Minister for School Education, Youth Welfare and Sports Development, K.A. Sengottaiyan, inspected Periya Kodiveri and Kongarpalayam villages in Gobichettipalayam Taluk where forest department has installed cameras and a cage to trap a leopard on Wednesday.
In the past one week, a leopard had strayed from forest area in Thookanaickenpalayam (T.N. Palayam) forest range in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) and had killed two goats and a cow at these villages located near the forest.
Panic situation
The incident caused panic among the villagers and later the forest department had placed cameras and a cage to trap the animal.
However, in the past four days the leopard could not be caught despite officials relocating the cage in the agriculture field. The Minister inspected the spot where cameras were installed and held discussions with T.N. Palayam Forest Ranger Ganesh Pandian and other officials.
Earlier, the Minister laid the foundation stone for establishing Government Industrial Training Institute at Karattur village in Periya Kodiveri Town Panchayat at a cost of ₹7.06 crore. The total construction area is 11,531 sq. ft, including administrative building and the first floor at 5,673 sq. feet each and portico at 185 sq. ft.
Apart from this hostel building would come up at 8,223 sq. ft.
The Minister also inaugurated a new building for the primary agricultural cooperative credit society at Kullampalayam Panchayat and distributed milch cows to 36 beneficiaries in the presence of Collector C. Kathiravan and Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan.