No need to withdraw general consent to CBI: Tamil Nadu CM
Kanniyakumari (TN): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Tuesday said there was no need for withdrawing the general consent given to the CBI to probe cases in the state like some others including Kerala, but said such a move may be considered if the need arises.
Speaking to reporters after a COVID-19 review meeting here, he said the situation differed from state to state.
"Every state has its own demand (on this issue).
There is no need for us to follow other states.
In case, if such a situation arises we shall consider it then," he said when his attention was drawn to Kerala's recent decision to withdraw the general consent accorded to the CBI to operate there.
Presently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the death of two traders in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin district following alleged police assault at Sathankulam police station.
Non-BJP ruled states including West Bengal and Maharashtra had withdrawn the general consent, with Congress headed Punjab the latest to join the list.
On the pandemic, the chief minister said though coronavirus cases declined across Tamil Nadu, he has directed the officials to continue to maintain a strict vigil in the border districts.
"As Kerala has been registering a spike in COVID-19 cases, I have instructed the officials to screen all those entering Kanyakumari district from Kerala," he said.
To a question on reopening of schools, he said the officials have begun consulting school administration and parents seeking a general consensus on reopening and the date will be announced after the outcome of the consultation is made known.
To a question on a Sri Lankan court directing 'destroying' about 121 confiscated boats belonging to Indian fishermen from the state, he said the order applied to boats that had developed snags.
"Our fishermen have brought boats that are in good condition," he said.
Meanwhile, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said efforts were made to auction the boats in Sri Lanka and a committee formed for this purpose, but the officials could not travel to the island nation due to the lockdown.
The Indian High Commission there has been requested, through the External Affairs Ministry, to oversee the auctioning and send the proceeds to the Tamil Nadu government so as to disburse the money among fishermen concerned and assist them, he said in a statement.
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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.
