Roads damaged before time: Minister Krishna Byre Gowda asks contractors to repair
Dakshina Kannada district progress review meeting
Mangaluru, August 21: Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Krishna Byre Gowda directed the officials concerned to get the damaged roads repaired from the contractors as the roads were damaged before time.
Presiding over a progress review meeting at the zilla panchayat hall here on Tuesday, the Minister said that the contractors have the time of five years to maintain the roads. So, before people point towards the damaged roads due to rains, the officials concerned should get those roads repaired from the contractors. Out of 8,336 km length road, 705 km of road would come under the contractors maintenance period. So, the contractors should be sent the circulars immediately and the copy of which should also be sent to the respective MLAs, he said.
Except the roads damaged due to rains, remaining roads should be repaired after the rainy season, for which funds should be accumulated from all sources, he added.
Increase target of ‘Jaladhara’ scheme
The target of the ‘Jaladhara’ scheme introduced to counter the drought situation should be increased in the district. In each village, at least 50 kindi anekattu should be constructed. So far, out of 460 such barrages, 298 were completed which is a good progress. But the target should be increased to strengthen the MGNREGS, he said.
Out of total 29 new gram panchayats in the district, six gram panchayats have new buildings, nine buildings were in progress and 14 others were not taken up due to some reasons. Out of 230 gram panchayats, 138 gram panchayats have revised the tax slabs, ZP CEO Dr MR Ravi said.
District Minister UT Khader, ZP president Meenakshi Shantigodu, vice president Kasturi Panja, standing committee presidents Janardhan Gowda, UP Ibrahim and Anitha Shetty, MLA Rajesh Nayak Ulleppadi and others were present.
Minister takes officials to task
When the officials tried to avoid the questions in the meeting, the Minister became furious and took them to task. Though all the officials were given agenda and meeting notice one week earlier, some of the officials have not prepared anything. At least, listen to his words now and work, he said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
