Spot inspection of public market turns into street brawl between BJP and Congress supporters in Belagavi
The Hindu
Brawl b/w BJP & Cong supporters in Belagavi over PWD inspection of public market. PWD officials from Bengaluru arrived to audit discrepancies in rent & GST collection. BJP accused PWD Min of politically motivated visit, Cong accused BJP MLA of irregularities & misusing funds. Audit report revealed ₹5.3 lakh loss & ₹6.77 lakh GST not collected. Residents & city corp members accused MLA of opaque shop allotment. AAP leader & former city corp member accused MLA of misappropriation & bribery. Another inspection on Tues, report to govt in few days.
A spot inspection of a public market by Public Works Department officials turned into a street brawl between BJP and Congress supporters in Belagavi on Monday, each accusing the other of playing politics over the issue.
Public Works officials from Bengaluru arrived at the Rani Channabhairadevi Tinisu Katte food street in Goaves after an internal audit report reported some discrepancies in the collection of rent and non-collection of GST, among other issues.
The officials went around each one of the 55 shops collecting details of all shop owners and copies of documents from the shopkeepers.
Some BJP workers tried to obstruct the inspection saying that the visit has been politically motivated as Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi ordered it due to his differences with BJP MLA Abhay Patil.
Supporters of Satish Jarkiholi in turn shouted at the BJP workers saying that Mr. Patil is involved in large-scale irregularities and has misused government funds.
The audit report said that the local Public Works division officers have carried out wrong assessment of rent along with non-consideration of additional areas leading to a loss of ₹5.3 lakh, failed to collect ₹6.77 lakh GST and had short-collected security deposit of ₹2.6 lakh.
The inspection has been ordered after some residents and members of Belagavi City Corporation raised objections regarding allotment of shops and also, violation of construction guidelines.
The Opposition Congress demanded that the government open the Gandhi Vatika Museum, depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and freedom struggle, built at a cost of ₹85 crore in Jaipur’s Central Park last year, during the Congress-led regime in Rajasthan. The museum has not been opened to the public, reportedly because of the administration’s engagements with the State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.