Officials directed to respond swiftly to wild animal menace

Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture K. Venkatesh, who is also the Minister in charge of Chamarajanagar district, has directed the officials to respond swiftly to the complaints of wild animal menace.

Presiding over the Karnataka Development Programme meeting on Monday, Mr. Venkatesh said the Forest Department was receiving a large number of complaints from the public over the human-animal conflicts.

“Villagers are reporting sightings of leopards in their areas. In such cases, the officials should rush to the spot without any negligence, and take swift action to provide compensation for crops damaged by the wild animals,” he said.

Mr. Venkatesh instructed the officials to look into the petitions submitted by representatives of farmers’ organisations and address their woes.

He directed the officials of the Horticulture Department and Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) to hold meetings with banana growers to address their issues. The banana growers should get a fair price for their produce, he said.

Mr. Venkatesh directed the officials of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation to hold meetings and ensure that steps are taken to facilitate the operation of KSRTC buses in rural areas so that students do not face any inconvenience.

With regard to complaints about a lack of cleanliness in hotels, bakeries, and restaurants, the Minister said the City Municipal Councils, Town Municipalities and Town Panchayats in the district should conduct inspections and take action against establishments that lack hygiene and cleanliness.

Mr. Venkatesh directed the Health and Family Welfare Department officials to ensure that health services reach the people and that medical teams should visit villages to conduct health check-ups and provide treatment and medication.

M.V. Venkatesh, secretary of the Department of Kannada and Culture, said, “People should be persuaded to avoid deliveries at home. If deliveries take place in hospitals, it will ensure both mother and child remain healthy. The maternal and infant mortality rate should come down,” he said.

K. Vivekananda, MLC, sought for complete information regarding the shortage of teachers in educational institutions so that a solution for the same can be found.

Meanwhile, the Minister said permanent drinking water facility should be provided to villages that were receiving water through tankers. Borewells should be drilled in villages facing water scarcity, he said.

He directed the Forest Department officials to make it a priority that drinking water is available to the wild animals.

MLAs M.R. Manjunath and H.M. Ganesh Prasad, Deputy Commissioner Shilpa Nag, Chamarajanagar Zilla Panchayat CEO Mona Roat, Superintendent of Police B.T. Kavitha, Chamarajanagar Urban Development Authority (CHUDA) President Mohammed Azghar Munna, and others were present at the meeting.