Will you come with me, Modi asked MK. Now Stalin to reply

TNN | Updated: Nov 8, 2017, 23:59 IST

Was Narendra Modi's 'gesture' of calling on ailing DMK president M Karunanidhi an apolitical move or was it a hint of a thaw between the two parties and a precursor to an understanding for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls? DMK allies view it as BJP's attempt to divide the DMK-led front and drive a wedge among them.

While DMK working president M K Stalin has been quick to repudiate any talk of an alliance between the two parties, tongues continue to wag over the confusion that was created in the opposition camp, just two days before the DMK and its allies were about to launch Black Day protests in Tamil Nadu.

The BJP, which seemed all set to strike an alliance with the AIADMK for the Lok Sabha elections, seems to have changed track in the wake of recent opinion polls that point to poor credibility levels of the party. It has instead redrawn its strategy, going for the winning horse. Subtle hints have been dropped by BJP leaders that there was nothing wrong in the two parties having an alliance as they had it from 1999 to 2004.

The DMK which contested the 1996 and 1998 elections on an anti-BJP platform drifted towards the saffron party in 1999 once AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa decided to pull out of the NDA and bring down the Vajpayee government. The DMK initially said it was merely extending its cooperation to the BJP-led government at the Centre. Later, on April 25, 1999, Karunanidhi in an interview to this writer said the DMK would consider an alliance with the BJP. Karunanidhi made a pitch that an alliance with the BJP would actually help the minorities. The same year, the DMK stitched a new alliance with the BJP, PMK and MDMK among others.

Karunanidhi's argument of 1999 is being cited by the BJP as relevant even today. Referring to the DMK's anti-Congress roots in the Justice Party, its opposition to the Emergency and its association with the Janata Party and the Jan Sangh in the struggle for democracy then, BJP circles say, there is nothing wrong in renewing its alliance with the DMK.

Modi plans to make a Nitish Kumar out of Karunanidhi by weaning DMK away from the Congress. Karunanidhi's family faces several cases. Especially, the verdict due in the 2G case relating to former Union minister A Raja and Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi could be out in the next two months. In 1979-1980, the DMK was said to have extracted an assurance from the Congress government that it would withdraw the CBI cases against DMK leaders after the 1980 polls. Though this was denied, the cases were withdrawn later. Stalin has scoffed at rumours of a similar "compromise". But that the BJP is the source of such rumours is the interesting part.

But, can such an alliance be ruled out? Going by the past, politics has seen strange bed-fellows. Expressing DMK's displeasure with the Congress for dismissing its government in 1976 (Emergency), Karunanidhi in an interview with Cho Ramaswamy in 1979 ruled out any possibility of a DMK-Congress alliance. Yet, a few months later the DMK struck an alliance with the Congress which swept the 1979-1980 Lok Sabha polls.

Tamil Nadu has always seen 'humanitarian' gestures of leaders' visits to hospitals or ailing political opponents turn into alliances. Jayalalitha called on an ailing G K Moopanar at his residence and later an alliance emerged with the TMC. Karunanidhi's birthday in June 2017 turned out to be an occasion for parties at the national level to get together for the Presidential polls.

But DMK leaders feel it is too late for the party to take a U-turn now. They feel that a lot of work has been put in by Stalin to bring together various parties into an opposition front including Congress, CPI, CPM, MMK, IUML, TMC and VCK. Political observers say the DMK lost a significant section of its minority votes after it aligned with the BJP in 1999 Lok Sabha polls and 2001 assembly elections. Many DMK leaders believe the party should not commit the 1999-2001 mistake again.

But, power is a powerful magnet. The BJP will continue to dangle the carrot (of ministerial berths) and the stick (of cases against the Karunanidhi family) before the DMK. Its plan A would be an alliance with the AIADMK if the government improves its image; plan B will be an alliance with the DMK to win a majority for the NDA in the state; and plan C will be to make the DMK break electoral ties with the Congress and force the Congress to draw a blank in TN.

The DMK has so far resisted the "advances" by the BJP. Things may take an interesting turn after the 2G case verdict is out, towards the end of the year.

(The writer is a senior journalist)

Flyer with 100g heroin hidden in condom held

TNN | Updated: Nov 9, 2017, 00:52 IST

Chennai: It was a plan high at least on ambition, but a 35-year-old man who on Wednesday morning tried to smuggle heroin to Colombo ended up in pretty low spirits after security personnel at Chennai International Airport discovered the consignment he had concealed in a place he reckoned would be safe from checks.

Security officers said CISF guards conducting security checks at the airport stopped and checked Muhammed Sabir, a storekeeper in an engineering college in Chennai, after they noticed that "his pelvic area appeared to be unusually large". The CISF personnel took Sabir aside and frisked him.

"The search revealed that he had hidden 100g of heroin in a condom that he had attached to his penis with a rubber band," said an officer involved in the case.

The CISF guards who caught Sabir handed him over to airport customs officials. Officials have detained the Chennai resident. The customs department is likely to file a case and carry out a detailed probe into Sabir's attempt to smuggle heroin to Sri Lanka, an official statement said.

