Govt school children to have free forest safari: Minister R Shankar
Bengaluru, June 28: Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister R Shankar said that the government is planning to introduce a programme to take students of the government schools and colleges for free safari into the forest to educate and inculcate curiosity among them on forest and wildlife.
Inaugurating a programme organized to present national and state environmental awards by the Yuva Chetana Yuvajana Kendra and Kadina Mitra magazine at the Cubbon Park here on Thursday, the Minister said that the Forest department has already introduced ‘One sapling for a child- Park for a school’ programme. In the same way, he was discussing with the Forest department officials on free safari to students of schools and colleges to create awareness among them on the forest and its importance. The government, non-governmental organizations, schools and colleges have been toiling hard to protect the forest and conserve the nature. If the pollution was more, it would have negative impact on the life. So, it should be the responsibility of every individual to protect the forest, he said.
In recent days, the incidents of wild animals damaging crops were increasing and farmers were incurring heavy loss. He would discuss with the Chief Minister on compensating the crop loss to the farmers, he said.
Bhadra Tiger Project director HC Kantharaju said that in the world, India has more number of tigers and in the state, there were more than 600 tigers. Because of the conservation of tigers, herbivorous animals would be balanced in the nature. For this reason, priority was given to conserve tigers, he said.
Environmental activist Nandidurga Balu Gowda was present on the occasion.
More funds in budget
Minister R Shankar said that he would discuss with Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to reserve more funds for his department in the 2018-19 Budget.
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Maharashtra government considers tweaks to Ladki Bahin scheme amid fiscal strain: Reports
Mumbai: A day after the Mahayuti coalition secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, attention has turned to the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme that played a pivotal role in attracting women voters.
The scheme, launched in July 2024, offers ₹1,500 per month to economically disadvantaged women aged 18 to 65. The Mahayuti, in its election manifesto, pledged to increase the amount to ₹2,100 per month, a promise now under scrutiny due to fiscal concerns. With the scheme projected to cost the exchequer ₹33,300 crore from July 2024 to March 2025, bureaucrats are exploring ways to revise its provisions to prevent a financial imbalance.
Finance Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar hinted at the challenges, stressing the need for "financial discipline." A senior bureaucrat confirmed that plans are underway to prune the list of beneficiaries, citing the inclusion of ineligible individuals due to incomplete Aadhaar seeding and lack of required ration cards. According to the finance department, nearly one crore women out of the 2.43 crore registered beneficiaries may not qualify for the scheme.
The state’s debt burden is already projected to reach ₹7.82 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25. Officials warn that continuing the scheme in its current form could impact the government’s ability to pay salaries by January. Despite these concerns, the ruling coalition is hesitant to reduce the beneficiary list, likely due to the upcoming civic elections.
Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik is expected to present renegotiation proposals to the new chief minister soon. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde credited the scheme for increasing the number of women voters and boosting the coalition’s vote share. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar also acknowledged the scheme’s role in mobilising women voters.
Other welfare measures introduced by the government include an electricity bill waiver for farmers and three free LPG cylinders annually for six million households. However, the financial viability of such initiatives remains a pressing concern.
