Kumaraswamy warns Karnataka govt against ordinance to amend labour laws & APMC Act
Bengaluru: Warning against any move by the government to amend labour laws and APMC Act through ordinance, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday asked Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa work in the interest of the people and not budge under any pressure from the centre or to please party bosses.
The former Chief Minister questioned the urgency to bring forward such ordinances on important subjects and asked the government to have a public debate on it and also discuss it in the assembly.
"I'm warning the government... I have been watching everything silently till now, I have not caused any embarrassment to the government.
I want to tell government, don't push us to do it," Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the party has supported the government in it's fight against COVID-19 and not criticized it, despite mistakes.
"Please don't take our silence as weakness, I'm warning the government," he said, as he told Yediyurappa that he has become Chief Minister to protect the people's interests and asked him not to budge under pressure from the central government or to please the Prime Minister or someone else.
His warning came amidst reports that the state government was mulling relaxing some key labour laws in line with those brought in other BJP ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Also, that it planned to amend the agricultural marketing laws to remove restrictions on sale of farm produce and allow farmers to sell their produce anywhere.
Alleging that the government planned to bring in modifications in the APMC act,Kumaraswamy said the Cooperative Minister himself had said that the decision to dilute APMCs powers will result in losses of no less than Rs 600 crore to the exchequer and that the state will have to abide by it as it was the decision taken by the centre.
"This amendment will end Agricultural Produce Market Committees and help big private companies. There will be no protection to farmers," he said.
Further alleging that there are plans to modify labour laws that include extending work hours,Kumaraswamy accused the government of bringing such "anti people" amendment through ordinance during lockdown as none can come out on the streets and protest against it.
"Bring those amendments to the assembly, explain the need for them to the house, have a public debate about it... don't bring such ordinance under the directives of the centre, to please someone," he said.
The former Chief Minister said he would write to the Governor to use his discretionary powers before approving such ordinances, after a thorough scrutiny.
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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.
