Two cheetahs to be shifted from Kuno to Gandhi Sagar sanctuary on April 20: MP CM

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Bhopal, April 19 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Friday that two cheetahs — a male and a female — from the Kuno National Park (KNP) will be relocated to the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary on April 20.

The announcement was made after Union Minister for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, along with Chief Minister Yadav chaired a meeting with senior forest officials in Bhopal.

“The state government is committed to developing Kuno National Park as a model wildlife tourism destination.

Alongside KNP, Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary in Mandsaur district will soon host cheetahs,” the Chief Minister said.

CM Yadav said that plans are underway to enhance tourism at the Kuno National Park by improving direct road and air connectivity from Gwalior.

He announced that Madhya Pradesh is undertaking extensive efforts to develop its ecosystem.

During the review meeting on the ‘Cheetah Project’ implementation, it said that cheetah cubs born in Madhya Pradesh have the world’s highest survival rate.

“In contrast, cubs in other countries often struggle to adapt to local climates. Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary offers an ideal environment for cheetahs, prompting the state to introduce them there to enrich the sanctuary,” CM Yadav said in a statement.

Meanwhile, CM Yadav announced plans to develop a paved, all-season road from Gwalior to KNP and establish a tent city within the forest for tourists.

An international-level veterinary hospital and rescue centre will also be set up in the Kuno area with central assistance.

This facility will serve cheetahs and support cattle care across the region.

He said the state government is also working to conserve king cobras, gharials, and rare turtles.

In the first phase, 10 king cobras will be introduced to Madhya Pradesh to balance the population of venomous snakes in the state’s forests.

Kuno National Park currently has 26 cheetahs, with 16 in the wild and 10 in rehabilitation enclosures.

Female cheetahs Jwala, Asha, Gamini, and Veera have given birth to cubs.

The state government has also sought Supreme Court’s approval to launch a Cheetah Safari, as safaris in forests or eco-sensitive zones require judicial permission, a forest official told IANS.

–IANS

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Curbs on New Year celebrations, flyovers to remain shut in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Dec 31 (IANS) Barring three, all flyovers in Greater Hyderabad will remain shut on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 as police have imposed curbs on vehicular traffic in view of New Year celebrations.

Police Commissioners of Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda have issued orders imposing restrictions to prevent accidents or any untoward incident during the celebrations.

Hyderabad Police said the main focus will be on the markets, near malls, and locations where people gather for celebrations, such as Tank Bund, NTR Marg, PVNR Marg (Necklace Road) and shopping, commercial, restaurant and pub/bar areas of Jubilee Hills, Banjara Hills, Punjagutta, Khairathabad, Saifabad, etc.

The restrictions will be imposed on a need and situation basis from 11 p.m. onwards on Tank Bund and its surrounding roads/areas and remain in effect until the end of the New Year Celebrations. This will apply to all private and public transport vehicles.

Traffic will not be allowed on NTR Marg, PVNR Marg (Necklace Road) and Tank Bund from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Need-based traffic restrictions will be in place for the vehicular traffic around Hussain Sagar Lake.

All flyovers of the city except Begumpet and Tolichowki will be closed for traffic on a need basis on the intervening night of December 31-January 1. However, the PVNR Expressway Flyover will be operational only for commuters bound for the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), who have valid air Tickets.

Private buses, lorries, heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), and heavy passenger vehicles (HPVs) will not be permitted to enter the limits of Hyderabad City between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

The Outer Ring Road (ORR) will also be closed for light motor vehicles and passenger vehicles, except for vehicles bound towards RGIA, from 10 p.m. on December 31 to 5 a.m. on January 1. Passengers travelling towards RGIA will be allowed to produce air tickets

The management of star hotels, clubs, bars, and pubs and event organisers are also directed to provide special parking arrangements and security to regulate traffic and ensure smooth access. While liquor service must be limited to fixed hours at the pubs and bars, they are required to provide safe transportation to intoxicated patrons.

