Florida man determined to keep his 13-ft male pet alligator at any cost

Strange indeed are the ways of this world and stranger still are the pets that man cherishes. An example is the man from Florida who has a 13ft male alligator as a pet whose favorite food are pizzas and cookies. Florida wildlife officials have told him that the reptile was too big to roam in his garden and he must get rid of it. But the owner is adamant. He says he will do whatever it takes to keep his pet alligator.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 14 July 2016.

The owner is a retired fire fighter and he has looked after the alligator for 47 years. It has been with him ever since he was a boy. He even took it with him to college.
This is not the first time he has faced a battle with the authorities to keep his pet. It had been taken away from him in 1994 but, he went to court and got him back when the judge ruled in his favor. He says his pet is healthy and is not a danger to anyone, and he will do whatever it takes to keep him.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officials now say that since it has been living with him, it would be best if they were not separated. Only, he will need to make changes to his property so tat there is more space.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


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Kerala introduces a 'fat tax' of 14.5% on fast foods like burgers and pizzas

Kerala has set a new end in generation of revenue - the state has pioneered the fat tax in the country by introducing a 14.5 per cent levy on burgers, pizzas and similar food in branded restaurants. This concept is quite popular in some western countries as it tries to make food or beverages linked to obesity costlier in order to discourage their consumption.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 9 July 2016.

This fat tax has been levied by the new Left government in Kerala through its annual budget. A tax of 14.5 per cent is being levied on food items like burger, pizza, tacos, donuts, sandwich, burger-patty, pasta, bread fillings and others sold by branded restaurants as fat tax.

This is the first time in India that any state has imposed such a tax. Kerala hopes to earn around Rs 10 crore a year from the fat tax which is like a drop in the ocean because liquor had made the state exchequer richer by Rs 8,100 crore in 2015-16. Outlets like KFC and Domino's have mushroomed in the state and the government wants to tap the hidden potentials for earning more revenue.


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Indians ape western food habits - now, the west tells us Indian cuisine is the best

Believe it or not, the tables have turned. Indians have been aping western food habits and, now, the west admit that authentic Indian cuisine is the best. The focus is on Dalit cuisine - which is essentially full of whole grains, which means a high amount of fibre, nutrients and antioxidants. Replace those fat friendly western snacks, including consumption of pizzas and burgers, with herbs and spices traditionally used by Dalits. This is set to enter the Indian scene in a big way.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 3 July 2016.

Dalits love saffron-colored and-not-yellow turmeric sourced from water-distressed regions of Maharashtra along with pungent Bhiwapur chillies. These do not cause acidity even if consumed in large quantities. Such spices used by Dalits are scoffed at by the upper castes but are now being tapped by nutritionists for its healing properties. The reason is simple - poor Dalit settlements had an unusually large number people in their nineties and, in comparison, the longevity in Thakur 'bastis' was relatively low.
This is the opinion of Dalit columnist turned entrepreneur Chandra Bhan Prasad.
Dalits do not possess large tracts of land and usually grow crops like millets that do not need much water. Millets are good for health and, since they do not have money to buy and use chemical fertilizers, they use organic manures. They eat rotis with wheat husks and, today, the same is being touted as a superfood for diabetics. He plans to start selling these products online and source the raw materials from across the country where agriculture is done in old fashioned Dalit way, namely, no chemical fertilizers and less water.


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Pick up your pizza and burger from the railway station soon

Indian Railways are fast tracking food for its passengers and, in its latest innovation, it is trying to tie up with big names to make available burgers and pizzas at railway stations - thereby, the passenger can buy it and board he train. As per indications,train passengers will soon be able to order burgers and pizzas of their choice on the Indian Railways website and have them delivered right to their coaches. And, for last-minute purchases, vendor boys will be waiting on platforms with ready-to-serve burgers, pizzas and Indian thalis.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 28 June 2016.

The names doing the rounds are leading quick service restaurants (QSR) like Domino's Pizza, Burger King, Subway, KFC and Pizza Hut. They are expected to venture into new territory by opening up stores at railway stations to tap train passengers in the country. The potential is huge because the Indian Railways operates about 12,000 trains carrying 23 million passengers every day.
Such burger and pizza outlets are set to come up in food courts planned at stations such as Howrah, Mumbai, Madurai, Agra, Pune and Visakhapatnam. Railway passengers on an average spend around Rs 100-125 on a meal. It is less when compared to airports but, the volume of business in railways is many times more than airports.


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