Chamarajanagar: Film shooting at Gopalaswamy Betta in Gundlupet; farmers stage protest
Chamarajanagar: Members of several farmers’ organizations in the district staged a protest at the foot of the Himavad Gopalaswamy Betta in Gundlupet on Wednesday, taking objection to the permission granted by the state government and the Forest Department to shoot a film on the hills.
Stressing that the hill came under the eco-sensitive zone of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and it was worrisome that a film was being shot near the temple atop the hill, the protesters gathered near the checkpost of the Forest department, at the foot of Gopalaswamy Betta, and raised slogans against the department and the government.
Madralli Mahadevappa, District President of the Raitha Sangha, said that movement of private vehicles was banned on the hills since 2016. The authorities concerned, therefore, had violated the norms by granting permission to the film-makers. Mahadevappa expressed worry that permissions may be granted to other people also for such activities on the hills. The entry of groups of people would affect the wild animals in the zone, he said.
The farmer leader demanded that strict action be taken against the officers for the irregularity and warned of the people intensifying their protest if the authorities repeat the violation.
In addition to the farmers’ protest, the permission by government officials has attracted ire from environmentalists. They have pointed out that the National Tiger Conservation Authority, in its letter of November 6, 2008, has stated that the core or critical tiger habitat under Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as amended in 2006, has to be kept inviolate for tiger conservation and, therefore, no film shooting can be permitted in such areas.
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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.
