60 per cent staff to be transferred; Telangana issues order 

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published May 25, 2018, 1:54 am IST

Ban was imposed in May 2013, prior to bifurcation of undivided AP.


Hyderabad: The state government on Thursday lifted the ban on general transfer of employees after a gap of five years. Over 60 per cent of the employees will be transferred. Spouses of government staff, physically challenged to get priority to enable them to work in places of their choice. The transfers will be made from May 25 to June 15. The ban was imposed in May 2013, before bifurcation of undivided AP. Employees have been demanding lifting the ban since formation of Telangana state in June 2014.

The fresh orders follow the recent meeting of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with employees associations at Pragathi Bhavan where he promised to resolve all their long-pending issues. The orders issued on Thursday said no person shall be transferred before completion of two years of service in a particular station as on May 31, 2018. This condition need not be followed in respect of transfers on spouse grounds and employees transferred and provisionally ordered to serve in new districts during October 2016.

No person shall be retained beyond five years of service in a particular station as on May 31. Employees who are retiring before May 31 will not be transferred even if they have completed five years of service unless they make a specific request. To ensure that there is no dislocation of the work, not more than 40 per cent of employees in any cadre shall be transferred, the order said.

When more than one employee opts for a particular place and while effecting the transfers, the competent authority shall give priority in the descending order, subject to satisfaction of other conditions specified in the government order, and the employee not facing charges in departmental/criminal proceedings: Husband and wife cases (only one of the spouses shall be shifted following due procedure). The employees retiring before May 31, 2019, in case of their opting for transfers. Employees with disability of 70 per cent or more as certified by a competent authority as per ‘Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. Employees having mentally retarded children to a place where medical facilities are available.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams: Sarva Darshan counters open after 2-day hiatus

The Sarva Darshan token system was introduced to relieve pilgrims of long waiting hours ahead of darshan, the JEO explained.



Published: 25th May 2018 02:19 AM


  By Express News Service

TIRUPATI: Sarva Darshan token counters which were closed on Tuesday owing to unprecedented pilgrim rush will reopen on Saturday, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) JEO KS Sreenivasa Raju told mediapersons at Annamaiah Bhavan in Tirumala on Thursday evening. The Sarva Darshan token system was introduced to relieve pilgrims of long waiting hours ahead of darshan, the JEO explained. Waiting time touched 72 hours thanks to the summer vacation rush, forcing the TTD to close counters at Tirumala on May 22.
Earlier, the JEO held a review meeting with IT and Vigilance officials at Gokulam Rest House conference hall where it was decided that a quota system would be followed for Sarva Darshan on the lines of Special Entry and Divya Darshan systems.

“We will issue 30,000 tokens on Saturday and Sunday; 17,000 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; and 20,000 on Monday and Friday,” he said and added, “ These tokens will be issued daily till the quota limit for the day expires. The next quota will be decided when the next day begins.” The JEO urged all pilgrims to bring Aadhaar cards for identification. “Aadhaar is a must for Sarva Darshan. Voter id cards can be submitted only if the pilgrim does not have an Aadhaar card,” he appealed.

Man arrested for beating grandma to death in Chennai

A 35-year-old man was arrested for allegedly beating his grandmother to death as she refused to give him money for drinking at Thirupalaivanam near the Ponneri lake on Wednesday.



Published: 25th May 2018 03:26 AM | By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A 35-year-old man was arrested for allegedly beating his grandmother to death as she refused to give him money for drinking at Thirupalaivanam near the Ponneri lake on Wednesday. Kamal, a hotel employee, would visit his grandmother Manimekalai Ramamurthy, who lived along with her daughter Latha on the Vanchivakkam Koot Road near Ponneri.

“On Wednesday, Kamal visited Manimekalai and asked her for money for drinking. When the woman refused to oblige, he attacked her with a stick. The woman who sustained severe head and back injures fell unconscious. Hearing her cries, the neighbours came to the woman’s rescue. However, Kamal managed to escape,” said a police source. The woman was rushed to the hospital where they declared her as brought dead. Later, police arrested Kamal.

Chennai: Paperless tickets a big hit among rail passengers

To boost mobile payments, SR offering five per cent bonus for wallet recharges.



Published: 25th May 2018 03:28 AM 
 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Following an overwhelming patronage among rail passengers for booking unreserved tickets through UTS mobile app, Southern Railway has decided to offer five per cent bonus for R wallet recharge value to promote the digital payment.The bonus offer which came into effect since Thursday will enable all mobile app users to book the tickets for more than the money they recharged in their account.

This means, when a passenger recharges his or her mobile app R-wallet for Rs 1,000, the wallet account will be credited with Rs 1,050 and the person can book tickets for value up to Rs 1,050.To reduce hassles to passengers in getting the tickets at station counters, paperless ticketing facility through UTS mobile app, which was available only in Chennai Suburban was extended across SR wallet rechargeouthern railway from April 14. The move enabled long distance passengers, who go from Chennai to Vijayawada, Ongole, Salem, Tirupati, Erode, Tiruchy and Madurai, to travel without paper tickets.

