Nirmala Sitharaman visits flood-hit Kodagu, promises Army help
Kodagu (Karnataka), Aug 24 : Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday visited the flood-hit Kodagu district and assured the people of Indian Army's help in rebuilding the devastated region's roads.
"I can assure you that the task force of the Indian Army's Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will visit as consultants and advise the administration on how to build roads in hilly areas," Sitharaman told reporters in Madikeri, about 280km from the state capital Bengaluru.
Due to heavy rains and landslips, several of the district's arterial roads have been battered, disconnecting many villages and towns.
The Defence Minister visited Kushalnagar and Madapura in the district, which were severely affected by heavy rains and flash floods last week.
She also interacted with few flood-affected people sheltered at a relief camp at Madikeri in the district.
"I will meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who also takes care of national disaster relief funding, (Minister for Road Transport and Highways) Nitin Gadkari and also submit a report to Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) on the district's situation," Sitharaman said.
The Minister, who is an MP from Karnataka, said the Centre's financial aid to the region in distress will be decided after an assessment of the loss.
According to preliminary estimates, the district has suffered losses worth Rs 1,140 crore to public and private property as a result of the rains, said Kodagu Deputy Commissioner P. Sreevidya.
"At least 34 village panchayats have been badly affected and the municipalities in Kushalnagar and Madapura suffered heavy losses as they are in the catchment area of Harangi river," she said.
The district administration is also working on providing temporary shelters to those affected by floods and residing in relief camps. "We have identified land and an additional deputy commissioner rank officer will oversee the rehabilitation," Sreevidya added.
About 75 Army engineering task force personnel will also be assisting the district officials in restoring the critical roads of the district, the state's Relief Commissioner Gangaram Baderiya said in a statement earlier.
About 5,000 people are currently sheltered in 51 relief camps across the district, with more than 1,100 houses have been destroyed in floods and landslips.
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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.