Traffic Police will be conducting extensive checks to curb traffic violations, including drunken driving, rash and dangerous driving, overspeeding, wrong-side driving, helmet-less and triple riding on two-wheelers, etc. Stringent legal action will be taken against violations/offences such as drunk driving, overspeeding, stunt biking, racing, reckless driving, zig-zag driving, and other dangerous driving behaviors, said Hyderabad Police Commissioner C. V. Anand said.

Police have warned that it would deal firmly with revellers indulging in drunken driving and consumption of drugs. A special drive will be conducted from 8 p.m. on December 31 to 7 a.m. on January 1, 2025 to check drunken driving. Those caught driving under the influence of alcohol will have to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 and undergo six months imprisonment.

Telangana State Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) will also conduct drug tests on suspects. TSNAB personnel will collect the urine samples from suspects and conduct tests, whose results will be known in five minutes.

Organisers of New Year parties, hotels, restaurants, farmhouses, resorts, pubs and bars have been warned of stringent action if they allow the use of drugs in their premises.

The Telangana Four-Wheeler Drivers Association (TGFWDA) and Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU) have announced that they would offer free transportation for tipplers between 10 p.m. on December 31 and 1 a.m. on January 1, 2025.

They said since drunken driving poses a grave threat to public safety, they are offering the service to eliminate the risks associated with drunken driving after the New Year’s celebrations.

The two unions said they would make 500 four-wheeler cabs and 250 bikes available. Anyone who wants a ride can call 9177624678.

–IANS

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Fugitive Mehul Choksi living in Belgium, plans to move to Switzerland for treatment

New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) Fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi, who is wanted in India for his alleged involvement in a Rs 13,500-crore bank loan fraud, was previously believed to be residing in Antigua and Barbuda before reportedly travelling and residing in Antwerp, Belgium, with his wife, Preeti Choksi, after obtaining a residency card, according to a media report.

Indian authorities have since urged Belgium to initiate his extradition to India, as per the Associated Times, a Caribbean-focused outlet.

However, Indian authorities have not yet confirmed the report.

Mehul Choksi’s wife, Preeti, is a Belgian citizen.

Mehul Choksi is currently residing in Antwerp, Belgium, with his wife, Preeti Choksi, after securing an ‘F Residency Card’ in the country, as reported by a media outlet.

According to the report, Choksi allegedly used fabricated and misleading documentation to obtain Belgian residency in an effort to avoid extradition to India.

Sources cited in the report claim that Choksi submitted “false declarations” and “forged documents” to Belgian authorities, while concealing his Indian and Antiguan citizenship during the application process.

The report also suggests that Choksi is planning to move to Switzerland for medical treatment at a renowned cancer hospital.

Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi are accused of siphoning off Rs 13,500 crore from the state-run Punjab National Bank (PNB) using fraudulent letters of undertaking.

Nirav Modi, currently incarcerated in a London jail, is contesting his extradition to India after facing repeated bail denials in court.

Choksi went missing from Antigua in May 2021 but was later traced and returned to the country.

In December 2024, a special court in Mumbai authorised the monetisation of properties valued at Rs 2,565.9 crore, which were seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) since 2018 as part of its money laundering investigation against fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi in the alleged Punjab National Bank fraud case.

The court’s ruling followed an application by the victim banks, Punjab National Bank and ICICI Bank, supported by the ED.

As a result, the transfer of assets has commenced, with properties worth over Rs 125 crore — including flats in Mumbai and two factories in SEEPZ, Andheri — being handed over to the liquidator of Choksi’s Gitanjali Gems Ltd.

Charges against Choksi include criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating and dishonesty including delivery of property, corruption, and money laundering.

In December 2024, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Parliament that properties worth more than Rs 22,000 crore had been restored or sold off to pay back debts of wanted individuals like Choksi.

–IANS

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