Thiruvananthapuram, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has agreed to send the new Wildlife Protection Bill, which seeks to amend some provisions of the Central Act to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in the state, to the President for assent without delay, state Forest Minister AK Sasendran said.
Gov Arlekar has agreed to advance the Wildlife Protection Amendment Bill for President’s assentSasendran, along with Kerala Industries and Law Minister P Rajeev, met the Governor on Wednesday and requested him to forward the bill for the President’s assent.
“His response was very positive, and he has assured us that he will send the bill to the President without delay,” Sasendran told reporters after the meeting.
The Assembly had passed the Wildlife Protection Bill, 2025 in October last year.
The ministers urged the governor to assent to another law that would allow private individuals to cultivate sandalwood on their properties and sell it to the forest department.
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“The wildlife issue falls under the Concurrent List, and states have the power to amend laws in the Concurrent List. Based on this provision, we have introduced new laws. The other bill is an exclusive state law, but we are yet to get the Governor’s assent to it,” said Rajeev.
He said the ministers explained the details of the bill and the relevance of the amendments to the governor, who agreed to examine the matter and take necessary action within two days.
“The definition of the classification of dangerous animals in the Central Act is very vague. No authority is empowered to take immediate action when a wild animal moves into human settlements or agricultural areas and attacks people,” Rajeev said.
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“It is very difficult to follow all the procedures under the law to protect people’s lives and livelihood. That is why we have brought this amendment,” he added.
He said the Forest Minister discussed the matter with the Advocate General and the Cabinet also discussed the matter after taking into consideration various demands and suggestions of various organizations before bringing the amendment in the Central Act.
“As per the amendment, if a wild animal enters a human settlement or farm land, the District Collector can take action based on the circumstances, including ordering the killing of the animal, to protect human life and livelihood,” Rajeev said.
Sasendran said that once the bill becomes a law, it will be very helpful for farmers, especially at high ranges, who are often affected by human-animal conflicts.
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