From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 27: The State Cabinet agreed to implement a majority of the recommendations of the Karnataka High Court-appointed Elephant Task Force, except two, to prevent man-elephant conflicts in the state.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra, who briefed reporters on the decisions taken at the State Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday, said the recommendations on reducing the weight of golden howdah taken out on the elephant at the grand finale of the Mysore Dasara celebrations (Vijayadashami Day) were rejected.

Jayachandra said the Cabinet agreed to implement majority of the recommendations to reduce man-elephant conflict.

The elephant carries 750 kg golden howdah during the Dasara celebrations since the days of Mysore Wodeyars. Since it was part of the Dasara Festivities, the Cabinet has rejected the suggestion given by the Task Force, he said.

The decision to implement recommendations came close on the heels of deaths of four people by a herd of elephants on the outskirts of Bangalore on Sunday.

The Cabinet also rejected a suggestion of constitution of a separate board comprising experts to safeguard wild elephants. Since the Wildlife Board was constituted under the Wildlife Act, 1972, the Cabinet decided that there was no need of setting up of another board.

The 13-member task force, led by Raman Sukumar of Indian Institute of Science’s Centre for Ecological Sciences, had specifically dealt in detail with the issue of man-elephant conflict in various elephant corridors, making a series of suggestions in its 150-page report submitted in September 2012.

The State Cabinet decided to set up Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), a government owned institution, on 50 acres of land on the campuses of Karnatak University, Dharwad.

Jayachnadra said the university has 1750 acres. A 50 acre plot out of 1750 acres would be given to IIIT. The Syndicate of the University has agreed to allot the land to the institute, he said.

The Sir M Visvesvaraya National Institute for Training would be established near Chikballapur on 10 acres. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas has brought the institute to the State.

The Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) would invest in the project and provide facilities to train unskilled youth, the Minister said.

Bharata Ratna M Visvesvaraya, popularly and affectionately known as Sir M V, was born in a village known as Muddenahalli in Chikballapur District.

The Cabinet decided to provide administrative approval for Rs 68.58 crore to set up nine Morarji Desai and Kittur Rani Chenamma schools in different places in the state. Out of nine schools, five belonged to Scheduled Caste category and four belonged to Schedule Tribe schools, the Minister said.

It was decided to provide government guarantee to Rs 150 crore loans raised by the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Dranage Board from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

A decision was taken to grant two acres belonged to the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Ltd to the Public Works Department to construct judicial quarters at Gubbi in Tumkur district, the Minister said.