Row over Karnataka govt’s plan to issue guns to nomadic shepherds
Hindustan TimesThe state government’s proposal to grant gun licenses to the nomadic shepherd community and permit them to graze sheep in forest areas has drawn criticisms from environmentalists and wildlife experts. Experts have warned that the proposed actions could violate the Wildlife Protection Act and exacerbate human-wildlife conflicts and poaching The proposal was put forward to help the shepherds in protecting their livestock from theft and allowing them to graze sheep in forest areas. During the meeting held on July 19 held by Siddaramaiah with all district commissioners in Bengaluru, he instructed them to issue firearms licenses to shepherds and to allow sheep grazing in forest areas. Hassan deputy commissioner C Sathyambha confirmed the instructions, stating, “The CM instructed during the meeting to issue gun licenses to nomadic shepherds to protect themselves from sheep thefts.
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