Steps to make it mandatory to plant saplings in Housing Scheme: Minister Khader
Mangaluru, August 01: Urban Development and Housing Minister UT Khader said that steps would be taken to make it mandatory to plant saplings of neem, basil and other plants of medicinal values and other daily usable plants in front of all houses to be constructed under the Housing Scheme.
Inaugurating Environmental Protection Day organized by various organizations and the Pollution Control Board at town hall here on Wednesday, the Minister said that environment should be created to plant saplings in each house so that each house would contribute in environment conservation.
Implementation of pollution control law: Onus on officials
The Minister said that the officials have the onus to implement the law to control pollution effectively. If the officials failed to discharge their duties, people and environment would have to face the problem. So, people from all walks of life should cooperate with the stakeholders because, law alone could not control the pollution, he said.
‘Sustainable development with environment’
“Development is a must for the growth of the society. If the development programmes taken up in the society became harmful to the environment, the future generation would have to face the problem. So, sustainable development models should be initiated to conserve the environment”, he said.
MLAs Vedavyas Kamath and Harish Kumar, district Legal Aid Authority judge Mallanna Gowda, ZP president Meenakshi Shantigodu, Divisional Forest Conservator Dr V Karikalan, City Corporation Commissioner Muhammad Nazir, Prof G Srinikethan of NITK, Additional Deputy Commissioner Kumar, Small Screen Actor Harsha, District Pollution Control Board Officer Rajashekar Puranik and others were present.
The winners in various competitions organized as part of the programme were given away prizes. The organizations which have been contributing for the environmental conservation were also felicitated.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
ALSO READ: Veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa laid to rest with full state honours
Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
