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New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Major heist at Canara Bank: Nearly 59 kg gold and cash looted in Karnataka
The incident was reported to the Regional Head, who arrived at the branch with officials from the Regional Office by 1:00 p.m. Police were informed shortly thereafter and reached the location at approximately 1:30 p.m. Upon inspecting the premises, police and bank officials found the main door of the strong room intact. However, the inner grill gate had been cut and bent. Inside, one of the steel almirahs used to store gold ornaments was found empty. A total of 1,373 gold packets, weighing 59,348.94 grams gross, were reported missing. Approximately 372 grams of gold was found scattered inside the premises, leading to a net loss of 58,976.94 grams. In addition, another almirah containing cash had been opened, and Rs 5,20,450 was missing. The culprits also removed the CCTV NVR unit and its hard disk, effectively disabling all surveillance recordings during the break-in. The branch had last operated on 23 May, and the burglary is believed to have occurred between 7:00 p.m. that evening and 11:30 a.m. on 25 May, coinciding with the fourth Saturday and Sunday bank holiday closure. A delay in filing the police complaint was attributed to the time taken to physically verify and reconcile the remaining gold inventory. Police have registered a case and launched a full-scale investigation. Superintendent of Police Laxman Nimbargi confirmed that eight special teams have been constituted to probe the case.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Site inspection report disfavours Sharavathi project
A site inspection report of the controversial Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project has not recommended the proposal of the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) which seeks diversion of 54.155 hectares of forestland for the project. A detailed site inspection, conducted by Praneetha Paul, Deputy Inspector-General of Forest (DIGF) from the Regional Office, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India (MoEF&CC), Bengaluru, has not recommended the proposal for the project citing 15 reasons including presence of Lion Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary. However, S. Senthil Kumar, Deputy Director-General of Forests, (Central) Regional Office, MoEF&CC, has recommended the proposal, while suggesting that 'revision in the design to minimise tree-felling and protect the ecological integrity of the area may be considered'. Concern about damages Ms. Paul, who was the inspecting officer, in her report, stated that the reason for not recommending the proposal include felling of more than 15,000 trees, many of which are endemic to the Western Ghats. 'Construction of new roads, widening of roads, construction of the surge shaft, adits, pot head yards, power evacuation etc would result in complete destruction of the wet evergreen forests of canopy density ranging from 0.7 to 1,' the report states as one of the reasons. It further states that the felling of 15,000 trees would result in further fragmentation and creation of isolated populations of the Lion Tailed Macaque (LTM) and other endemic species which may eventually lead to its extinction. 'Alternate CA land proposed, being a shola grassland, will not be able to compensate for the loss of habitat of the LTM,' it said. It also said that as the ecological fallout far outweighs the economic benefits that may be accrued by commissioning this project, 'it is recommended that the project should not be approved.' The inspection was conducted between May 1 and May 9, 2025. Damage acknowledged Meanwhile Mr. Kumar acknowledged that the area is home to significant endemic species, including LTM and the Malabar Pied Hornbill, both of which rely on tall, undisturbed canopy trees. 'There is no alternative alignment as the project depends on utilising reservoirs and gravity for hydroelectricity production,' he states in his recommendation. It further says the proposed project lies within the Sharavathi Valley Lion Tailed Wildlife Sanctuary which harbours the largest known population (730 individuals) of LTM and a separate proposal has been submitted for wildlife clearance which is pending. It added that the Chief Wildlife Warden had recommended modifications to design, including adopting underground structures and minimising surface openings to avoid felling approximately 518 trees in the Surge Tank area and by constructing an underground road from Nagar Basti Kere to Bagodi to preserve approximately 12,000 out of the 13,756 trees marked for removal. 'Building an overground road would disrupt the free movement of canopy dependent species such as the LTM. Revision in the design to minimise tree felling and protect the ecological integrity of the area may be considered. The proposal is recommended,' stated the DDGF .
