Saving the farmers

in a bid to "protect the farmers' crops", the Digvijay Singh Cabinet has decided to give permission for the hunting and killing of neelgai (blue bulls) in some parts of Madhya Pradesh. The districts of Datia, Bhind, Morena, Gwalior, Chhattarpur and Tikamgarh have been increasingly coming under the attacks of Neelgais whose numbers have risen sharply over the last several years.

Desperate farmers from these districts had earlier voiced repeated demands that either the government compensate them for the damaged crops or give them permission to kill the animals.

Considering that the compensation amount would run into several crores, the government has instead given the farmers the permission to kill the animals.

Stating that similar steps have been taken by the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, the state government pointed out: "Neelgais do not even remotely belong to the cow family." Moreover, they have been posing a serious threat to crops.