Even as villagers held a road blockade today over the death of 13 year old boy in a leopard attack in Shirur taluka of Pune district, Shirur MP Amol Kolhe who led the protestors demanded that shoot at sight orders for man-eating leopards should be issued or else the cremation of the kid will not take place. The district administration said it has already issued the order to shoot down the leopard involved in mauling the kid and was confident that the villagers will lift their blockade.
Till late in the evening, the protest was underway, affecting the flow of traffic on Pune-Nashik Highway. When contacted, District Collector Jitendra Dudi said,”Last evening itself I have already given the permission to shoot down the leopard.”
The collector said,”Senior officials have reached the spot and are holding dialogue with the protestors. We hope we will be able to convince the protestors by late evening….The traffic flow has been restored.”
Thirteen year old Rohan Bombe, the son of a farmer from Pimparkhed village, was playing in the open space outside his house. Around 3.45 pm on Saturday, the leopard attacked and fatally injured him. After the incident, villagers set ablaze a forest department vehicle and also the office of the Rapid Response Force set up in the village in response to multiple incidents of human-leopard conflict.
Speaking to reporters in Shirur, Kolhe said,”The protestors have lost their patience due to consistent leopard attacks. How long can the villagers hold patience ? The district administration does not want to take cognisance of the protest. No top official, MLA or the minister has turned up to hear the grievance of the protestors and a take firm stand in the matter.”
The Shirur MP said,”We have been told that the Forest Minister has organised a meeting in this regard tomorrow. But what is regrettable is no top official has been invited. And therefore we are demanding that Forest Minister himself should come to spot and see for himself the situation that exists. Only after that he should hold a meeting. This is because there is vast gap between the briefing from the officials and the situation that exists.”
Stating that in last few years, the leopards have claim 56 lives, Kolhe said, ”And in the last one month, four incidents of leopard attacks have taken place in which three kids have died. The administration is testing the patience of the villagers.”
Demanding that the man-eater leopard should be removed from Schedule One, the MP said, “Even after 56 deaths, if man-eater leopards are not removed Schedule One, then it reflects the inefficiency of the forest officials. In this man-leopard conflict, the leopards should be either re-located or man-eater leopards should be shot down,” he said.
He said there are over 1000-1200 leopards in four talukas of Khed, Ambegaon, Junnar and Shirur of Pune district. “If we consider 400 are females and each of them given births to four, then you can imagine how the population of the leopards will grow. And therefore it is necessary to take strong action in the matter.”
The protestors said that despite 27 hours after the incident Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is not taking any concrete action. ”We want a strong plan of action as to how the government aims to tackle this menace,” Kolhe said, eching the sentiments of the villagers.
Kolhe said he had in the morning demanded that leopard should be shot dead. ”I have heard that officials have been permission to shoot down the leopard. I welcome the decision. However, so far, nothing has happened,” he said.
The NCP (S-P) said the family has taken a decision that till justice is done, they will not create the kid. ”Therefore the administration should initiate quick action in this matter,” he said.
Kolhe said villagers are perpetually living in fear. ”But if the officials have decided in act sitting in their air-conditioned offices, then the villagers will be left with no option but to intensify the agitation,” he said.
Kolhe said villagers have been trying to get in touch with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar but he has remained out of bounds. ”The villagers have no clue as to what happened to the instructions given by Ajit Pawar in his last meeting regarding the leopard menace. Ajit Pawar should look into this matter meticulously,” he said.
Urging the govt to make the leopard menace should be made a part of state disaster plan besides carrying out their vasectomies, the MP said, ”If this is done, the forest department will get necessary infrastructure and manpower equired to tackle the problem,” he said.
Stating that if the Forest Minister was helpless, then he would blame the officials for not updating him in a proper way, Kolhe said. ”We reiterate that Forest Minister should not hold a meeting for the sake of holding meeting. He should review the situation on the ground and come up with concrete action plan,” he said.
Kolhe said if the government does not take concrete action, then the villagers will take their agitation to the Varsha bungalow of Chief Minister. ”We will take our morcha to the CM’s bungalow in Mumbai
Shirur MP Amol Kolhe (Express Photo by Ashish Kale) 
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