A tale of two diaries and a gutka scam

TNN | Sep 6, 2018, 06.19 AM IST

CHENNAI: Two diaries seized by income tax investigation officials during a search on illegal gutka dealer Madhava Rao in July 2016 exposed a nexus involving state’s health minister C Vijaya Baskar, former Chennai city police commissioners T K Rajendran and S George, many of their subordinates and officials working in many state and central government departments.

The residence of DGP T K Rajendran in Mogappair was also searched

What could have been shrugged off as a mere income tax evasion case against the illegal dealer gained impairing ramifications for Baskar and the mighty in the state police department when former principal director of I-T investigation B R Balakrishnan shot off a letter to the then chief secretary Rama Mohana Rao in August 2016, detailing the contents of the diaries. Sources said the diaries threw light on Madhava Rao’s monthly payments to the minister and officials, totalling about Rs 40 crore over many months.

Balakrishnan’s letter to the chief secretary said, “In the case of alleged payments connected with state administration which were handed over to you, action as deemed fit may kindly be taken by the state administration.”

While the chief secretary sat on the file, the then DGP Ashok Kumar, who came to know about the case, sought a meeting with Balakrishnan and requested him to send a copy of the letter to him as well. On receipt of the letter, Kumar swung into action by seeking to initiate a probe against all those who were involved, especially the police officials. He sent a detailed note to the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa, recommending action against a host of IPS and non-IPS officials. Jayalalithaa, however, was not inclined to axe some of her trusted lieutenants, especially Rajendran and George. The disgrace the issue could have brought to her government also weighed heavily on her mind, sources said. Instead of taking action on Ashok Kumar’s report, she took action against him. He was given marching orders before the completion of his tenure. It was left to the I-T officials once again to unearth Kumar’s report, and it was found in Jayalalithaa’s aide Sasikala’s room at Veda Nilayam in Poes Garden during searches on the premises a year ago.

Baskar, by then, had gained a prominent place on the I-T radar. His name figured once again during the searches conducted on sand mining baron Sekhar Reddy during the demonetisation days. Finally, in the run-up to the R K Nagar byelection, Baskar’s house was searched by I-T officials in April 2017. Seizure of some documents from his house relating to money distribution to R K Nagar electorate led to the rescinding of the bypoll.

Gutkha scam: CBI raids residences of Tamil Nadu health minister C Vijaya Baskar, DGP and others

TNN | Sep 5, 2018, 11.18 AM IST

CHENNAI: The CBI on Wednesday morning began raids on the residences of Tamil Nadu health minister C Vijaya Baskar and director general of police T K Rajendran in connection with the multi-crore gutkha scam.

Raids are also happening at 40 locations across Tamil Nadu, including the houses of former Chennai city police commissioner S George and former minister Ramana.

On April 26, the Madras high court ordered transfer of the case to the CBI from the DVAC after a DMK legislator moved it.

The scam came into light on July 8, 2017 when the income tax department conducted raids at the godown, offices and residences of a pan masala and gutkha manufacturer in Tamil Nadu, who was facing charges of evading tax to the tune of Rs 250 crore. 

During the raids, the department seized a diary containing the names of those who were believed to have been paid off by the gutkha manufacturers. The health minister’s name was in the diary.

Manufacture, storage and sale of the carcinogenic chewable forms of tobacco, including gutkha and pan masala, were banned by the state government in 2013.

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The END of new-age smoking?

Jyoti Shelar
SEPTEMBER 02, 2018 00:02 IST

MORE-IN
Weekend Being

A Health Ministry notification highlights the dangers of electronic nicotine delivery (END) systems but the makers differ

In a directive issued on August 28 to all States and Union Territories, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has stopped the manufacture, sale, distribution, import, trade and advertisement of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) such as e-cigarettes, vaping devices, e-sheesha, e-nicotine-flavoured hookah and heat-not-burn devices, citing the risk posed to children, adolescents and women in the reproductive age. It adds that ENDS has already been banned in 30 countries.

Such devices are often misunderstood as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for those who aspire to quit tobacco use, and the Ministry’s notification puts an end to the belief that they help in tobacco cessation and are safer than cigarettes or other forms of tobacco-consumption as most do not contain tobacco — the source of nicotine and which is one of the most addictive substances.
A misconception

In most ENDS, instead of tobacco, nicotine is used in a chemical form. Thus, users of these devices believe that they are not smoking tobacco, but in reality, they continue to have the addictive chemical.

“People believe that the cancer-causing element is absent in the devices and are simply getting the pleasure of smoking. But several studies have found that use of ENDS leads to initiation of smoking,” says oncosurgeon Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, adding that the dependence on smoking rises with such devices.

He was a part of an MoHFW roundtable discussion on ENDS in 2014. There, doctors, specialists, scientists and officers from the health and drug departments concluded that available scientific evidence indicated that ENDS and similar technologies encouraged tobacco use, were hazardous for active as well as passive users, and had an adverse impact on public health.

