Special prayers offered in churches of Udupi diocese in support of Armed Forces
Udupi: As directed by the Indian Catholic Bishops’ Council, special prayers, inclusive of special offerings, were held for the safety of the Indian Armed Forces and soldiers during the Sunday Mass at the churches under the Udupi diocese.
Bishop Rev. Fr. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, who is on his official annual visit, performed a special prayer service at St. Joseph's Church in Belman, Karkala taluk, and offered prayers for the soldiers serving the country. He also offered a special adoration in the name of the new Pope Leo XIV.
The Bishop, addressing the gathering at the prayer service, said that there was severe tension in the Indo-Pak border giving rise to fear of declaration of war. “As our soldiers guard the borders for the welfare of the entire nation and putting their lives at risk, we pray every day for their well-being. We should stand in support of our soldiers to boost their self-confidence,” he added.
“Pope Leo XIV has called for peace in the entire world and asked the citizens of all nations to cooperate for this by opting for discussion rather than war. We too should remember his message always and both nations should strive for strengthening of peace,” he added.
Church Pastor Fred Mascarenhas, Assistant Pastor Arnold Matthias and Karkala Christ King Church Pastor Clement Mascarenhas were present at the event.
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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.
