Farmers with gun licence cannot cull wild boars, says T.N. Forest Minister

K. Ponmudi. File
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj

Replying to MLAs in the Assembly, including AIADMK’s K.A. Sengottaiyan, who requested that farmers with gun licences be permitted to shoot wild boars, the Minister said the State government had already issued an order regarding the regulated culling of the animal, and it would only be carried out by Forest department officials.

He said there was a Central Act in this regard, and that the State must act with a lot of caution.

The Minister also said the Forest department officials would take measures to remove peafowl eggs to control their population. “The Forest department will take initiatives to keep wild animals in reserve forest areas,” he emphasised.

The Leader of the House Duraimurugan said a reserve forest would be meaningless if animals like tigers, wild boars, peacocks, elephants, and others were culled.