Karnataka to set up coordination committees in border districts to curb drug menace: Home Minister
Bengaluru: Karnataka will set up coordination committees with the neighbouring states in the border districts to check the drug menace, State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday.
Bommai also said action will be taken against foreign nationals involved in drug peddling and those overstaying here illegally will be arrested.
The External Affairs Ministry will be informed about those overstaying and urged to send them to their respective countries, he told reporters here.
Against the backdrop of the Narcotics Control Bureau of India's recent raid and arrest of three people with a huge cache of hard drugs, Bommai chaired a meeting with senior police officials to review the measures taken by them.
"There are border regions around Bengaluru. There is a Tamil Nadu border at Anekal and Andhra Pradesh border near Hoskote. There we will form coordination committees for the purpose of information gathering, sharing and initiating action," Bommai said.
Underlining the necessity to curb the cannabis menace in Karnataka, Bommai said ganja coming from other states such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa has to be stopped completely for which directions will be given to the superintendents of police of border districts.
Speaking about the measures taken in Bengaluru, the Home Minister said since January 1,438 cases have been booked and 1,798 people have been arrested, including 25 foreign nationals.
According to him, it was decided in the meeting that action will be taken against the foreign nationals involved in drug peddling.
He said some foreign nationals are involved in the 'darknet' web of drugs and are also into peddling drugs. Some of them are overstaying here illegally despite expiry of Visa period. To check their activities, it was decided in the meeting that those foreign nationals whose visa has expired should be arrested immediately.
"All those who are overstaying should be arrested and sent back. We have decided to start a drive where we will share all the information with the Ministry of External Affairs about the overstaying foreigners to send them to their respective countries," he added.
Bommai said a decision was taken to launch an anti-drug awareness campaign in the colleges when they reopen after the lockdown. The police will coordinate with the college managements to check it.
Bommai has said four postal officials have been accused of involvement in a drug racket and a few foreign nationals arrested in this connection
The arrested include a Canadian and some Nigerians, he had said on Sunday.
Speaking about the darknet, an international racket of those involved in illegal businesses, Bommai said the police have managed to bust one or two such darknets, which operate through the internet.
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Nicobar Tribal Council Alleges FRA Violations in Great Nicobar Wildlife Sanctuaries
Sri Vijaypuram (Port Blair): The Tribal Council of Little and Great Nicobar has alleged fresh violations of the Forest Rights Act in the notification of three wildlife sanctuaries linked to the Centre’s ₹92,000-crore Great Nicobar Island project, even as the Calcutta High Court is set to hear petitions challenging the mega project over similar concerns next month.
The Union government had, in October 2022, notified three wildlife sanctuaries in parts of Little Nicobar Island, Menchal Island and Meroe Island for the conservation of leatherback turtles, megapodes and coral ecosystems. The move came after the government acknowledged that the proposed infrastructure project on Great Nicobar Island would affect coral colonies and nesting habitats of endangered species.
However, the tribal council has maintained that the sanctuaries were declared without consultation with the Nicobarese communities who traditionally inhabit and manage these islands.
In a letter dated April 23 addressed to the Assistant Conservator of Forests of the Nicobar Forest Division, the council reiterated its opposition to the sanctuaries and objected to the formation of a committee to determine eco-sensitive zones around the protected areas.
The council said its chairman had not been consulted before being included in the committee and was informed of his membership only a month after the committee was constituted.
The three notified sanctuaries include the Leatherback Turtle Sanctuary in parts of Little Nicobar Island, the Megapode Sanctuary covering the entire Menchal Island and the Coral Sanctuary spanning the whole of Meroe Island.
According to the council, Menchal and Meroe islands hold deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Nicobarese community, which believes the islands are inhabited by the spirits of their ancestors.
The council demanded that the sanctuary notifications be revoked and the eco-sensitive zone committee dissolved, alleging that both decisions were taken against the wishes of the indigenous community.
Meanwhile, Jairam Ramesh has written to Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram alleging violations of the Forest Rights Act in the process of obtaining consent for diversion of forest land for the Great Nicobar project.
Ramesh argued that consent should have been obtained through the Tribal Council representing the Nicobarese communities instead of through Gram Sabhas representing settler families. He also questioned how the government-controlled Andaman Adim Janjati Vikas Samiti could provide consent on behalf of the Shompen community, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
He urged the Tribal Affairs Ministry to intervene and seek withdrawal of clearances granted for the project under the Forest Rights Act.
Earlier, Ramesh had also written to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav alleging that environmental impact studies for the project were conducted in haste and without the detailed seasonal assessments mandated under environmental laws.
The dispute dates back to 2022 when the Andaman and Nicobar administration initiated the process for notifying the three sanctuaries before holding Special Gram Sabhas for diversion of forest land linked to the Great Nicobar project.
In May that year, the administration invited objections and claims regarding the proposed sanctuaries. Subsequently, on July 19, the Nicobar Deputy Commissioner certified that no objections or claims had been received.
The tribal council later wrote to the district administration stating that the notification process was carried out without ensuring that residents of Little Nicobar Island were informed as required by law. It alleged that no public announcements seeking objections were made in villages such as Bahua, Muhincoihn and Kiyang, whose residents traditionally use and manage parts of the notified areas.
The council said the Nicobarese community had protected the islands and wildlife for generations through customary practices and traditional belief systems.
It further argued that the sanctuaries would interfere with long-standing rights over forests and coastal areas. They noted that these areas are used for rituals, plantations, collection of forest produce, construction of huts and canoes, harvesting medicinal plants and worship.
In November 2024, the council objected to draft Island Coastal Regulation Zone plans, demanding basic infrastructure, instead of proposed eco-tourism activities in the sanctuaries. The council demanded better public restrooms, jetties, water facilities, pathways, and mobile connectivity.
The Nicobar administration issued a clarification in May 2025, stating that the sanctuaries would not affect hunting rights available to Scheduled Tribes in the Nicobar Islands. The council, however, rejected the clarification, stating that their dependence on forests and coasts extended far beyond hunting activities.
Earlier this month, a Bench led by the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court dismissed preliminary objections raised by the Union government against petitions challenging the diversion of forest land for the Great Nicobar project. The matter has now been listed for final hearing in June.
