Madurai Collector instructs officials to remove encroachments
Responding to the queries raised by the farmers with regard to identifying and removing the encroachments, the Collector said the types of encroachments were being categorised.
They were identified and removed. He instructed the officials to ensure that there were no fresh encroachments on the water channels. He emphasised the need to sensitise the people in this regard.
Another issue raised by the farmers was with regard to destruction of crops by wild animals, particularly by wild boars. The Collector instructed the Forest and the Horticulture Department officials to come up with plans and use natural repellents to chase the wild animals and protect the crops. They were also asked to conduct camps in this regard.
Responding to a query on the auctioning of fishing rights in waterbodies, the Collector told the farmers and the officials that the first priority was to use water for irrigation purposes. The Collector also instructed the officials to remove the Seemai Karuvelam (Prosopis juliflora) trees from waterbodies and to auction them.
The farmers sought the reopening of the National Co-operative Sugar Mills in Alanganallur. The farmers also sought the better implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme which guarantees 100 days of employment with wages. The farmers urged the authorities to come up with plans to implement the scheme in a better manner so that all are benefited.
The Horticulture Department officials distributed vegetable seed packets to the farmers. The farmers were also told about the importance and benefits of beekeeping during the meeting.
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
‘First 30 years it was Cong, then BJP; time for change': Kejriwal tells people to prepare for BJP's exit
'Samay ka chakra ghoomta hai…pehla tees saal Congress, phir tees saal BJP. Ab BJP ke jaane ka time aa gaya. Bye bye BJP. (The wheel of time turns…first 30 years of Congress, then 30 years of BJP. Now the time has come for BJP to go),' Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal trained his guns at the two national parties while addressing a rally along with Punjab Chief Minister Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in support of party's arrested Dediapada MLA Chaitar Vasava. Vasava was arrested on July 5 in an alleged attempted murder case after a brawl with Dediapada taluka BJP president Sanjay Vasava during a meeting at the Dediapada Prant office. On Thursday, the two AAP leaders also talked about the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scam and paper leaks apart from discussing issues of employment, education, healthcare and road infrastructure during the rally in Narmada district's Dediapada. Criticising both the BJP and the Congress, Kejriwal and Mann termed party leader Gopal Italia's recent victory from Visavadar as 'a positive sign' for the AAP in the upcoming elections. Punjab CM Mann said, 'Aam public hai, chup rahe toh paanch saal, seene pe pathar rakh le dus saal, aankhein band kar le pandrah saal, jeeb ko taala laga le pachees saal, kuch bina bole tees saal… par tees saal ke baad jab janta jaagti hai toh tees saal ka hisaab tees minute me le leti hai (The common public remained silent for five years, endured for 10 years, shut their eyes for 15 years, locked their pockets for 25 years, didn't say anything for 30 years…but after 30 years when the public awakens… they will ask for accountability in 30 minutes). Kejriwal added, 'Samay ka chakra ghoomta hai…pehla tees saal Congress, phir tees saal BJP. Ab BJP ke jaane ka time aa gaya. Bye bye BJP (The wheel of time turns…first 30 years of Congress, then 30 years of BJP. Now the time has come for BJP to go).' Kejriwal and Mann, who were on a two-day visit to Gujarat, had attended the Mahapanchayat of cattle herders in Modasa on Wednesday. 