Goa Cong MLAs united to tackle BJP govt: Amarnath Panjikar
Panaji, Oct 20: Days after two of its MLAs quit the party and joined the ruling BJP, the Goa Congress Saturday claimed that its remaining legislators were "united".
Subhash Shirodkar and Dayanand Sopte had resigned as Congress MLAs and joined the BJP, bringing down the strength of the opposition party to 14 in the 40-member Goa Assembly.
"There is no question of any other MLA leaving the Congress party. All the remaining MLAs are united and are working to tackle the BJP-led government which is determined to stay in power by hook or by crook," Goa Congress spokesperson Amarnath Panjikar said here Saturday.
He added that the Congress would contest bypolls in both Assembly seats -- Shiroda and Mandrem that were vacated by Shirodkar and Sopte respectively.
Panjikar alleged that BJP MLAs and ministers were "misusing" chief minister Manohar Parrikar's illness for their personal gains.
The Congress leader alleged that proposals were being cleared by the Investment Promotion Board (IPB) by claiming they were approved by Parrikar through video-conferencing.
"Can a person who was airlifted and brought on a stretcher from AIIMS to his residence hold a meeting through video conferencing from 3:30pm to 8:30pm?" he questioned.
Parrikar, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, arrived in Goa on October 14 after being hospitalised in New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
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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.
