Kodagu disaster : Siddaramaiah demands PM visit to Kodagu
‘Constitute experts committee’
Madikeri, August 23: Former chief minister and coalition government coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Kodagu as it has incurred heavy loss due to flood, rains and landslides and more than 6000 people were affected and announce the compensation.
After visiting various relief camps here on Thursday, Siddaramaiah said that he came to know about the huge loss due to natural disaster. So, the Prime Minister should visit the district, survey the affected areas and announce the compensation immediately. He would welcome the decision of announcing Rs 500 crore Kerala. In the same manner, let him announce the relief package to Kodagu district, he demanded.
He would advise the state government to constitute an experts committee to assess the loss of properties and lives in the district. He had asked Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to create job opportunities under MNREGS to affected people. He had also advised Housing Minister UT Khader to prepare a programme to ensure temporary and permanent settlement to more than 6000 affected people, he added.
The district administration should take steps to admit the students to hostels immediately. After 1924 and 1964, the district has received this record rains. In Madikeri only, more than 225 inch rainfall was recorded. Because of the continuous rainfall, some villages were disappeared, he said.
Priority should be given to lay roads, power connection, construction of houses, ensuring education to the children, healthcare facility and food grains to all affected people irrespective of APL and BPL beneficiaries, he said.
The Congress MLAs and MPs have decided to give their one month salary to Kodagu and another month’s salary to Kerala flood victims, he said.
The government has been doing well in taking up relief measures. But it should be accelerated further. KPCC has also constituted a relief committee led by Rajya Sabha Member Ramamurthy and the committee would visit the district soon. Later, it would be decided on how to help the district. Already, 50 doctors from KPCC Doctors Cell reached the district and involving in relief works, he said.
Around 600 km rural roads and 150 km PWD roads were damaged in the incident. He was in touch with the Chief Minister and concerned ministers in taking up relief measures in the district. He would also discuss the issue in the Coordination Committee meeting as well, he said.
KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the Relief Committee constituted by the party would collect the donation and contribute to the district. Already, the material collected from the party has reached the district. The party would extend all its support, he said.
KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre, former MP Vijay Shankar, MLC Veena Achaiah, former MLC MC Nanaiah, district Congress president Shivu Madappa, and others were present.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
