Ban on areca: It is only PIL, not order, says Poojary

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Ahmed Anwar)

January 1, 2014

Mangalore, Jan 1: Senior Congress leader B Janardhan Poojary has alleged the BJP Leaders of creating confusion in the minds of the areca growers by making confusing statements over the proposed ban on areca.

Addressing the reporters on Wednesday, Mr Poojary said that only a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed seeking ban on areca, which does not mean that the Court will decide in favour of the ban.

“The growers need not be worried about the areca ban because the central and the state government will take steps for the welfare of the growers,” he said adding that despite demands to ban tobacco over the years, tobacco continues to be grown and sold in the market.

He said that in case Supreme Court bans areca then the Central government will pass an ordinance to come to the rescue of the growers and added that it was due to the confusion created by the BJP leaders that the price of areca has taken a nosedive from Rs 208 per kg to Rs 178 per kg.

“The BJP is creating confusion for political gain,” he said adding that it was time everyone resorted to building confidence of the farmers forgetting differences.

BSY's return

Coming down heavily on former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa for going back into the folds of the BJP, Poojary said that people still remember the claims that Yeddyurappa had done of not returning to the BJP till his end.

“How did BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi allow this to happen when he makes big talks about curbing corruption and acting stern against the corrupt,” he questioned.

Appreciating change

However, lauding Pejawar Seer Vishweshatheertha Swamiji's decision of not mounting the palanquine during the paryaya mahotsava, Poojary said that all the other seers of the 'ashtamatha' must try and follow the seer.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

Comments