Leopard killed by gunfire in Mysuru district, K'taka Minister orders probe
Bengaluru (PTI): A leopard was allegedly shot dead in Mysuru district, prompting a probe by forest authorities.
Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident and punish the guilty.
The incident occurred in the Koppa section, within the Periyapatna limits of Hunsur division, officials said.
The Minister issued a written instruction to the Chief Wildlife Warden, his office said in a statement.
He termed the death of a two-year-old female leopard by gunshot this morning as "very painful" and said poaching for wildlife organs is still ongoing.
He issued directions to conduct an inquiry in this regard.
Noting that Doctors who conducted postmortem have submitted a report that three bullets were found inside leopard's body, Khandre instructed to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter, identify and punish the wildlife poachers as per the law, and take disciplinary action against the relevant patrol personnel if there were any lapse in patrolling in this area.
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Anbumani asks PM Modi to ban sale of cigarettes for those born after 2009
Chennai (PTI): PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take legislative measures to prohibit smoking and the sale of cigarettes to individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, thereby creating a smoke-free generation.
Anbumani, former Union minister for health and family welfare, said, "Once implemented, it (ban on cigarettes) will ensure that future generations are legally prevented from ever accessing tobacco products", he said in a letter to Modi.
"I write to you with a deep sense of urgency and responsibility, drawing your kind attention to a critical public health issue that continues to endanger the lives of millions of Indians, particularly among the younger generation who are affected by cigarette smoking", he claimed.
Stating that India unfortunately bears a disproportionately high burden of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, he said, adding that, according to global health estimates, nearly 267 million Indians, approximately one in five citizens, use tobacco.
"Each year, tobacco consumption directly accounts for over 1.35 million deaths, while exposure to second-hand smoke contributes to a total of approximately 2.3 million deaths annually", he said, adding, "these figures are alarming and reflect a public health crisis of immense magnitude".
He pointed out that Scientific evidence unequivocally establishes tobacco use as a leading cause of cancer and numerous non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular ailments, chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD, and multiple forms of malignancies. "In India alone, tobacco is responsible for nearly 40–50 per cent of all cancer cases, with over 4.7 lakh deaths annually attributed to tobacco-induced cancers", he added.
"In this context, I strongly urge the Union government to consider enacting a transformative law similar to that of the United Kingdom, that permanently prohibits the sale and consumption of tobacco products for individuals born on or after a specified year (such as 2009). Such a generational ban would mark a decisive step towards eliminating tobacco use in India over time", he said.