A cigarette contains four to six milligrams of nicotine whereas most cartridges used in ENDS contain an equivalent of 10 mg of nicotine, but in liquid form. While the cost of a cigarette starts from ₹7, a cartridge costs at least ₹200. Experts say that when it begins to pinch the pocket, most ENDS users go back to cigarettes. Nicotine gums and patches formulated under a valid drug manufacturing licence (with 2 mg and 4 mg of nicotine content) are the only approved forms of NRT currently.

“There is no data or literature that supports any positive health outcomes from ENDS. Worse, many children are falling prey to its use as they are under the false belief that the absence of tobacco makes it safe. Many doctors wrongly advise e-cigarette use to control their patients’ smoking habits too,” says Dr. Jagannath P., a former tobacco control consultant for the Karnataka government. Dr. Jagannath, who has also worked on a World Health Organization-funded project on the National Tobacco Control Programme, says that till date, no health agency has declared it safe for use.
Nicotine alert

An article in the Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology, in 2015, said that the biological effects of nicotine are widespread and extend to all systems of the body including cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and reproductive systems. It said: “Nicotine has also been found to be carcinogenic in several studies.”

The Health Ministry’s notification highlights that nicotine can have adverse effects on the development of the foetus, may contribute to cardiovascular diseases and could function as a “tumour promoter”.

“Foetal and adolescent nicotine exposure may have long-term consequences for brain development, potentially leading to learning and anxiety disorders,” the notification warns.

Dr. Chaturvedi says that most ENDS available in India are of Chinese make and non-branded. “However, well-known companies like ITC and Philip Morris International (PMI) have ENDS in the form of an e-cigarette called EON and a heat-not-burn device called iQOS, respectively. With the new advisory, these devices cannot be marketed or sold any more,” he says.

PMI calls iQOS its breakthrough — it “heats the tobacco just enough to release a flavourful nicotine-containing vapour but without burning the tobacco” — and contends that “around 5.6 million consumers had already chosen to switch from cigarettes to this product”. A launch in India is now unlikely. When asked about the Ministry’s notice on ENDS, a PMI spokesperson said, “The advisory, if implemented, will deprive over 100 million smokers in India access to, and information about, potentially less risky alternatives to cigarettes.”

“Smoke-free products are widely regarded as being less harmful than cigarettes and tens of millions of smokers worldwide have already made the switch,” he says. “We think that over 100 million smokers in India deserve access to these better alternatives, too.”

jyoti.s@thehindu.co.in

Nursing

Nursing colleges no longer need national council stampRecognition Of State Panel Will Suffice To Admit Students

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

31.8.2018

Chennai:

The state medical university (Tamil Nadu Dr M G R Medical University) has decided to permit colleges recognised by the state nursing council to admit students to nursing courses, even if they don’t have a nod from the Indian Nursing Council. The admission to  nursing courses will begin in September.

On Thursday, the university said it had sought legal opinion from experts including the advocate general before making the decision. “So far, we never allowed colleges that don’t have recognition from the national body to take part (in the admission process). But last year, the Supreme Court ruled that the INC doesn’t hold power to grant recognition. Following this, the council deleted names of recognised colleges from its webpages,” said university registrar Dr T Balasubramanian.

After legal experts said the university can permit colleges recognised by the state council to admit students, the university has given all colleges the go ahead. Administrators of colleges, both government and private, said the decision was a huge relief as they take permission from the Tamil Nadu Nursing Council, the state government and the affiliating university already. “It makes a lot of difference when we don’t need INC permission,” said senior nursing professor Synthia John.

Admissions to government nursing colleges and government quota (35%-50%) seats in self-financing colleges are done through single window counselling by the selection committee just like MBBS and BDS admission.

State selection committee secretary G Selvarajan said admission to paramedical courses, including nursing, will begin after the state wraps up admission for MBBS and BDS. “The prospectus should be available for download by September

15. We should be able to publish rank lists and begin counselling by August,” he said.

According to the Tamil Nadu Nursing Council, as on May 2018, there are 189 recognised medical colleges/universities offering BSc nursing courses and 210 colleges/ universities offering diploma in nursing.

Many students who have joined arts and science colleges and engineering courses in self-financing colleges say the delay in counselling may leave them having to pay the entire fee in the colleges they are currently admitted to if they opt to move out, which may add up to ₹1.5 lakh. “I joined a bachelor’s course in physics because I did not know if I had a chance to join BSc nursing or physiotherapy. The government should ensure that I wouldn’t have to pay the entire course fee if I choose to switch courses,” said G Ashok.

