When EPS, OPS stood taller than Jaya

 

Road dug up in 500 locations

Be it DMK or AIADMK, they have one thing in common. When in power, they bend rules and inconvenience the public.

On Tuesday, when Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam were in the city enroute to Alanganallur to inaugurate the jallikattu, a stretch between Circuit House on Alagarkoil Road and Oomachikulam Road turned chaotic in the morning.
While the traffic police were strict in disciplining the daily road users, they remained mute spectators when vehicles displaying party flags were driven in a rash and negligent manner. By stopping the vehicles of ordinary commuters, much ahead of the VVIPs’ convoy leaving the Circuit House, people were put to untold hardships.

As the VVIP vehicles approached the New Natham Road intersection, jubilant cadre, who had put up two big cutouts of the CM and Deputy CM in front of the camp offices of the SP and the DCP (Law and Order), forcefully stopped them to enable the tow leaders have a glimpse of their cutouts.
Although baffled by the height of the cutouts, the duo lauded the efforts of the cadre, an MLA who was part of the VVIP convoy told The Hindu .

Asked about the inconvenience caused to road users, the MLA, however, responded that it was wrong to say so. “It is a form of expressing our joy when our party high command visits the city. Even when the DMK was in power, the cadre put up cutouts of M.K. Alagiri on his birthday,” the MLA recalled.
A former CPI(M) MLA said both EPS and OPS stood taller in the cutouts than their leader Jayalalithaa.

A Corporation engineer said the AIADMK had not sought permission for putting up the cutouts. They dug up holes in 500 locations starting from Paravai to New Natham Road, via Vilangudi, Fatima College, Sellur, Goripalayam, Tallakulam and Narayanapuram. The medians were used to display party flags, all in violation of rules.

When contacted, Minister for Cooperation Sellur K. Raju said only the media was interested in blowing it out of proportion.

Pongal liquor sale at all-time high this year in Chennai 

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published Jan 17, 2018, 6:12 am IST

When compared to the last year Pongal sale, beer sales increased by ten per cent, but the hard liquor sale dipped by two to three per cent. 


Liquor worth Rs 127 crore was sold on Pongal and Bhogi recorded a sale of of Rs 92 crore. 

Chennai: The annual Pongal liquor sale revenue reached an all-time high this year with the liquor outlets making a total sale of Rs 219 crore and this, according to Tasmac official sources, is a Rs 15 crore surplus sale but the volumes of liquor bottle had gone down by two to five per cent.

When compared to the last year Pongal sale, beer sales increased by ten per cent, but the hard liquor sale dipped by two to three per cent.

Liquor worth Rs 127 crore was sold on Pongal and Bhogi recorded a sale of of Rs 92 crore. Last Pongal, sales were around Rs 204 crore. While the volumes had reduced this year in comparison to last year, the turnaround was achieved due to the recent price revision. The income surged by seven per cent, Tasmac sources said.

North Chennai recorded a 10 per cent dip in sales due to closure of 35 outlets and the sale of liquor in Southern and northern districts were also high during Pongal.

Suburban areas in Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur also recorded good sales. Tambaram, Poonamallee, Avadi and Ambattur, which serves as the gateway to Chennai recorded brisk sales throughout the Pongal holidays, sources said.Meanwhile, city police on Tuesday launched a hunt for a trio who were illegally selling liquor on Tiruvallur Day.

According to the police, three members in Shenoy Nagar were selling liquor on the dry day. A team raided apartment in Jothiammal Nagar and 912 liquor bottles were seized from the building, police sources said.

கடன் சுமையில் தவிக்கும் ஏர் இந்தியாவை நான்காக பிரித்து விற்பனை: மத்திய அரசு அறிவிப்பு

By DIN | Published on : 16th January 2018 11:48 AM | |



புதுதில்லி: கடன் சுமையில் சிக்கி தவிக்கும் ஏர் இந்தியாவின் பங்குகளை நான்காக பிரித்து விற்பனை செய்ய முடிவு செய்துள்ளதாக மத்திய இணை அமைச்சர் ஜெய்ந்த் சின்ஹா தெரிவித்தார்.

பொதுத்துறை விமான சேவை நிறுவனமான ஏர் இந்தியா நிறுவனத்துக்கு 140 விமானங்கள் உள்ளன. அவை 41 சர்வதேச நகரங்களையும், 72 உள்நாட்டு நகரங்களையும் இணைக்கிறது. மொத்த உள்நாட்டு சந்தையில் 14 சதவீத சந்தையை ஏர் இந்தியா நிறுவனமே வைத்திருக்கிறது. இந்நிலையில், ரூ.52 ஆயிரம் கோடிக்கு அதிகமான அளவுக்கு கடன் சுமையில் சிக்கி நஷ்டத்தில் இயங்கி வருகிறது. அதனால், அந்நிறுவனத்தை தனியாரிடம் விற்க மத்திய அரசு முடிவு செய்துள்ளது. இதன்படி, கடந்த 2017-ஆம் ஆண்டு ஜூன் மாதம் ஏர் இந்தியா நிறுவனத்தில் உள்ள மத்திய அரசின் 51 சதவீத பங்குகளை விற்க மத்திய அமைச்சகம் அனுமதி அளித்தது

விற்பதற்கு முன் பணியாளர்களைக் குறைக்கும் முகமாக ஓய்வுக்குப் பின்னும் பணியாற்றி வந்த, தொழில்நுட்ப பிரிவில் இல்லாத, 400 ஒப்பந்த தொழிலாளர்கள் ஜனவரி 5-ஆம் தேதி பணியிலிருந்து நீக்கப்பட்டனர்.

