Centre may soon allow sale of domesticated elephants

New Delhi, Apr 30 (UNI) The Centre is planning to allow the sale of domesticated live elephants, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Following requests by Assam, Kerala, Bihar and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the government is considering making necessary amendments to the Widelife (Protection) Act, 1972, to relax the prohibition on the sale of domesticated live elephants, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Namo Narain Meena said in a written reply.

X X X LIONS: Nine lions died in Gir sanctuary area last month, six of them killed by poachers.

A special committee, set up by the Centre for the on-the-spot appraisal of Gir in the wake of the recent poaching, has been asked to submit its report on May 2, he said.

X X X PAKISTAN: The Punjab government has informed that no area is being lost to Pakistan due to land erosion, Minister of State for Water Resources Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav said.

According to information available, Pakistan has built some works to push the course of the Sutlej towards the Indian side.

The course has shifted gradually towards India due to normal country slope and some works constructed by Pakistan in their territory. There is no major diversion of the course of the Ravi and the Sutlej in the Indian territory.

X X X Agriculture: There is no proposal to set up special agriculture zones on the lines of special economic zones, Minister of State for Agriculture Kanti Lal Bhuria said.

UNI