Govt yet to get report on list of vermins from forest dept:Min

Goa government is yet to receive response from State Forest department on the animals categorised as 'vermins', months after it included wild bison and peacock in the proposed list.
"Forest department is yet to submit us the detailed report on the vermins. Once we receive it, it would be placed before State Wildlife Board (SWB)," state Forest Minister Rajendra Arlekar told reporters here today.
The government had faced severe criticism after state agriculture minister Ramesh Tawadkar earlier this year had admitted that wild bison (Gaur) and peacocks were in the proposed list of vermin animals.
Concerns were raised by environmentalists and people that the move will lead to mass culling of the national bird.

Arlekar said the department has taken assessment of animals who cause damage to agricultural crops.
"The feedback is also obtained from the farmers. Once we get the report, the state Wildlife Board will discuss it before forwarding it to the central wildlife board for the final approval," he said.
The minster, however, clarified that wild bison and peacock are listed in the Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act.
Several groups of farmers had made representations to government proposing names of four wildanimals-- Wild Boar, Red faced Monkey,Langur Moneky and Porcupine -- that could be declared as vermins.