“Between April 14 and May 14, about 11.90 lakhs passengers travelled with 2.08 lakh unreserved tickets purchased through mobile app. As on May 23, on an average about 50,000 passengers patronised the app a day,” said Priyamvada Viswanathan, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Southern railway.During an interaction with reporters at railway headquarters in Chennai, she said railways is planning to increase the sale of unreserved tickets up to 10 per cent through mobile app. “Railways sells unreserved tickets for 20 lakh passengers a day. We are planning to increase the ticket sale to enable about two lakh more passengers to travel a day through mobile app,” she added.

Railway board decided to provide five percent bonus for R recharge value that is aimed at promoting the paperless ticket travel among general class passengers. Though the mobile app is well received among short-distance travellers, many long-distance passengers are reluctant to travel with paperless e-ticket fearing that if their mobiles get drained, they will be treated as ticketless passengers.

“In case passengers are unable to show their e-tickets in their mobile phone for various reasons, TTEs have been provided with gadgets to authenticate the ticket details with the help of passenger’s mobile number. In such incidents, passengers will not be treated as ticketless travellers,” added Viswanathan.
A press release said users can recharge their R wallet either at any unreserved counter at stations or by using their credit and debit cards in the app itself. “Recharge can also be done through the website www.utsonmobile.indianrail.gov.in. When recharge of R wallet is done through UTS counters, no extra service charges are levied and the entire amount is credited to the R wallet account,” the release said.

Travel made easy

To reduce hassles, paperless ticketing facility through UTS mobile app, which was available only in Chennai Suburban, was extended across Southern Railway from April 14
Railways is planning to increase the sale of unreserved tickets by up to 10 per cent through UTS mobile app
Southern Railway is offering a five per cent bonus for R wallet recharge value to promote digital payment. This means, when a passenger recharges for Rs 1,000, her wallet account will be credited with Rs 1,050

Pat for Alagappa varsity V-C 

Special Correspondent 
 
Ramanathapuram, May 25, 2018 00:00 IST

Alagappa University Vice-Chancellor S. Subbiah was honoured for taking the university to greater heights at the national level since he assumed office three years ago.

Presiding over a felicitation function organised by the syndicate and senate members, faculty, administrative staff and students here on Wednesday, Minister of Higher Education K.P. Anbalagan commended the VC for all his achievements.

He congratulated Prof. Subbiah for his devotion, commitment and hard work in taking the University to greater heights in the last three years. The Minister also congratulated him for drafting plans for the next 15 years.

Thanks to the VC’s efforts, Alagappa University achieved the 27th position in the National Institute of Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings – 2018 among the university category, he said.

While offering his felicitation, Tamil scholar Kundrakudi Ponnambala Adigalar lauded the VC for his leadership qualities, especially in coordinating and extracting work from his subordinates with deep understanding and kindness.

Humane approach

He attributed the VC’s success to his humane approach and concern for the welfare of the staff and students.

Offering his felicitations, G. Baskaran, Minister for Khadi and Village Industries Board, commended the VC for his untiring efforts and hard work for bringing the university in the limelight.

Marking the occasion, Mr. Anbalagan declared open three new buildings and a percolation tank-cum-fish rearing pond on the university campus.

Students told to apply for educational loan in website 

Staff Reporter 
 
ERODE, May 25, 2018 00:00 IST

Students of engineering, medicine and other courses pursuing higher studies who wish to obtain educational loan need not approach nationalised banks in person as they can apply in the portal,https://www.vidya

lakshmi.co.in/Students/

The Central government had launched the Vidya Lakshmi portal, which provides single window for students to access information about various loan schemes provided by the banks and submit applications for loans.

The portal, developed and maintained by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited (NDSL e-Gov) under the guidance of Department of Financial Services, Department of Higher Education and Indian Banks Association also helps students to track the education loan applications to banks.

Students must register on the portal and fill-up the Common Education Loan Application Form by providing all the necessary details and apply for the loan. This single form helps the students to apply for loan with multiple banks as it is accepted by all the banks. After processing the application, the bank will update the status of the application on the portal and students can view the status. Collector S. Prabhakar in a press release has asked the students to use the facility for accessing various educational loan schemes of the banks.

PG medical aspirants told to surrender ‘State’ seats by today

Special Correspondent 
 
Chennai, May 25, 2018 00:00 IST

Failure to do so will attract a hefty continuation fees

The Selection Committee of the Directorate of Medical Education has instructed candidates wishing to discontinue the course they joined through allotment made by the committee between May 19 and 23 that they can do so before May 25.

Such candidates will not be permitted to attend the subsequent phase of counselling for admission to PG degree/diploma courses in government colleges and government quota seats in self-financing medical colleges.

Candidates who discontinue the course allotted under the State quota after May 25 will have to pay the discontinuation fees of Rs. 15 lakh for PG degree courses and Rs. 10 lakh for PG diploma courses.

Changing quota

If a candidate who has joined the course under the State quota takes a seat under the management quota in a self-financing medical college then the seat held by the candidate will be automatically surrendered to the State quota, selection secretary G. Selvarajan has said.

Of the 1,376 candidates called for counselling on Thursday, including 593 for management quota seats in MDS, 23 were allotted seats in government colleges and 224 candidates were allotted seats in self-financing colleges. Of the 738 candidates who attended the counselling, 490 have been waitlisted.

Candidates who decide not to take the seats, allotted under the State quota, after May 25 will have to pay the discontinuation fees