Karnataka CM Bommai to visit rain-affected areas
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said he would visit rain-affected districts of Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi and instruct the officials to take appropriate relief measures.
He said he interacted with the Deputy Commissioners of the districts affected with regard to the rescue work that needs to be undertaken.
"The Malnad region, Kodagu, Uttara Kannada and coastal regions are being lashed by heavy rains for the past 10 days. Already I have interacted with the Deputy Commissioners concerned through video conference for taking up rescue and relief works," the Chief Minister told reporters.
"As the rains have abated I will visit the affected areas starting tomorrow to take stock of the situation and issue necessary instructions to take up relief works. I will visit Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Karwar (district headquarters town of Uttara Kannada)," Bommai said.
He said there were heavy rains in north Karnataka as well.
The Met department on Monday forecast thunderstorms accompanied by lightning with light to moderate spells of rain with gusty winds speed reaching 30 to 40 km per hour. The districts that will be affected are Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, the department added.
While the low-lying areas in the affected districts are inundated, there have been incidents of landslides in Kodagu district. Three labourers from neighbouring Kerala died in a landslide a few days ago.
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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.
