Kolkata/Jhargram: Odisha tigress Zeenat's 10-day outing in Bengal and the operation to capture the big cat cost the Bengal forest department around Rs 35 lakh.
After her captured and recovery, Zeenat reached Similipal Tiger Reserve around 6 am on Wednesday and her soft release was carried out around 7 am. "This time, we plan to release her in Similipal south," said Odisha chief wildlife warden Prem Kumar Jha.
The bills from three divisions of Jhargram, Bankura south and Purulia were still being compiled and a final figure would be given shortly, said a source. The maximum expenditure was reportedly incurred in Bankura south division, where the tigress was captured at Gosaindihi village on Dec 29.
Bengal's forest minister Birbaha Hansda said the entire operation, which involved more than 170 forest personnel, saw an expenditure of close to Rs 35 lakh. According to an official, the expenses were incurred mainly under the heads of nylon net installation, hiring of locals as labourers to conduct patrolling mostly at night, the lean hours, hiring of generators to illuminate LED lights in the operational area where Zeenat was caught, transportation charges, food expenses and hiring of three earth mover machines.
According to a source, staff on the payroll of the department, who participated in the operation, will not be paid extra apart from their transportation and sustenance costs.
"Though no additional nylon net had to be procured as we have enough in our inventory due to its extensive use in the Sundarbans, their installation and relocation to various locations led to the bulk of the expenditure. Another significant chunk of expenditure was from hiring locals as labourers to conduct patrolling along the nets. Generators, hiring of three earth movers, tiffin charges of those involved in the operation are some of the other expenses," said a source, adding compensation would also be paid to villagers for the goats Zeenat killed in Purulia's Raika hills. Though the operation was conducted predominantly in Jhargram, Bankura south and Purulia divisions, staff from the nearby divisions, too, were called.
Asked who would bear the cost, an official said: "The cost is not huge. We are proud we could rescue the tigress. We can manage the expenditure from the funds allotted by the state to the forest department." Hansda thanked the department, administration, police, panchayat and locals for their support.