FOR A COMMON CAUSE - Monkeys bring MLAs
together in the assembly
Chennai:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
|
MLAs cutting across party lines expressed concern about monkeys in hill temples in various constituencies and wanted the forest department to release them into forest areas.Melur MLA P Selvam urged the government to save the monkeys in Alagarkoil near Madurai as many devotees were throwing food and snacks for them.
In the absence of such food, the monkeys enter villages nearby and ransack houses.The issue was also raised by deputy speaker Pollachi Jayaraman and DMK MLA Thangam Thennarasu.
“En route to Alagarkoil, there are reserve forests and several devotees come to the temple each day . They feed the monkeys with fruits, puffed rice and coconut. When monkeys don't get the food, they go in search of it by entering houses in nearby villages and ransacking them,“ said Selvam. He wanted the forest department to catch the monkeys and leave them inside forests either in the same area or some other place.
“The MLA has done good research on monkeys and I thank him for that. We will ask officials to visit the area and take necessary steps,“ said forest minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan.
In a supplementary question, Jayaraman said he was not able to visit his family temple at Koovakapatti village in Dindigul district. “There are rogue monkeys in this village and they prevent us from worshipping in the temple.Will the government take steps to catch them?“ asked Jayaraman. The minister once again promised to take steps to free villages from monkeys. Thennarasu wanted the government to increase the salary of anti-poaching officials as they get only `6,500 per month. The minister promised to look into the issue.
In the absence of such food, the monkeys enter villages nearby and ransack houses.The issue was also raised by deputy speaker Pollachi Jayaraman and DMK MLA Thangam Thennarasu.
“En route to Alagarkoil, there are reserve forests and several devotees come to the temple each day . They feed the monkeys with fruits, puffed rice and coconut. When monkeys don't get the food, they go in search of it by entering houses in nearby villages and ransacking them,“ said Selvam. He wanted the forest department to catch the monkeys and leave them inside forests either in the same area or some other place.
“The MLA has done good research on monkeys and I thank him for that. We will ask officials to visit the area and take necessary steps,“ said forest minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan.
In a supplementary question, Jayaraman said he was not able to visit his family temple at Koovakapatti village in Dindigul district. “There are rogue monkeys in this village and they prevent us from worshipping in the temple.Will the government take steps to catch them?“ asked Jayaraman. The minister once again promised to take steps to free villages from monkeys. Thennarasu wanted the government to increase the salary of anti-poaching officials as they get only `6,500 per month. The minister promised to look into the issue.
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