SHIMLA: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has agreed to finance various programmes being undertaken by the State Government to check monkey menace in the State and upgrade Monkey Sterilization Centre at Tutikandi in Shimla into a National Level Training Centre.

This was revealed by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, on receipt of consent from the Union Ministry in this regard here on Wednesday.

Chief Minister said that the State Government had initiated various programmes aimed at controlling the increasing population of monkeys in the State which had been hampering the crop cultivation by the farmers. He said that in many areas farmers had left their land holdings uncultivated due to fear of monkeys. He said that different organizations of the farming community had been approaching him to find some solution to this grave problem so as to save the farming activities in the monkey affected rural areas. He said that keeping in view the pressing demand of the farmers, the State Government had convened a high level meeting to solve the problem and deliver relief to the farmers. He said that the State Government experimented setting up of primate park at Taradevi with a view to create natural habitat to the simian. He said that sterilization centres had been set up in Shimla, Hamirpur and Una districts with a view to check the population growth amongst the monkeys.

The State Government had approached the Government of India to help State in checking the monkey menace by funding the projects that state had envisioned. He said that several meetings were held by high officials of the State Government to apprise the Central authorities of the genuine problem the State was facing due to the upheaval caused by monkeys.

He said that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had agreed to develop Tutikandi Centre into a National Level Training Centre for other State Governments, at the cost to be borne by the Government of India. Keeping in view the explicit recognition of the expertise developed by the State in sterlization of monkeys, Monkey Sterilization Centre is coming up at Una at a cost of Rs. 1.90 crore. Financial assistance would be provided for development of Research Projects in the area of primatology as well as monkey census operations, both of which were essential in order to devise a proper strategy for controlling the monkey problem. He said that the Centre has also agreed to fund setting up of additional primate parks in the State on need basis of the local communities.

Chief Minister said that the State Government was committed to protect the interests of the farming community and help them in carrying forward with the modern farming techniques so that farming could emerge as a self employment and employment generating avocation to the rural masses in real sense. He said that wild animal and monkey menace had been hampering the farming activities in the affected areas which would regain momentum once the menace was checked effectively. H

e assured the farmers of the State that the State Government would be making all out efforts to get them rid of monkey and wild animal menace in the near future since the same figured at priority agenda of the State Government.