Anil Kumble to be named Forest and Wildlife ambassador: Karnataka minister Eshwar B Khandre
Bengaluru, May 27 (PTI): Former cricketer Anil Kumble will be nominated as the Forest and Wildlife Ambassador, Forest, Biology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre said on Tuesday.
Addressing reporters, Khandre said Anil Kumble, who previously served as Vice-President of the Karnataka Wildlife Board, is of world-class fame and will help create awareness among the public about forest conservation, forest development, tree preservation, and wildlife conservation.
"Anil Kumble has an immense concern for wildlife. He loves forests. Hence, he has agreed to become an ambassador without receiving any remuneration," Khandre said.
As Tuesday marked his two years as Forest Minister, Khandre also shared a glimpse of his achievements and future plans.
Khandre said that in the last two years, about 8,848 'vanamahotsavas' have been held, and approximately 8.5 crore saplings have been planted and nurtured in forest areas, along roadsides, and on government land.
In the years 2023-24 and 2024-25, a total of 1,20,975 hectares of plantations, 25 new arboretums, and 35 forests have been developed, he added.
Khandre also said that in the last two years, a total of 3.70 crore saplings have been distributed to farmers for planting in their own fields and elsewhere.
The minister said the state government has decided to build another major park on 153 acres in Madappanahalli near Yelahanka.
"Lalbagh in Bengaluru was built during the time of Hyder Ali; Cubbon Park was built during the British era. Even after a century, another large park has not been built in Bengaluru. Therefore, after I became the Forest Minister, the 153 acres of land that had been given to the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation for growing Nilgiri will be taken back by the Forest Department on June 2, and a park will be built there," he said.
The foundation stone for the park will be laid in two months, Khandre told reporters.
The minister expressed concern that forest land in Bengaluru has been encroached upon for decades. In the last two years, 128 acres of encroached forest land have been cleared.
According to him, the market value of the cleared land is around Rs 4,000 crore.
Khandre alleged that the central government-owned HMT has been completely barred from selling 444 acres of forest land—worth about Rs 14,300 crore, that it holds to various organisations, including real estate companies.
"It has been decided to reclaim this forest land and preserve it as a park, and a legal battle has been launched. A petition is currently being heard in the Supreme Court," he said.
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Four more arrested in brigadier assault case in Delhi
New Delhi (PTI): Four more accused have been arrested in connection with the alleged assault on an Army brigadier, his son and threatening his wife in southwest Delhi's Vasant Enclave area, police said on Friday.
The accused have been identified as Surjit Singh (36), Sunil Sharma (53) and Ashish (32), all from Mehram Nagar in Delhi, and Satender (35) of Bhiwani in Haryana, police said.
According to police, Surjit Singh was known to the main accused Satender, a director of an aviation company. All of them were sitting together in Mehram Nagar when Satender called them regarding a quarrel in Vasant Enclave.
"Following the call, all four left for the spot in Surjit's white Hyundai Aura. After reaching there, they got involved in the altercation and assault before returning to their respective homes," a senior police officer said.
After learning about the registration of the case, the accused fled and went into hiding, he said.
"Teams were constituted to trace them and all four absconding accused were arrested," he said.
The Hyundai Aura used in the incident has also been recovered, police said.
Further investigation into the case is underway. The role of each accused is being examined, they said.
According to the investigators, the incident took place on the night of April 11, when the brigadier and his son objected to the two men allegedly consuming alcohol inside a car parked outside their residence. Soon, others reached the spot and allegedly assaulted the officer and his son, besides abusing and threatening his wife.