State Government

Govt. orders recovery of excess payments to staff

Dennis S. Jesudasan

CHENNAI, SEPTEMBER 05, 2018 00:00 IST

UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 05, 2018 03:47 IST

Administrative heads told to adhere to guidelines of SC

The State government has issued an order directing the Administrative Departments of Secretariat, Heads of Department and Head of Offices to deal with the issue of wrongful/excess payments made to government servants/pensioners/family pensioners in line with a recent Supreme Court judgment. It has also fixed the ratio of responsibility in case of overpayment/irregular payment made by officers in various offices concerned, as the case may be.

The ratio of responsibility would be on Dealing Assistant Section Officer, Section Officer, Dealing Assistant, Section Superintendent, Dealing Accountant, Superintendent, Assistant Pay and Accounts Officer, Dealing Accountant, Superintendent, Additional Treasury Officer. The order said Administrative Heads and Heads of Departments must adhere to the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the State of Punjab and others etc vs Rafiq Masih.

Where excess payments has been made on account of wrong pay/pension/family pension fixation, grant of scale without due approvals, promotions without following the procedure, or in excess of entitlements etc, immediate corrective action must be taken.

“A show cause notice may be issued to the employee/pensioner/family pensioner concerned informing him/her of the decision to rectify the order which has resulted in the overpayment, and intention to recover such excess payments,” it stated and laid down a procedure to be followed for recovery of the amount.

If payment has been made in excess due to fraud, misrepresentation, collusion, favouritism, negligence or, carelessness, among other factors, the role of those responsible for overpayments and the employees/ pensioners/family pensioners who benefited from such actions should be identified, and departmental/criminal action must be considered. “No waiver of recovery may be allowed without the approval of Finance Department,” Finance Secretary K. Shanmugam stated in the order.

The recovery would be made only when responsibility of overpayments is fixed by the Head of Office on the concerned official.

UGC Panel

UGC panel asks people for suggestions on med edu fee

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:

The 11-member committee constituted by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to regulate fees charged by deemed universities for medical and dental courses, following directions of the Madras high court, has invited suggestions from members of the public — in not more than 200 words — which can be mailed to dufeeregulation.ugc@gmail.com on or before September 15.

“The committee has decided to seek feedback comments/ suggestions from stakeholders/ members of the public on the current fee structure of deemed universities and the proposed fee structure,” a notification from the UGC said.

In June, the high court directed the committee to finalise the fee payable to medical institutions run by deemed universities by October 31. The UGC later informed the court that the 11-member committee would work on the fee structure. The committee will be headed by former AIIMS director R C Deka and will consist of other members, including vice-chancellors of state universities, former government officials, senior members to be nominated by MCI and health department officials.

Other Universities

STEM THE ROT

DVAC begins questioning accused profs in cash-for-marks scandal

600 Questions To Be Asked, Uma Will Be Quizzed Next

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) has started questioning the accused in the re-evaluation scam uncovered in Anna University.

While former controller of exams G V Uma is an accused, the DVAC has prepared a set of 600 questions to be posed to assistant professors R Sivakumar and P Vijaykumar, co-accused in the case. In the re-evaluation/ paper-chasing scam, many students are alleged to have paid a bribe of up to ₹10,000 each to artificially boost their marks during reevaluation.

The questionnaire will delve into the basic modus operandi of the scam. For instance, a student who got seven marks in the first evaluation, managed 55 in the re-evaluation.

In both instances, however, the answer script was checked by the same examiner. “This is a clear administrative lapse by those in charge of the re-evaluation. The two will be questioned on how the same examiner was given that particular candidate’s answer sheet,” a DVAC source said.

Sivakumar was the zonal officer and Vijaykumar the zonal co-ordinator of the re-evaluation centre at University College of Engineering, Tindivanam, where the scam happened last year, in relation to the April/ May 2017 exams. Questioning them could give key inputs to the DVAC, as the two were in charge of appointing examiners for re-evaluation at the centre. It was also their responsibility to give the chosen examiners answer scripts that were not previously assessed by them.

The questioning, which started on Friday, will go on for at least a week, DVAC sources said. A team of investigators and experts would continuously question the two, and the answers given by them will be recorded.

Uma is likely to be questioned after this, but she will be given a different questionnaire which will be equally exhaustive, the source said. “Some of the questions to be posed to Uma will be framed based on the answers given by these two professors,” the source added.

During the April/ May 2017 exams, 3.02 lakh students had applied for re-evaluation (by paying ₹700 each as fee to the university). Out of this, 73,733 obtained pass marks after re-evaluation, while the scores of 16,636 students improved.

Investigators say even if 50% of the students who applied for re-evaluation had paid a bribe of up to ₹10,000, the net worth of the scam around this exam alone would be around ₹40 crore. Sivakumar, Vijaykumar and Uma are also alleged to have destroyed a number of incriminating answer sheets for which the enhanced marks were awarded. They would be grilled about that as well, DVAC sources said.