"Sabir, we believe, was carrying the heroin on behalf of a Sri Lankan narcotics trafficking cartel," the officer said. "We will send the contraband to a lab for tests to determine the purity of the seized drug."

If it is high quality heroin, it could be worth more than Rs 10 lakh for 100g in retail in the international market, he said. Other experts noted if the cartel intended to smuggle the heroin to the West, the consignment could be worth even more.

"Though the price of heroin in the West, has fallen steeply since the 1990s, drug enforcement authorities in the United States estimate that medium quality heroin has a street value of around $200/g in an American city," one expert said. "If this heroin is of high purity, that would make make this consignment worth much more than Rs 13 lakh."

Officers with knowledge of Wednesday's case said interrogating Sabir could provide the customs department with clues regarding the gang responsible for the abortive smuggling bid.

"Investigators could use the information to track down the cartel responsible for the attempted crime," an officer said. "Various gangs operate drug smuggling networks between Tamil Nadu and Southeast Asia. Chennai has become a hub for smuggling drugs like ephedrine to countries in Southeast Asia."

Contract nurses stage protest in Chennai demanding job regularisation

Ekatha Ann John| TNN | Nov 8, 2017, 19:14 IST

Nurses stage a protest in front of DMS in Chennai on Wednesday

CHENNAI: Around 250 contract nurses engaged by the Tamil Nadu government in state-run intensive care units staged a protest in front of the Director of Medical Services in Chennai on Wednesday demanding regularisation of their work.

Around 500 nurses were recruited by Ekam Foundation -- a non-governmental organisation that works for child and maternal healthcare -- in 2013 to work in the neonatal units in government hospitals across the state.

Citing that they were made to work for long hours with a pay that was half of what the permanent staff receive, the nurses demanded that they be absorbed by the government.

"We earn Rs 7,500 a month. We don't just work as nurses, we also end up doing a lot of administrative work owing to shortage of staff," said S Saralakshmi, a protester.

Dr G R Ravindranath of the Doctors Association for Social Equality, who works for the welfare of medical staff in the government sector, said the Director of Medical Services should consider holding a special Medical Recruitment Board examination for these nurses and employ them based on their performance.

Senior officials said it was difficult to meet the nurses' demand as the project was undertaken on public-private-partnership mode.

"We have several workers on contract in the government sector. It is not feasible to absorb all of them," he said.

Porter at Tambaram railway station returns bag containing Rs 5.75 lakh

Shruti Suresh| TNN | Nov 8, 2017, 20:12 IST

Chennai railway divisional manager Naveen Gulati honours porter Poyyamozhi

CHENNAI: Chennai railway divisional manager Naveen Gulati on Wednesday rewarded an honest porter at Tambaram railway station who found an unclaimed bag containing over Rs 5.75 lakh on a platform.

Around 3.45am on November 1, porter Poyyamozhi sighted an unclaimed bag on platform number five at Tambaram station soon after the departure of 11064 Salem - Chennai Egmore Express train.

A casual perusal of the bag revealed cash in it, and he alerted the duty pointsman and station master, who in turn alerted the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

RPF personnel found that there was Rs 5,75,720 in cash besides clothes in the bag.

The RPF traced the passenger who lost the bag. The passenger, who alighted at Egmore station, registered a complaint there. He was subsequently alerted about recovery of the bag.

The passenger -- whose happiness knew no bounds after getting his bag back -- wanted to reward Poyyamozhi. However, the porter declined, saying it was his duty to return a lost bag.

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On hearing about the incident, the Chennai divisional railway manager visited Tambaram railway station and met Poyyamozhi. He rewarded Poyyamozhi with a model of a coach from the Rail Museum as a token of appreciation.

A release from Southern Railway said Poyyamozhi had earlier reunited runaway children with their parents.

Now, link all your insurance policies to Aadhaar and PAN

Mayur Shetty| TNN | Nov 9, 2017, 02:48 IST

HIGHLIGHTS

The regulator has made it mandatory for companies to link Aadhaar with every individual policy.
The directive is likely to pose a huge logistical challenge to insurance providers.

Supreme Court recently asked banks not to spread panic through text messages on deadlines for linking bank accounts to Aadhaar.



MUMBAI: In a directive that is likely to pose a huge logistical challenge to insurance providers, the regulator has made it mandatory for companies to link Aadhaar with every individual policy. The move comes even as the Supreme Court has asked banks not to spread panic through text messages on deadlines for linking bank accounts to Aadhaar.

The implication is that insurers may hold claims payments until policyholders submit their Aadhaar and PAN number. In a circular to all insurance companies, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) said the central government — in its gazette notification dated June 1, 2017 — has made Aadhaar and PAN/Form 60 mandatory for availing of financial services, including insurance.

IRDAI member (Life) Nilesh Sathe said, "We have informed the companies that this is the law and they have to abide by it." The circular states that the directives have statutory force and, as such, life and general insurers have to implement it without waiting for further instructions. Some life insurers are interpreting immediate effect to mean that no payout can be possible without Aadhaar and PAN number.

