The forest department has slammed the Union railway ministry for not releasing a promised Rs 15 crore grant for a proposed elephant management project at the foothills of Rangsar under Bounsi block in Banka district (249km from Patna).

The state does not have a elephant rehabilitation centre. There have been a number of human-elephant conflicts in the bordering parts of eastern Bihar like Banka and Jamui. On Saturday, an elephant was shot down in Purnea by the forest and environment department after it had killed three people.

"Large-scale deforestation near the Jharkhand border has forced elephants to enter Bihar's territories in search of food," said Pritam Kumar, a Banka-based social activist. "However, that often leads to huge loss of public property and casualty for which the government has to bear the compensation."

The divisional forest officer of Banka, A.K. Tiwari, on Monday told The Telegraph that the department had prepared a blueprint in 2013 for the rehabilitation centre. He said the forest department had reached an agreement with railways to hand over land near the Mandarhill-Hansdiha railway line.

"Three years have passed since the land was handed over. However, we are yet to receive the proposed sum," said Tiwari. He said the matter was even discussed in the Banka district magistrate Nilesh Deore's project-monitoring meeting last week.

Tiwari said: "There was a proposal to provide shelter to around 100 elephants. There are two check dams in the loc ality that can provide ample water for the tuskers. "