'In 2022, an Adivasi man, Chaitar Vasava, fought the elections. He is an educated member of the tribal community and an honest man… so you made him your MLA. Since Vasava has become an MLA, he has raised the issues of the public regarding schools, hospitals, electricity, jal, jungle, jameen, roads… Then Chaitar began getting government records. He saw that the government money sent for school, hospitals and roads were going into these people's pockets. One small neta of theirs becomes MLA and from cycle he has now 10 big cars… from a small house, he has a palace, from where? From stealing your money. Chaitar began exposing their secrets and became the voice of the Adivasi community,' said Kejriwal. He added, 'The BJP government got scared that if Chaitar keeps speaking up for the Adivasis, they won't vote for them. Then Chaitar looked into the MGNREGA scheme, where you get a minimum wage for 100 days. Who goes to work for minimum wage? The poorest of the poor. These BJP people are so 'gande and neech' (bad and selfish), that they even stole that money. Chaitar exposed corruption in MGNREGA first in the Vidhan Sabha, then in front of the media and then on the roads'. 'The minister didn't resign but both his sons went to jail,' he said while taking a dig at Gujarat minister Bachu Khabad. Meanwhile, Vasava's wives, Varsha and Shakuntala, were also present at the gathering and the former read a message from the jailed MLA to his constituents, who in turn, raised the slogan 'jail ke tale tutenge, Chaitar Vasava chhootenge' (The jail locks will break, Chaitar Vasava will be free). Thanking the people for their support, Varsha read Vasava's message saying, 'After becoming MLA, I haven't stayed at home for a single day. My people have faced injustice by the government and I have fought against that, and so the government has falsely put me in jail. The truth is that where the meeting was held, no such incident took place. It is a made up story and the police made the CCTV footage disappear…they are trying to implicate me in a false case. When I went to file an FIR, the police made me sit for 3 to 4 hours and didn't let me speak to the media…the police are working with the government.' Varsha further read out, 'The Rs 2,500 crore MGNREGA scam was done by Bachhu Khabad and his sons are out on bail and the one who exposed them is in jail. Isn't this a political conspiracy? If anything happens to me or my family, the police will be responsible for it.' Speaking in favour of Vasava, Kejriwal said: 'They keep sending AAP leaders to jail. Last year, they kept me in jail for a year. They put Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Sanjay Singh in jail, they thought we would get scared, that this would break our party but our party became stronger. We are not going to be scared. There are still two years for the next election. You just see, they will send Gopal Italia and Isudan Gadhvi to jail as well.' Meanwhile, Punjab CM Mann said, 'They think the poor people can be controlled.. they have corruption money and can purchase the administration. I say collect how much money, diamonds and pearls you want, but a coffin doesn't have pockets. Chaitar hasn't been jailed for the first time. Last time, when the administration came to crush a farmer's crops under a tractor, Chaitarbhai stood in front of the tractor. He went to jail then also.' Saying that AAP gives tickets to the 'Aam Aadmi', Kejriwal exhorted the youth to step forward to take part in the upcoming Taluka Panchayat, Zilla and Nagarpalika elections. Slamming the Congress, Kejriwal added, 'Beware of the Congress. Gujarat doesn't have a BJP government. It has a Congress-BJP alliance government. They loot the people together. Till now, there was no opposition in Gujarat. Now there is. We will fight with you but you have to take responsibility.' Hitting back at Kejriwal for his remarks, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi said, 'His habit of lying is still going on. Whether it is Delhi, Haryana or Punjab, or (during) Gujarat 2022 elections, if you see any poll results, it is clear they have helped the BJP. AAP should stop misleading the people of the country and stop cheating the public of Gujarat. Kejriwal is working to damage the Congress and help the BJP win.'


