48-member elephant task force formed in Dakshina Kannada: Minister Eshwar Khandre
Bengaluru: In response to the recent surge in wild elephant movement in Dakshina Kannada district, Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre has approved the formation of a dedicated elephant task force consisting of 48 personnel to drive elephants back into forest areas.
The task force will be headed by the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) of Mangaluru Division. It will include one Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), one veterinary officer, one Range Forest Officer, four Deputy Range Forest Officers, eight forest guards, and thirty-two outsourced frontline staff.
The elephant task force will patrol residential areas, farmlands, and plantations close to forest boundaries where wild elephants are sighted. In such cases, the team will act swiftly to drive the elephants back into the forest. It will also alert the district’s control room, which in turn will issue precautionary messages to residents.
Minister Khandre stated that this initiative will help reduce crop damage caused by elephant incursions and prevent potential loss of human life.
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Firms being arm-twisted to divert investment from Karnataka: Priyank Kharge
New Delhi (PTI): Companies are being arm-twisted to divert their investments from Karnataka despite the state having the best talent ecosystem, state's IT, biotech and rural development minister Priyank Kharge said on Friday.
The minister said it has taken 40 years to develop the entire ecosystem in the state that suits investors.
"Why is semiconductor going to Gujarat, Assam? That's my question? That's what I have been asking. Why is it going to Gujarat? Why is it going to Assam? When PLI comes, they have to choose their state. The name is Karnataka. How does it become Gujarat by the time the application reaches Delhi? They are coming to my state. Why are they being arm-twisted to Gujarat?" Kharge said.
He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a roadshow in the national capital for the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2026 to be held in November.
"They are coming to our state only. They want to invest in our state. It works out for them. It is profitable for them. Our human resource is one of the most agile and best in the world. But yet, they are going to be pushed to Gujarat," Kharge said.
During the event, Kharge said Karnataka is planning to rejig policy on data centres to promote sustainable data centres.
"There is a serious need for states and the central government to bring up policies for sustainable data centres. That's exactly what the government of Karnataka intends to do," Kharge said.
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