The Hindu
27-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Centre red-flags forest law violations in Yettinahole drinking water project
The Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bengaluru, has flagged serious violations, unauthorised forest land use, and environmental mismanagement by the State government with regard to the implementation of the Yettinahole drinking water project. A site inspection conducted early this month, from April 7 to April 9, by the Deputy Inspector General of Forests (DIGF) Praneetha Paul revealed that out of 173.3 hectares, nearly 430 acres, of forest land 'proposed' for diversion, a staggering 107.97 hectares in the Hassan Division have already been used without mandatory clearances, which is in blatant violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The wild animals that are found in the forests include leopards, sloth bears, wild boars, spotted deer, foxes, hares, peacocks, etc, in Tumakuru and Hassan, which also has a movement of elephants. The project entails felling of 7,554 trees of 27 species in the Tumakuru division and 1,439 trees of 48 species in the Hassan division. The DIGF report has expressed concern that the project can severely affect the movement of wildlife, especially elephants, in Hassan. As there is no proposal to fence the canal, it could result in the death of wildlife, noted the report, and suggested fencing of both sides of the canal and the construction of crossovers at regular intervals. It also emphasised the preparation of a wildlife mitigation plan in consultation with scientists. The DIGF stated that the environmental clearance under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, has not been obtained nor the cost-benefit ratio has been calculated for the project. This apart, it stated that the project implementing agency, Visvesvaraya Jala Nigam Limited, has stared the construction of the canal before obtaining necessary clearances. Shockingly, officials noted that the project had already defaulted on compliance conditions linked to an earlier diversion of 13.93 hectares in Sakleshpur taluk and had not taken any corrective actions, thus compounding the severity of the current violations. The report stated that the updated information on the cumulative ecological impacts of the project on the Western Ghats was not in place. Besides, other compliances of the monitoring committee constituted by the National Greens Tribunal and its directions dated June 23, 2023, had not been fulfilled. The project's alignment planning also came under flak as cost-cutting was prioritised over environmental safeguards, and out of 173.3078 hectares of forest land sought to be diverted, a total of 103.53 hectares is for dumping of muck generated during construction activity, as per the report. 'More than 60% of the forest sought to be diverted is to be used for dumping muck, which is a non-site specific activity,' the report pointed out, and called for revision of the project proposal to ensure that muck generated in the areas is disposed of outside the forest areas. Deputy Director General of Forests (DDGF) S. Senthil Kumar, in his recommendations, has red-flagged the concerns and pointed out that though forest diversion has been sought for project implementation, a majority of it is for muck disposal despite more than 2,000 hectares of non-forest land being available for the project. The DDGF also said that the project could be considered only after all the objections are addressed and clarifications submitted for issues raised by the DIGF.
Ya Biladi
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
A teacher dies from injuries sustained in an attack by one of her students
A French language teacher, H.A., passed away on Sunday at the Hassan II University Hospital in Fez, succumbing to serious injuries sustained in a violent assault by one of her students. The attack took place on March 27. The student, a 21-year-old enrolled at a vocational training institute in Erfoud, in the Errachidia Province, was arrested the same day. The tragic death has sparked an outpouring of reactions from educational unions and human rights organizations across Morocco. In a strongly worded statement, the Moroccan Democratic Human Rights Organization condemned what it described as «a criminal act that is inexcusable and unjustifiable», saying it «not only constitutes a flagrant violation of the right to life, but also reflects a shocking collapse in human and religious values, and a moral failure of the state». Teachers unions and NGOs voice anger The organization also denounced the ongoing wave of violence targeting educators, which it said undermines the dignity of teaching staff and the reputation of public education. It called for a full and serious investigation into the incident and urged that the harshest possible punishment be imposed on the perpetrator. The statement further held successive governments responsible for what it described as the normalization of school violence, calling for a broad national dialogue on the issue. It also urged the media to engage in raising awareness, rather than «hiring pens to scapegoat educators for the failures of the education system, distorting their noble mission and tarnishing their professional and moral standing». In response to the tragedy, the Regional Office of the National Union of Education – Democratic Orientation announced a series of protest actions, including sit-ins during school breaks on Monday, April 14, and Tuesday, April 15, 2025. A regional strike is also planned for Wednesday, April 16, in protest against the school violence that claimed the life of a French language teacher in Erfoud. The union criticized the lack of effective measures to confront what it called «a growing epidemic of violence eroding public education», and accused the state of lacking the political will to restore respect for educators. Meanwhile, the Local Offices of the National Vocational Training branch of the Moroccan Labor Union in the Drâa-Tafilalet region expressed their full rejection of all forms of violence, marginalization, and restrictions affecting employees in the vocational training sector. They called for protest sit-ins at training institutions on Monday, with a collective recitation of Al-Fatiha in memory of the late professor.
Express Tribune
16-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Jewellery outlet sealed for violating POS rules
Regional Tax Office One (RTO-I) has sealed a jewellery outlet on Tariq Road on Saturday for violating Point of Sale (POS) regulation, set for the jewellery sector. This is the first of its kind action in this sector, carried out within the administrative jurisdiction of Zone 3 of the Regional Office. The action was taken under 150-ZEO of the Sales Tax Rules 2006 for issuing receipts not linked to the POS system. On this occasion, Chief Commissioner RTO One, Dr. Faheem Muhammad, appreciated the initiation of actions against POS violations in the jewellery sector.
