The Maharashtra Payment of Compensation for Loss, Injury or Damage Caused by Wild Animals Act, 2023.

2023 : Mah. XXXVII]  1 
 THE MAHARASHTRA PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION FOR LOSS,  
INJURY OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY WILD ANIMALS ACT, 2023 
[Text as on 18th December 2024] 
_____________ 
CONTENTS 
PREAMBLE. 
SECTIONS.   
 1. Short title and commencement. 
 2. Definitions. 
 3. Compensation for loss or damages caused due to wild animals. 
 4. Procedure for payment of compensation. 
 5. Penalty for false claims or false statement. 
 6. Removal of doubt. 
 7. Protection of acts done in good faith. 
 8. Power to make rules. 
 9. Power to remove difficulties.        
             
             
             
            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2 The Maharashtra Payment of Compensation    [2023 : Mah. XXXVII 
       for Loss, Injury or Damage Caused  
               by Wild Animals Act, 2023 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2023 : Mah. XXXVII]              The Maharashtra Payment of Compensation 3 
        for Loss, Injury or Damage Caused  
         by Wild Animals Act, 2023 
MAHARASHTRA ACT NO. XXXVII OF 20231 
[THE MAHARASHTRA PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION FOR LOSS,  
INJURY OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY WILD ANIMALS ACT, 2023.] 
[This Act received the assent of the Governor on the 12th August 2023; assent was first published, 
 in the Maharashtra Government Gazette, Part IV, on the 14th August 2023.] 
An Act to make special provisions for payment of compensation for loss of  
life of, or injury to, humans and cattle and damage to crops and  
property caused by certain wild animals and for matters  
connected therewith or incidental thereto. 
WHEREAS it is expedient to make special provisions for payment of compensation for loss of 
life of, or injury to, humans and cattle and damage to crops and property caused by certain wild 
animals and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto; it i s hereby ena cted in the  
Seventy-fourth Year of the Republic of India, as follows :— 
1.  Short title and commencement. — (1) This Act may be called the Maharashtra Payment of 
Compensation for Loss, Injury or Damage Caused by Wild Animals Act, 2023.  
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the 
Official Gazette, appoint. 
2.  Definitions.— (1) In this Act, unless the context requires otherwise,—  
(a) “cattle” means cow, buffalo, bullock, sheep, goat and inc ludes such other cattle as the 
State Government may, by notification published in the Official Gazette, specify;  
(b) “legal heir” or “successor” means a person, who as per law is entitled to inherit the 
property of the deceased if he has left any property  at the time of his death and also includes any 
executor or administrator of the deceased;  
(c) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;  
(d) “rules” means the rules made by the State Government under this Act;  
(e) “wild animal” means t iger, leopard, bear, bison, wild pig, jackal, hyena, fox, crocodile, 
elephant, wild dog, deer, nilgai, monkey and langur and includes such other wild animals as the 
State Government may, by notification published in the Official Gazette, specify.  
(2) Words and expressions used in this Act, but not defined hereinabove shall have the same 
meanings as are assigned to them in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (53 of 1972). 
3.  Compensation for loss or damages caused due to wild animals. — (1) The State 
Government shall pay compensation for any injury to, or loss of life of, humans or cattle or damage to 
crops or immovable property caused by certain wild animals to the victims or to their legal heirs as per 
the provisions of this Act.  
(2) The State Government shall pay compensation for the following types of injuries or damages 
caused due to attack of wild animal :—  
(a) loss of human life;  
(b) permanent disability to humans;  
(c) major injury to humans;  
(d) loss of cattle life;  
(e) injury to cattle;  
                                                   
1  For Statement of O bjects and Reasons of the L. A. Bill No. XXVIII of 2023, see Maharashtra Government Gazette  
2023, Extraordinary No. 29, Part V-A, dated the 24th July 2023, page 5. 
4 The Maharashtra Payment of Compensation    [2023 : Mah. XXXVII 
       for Loss, Injury or Damage Caused  
               by Wild Animals Act, 2023 
(f) damage to crops, fruit plants;  
(g) damage to property; or  
(h) any other types of injuries or damages as may be prescribed:  
Provided that, any loss, injury or damage caused by the accident of vehicle due to crossing 
of road by wild animal shall not be considered for compensation under clause ( a), (b), (c), (d) or 
(e).  
(3) The rates of compensation payable under this Act shall be such as may be specified by the 
State Government by notification published in the Official Gazette. The State Government may specify 
different rates of compensation for different types of injuries to humans and cattle or damage to crops, 
fruit plants and property by different wild animals. 
4.  Procedure for payment of compensation. — (1) An application for the compensation 
payable under this Act shall be made by such persons to such Authority in such form and manner and 
within such time, as may be prescribed.  
(2) The Authority shall, after receipt of an application for compensation unde r sub-section ( 1), 
complete in all respects, make an enquiry in such manner as may be prescribed. The Authority shall, 
after making an enquiry, forward the application alongwith his report thereon to such Sanctioning 
Authority, as may be prescribed.  
(3) The Sanctioning Authority shall, after considering the application alongwith the documents 
annexed thereto and the report of the Authority, either sanction the compensation payable under this 
Act or reject the same, after recording reasons therefor in writing:  
Provided that, no application for compensation shall be rejected by the Sanctioning Authority 
unless an opportunity of hearing is given to the applicant.  
(4) The compensation shall be paid to the applicant within a period of thirty days of receipt of  the 
application, complete in all respects. Any delay in any payment of compensation after such thirty days 
shall be liable for payment of interest on the compensation at such rate as may be prescribed. 
5.  Penalty for false claims or false statement. — If any person makes any false claim for 
compensation under this Act or makes any false statement before the concerned authorities under this 
Act, then he shall be liable for penalty of rupees one thousand. The Sanctioning Authority shall impose 
and recover the penalty in such cases. The penalty shall be recovered as arrears of land revenue.  
6.  Removal of doubt. — For the removal of doubts, it is hereby declared that nothing contained 
in this Act shall apply in respect of claims of compensation made prior to t he date of commencement 
of this Act.  
7.  Protection of acts done in good faith.— No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall 
lie against the Government, any officer or the authority of the Government or any person for anything 
which is done, or intended to be done in good faith under this Act or the rules or orders made 
thereunder.  
8.  Power to make rules. — (1) The State Government may, by notification in the  
Official Gazette, make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act. 
(2) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be, after it is made, before each 
House of the State Legislature, while it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be 
comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session 
in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, both Houses agree in making any 
modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, and notify such decision 
in the Official Gazette , the rule shall, from the date of such notification, have effect only in such 
modified form or be of no effect as the case may be; so, however that, any such modification or 
2023 : Mah. XXXVII]              The Maharashtra Payment of Compensation 5 
        for Loss, Injury or Damage Caused  
         by Wild Animals Act, 2023 
annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything pre viously done or omitted to be done 
under that rule. 
9.  Power to remove difficulties. — (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions 
of this Act, the State Government may, as occasion arises, by an order published in the  
Official Gazette, do anything not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, which appears to it to be 
necessary or expedient for the purposes of removing the difficulty:  
Provided that, no such order shall be made after the expiry of the period of two years from the 
date of commencement of this Act.  
(2) Every order made under sub -section ( 1) shall be laid, as soon as may be, after it is made, 
before each House of the State Legislature. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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