Karnataka CM to meet MPs & Ministers from State in Delhi tomorrow; Cauvery issue on top of the agend
Bengaluru (PTI): Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be holding a meeting with all Members of Parliament and Union Ministers from Karnataka in the national capital on Wednesday, to discuss a host of issues concerning the state, especially the release of Cauvery river water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Several stalled developmental projects and those waiting Centre's clearances are likely to come up for discussion at the meeting, during which the Chief Minister is likely to urge the Union Ministers and MPs from the state to use their good offices for intervention of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India on the Cauvery issue.
The meeting has gained significance, with the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on Monday asking Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days.
According to the Chief Minister's tour plan released to the media on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah will leave for Delhi tonight and will be holding a breakfast meeting with all MPs from Karnataka including Union Ministers on Wednesday.
He is later scheduled to meet several other Union Ministers during the visit, and his return journey has been kept "open".
According to official sources, Siddaramaiah is also likely to meet the legal team, representing the state in the Supreme Court, ahead of the Cauvery water release issue coming up before the top court, probably later this week.
The Chief Minister recently has been critical of Prime Minister Modi, for not responding to his letter seeking time to meet an all-party delegation, and to discuss with him on issues concerning the state including Cauvery water release.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will also be traveling to Delhi, and is expected to accompany the CM at meetings with MPs from the state and Union Ministers.
Shivakumar earlier today said the state is in a "catch 22 situation", following the CWMA direction to release water to Tamil Nadu, and sought the Centre's intervention to resolve the issue.
Also, Water Resources Minister Shivakumar urged the opposition BJP, its leaders and Members of Parliament to prevail upon the Prime Minister to bail out Karnataka, while noting that he will be travelling to Delhi to meet MPs and the Union Ministers during the ongoing Parliament session.
He also defended the state's decision to release water to Tamil Nadu, citing advice of the legal team in view of the case coming up in the Supreme Court for hearing later this week, where non-compliance of CWMA orders may be viewed seriously.
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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.
