Mangaluru: Mangaluru is all set to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 13, 5 days ahead of the polling day in the Dakshina Kannada Constituency which is scheduled on April 18. A grand stage has been set up at the Nehru Maidan where the Prime Minister will address a public rally.

Ahead of the PM’s visit security has been beefed up in the city and heavy deployment of the security personnel was seen in the city on Friday. High security is in places from where PM Modi’s convoy will pass through.

At Nehru Maidan, six checking and Inspection gates including main entrance is in place to ensure safety of the PM. A 60 foot long and 40 foot wide stage has been prepared from where the Prime Minister will address the public rally. Udupi-Chikmagaluru BJP candidate Shobha Karandlaje, Dakshina Kannada candidate Nalin Kumar Kateel and other BJP leaders will share the stage with PM.

The party said it expects about one and half lakh people to attend the event and accordingly six LED screens have been installed across the venue for the convenience of the people to watch PM Modi speak. People from Udupi, Mangaluru, Kasargod and other parts of the district are expect to attend PM’s address.

Dakshina Kannada District President and MLA Sanjeev Mathandur informed that Jagadish Puttur will sing a patriotic song ahead of the events inauguration. He further informed that no food items or soft and cold drinks were to be distributed at the event as Election Code of Conduct is in place and hence only drinking water was made available at the venue.

Top officials of Special Protection Group (in-charge of PM’s security) arrived in the city on Wednesday and took stock of the security arrangements at the event venue. Local police have also undertaken several security measure to avert any untoward incident during PM’s visit.

“It will be a historic event in the political history of Dakshina Kannada. People from over 1861 election booths will attend the program” BJP Dakshina Kannada Election in-charge Sunil Kumar told reporters.

“The event will begin at 3.pm, party’s state leaders will address the event and PM Modi will reach the venue at 4.15 and address the rally. BJP workers from two constituencies will attend the event. We are expecting to win the election here by at least a margin of two lakh votes” Sunil said.

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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.