Congress should defer Mekedatu Padayatra to contain COVID-19: HM Araga Jnanendra
Bengaluru, Jan 12: Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra on Wednesday accused the Congress in the state of precipitating the COVID crisis with their 'Walk for Water', demanding a balancing reservoir across Cauvery river at Mekedatu in Ramanagara district.
"Not heeding calls to postpone the Padayatra programme, ostensibly undertaken to draw political mileage, the Congress leaders are precipitating the COVID crisis in the state," Jnanendra said in a statement.
He criticised the adamant attitude of the Congress leaders for continuing their march and said the initial apprehension of the government about the Padayatra "is unfortunately coming true".
"Because of this specific reasons, we had appealed to the Congress leaders to defer this event but it seems that Congress leaders are only concerned about taking political advantage and not about the public health," he said.
According to Jnanendra, already several Congress leaders who had taken part in the 10-day event had tested positive for Covid-19 and got admitted to the hospital.
Renewing his appeal to the Congress leaders to end their programme, Jnanendra said, "I hope the Congress leaders who were also in power in the past would act sensibly and responsibly and call off their programme." The Congress commenced its march from Mekedatu from January 9 demanding the balancing reservoir for complete utilisation of the Karnataka's share of Cauvery water to meet the drinking water needs of Bengaluru and adjoining districts.
The Tamil Nadu government has opposed the project saying that it will hamper their interest.
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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.
