K'taka govt asked to prepare detailed project report to tackle traffic congestion in B'luru: DKShi
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre has asked the Karnataka government to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to ease traffic congestion in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said.
Shivakumar, who is in-charge of the Bengaluru Urban Development and Water Resources Ministries, discussed the traffic congestion issue with Union Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday.
Sharing the outcome of the meeting with reporters, Shivakumar said he discussed with the Union Minister ways to ease traffic in Bengaluru and also asked how the central government can support this issue.
"In a positive way, he (Gadkari) gave certain suggestions. He has asked us to prepare a DPR," he said.
Shivakumar said the state government has already invited Expression of Interest (EoI) with a proposal for construction of either a tunnel or flyover or any other means through which the traffic can be eased.
"After receiving the proposals, we will talk to the central government, which is ready to support," he added.
The Deputy CM said though Delhi and Mumbai also suffer from traffic congestion people don't talk about it.
The state government is getting ready to solve the traffic problem in Bengaluru. Around 10 companies, including one from Israel, have made presentations and they have been asked to participate in the bids, he said.
"The last date for submission of the EoI is August 8. Let all of them participate with international design and concept. We have decided to take this forward so that Bengaluru traffic congestion is eased," he added.
Besides this, Shivakumar also reviewed the status of inter-state water disputes with officials. He also reviewed status of 350 cases related to the state urban development ministry pending in Supreme Court.
Noting that some parts of Karnataka have not received good rains and farmers have demanded water for their crops, he said the government has decided to release 5,575 cusecs water from Tungabhadra river to certain districts in Karnataka.
Tungabhadra canal, which has a 105 tmc storage capacity, currently has 83 tmc of water, he added.
State cabinet minister Shivaraj Thangadagi has been appointed as chairman of the Tungabhadra Advisory Committee, he added.
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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.
