"Eat Right" campaign
Context
Why in News?
The Karnataka Government officially expanded its regional “Eat Right” campaign to enhance state-wide consumer health and food safety.
- Launched by Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader, this localized push introduces rigorous community surveillance and tech-driven public enforcement tools.
Features
- Citizen-Led Safety Teams: Formation of taluk-level watch teams composed of senior citizens, veteran food safety officials, and professional chefs who hold official ID cards to inspect food establishments.
- Digital Grievance Portals: Launch of a QR code-based complaint management system allowing consumers to instantly report local food and drug hygiene violations.
- Targeted PG Compliance: Implementation of a strict 10-day ultimatum for Paying Guest (PG) accommodations and campus hostels to align with standard food safety codes or face legal penalties.
- Transit & Luxury Audits: Systematic collection of random food lab samples spanning airport terminals, commercial flights, railway hubs, and luxury star hotels.
Foundation: The “Eat Right India” National Movement
This local state drive scales the ongoing, overarching Eat Right India flagship program created by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The parent national campaign focuses on systemic nutritional change across three broad focus areas:
- Eat Safe: Upgrading commercial infrastructure, testing oil polar compounds, and running FoSTaC hygiene certifications for street vendors and restaurant networks.
- Eat Healthy: Direct consumer awareness campaigns like “Aaj Se Thoda Kam” to lower dietary dependency on excess sugars, trans fats, and sodium.
- Eat Sustainably: Promoting climate-resilient local millets, enforcing food waste reduction policies, and removing non-biodegradable plastics from food storage chains.
Mukya Mantri Soura Krishi Yojane (CM-SKY).
Context
BESCOM has invited tenders to set up 500 MW of grid-connected distributed solar power plants under the state government’s newly announced Mukya Mantri Soura Krishi Yojane (CM-SKY).
- The mega-project carries an estimated tender value of ₹6,637.86 crore and aims to solarise agricultural feeders across Karnataka by December 2026.
Features
- Project Model: Build, Own, and Operate (BOO) basis under the RESCO model for a 25-year operations period.
- Financials: Estimated contract value is ₹6,637.86 crore with an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of ₹5.00 crore.
Impact on Farmers and Infrastructure
- Barren Land Leasing: Selected private power generators will lease barren or uncultivable agricultural lands from farmers within a 10 km range of substations.
- Farmer Compensation: Farmers will receive a baseline rent of ₹25,000 per acre annually, which will increase by 5% every year.
- Power Delivery: The infrastructure will provide at least 7 hours of uninterrupted, daytime power supply specifically to power agricultural pump sets.
- Efficiency: Setting up generation plants adjacent to Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) substations drastically reduces grid transmission losses.
Goa-Tamnar line
Context
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) regional empowered committee has granted in-principle approval for the long-delayed Goa-Tamnar interstate power transmission project, clearing the diversion of over 251 hectares (approx. 426 acres) of forest land across Goa and Karnataka.
The decision comes after the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) provided a crucial clearance for the line’s passage through the sensitive buffer zone of the Kali Tiger Reserve.
Features
- Land Diversion: The approval permits the diversion of 174.652 hectares of forest land in Karnataka (across Dharwad, Haliyal, Belagavi, and Dandeli Wildlife divisions) and 76.998 hectares in Goa (including portions of the Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park and Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary).
- Tree Felling Capped: To reduce the environmental footprint, the wildlife panel capped tree cutting at 3,248 trees, which is drastically lower than the 10,810 trees initially proposed.
- Project Purpose: Handled by Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Ltd (GTTPL), this 400 kV double-circuit line connects Narendra in Karnataka to Dharbandora in Goa, seeking to establish a reliable electricity network and alleviate South Goa’s power deficit.
Imposed Conditions & Mitigation Demands
Because the alignment cuts directly through the ecologically fragile Western Ghats, the MoEFCC panel has made final approval contingent on strict environmental mandates:
- Wildlife Mitigation Plan: GTTPL must submit a comprehensive, site-specific wildlife mitigation plan vetted and approved by the Chief Wildlife Wardens of both states.
- Afforestation Strategy: The agency must consult state forest departments to formulate a corridor plantation plan focusing specifically on dwarf and medicinal tree species.
- Erosion Control: Due to risk factors like habitat fragmentation, soil erosion, and the siltation of perennial forest streams, a specialized soil and moisture conservation plan is required.
- Construction Windows: Infrastructure and engineering operations must strictly remain confined to daytime hours to minimize the disruption of endangered nocturnal species inside the tiger reserve landscape