Tigers venturing out of forests will be captured and relocated to other forests: Karnataka Chief Minister

In the wake of complaints about tigers making their way out of forests around Mysuru region, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that the Forest Department will capture such tigers and relocate them to other forests.

Tigers are coming out of forests because their population has increased, said Mr. Siddaramaiah while speaking to reporters at Mysuru airport on January 5. He said he will take up the issue with Forest Department officials at a meeting on January 6.

When his attention was drawn to reports on a tiger that was sighted near Mysuru airport, the Chief Minister said he has already directed the Forest Department to capture this tiger and another, which is reportedly prowling around Yelwal region near the Bharat Earth Movers Limited campus. “Combing operations have already started,” he said.

These tigers are believed to have ventured out of forests from the Nanjangud side.

Other issues

With regard to media queries on issues such as GST reduction and implementation of Central schemes, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the State is suffering a huge injustice caused by the Centre. Karnataka has been suffering an annual loss of ₹12,000–₹15,000 crore owing to the reduction in GST, and will now have to bear an additional burden of ₹3,000 crore per annum on account of the Centre scrapping the MGNREGA scheme and replacing it with the VB-G RAM Act, whose project funding will have to be shared in a 60:40 ratio between the Centre and State.

He pointed out that the MGNREGA scheme, ever since it was implemented 20 years ago during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had been fully funded by the Centre.

He criticised the replacement of the scheme with the VB-G RAM Act, lamenting that it will reduce the number of work days for labourers, small farmers, women, Dalits, backward classes, minorities, and the poor.