New Delhi [India], February 27 (ANI): The National Green Tribunal on Saturday directed Central Monitoring Committee constituted by Environment Ministry to look into the death of an elephant by electrocution and to protect the lives of 40 elephants in Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh.
An NGT bench headed by its chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel directed Central Monitoring Committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh to look into the grievance in the present application and take remedial action in accordance with the law.
The tribunal was hearing an application moved by one PG Najpande seeking for fixing accountability for the death of an elephant by electrocution and to protect the lives of 40 elephants in Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh.
The applicants have stated that on November 28, 2020, one elephant lost its life by electrocution in the forest area of Bargi, village Mohas, District Jabalpur on account of a high voltage trap with high voltage over-loaded power lines.
Apart from the death of one elephant, there is a danger to the lives of 40 wild animals in the forest of Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh.
The tribunal noted that a Central Monitoring Committee has been constituted by the MoEF&CC to coordinate with the elephant-bearing States on the issue of the safety of elephants in elephant protection zones. (ANI)

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], February 27 (ANI): Vice Admiral Atul Kumar JainFlag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) Eastern Naval Command(ENC), before relinquishing his command, called on Biswabhusan Harichandan, Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Chief Minister of the state YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Vice Admiral met Chief Minister at CM Camp Office at Vijayawada on Friday.
The FOC-in-C briefed the Governor and Chief Minister on the forthcoming activities of the Navy i.e. the President’s Fleet Review and MILAN 2022 a multinational exercise, both major naval events being hosted in the City of Destiny.
Jain also apprised them of the various security challenges and impetus to various infrastructure projects of ENC. (ANI)

Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], February 27 (ANI): The death toll in the Uttarakhand glacier burst incident has reached 72 as two more bodies and 30 parts of human bodies were recovered from the debris, according to the state government on Saturday..
“So far, 72 bodies and 30 human body parts have been recovered from different places in the avalanche hit areas out of which 40 bodies and one human body part have been identified,” said Chamoli district police.
DNA samples of bodies which have not been identified are being preserved.
Missing reports of 205 persons have been registered at Joshimath police station so far.
DNA samples of 110 family members of missing people, 58 bodies and 28 human body parts have been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory in Dehradun for matching, it said.
Meanwhile, the rescue and search operation for missing people is underway. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel along with National Disaster Response Force and other sister agencies have been conducting search and rescue operations in Chamoli district.
A glacier burst earlier in the Tapovan-Reni area of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand triggered massive flooding in the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers that damaged houses and the nearby Rishiganga power project. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], February 27 (ANI): A 17-year-old boy was admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre on Friday after being beaten up and stabbed by three boys in the Kalkaji area when he objected to them following his sister and passing indecent remarks.
According to Delhi police, a PCR call was received at police station Kalka Ji regarding a boy who had been stabbed near Sarvodya Vidhalya No. 2 Kalkaji and was being taken to AIIMS trauma for treatment.
As per the police, the eye witness (sister of injured) age-18 years, who was present with him at the time of the incident, stated that three boys followed her and passed indecent remarks. When her brother objected, they beat him up and one of them stabbed him on the left side of the abdomen and fled from the spot.
Meanwhile, the girl who was molested told ANI, “It had been going on for 2-3 days. They hit my brother and stabbed him when he objected.”
A case vide FIR No. 95/2021 u/s 307/354(D)/509/34 IPC has been registered and further investigation is going on, the police said, adding that efforts are being made to trace the accused who are residents of J.J.Camp Giri Nagar in the area of police station, Govind Puri. (ANI)

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 27 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was warmly greeted by State Ministers and supporters on the occasion of his 78th birthday in his office in Bengaluru on Saturday morning.
Ministers and his supporters greeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader with garlands and bouquets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several union ministers also extended birthday greetings to Yediyurappa, wishing him a long and healthy life.
“Greetings to Karnataka CM @BSYBJP Ji on his birthday. Yediyurappa Ji is one of our most experienced leaders, who has devoted his life towards the welfare of farmers and empowering the poor. Praying for his long and healthy life,” PM Modi tweeted.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal lauded the Chief Minister’s efforts to transform the lives of farmers in the state.
“Warm birthday greetings to CM B.S. Yediyurappa ji @BSYBJP. His efforts to transform the lives of our Annadatas through tech-enabled governance in Karnataka have set a new benchmark. I wish him a long and healthy life,” he tweeted.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too praised Yediyurappa’s work for the upliftment of the poor and empowerment of farmers.
“Best wishes to Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri BS Yediyurappa on his birthday. He has been making a remarkable contribution to Karnataka’s development and doing commendable work while uplifting the poor and empowering the farmers. Praying for his long and healthy life,” Singh tweeted.
“Warm Birthday wishes to the Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri B.S. Yediyurappa. May you be blessed with good health and long life,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.
Born on February 27, 1943, BS Yediyurappa, now 78, was first elected to the lower house of the Karnataka Legislature in 1983 and has since represented the Shikaripur constituency seven times.
He was elected as the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka on 3rd February 2006 in the JD(S) and BJP Coalition Government. He was sworn in as the 25th Chief Minister of Karnataka on November 12, 2007.
In Karnataka’s 2008 Assembly elections, Yediyurappa contested from Shikaripura won the election and took the oath of office as Chief Minister on May 30, 2008.
He is the first person from the Bharatiya Janata Party to become the Chief Minister of a south Indian state and the first Chief Minister to present a separate agricultural budget. (ANI)

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], February 27 (ANI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal has assured Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of reimbursing pending food subsidies worth Rs 4,832 crores
Baghel on Friday met Union Food and Public Distribution Minister and reiterated his demand of increasing the permitted amount of 24 lakh metric tonnes of rice to be procured under the central pool in FCI to 40 lakh metric tonnes in the Kharif marketing year 2020-21.
He also requested the Union minister to reimburse pending food subsidies for the year 2019-20 and 2020-21 of Rs 5214.97 crore.
“In the interest of farmers of Chhattisgarh, the Centre should give permission for procurement of 40 lakh metric tonnes of rice in the Food Corporation of India at the earliest as 92 lakh metric tonnes of paddy have been procured from 20.53 lakh farmers on the support price in Chhattisgarh in the Kharif marketing year 2020-21, as on 31 January 2021, under the decentralized procurement scheme,” the Chief Minister said.
He said the Food Department has been allowed to take only 24 lakh metric tonnes of rice under the Central pool in the Kharif year 2020-21.
Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey and Food Minister Amarjeet Bhagat also accompanied the chief minister during the meeting. (ANI)