Surjewala urges Centre to release drought relief to Karnataka, questions "silence" of BJP MPs
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress General Secretary and Karnataka incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday urged the union government to immediately release Centre's grants to the State including drought relief without any further delay.
He also questioned the ''silence'' of BJP MPs on the matter. In a statement here, he said the state government had declared 223 taluks among the total 236 as drought-hit, and there is a loss of standing crop in over 48.19 lakh hectare, as per study report from experts.
The small and marginal farmers are in dire straits, Surjewala said.
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"The state government in a memorandum to the Centre had sought to release Rs 18,177.44 crore relief funds, which included Rs 4,663.12 crore towards input subsidy, 12,577.86 crore for emergency relief and another Rs 363.68 crore to save cattle heads. However, the union government plays deaf to the state's memorandum," he alleged. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and appealed for the release of central aid to Karnataka, Surjewala noted.
Deputy Chief minister DK Shivakumar had also met the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and other senior officials of the Agriculture ministry and presented a memorandum, but still a ''mute response'' from the Centre, Surjewala said.
"Centre should also take steps to release other stalled grants," he said. He also alleged that MPs from Karnataka remain mute spectators on Centre's ''injustice'' to the State and criticised them for not responding to the plight of farmers, who are in great distress. "They are waiting for immediate relief from the Centre. There are 26 BJP and one BJP supported MPs in Karnataka, I failed to understand what they are doing in support of the distressed farmers and people of Karnataka,'' Surjewala said.
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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.
