HC stays K'taka govt enquiry into previous government's "40% commission" on contracts
Bengaluru: The High Court of Karnataka has stayed a Government Order constituting a one-man enquiry commission led by retired High Court judge H N Nagamohan Das to investigate the allegations of the ''40 per cent commission'' in government contracts alleged by some contractors.
The State Government had issued the said order on August 5, 2023 to probe the alleged commission in works allotted in the Urban Development, Water Resources, Minor Irrigation and Rural Development, Public Works and Panchayat Raj departments between 2019-20 to 2022-23.
Justice M Nagaprasanna who heard a petition filed by several contractors stayed the Government Order on December 7 stating, ''Prima facie, it appears that the State is taking different stand on the score of change in government. Unless the State would justify its action for issuing the impugned order or constituting a One-Man Enquiry Commission, all further proceedings shall remain stayed.'' A Special Investigating Cell has been constituted for the purpose of investigating and enquiry of all the works which has been challenged in the petition filed by Nikshep Infra Projects and 44 other contractors.
The Additional Government Advocate was directed to accept the notice for the Urban Development Department, Karnataka Government. The contractors have also made the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as the second respondent in the case though no relief is sought from the civic body.
''BBMP has been made a party for the sake of completeness,'' the petition has claimed.
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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.