Life insurers are already barred from settling claims in cash. Claim amounts are transferred only to bank accounts, which now have to be linked to Aadhaar. Many insurers already ask for PAN for all life policies although the regulator requires them for cash premium above Rs 50,000.

The process of linking Aadhaar to policies would be similar to the one adopted by banks. This means that insurers would be able to link the numbers either through text messages or online or by visiting the branch. Sathe said that he did not expect any disruption in collection of premium.

Tapan Singhel, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, said that considering neither banks or telecom companies have denied service for want of Aadhaar, he expected authorities to be reasonable in respect of claims that have to be paid out immediately. He said that in the long run this would be positive for non-life companies as it would help them to insure based on the individual rather than the object insured. For instance, in developed markets, the auto insurance premium is based on the track record of the owner rather than the vehicle.

Insurance MD & CEO Bhargav Dasgupta said that while there may be some short-term challenges, there are significant long-term benefits in fraud prevention and streamlining the KYC process. "In my view, it is a progressive and logical step towards creating a unified platform for financial services and, at the same time, promoting the government's digitisation agenda," he said. He added that his company was aligning processes to implement the directive.

The task of linking insurance policies to Aadhaar would need as much effort as was required in banks. Policies are issued every year and life insurance policies have long-term validity. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) alone is estimated to have around 29 crore policies. In addition, there are 21 crore vehicles and a significant number of health insurance policies. Last year, life insurers issued 2.67 crore policies, of which 2.05 crore were from LIC. In addition, motor, health and travel policies are issued to individuals.

There are 54 insurance companies, which include four non-life, one life and one reinsurance company in the public sector. In addition, there are two government owned insurers for exports and agriculture. In the private sector; there are 23 life insurers, 18 general insurers and five health insurance companies.

2018 ம் ஆண்டிற்கான தமிழக அரசு விடுமுறை நாட்கள் அறிவிப்பு

By DIN  |   Published on : 08th November 2017 06:46 PM 

ஜன.1 ஆங்கிலப் புத்தாண்டு, ஜன.14-ம் தேதி பொங்கல் உட்பட 23 நாட்கள் அரசு விடுமுறை நாட்களாக அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. 

விடுமுறை நாட்கள் விவரம்: 

01. ஆங்கில புத்தாண்டு - 01.01.18- திங்கள்
02. பொங்கல் - 14.01.18- ஞாயிறு
03. திருவள்ளுவர் தினம் - 15.01.18 - திங்கள்
04. உழவர் திருநாள் - 16.01.18- செவ்வாய்
05. குடியரசு தினம் - 26.01.18 - வெள்ளி
06. தெலுங்கு வருட பிறப்பு -18.03.18-ஞாயிறு
07. மகாவீர் ஜெயந்தி - 29.03.18 - வியாழன்
08 புனித வெள்ளி - 30.03.18- வெள்ளி
09. வங்கிகள் ஆண்டு கணக்கு முடிவு (வணிக/ கூட்டுறவு வங்கிகள் ) 01.04.18 - ஞாயிறு
10. தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு மற்றும் டாக்டர் அம்பேத்கார் பிறந்த நாள் - 14.04.18- சனி
11. மே தினம் - 01.05.18 - செவ்வாய்
12. ரம்ஜான் - 15.06.18- வெள்ளி
13. சுதந்திர தினம் - 15.08.18- புதன்
14. பக்ரீத் -22.08.18- புதன்
15. கிருஷ்ண ஜெயந்தி -02.09.18 ஞாயிறு
16. விநாயகர் சதுர்த்தி - 13.09.18 - வியாழன்
17.மொகரம் 21.09.18- வெள்ளி
18. காந்தி ஜெயந்தி - 02.10.18 - செவ்வாய்
19. ஆயுத பூஜை - 18,.10.18- வியாழன்
20. விஜயதசமி - 19.10.18- வெள்ளி
21. தீபாவளி- 16.11.18- செவ்வாய்
22. மிலாது நபி -21.11.18- புதன்கிழமை
23. கிறிஸ்துமஸ் -25.12.18- செவ்வாய்

தேனி மாவட்டத்தில் இன்று பள்ளிகளுக்கு விடுமுறை

By DIN  |   Published on : 09th November 2017 05:25 AM  

தேனி மாவட்டத்தில் வியாழக்கிழமை (நவ.9) அரசு மற்றும் தனியார் பள்ளிகளுக்கு விடுமுறை அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. மாவட்ட முதன்மைக் கல்வி அலுவலகம் பள்ளிகளுக்கு அனுப்பியுள்ள சுற்றறிக்கை: மாவட்டத்தில் கன மழை எச்சரிக்கையால் அனைத்து அரசு மற்றும் தனியார் பள்ளிகளுக்கு விடுமுறை அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதை ஈடுசெய்யும் வகையில் வரும் சனிக்கிழமை (நவ. 11)பள்ளிகள் செயல்படும் என்று தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.