New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
SC agrees to hear plea against proposed constructions in Satkosia Tiger Reserve
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea raising concerns over the alleged proposed constructions inside the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi was urged by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal to hear the plea. The bench said it would hear the matter next week. Bansal raised concerns over reported permission granted by the local administration for eco-tourism related constructions within the protected area. "The district collector has issued such permissions for construction of an eco-tourism spot. How can this be permitted?" he said. "I am just fighting for forests," Bansal added. The Satkosia Tiger Reserve, spread across the districts of Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh in Odisha, is a crucial habitat for tigers, elephants, and several endangered species. The plea sought quashing of provisional no objection certificates (NOC) issued by district collectors of Angul, Nayagarh, Boudh and Cuttack for development works inside and around the Satkosia Tiger Reserve. The petitioner argued it was without jurisdiction and in violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the plea said, in April 2018 directed all states for mandatory delineation of eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) around tiger reserves. The plea said these directions clearly stipulated where a protected area formed part of the buffer, a minimum one kilometer ESZ must be demarcated around it. "There are multiple large-scale and systemic issues affecting the ecological and legal integrity of Satkosia Tiger Reserve, which require independent attention and urgent consideration of this court," it said. In line with the NTCA's April 2018 direction, the petitioner said, the Odisha government recently submitted a draft proposal for declaration of ESZ around Satkosia Tiger Reserve to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for final notification. "However, the said draft, if approved in its current form, will seriously compromise the ecological integrity and conservation dignity of the tiger reserve," it alleged. The proposed tourism-centric development activities in and around the tiger reserve, including the construction of high-impact infrastructure and grant of arbitrary NOCs, were said to be contrary to the precautionary principle and violate the statutory framework under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. "The zero-kilometre ESZ boundary proposed in parts of Satkosia Tiger Reserve violates NTCA's 2018 directive, which mandates a minimum 1 km buffer from core tiger habitat wherever the buffer is absent or disjunct," the plea added. It claimed the issuance of no objection certificates by district collectors and non-forest authorities for tourism infrastructure within and around a notified tiger reserve constituted an unlawful usurpation of statutory powers reserved for designated authorities under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and violates the binding directives of the apex court. The plea alleged the actions of state government and its agencies exhibited a deliberate pattern of undermining central environmental regulations through procedural shortcuts and executive overreach, including attempts to modify ESZ notifications to dilute their protective scope for commercial tourism purposes. It also sought a direction to the state to withdraw the draft ESZ proposal relating to Satkosia Tiger Reserve.


News18
a day ago
- News18
SC agrees to hear plea against proposed constructions in Satkosia Tiger Reserve
Agency: PTI Last Updated: New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a plea raising concerns over the alleged proposed constructions inside the Satkosia Tiger Reserve in Odisha. A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and Joymalya Bagchi was urged by advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal to hear the plea. The bench said it would hear the matter next week. Bansal raised concerns over reported permission granted by the local administration for eco-tourism related constructions within the protected area. 'The district collector has issued such permissions for construction of an eco-tourism spot. How can this be permitted?" Bansal said. 'I am just fighting for forests," he added. The Satkosia Tiger Reserve, spread across the districts of Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh in Odisha, is a crucial habitat for tigers, elephants, and several endangered species. The plea sought quashing of provisional no objection certificates (NOC) issued by district collectors of Angul, Nayagarh, Boudh and Cuttack for development works inside and around the Satkosia Tiger Reserve. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the plea said, in April 2018 directed all states for mandatory delineation of eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) around tiger reserves. The plea said these directions clearly stipulated where a protected area formed part of the buffer, a minimum one kilometer ESZ must be demarcated around it. 'There are multiple large-scale and systemic issues affecting the ecological and legal integrity of Satkosia Tiger Reserve, which require independent attention and urgent consideration of this court," it said. In line with the NTCA's April 2018 direction, the petitioner said, the Odisha government recently submitted a draft proposal for declaration of ESZ around Satkosia Tiger Reserve to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for final notification. 'However, the said draft, if approved in its current form, will seriously compromise the ecological integrity and conservation dignity of the tiger reserve," it alleged. The proposed tourism-centric development activities in and around the tiger reserve, including the construction of high-impact infrastructure and grant of arbitrary NOCs, were said to be contrary to the precautionary principle and violate the statutory framework under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. 'The zero-kilometre ESZ boundary proposed in parts of Satkosia Tiger Reserve violates NTCA's 2018 directive, which mandates a minimum 1 km buffer from core tiger habitat wherever the buffer is absent or disjunct," the plea added. It claimed the issuance of no objection certificates by district collectors and non-forest authorities for tourism infrastructure within and around a notified tiger reserve constituted an unlawful usurpation of statutory powers reserved for designated authorities under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and violates the binding directives of the apex court. The plea alleged the actions of state government and its agencies exhibited a deliberate pattern of undermining central environmental regulations through procedural shortcuts and executive overreach, including attempts to modify ESZ notifications to dilute their protective scope for commercial tourism purposes. It also sought a direction to the state to withdraw the draft ESZ proposal relating to Satkosia Tiger Reserve. PTI SJK ABA ABA AMK AMK view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 13:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.