Bengaluru, Jul 1: Karnataka Cabinet on Friday gave administrative approval of Rs 103.73 crore for the setting up of 438 Urban Health and Wellness Centres (U-HWCs) called "Namma Clinic" across the State and for the appointment of doctors, nurses and staff for their functioning.

They are being set up to control contagious diseases and ease the load on the existing hospitals.

"We have permitted the start of 438 U-HWCs called Namma Clinic in Karnataka that we had announced in the budget under the 15th Finance Commission grants. Accordingly, we have given sanction for appointment of 438 doctors, equal number of nurses and second division clerk," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said.

Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting here, he said the clinics would be started in every urban local body area and all wards of Bengaluru city.

"Recurring expenditure for each centre we expect- under BBMP to be Rs 36.45 lakh and at other places ,it will be Rs 34.46 lakh...the appointments will be on a temporary basis...we have given administrative approval of Rs 103.73 crore for this," he added.

The Cabinet that met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai decided to give hardship allowance of Rs 2,000 per month to pourakarmikas (civic workers) working under all the urban local bodies.

The Cabinet approved also installing of decline at the Hatti Gold mines at a cost of Rs 307 crore.

"As on one side we have ore, we were not able to mine the other side, and to reach the area decline has to be installed...their (Hatti Gold Mine) fund will be used for this," the Minister said.

For the bronze statue of Lord Basaveshwara to be installed by Murugha mutt in Chitradurga, the government had announced Rs 20 crore in the budget. For this, the Cabinet today gave nod for Rs 10 crore more.

Among other approvals, an excess Rs 65.5 crore was set aside for the Shivamogga airport to set up additional facilities for night landings. Earlier, Rs 384 crore was granted.

Also, approval was granted for construction of court buildings, and implemention of Jal Jeevan Mission at various places.

In response to a question, the Minister said the monsoon session of the State legislature is likely to be convened next month.

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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.