Will bring ordinance to make Kannada mandatory on nameplates, signboards: CM Siddaramaiah
The government will also bring an amendment to section 17(6) of the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act (KLCDA) - 2022, which was promulgated by the previous BJP government on March 10, 2023 ahead of the assembly elections, he said.
The chief minister's statement came in the wake of pro-Kannada organisations going on a rampage on December 27, demanding Kannada language displays on signboards, nameplates and advertisements.
Speaking about the KLCDA-2022, the chief minister said section 17 (6) of the Act says that commercial, industrial or business organisations, institutions, hospitals, laboratories, entertainment centres, hotels etc should allocate half of the space on signboards and name plates to information in Kannada, with the consent of either government or the local representatives. The rest of the portion can be in any other language.
However, he said that in his previous stint as chief minister he had issued a circular on March 24, 2018, which said that 60 per cent of the space on nameplates and signboards should be in Kannada.
"Today we decided that the signboards and name plates should be 60:40 as per the previous circular. We will bring an amendment to section 17(6) of the said Act, which was introduced by the Kannada and Culture Department," he said.
"I have asked the officials to bring an ordinance because the assembly is not in session. The ordinance will come into effect on February 28, 2024. All the shops, business establishments, hotels, malls and hospitals have to follow this ordinance," he added.
Siddaramaiah also issued a warning to the vandals who went on a rampage on Wednesday damaging offices, shops, business establishments and buildings in protest against nameplates and signboards not displaying information in Kannada.
"Government is not against peaceful protests at a designated place. We will not stop anyone from protesting because we believe in democracy and the Constitution, but if anyone goes against the law then the government will not tolerate it," the chief minister 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.