இந்நிலையில், ஏர் இந்தியா இந்தியாவை விற்பது குறித்து பேசியுள்ள மத்திய இணை அமைச்சர் ஜெய்ந்த் சின்ஹா, ரூ.52 ஆயிரம் கோடிக்கும் அதிமான கடன் சுமை உள்ளதால், ஏர் இந்தியாவில் அரசின் பங்குகள் விற்கப்பட உள்ளன. அதனை நான்கு பிரித்து ஏர் இந்தியாவின் பங்குகள் விற்பனை செய்யப்படும். இந்த ஆண்டுக்குள் விற்பனை செய்யப்பட்டுவிடும்.

மேலும் தேசிய விமான சேவை நிறுவனமான ஏர் இந்தியா மற்றும் ஏர் இந்தியா எக்ஸ்பிரஸ் ஆகியவை ஒரே நிறுவனமாக விற்கப்படும்
என்று தெரிவித்தார்.

UP govt fixes toll rates for Agra-Lucknow Expressway

Press Trust of India, Lucknow, Jan 16 2018, 15:20 IST

The Uttar Pradesh government has fixed toll rates for the Agra-Lucknow Expressway to be implemented from midnight of January 19.

A state government spokesperson today said that toll tax will be implemented from midnight of January 19, 2018.

"The rates have been fixed at Rs 570 for car, jeep, van or light motor vehicles; Rs 905 for light commercial vehicle or mini bus; Rs 1,815 for bus and truck; Rs 2,785 for heavy construction work machine and multi-axle vehicle (3 to 6) and Rs 3,575 for over-sized vehicle (7 and above axles).

The length of Agra-Lucknow Expressway is 302 kilometres.

Over 4 lakh central government posts vacant as on March 2016: Report

By PTI  |   Published: 17th January 2018 01:00 AM  |  

NEW DELHI: Over 4 lakh posts were lying vacant across various central government departments as on March 1, 2016, according to a finance ministry report.

Although the number of vacancies in the central government civilian jobs came down from over 6 lakhs as on March 1, 2013, to 4.21 lakh as on March 1, 2014. However, the number of job vacancies remained more or less at the same level in subsequent years as it was in 2014, the report suggested.

As on March 1, 2016, the total number of vacant posts were 15,284 in group A; 26,310 in group B (gazetted); and 49,740 in group B (non-gazetted). There were as many as 3,21,418 vacancies in group C (non-gazetted).

The total number of job vacancies stood at 4,12,752, said the report on 'Pay and Allowances of Central Government Civilian Employees for 2016-17.'

Out of total 36,33,935 sanctioned posts, the government has filled up 32,21,183 positions and 4,12,752 remained vacant, which works out to be 11.36 per cent of the overall sanctioned posts.

Digital signboards to provide bus info at MTC depots

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: Digital signboards displaying arrival, departure and other detailsof MTCbuses may soon make commuting a bit easier.

The passenger information systems proposed by Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL) will be initially installed in 10 depots — Adyar, Vadapalani, T Nagar, CMBT, Saidapet, Tambaram, Broadway, Tiruvottiyur, Tondiarpet and Anna Nagar (West) — which are some of the busiest in the city. The information boards will be integrated with the corporation’s proposed ‘command and control centre’ project.

“Now there is a lack of accurate information regarding arrival time of buses, route numbers and destination. Information desks at depots are short-staffedor absent. Thisleads to confusion among commuters,” said a CSCL official. “The digital signboards will display all the information that a commuter needs.”

With more MTC buses getting GPS devices, information about arrival and departure timings would get more accurate, the official said.

Whilethedepotschosen for installation are tentative, the project is likely to be expanded to all depots, covering the entire MTC operations in the city and its extended areas. The cost estimate is being worked out as the detailed project report is being prepared.

Haj subsidy ends, funds to go into minority education

Mohua Chatterjee & Ambika Pandit TNN

New Delhi: In keeping with Supreme Court orders and its own political plank, the Modi government will no longer provide subsidy to Haj pilgrims and has pledged that funds saved will be used for the education of minorities, particularly girl children.

“There will be no subsidy for Haj from this year,” minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told the media on Tuesday during an interaction at the BJP headquarters and said that the move is part of an effort to “empower minorities without appeasement”.

BJP has argued that the subsidy, essentially for air travel, is a demonstrative sop for Muslims and a diversion of funds that could be better utilised. Significantly, the decision did not evoke a protest from Congress, which maintained it has no objections to end the subsidy as long as the funds were utilised for minority welfare. BJP functionaries, however, emphasised that Congress had shown no urgency to act on the matter when in office after the SC ruled in 2012 that the subsidy be eliminated in 10 years.


Govt’s Haj subsidy was an eyewash: Muslim leaders

While subsidies have been dismantled, a record number of 1.75 lakh Muslims will go on the Haj pilgrimage this year, Naqvi said and claimed that this will be the highest since Independence.

The government will invest what it saves for minority education. It had spent over ₹250 crore last year on subsidising the travel to Saudi Arabia, he said. Restrictions on pilgrims having to take flights from their place of stay or nearest airports have been relaxed and this will lead to cheaper air travel, Naqvi said.

The decision to end the subsidy for Haj pilgrims follows a 2012 Supreme Court order to do away with the subsidy, long sought by BJP. Following the order, the subsidy was gradually rolled back and has now ended.

Some Muslim leaders said the subsidy was an eyewash. “The subsidy was not given to those going on Haj but it was for Air India that is running in losses,” All India Muslim Personal Law Board general secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani told PTI in Lucknow.

“In normal days, tickets for Saudi Arabia come for ₹32,000 but during Haj, Air India used to charge ₹65,000 to ₹1 lakh from those going for Haj. The fare will be less without subsidy,” he said.

All India Shia Personal Law Board chairman Yasoob Abbas, on the other hand, told PTI the board favoured subsidy on Haj as he said it benefited the poor.