Reduce safari activities in forest areas of Mysuru: CM Siddaramaiah to officials
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said he has directed officials to scale down safari activities in the forest areas of Mysuru following the deaths of three farmers in October within a span of two weeks.
He said the growing human activity in forest zones and the search for water and food have been driving wild animals into human settlements.
"What has happened is that people's movement in the forest region has increased, and resorts are coming up," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
"Further, safari activities have increased—that's one reason. Then, they (wild animals) come for water and food to the villages," he added.
"Yesterday, there was a meeting with forest officials. I will convene another soon. We will take action against illegal resorts, and I have directed officials to reduce safari activities in the forest," the chief minister further said.
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Karnataka government employees demand return of Old Pension Scheme
Bengaluru: Government employees in Karnataka have urged the state government to scrap the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and bring back the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), The New Indian Express reported.
The demand was made by the Karnataka State Government Employees’ Association, whose leaders met senior IAS officer Uma Mahadevan on Monday and submitted a memorandum. The association asked the NPS Review Committee, headed by senior IAS officer Anjum Parvez, to recommend the reintroduction of OPS in the state.
Association president C.S. Shadakshari reportedly said the review committee has already visited Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where NPS was revoked and OPS re-implemented. The committee is yet to submit its report, but has told the government it will do so soon.
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Shadakshari allegedly said NPS has been in force in Karnataka since 2006. He pointed out that West Bengal never adopted the scheme, while Andhra Pradesh and Telangana replaced NPS with a contributory pension model.
States including Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand have already scrapped NPS through cabinet decisions or budget announcements.
“Under NPS, 10% of the employees’ basic salary and DA, and 14% contribution from the state is credited to the employees’ fund. It constitutes 24% of the total which is non-withdrawable. This is invested in the share market and the final amount depends on the ups and downs of the market,” TNIE quoted Shadakshar as saying.
As per the report, he said that by limiting its contribution to 14%, the government could save up to ₹1.87 lakh crore annually if all vacancies are filled, strengthening the case for bringing back the old pension system.
