Chhattisgarh: Rare orange colour bat spotted in Kanger Valley National Park
Jagdalpur (PTI): A rare orange coloured bat, which is a "near threatened" species, has been spotted in Chhattisgarh's Kanger Valley National Park, officials said on Wednesday.
The animal, also known as 'painted bat' and characterised by bright orange and black wings, was sighted at a banana farm in Parali Bodal village of the park on Monday, the national park's director, Dhammshil Ganvir, told PTI.
The bright orange-coloured bat was seen for the third time in the last few years in the Kanger Valley National Park located in Bastar district, he said, adding that earlier it was seen in 2020 and 2022.
The national park is famous for its limestone caves which also provide a suitable habitat for the bats, as per experts.
The painted bat, whose scientific name is 'Kerivoula picta', is a "near threatened" species and commonly seen in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, Ganvir said.
"The painted bats are aerial hawkers, which means they catch insects while flying in the air. It is often observed at the time of maize harvest," Ganvir said.
A survey will soon be conducted to ascertain varieties of bats found in the national park, he said.
The park, spread over an area about 200 sq km, is rich in biodiversity and sightings of some of the rare species of fauna were reported multiple times in the past, Ganvir said.
"In India, this bat has so far been seen in the Western Ghats, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and the Kanger Valley in Chhattisgarh," he said.
These bats prefer to live in dry areas and dense moist forests. For roosting, they prefer to take shelter under banana leaves, the official said.
"We have decided to launch a survey to ascertain the varieties of bats found in the park and take conservation measures accordingly," he added.
Bastar-based ornithologist Ravi Naidu told PTI that the painted bat was first found in the Kanger Valley National Park in an injured condition in November 2020.
"We rescued it and later released it into its habitat," said the expert, who is currently working for the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) on a project.
Naidu's said his research paper on the painted bat in Kanger Valley was published in the Journal of the Wildlife Preservation Society 'Cheetal' in 2020.
The expert claimed he has spotted 26 species of bats in Chhattisgarh and said his research paper on it will be published soon.
The painted bat is characterised by bright orange and black wings, dense orange fur on the back and warm buff below. Their hairy face has no ornamentation or nose leaf. Their ears are large and funnel-shaped with transparent tragus, he said.
In India, there are about 131 species of bats and 31 of them are found in central parts of the country. The Kanger Valley National Park is famous for its limestone caves which also provide a suitable habitat for the bats, Naidu said.
During a faunistic diversity survey earlier, 20 species of bats were reported from Bastar district, mostly in the Kanger Valley, he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
4% quota for Muslim contractors: BJP to challenge K'taka's 'unconstitutional move' in court
New Delhi/Bengaluru, Mar 17 (PTI): The BJP on Monday termed the Karnataka government’s proposal to provide four per cent reservation to Muslims in government contracts an "unconstitutional misadventure" and said it will oppose the move at all levels, including challenging it in court, until it is rolled back.
The ruling Congress in Karnataka and the BJP hit out at each other over the issue in the Assembly.
Earlier on Friday, the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, reserving four per cent of contracts for Muslims in civil works valued up to Rs two crore and goods/services contracts up to Rs one crore.
"The BJP firmly opposes the proposed unconstitutional move and demands that the Siddaramaiah government immediately roll it back," BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, who represents the Bangalore South Lok Sabha seat, told a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi.
He alleged that the Siddaramaiah-led government’s decision was a "calculated move" to appease Muslims, "at the direction and patronage of the Congress top leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi."
"This patently unconstitutional and prima facie illegal act will be challenged in court. The BJP will fight against the move both inside the Assembly and on the streets. We will also raise the issue in Parliament and protest outside it," Surya said.
The BJP MP said that the Karnataka government’s move is a threat to national integrity, unity, and sovereignty.
"We will fight and oppose this in the courtroom. We will take the fight to the people of Karnataka. Until this unconstitutional move is rolled back, the BJP’s fight will continue," he added.
Meanwhile, in the Karnataka Assembly, the ruling Congress and the BJP once again sparred on Monday over the budgetary provision of four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts.
The Congress rejected the BJP’s allegation that religion-based reservation is "against constitutional provisions."
Defending the reservation, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Buddhists are citizens of this country.
"We have concerns for minorities and backward communities. When the BJP says it wants to take everyone along, let it appoint Christian and Muslim ministers. Only then does BJP state president B Y Vijayendra have the right to speak about equality. Let him read the state anthem written by Kuvempu—then he will understand what makes Karnataka a peaceful garden," Shivakumar told reporters.
Hitting back at Shivakumar, Vijayendra said that it was the BJP government, not the Congress, that had appointed Dr A P J Abdul Kalam as the President of India.
"We appointed Najma Heptulla, Justice Abdul Nazeer, and Arif Mohammed Khan as governors. Musician Ustad Bismillah Khan was bestowed with the Bharat Ratna by the BJP government," Vijayendra told reporters.
According to him, Congress's appeasement politics is not new.
He questioned the Congress party’s concern for Dalits, asking where it was when its MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy’s house was "torched by Muslim hooligans".
The Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, claimed that several Supreme Court judgments have stated that there is no provision in the Constitution for religion-based reservations.
"Yet, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wore a ‘topi’ (skull cap), organised Tipu Jayanti, and introduced Shaadi Bhagya (launched in 2013, it provides financial assistance to economically backward minority women). He gave grants to Muslims beyond what they had asked for. Now, by offering four per cent reservation in contracts to Muslims, the Congress government has made an assault on Hindus," he alleged.
Ashoka argued that there had never been a religion-based contract system in Karnataka, but the government had introduced one, which could lead to conflicts between communities.
In the Karnataka Legislative Council, Leader of the Opposition, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy raised the issue.
He said that religion-based reservation is "not allowed under the Constitution."
"You have granted four per cent reservation to Muslims in contracts. We oppose religion-based reservations. I urge the government through you not to implement it," he stated.
Countering him, Congress MLA B K Hariprasad asserted that the reservation aligns with constitutional provisions.
