Leopard spotted at school for special kids near Tumakuru
Tumakuru: Panic gripped a school for specially-abled children on the outskirts of Tumakuru after a leopard was spotted on the campus on Monday.
The incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. at the Indian Red Cross Society’s residential school for speech and hearing-impaired children in Belagumba, located at the base of a hillock, as reported by Deccan Herald.
The leopard was seen chasing a stray dog before it strayed onto the school premises. Terrified by the sudden appearance of the wild animal, students and staff raised an alarm. The leopard, which had reportedly caught the dog by the neck, fled the scene.
The school accommodates hundreds of children with special needs from various districts. Following the incident, both students and local villagers remain on edge.
Residents of Belagumba claim this is not an isolated occurrence, saying leopard sightings have become increasingly common over the past three years. Many have urged the Forest Department to take immediate action to address the growing threat.
Forest and police officials visited the school shortly after the incident to gather information from teachers and students.
“Since the CCTV cameras at the school are not working, there is no footage of leopard straying into school and the village. However, we have placed a cage near the school to catch the big cat,” DH quoted Range Forest Officer (RFO) Namitha as saying.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
