Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-02-21

Increasing of the compensation paid for deaths under the compensation scheme on wild elephant damages

- As a result of a death of a person, due to a wild elephant attack the dependants of the person finds themselves in a helpless situation. In such a calamity, payment of a justifiable compensation to the dependants of the deceased would provide relief at least to a certain extent. Recently, the Cabinet has granted approval to increase the limits of the compensation paid to persons who die of such incidents and the damages caused to house and property. Amending the methodology for payment of compensation further, the proposal made by Hon. Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, the Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, to increase the compensation paid in the case of a death of a person or permanent disability due to wild elephant attack from Rs.200,000/- to Rs.500,000/-, was approved by the Cabinet.