Bengaluru, Jun 17: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday wrote a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, urging him to set up AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in Raichur.

He requested the Union Minister to instruct the concerned to take steps in this regard.

"Being one of the aspirational districts of the country, Raichur has lower health, education level and per capita income than other regions. The area is also at a geographical disadvantage since it experiences extreme weather conditions," Siddaramaiah said in the letter.

"Such disadvantages have put Raichur in dire need of robust medical institutions. Establishment of AIIMS will ensure world class facilities in the region," he said.

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There is a growing demand from the people and representatives for seeing this proposal to fruition, he further said, adding that Kalyan Karnataka region is one of our top priorities.

Karnataka Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology Minister N S Boseraju had recently written to Siddaramaiah urging him to take up the matter. Accordingly, the Chief Minister has written a letter to the Union Minister, the Chief Minister's office said in a statement.

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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.