K'taka HC issues notice to govt on PIL on Act by BJP regime to protect illegal religious structures
Bengaluru, Aug 7: The Karnataka High Court has issued notice to the state government on a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Karnataka Religious Structures (Protection) Act, 2021, which was implemented by the previous BJP government to protect 'illegal' religious buildings on public properties.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice M G S Kamal heard the PIL filed by D Keshavamurthy of Bengaluru and ordered issuing the notice and directing the Advocate General to file objections within three weeks.
The petition says that Section 3 of the Act contains the intention to reject the directions given by the Supreme Court in 2009 regarding the eviction of illegal religious structures. It points to the SC judgment on September 29, 2009 that illegal religious structures should not be allowed on public places like roads and parks.
The petition claims that the new Act proposed to preserve the illegal buildings constructed from September 29, 2009 to October 21, 2021.
The illegal religious buildings are in contravention of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act 1961, Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act 1976, Karnataka Municipalities Act 1964, Bangalore Metropolitan Area Development Authority Act 1985, and BBMP Act 2020, according to the petition.
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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.
