Nepali Jumbos on government payroll

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Nepali Jumbos on govt payroll

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Surya Prakash Kandel

Narayangarh, April 23:

 

Ever heard of 'elephant bureaucrats'? Well, there are 80 elephants on the

payroll of our government. Like their human counterparts, they too get

posted, transferred and paid for their services. They even have their

official quarters.

 

As there aren't any ATM counters or cards of elephantine proportions, these

jumbos get rations instead of cards.

 

The practice of 'hiring' jumbos as government employees began 70 years ago.

These jumbos are stationed in six hattisars (elephant breeding centres)

across the country. Officials at the Chitwan National Park said the

practice of employing elephants dates back to the Rana period.

 

Subba at the Sauraha hattisar Rameshwar Chaudhary said each jumbo employee

on government payroll gets 15 kilos of paddy, one-and-half kilos of jaggery

and 25 grams of salt every day. Baby elephants are given milk and rice pudding.

 

The elephants work in and around the park. At times, they are sent to

places as far away as Kathmandu. They also guard several checkpoints of the

park.

 

The park officials at the Kasra elephant breeding centre maintain a

register of where which elephant is posted and for what purpose.