Siddaramaiah has also suggested opening up forest areas for grazing sheep. The decisions worry Forest Department and wildlife experts.
Besides issuing firearm licences to shepherds, Siddaramaiah also wants to open up the forests for grazing cattle. (Representational Image/South First)
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s decision to grant gun licences to the nomadic pastoral community has sparked a controversy. While the government claimed that the decisions were made to protect shepherds and livestock from theft and to overcome a scarcity of grazing land, critics argued that the moves violate the Wildlife Protection Act, and would increase human-wildlife conflict, poaching, and spread diseases among the wildlife population.