Political motives behind textbook revision in Karnataka: Congress leader Ramanath Rai
Mangaluru, Jun 25: The BJP government in Karnataka has political motives behind the decision to revise school textbooks in the state, former minister and Congress leader B Ramanath Rai said on Saturday.
Addressing reporters here, Rai alleged that the state education department is being misused by the government to "sow poison in the minds of children" through revised textbooks.
Rai charged that dirty politics is being played out in the name of revision of textbooks. Chapters on visionaries like Sree Narayana Guru, Basavanna, Rani Abbakka and Kayyar Kinhanna Rai were missing from the new textbooks.
The attempt of the review committee is to introduce the politics prescribed by the BJP to the children through textbooks, Rai charged.
The Congress leader also blamed the government for the shortage of teachers reported from various schools. Textbooks have also not reached many schools though they have started classes.
The government has also failed to provide uniforms, school bags and bicycles to students, he alleged.
When the Congress was in power at the Centre, the Union government had sanctioned Rs 80 crore for Dakshina Kannada district under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rai pointed out.
The Congress in the state had also introduced programmes like Nali Kali and Vidya Siri, besides initiating the mid-day meal scheme for children, he said.
Rai alleged that the BJP government is not bothered about education of children, but is only interested in "commission" projects.
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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.
