai has been placed in the category in 31 and wild boar in 10 districts of Bihar. Wild boars have been placed in Schedule V in 13 districts of Uttarkhand for a year.

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The order was issued in December 2015 for Bihar and in February 2016 for Uttarakhand.

A similar order was issued for Shimla in Himachal Pradesh in March this year for a period of six months where in a species of monkey (Rhesus Maccaque) was placed in the category. A similar order was extended in 10 districts of the state on May 24 for a year.

“I want to clarify that the Centre has not given any order to cull animals, nor has any state government has asked permission for it,” Dave said.

With certain animals brought in Schedule V, this, the minister said, gives them the right “to drive the animal with a stick”.

After the issue of compensation and man-animal conflict was raised, Minister said the matter could be given a thought with sensitivity

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