The Karnataka High Court on April 22, admitted the PIL filed by Dr Srinivasa Kakkilaya seeking order or direction to the Karnataka Government to nominate members to the Karnataka Medical Council and issued notices to the respondents.

Elections to the Karnataka Medical Council were held in January 2020, but due to legal challenge, the assumption of office by the newly elected members was delayed by nearly 4 years, and the new members could assume office in November 2023 following the order by the High Court at Kalaburagi that upheld the elections.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka govt had nominated 5 members to the KMC in January 2020, even before the elections, and the same was immediately challenged by Dr Srinivasa Kakkilaya, and on the directions of the High Court in Dec 2020, the government had to withdraw all these nominations. Even after the assumption of office by the newly elected members 4 months ago, the government has not nominated 5 members to the vacant posts, and due to that, the new President and Vice President of the Medical Council have not been elected, and two of the earlier members of the Council have continued to officiate in these positions.

With the election code of conduct in force, the nominations to the KMC, a constitutional quasi judicial body, is further delayed. The petitioner therefore filed the present PIL writ petition seeking orders for immediate nominations to the medical council and for the immediate vacation of offices by Dr. Kanchi Pralhad and Dr. Nagaraj Annegowda who are now officiating as President and Vice President even while not being elected members of the Council.

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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.