No commission allegation on Congress by contractors, says Priyank Kharge
'Contractors have asked for clearance of bill'
Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has refuted the BJP's allegation that the Congress government in the state has demanded 15 per cent commission from the BBMP contractors, stating that the contractors' association has not accused the government of asking for commission but only asked to be paid for their services at projects.
Speaking to the media at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, Kharge called it merely an act of desperation by the BJP. “The contractors' association has not stated anywhere that the government has asked them for a commission. The contractors have only said that their bills have not been cleared by the government,” said the minister.
“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Minister DK Shivakumar have already clarified on the matter. The Chief Minister has additionally said that the contractors will be paid after completion of the work. The BJP, however, has continued making its charges. Do I consider that the BJP itself has taken a bribe to do so?” asked Kharge.
He suggested to the BJP to concentrate now on selection of the Opposition Leader for the Karnataka Assembly rather than criticize the Congress government.
Former Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai had said earlier that the contractors' association had spoken to senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too, about the 65 per cent commission demanded by the Congress government.
“Rahul Gandhi, who claims to be intolerant of corruption, should intervene in the matter and ensure that the contractors' bills is cleared. If he fails to do so, it would mean that Karnataka is an ATM for the Congress,” Bommai told reporters at his RT Nagar residence in the city on Thursday, after receiving a memorandum from the office-bearers of the BBMP Contractors' Association requesting that their bills be cleared.
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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.
