Two per cent DA hike for government staff, pensioners in Tamil Nadu

While the hike for July and August would be given as arrears, the hike for September and the coming months would be paid in cash.

Published: 18th September 2018 02:42 AM 

Speaker P Dhanapal handing over demand drafts to the tune of `1.13 crore, the contribution of AIADMK MLAs towards the Kerala flood relief fund, to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at the Secretariat on Monday | Express
By Express News Service

CHENNAI : Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday announced two per cent hike in dearness allowance for the 18 lakh State government employees, teachers and pensioners with retrospective effect from July 1.With this, the DA would go up from seven per cent to nine per cent. Last time the DA hike was effected from April 12.

In a statement here, the Chief Minister said the measure would incur an additional expenditure of `1,157 crore to the State government. Due to the hike, government employees would get an increase of `314 to `4,500 in their salaries while pensioners and family pensioners would get an increase in their pension from `157 to `2,250 per month.

While the hike for July and August would be given as arrears, the hike for September and the coming months would be paid in cash. The DA increase follows the recent Central government announcement that its employees would get a two per cent DA hike.

The hike will also apply to teaching and non-teaching staff working in aided and educational institutions, employees under local bodies, employees governed by University Grants Commission / All India Council for Technical Education scales of pay, teachers/physical education director/libraries in government and aided polytechnics, and special diploma institutions, village assistants in revenue department, noon-meal organisers, child welfare organisers, anganwadi workers, cooks, helpers, panchayat secretaries/clerks in village panchayat under rural development and panchayat raj department and sanitary workers drawing special time scale pay.

CM orders release of water from Amaravathi dam
Chennai: Accepting the requests of farmers in Tirupur and Karur districts, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday ordered release of water from Amaravathi dam from September 20 to December 4 with sufficient interval. It would benefit 47,117 acres in ayacut areas in Tirupur and Karur districts.

AIADMK MLAs donate `1.13 cr to Kerala flood relief fund
Chennai: Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal on Monday handed over demand drafts to the tune of `1.13 crore, the contribution of AIADMK MLAs towards the Kerala Flood Relief Fund, to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, at the Secretariat. Those who contributed include Speaker Dhanapal, Deputy Speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, Government Whip S Rajendran, AIADMK MLAs and nominated member Nancy Ann Cynthia Francis.

Kerala floods one month after: How can the government insist on deducting a month’s salary, asks employees

While several employees have their reservations, some former top bureaucrats have a different take on the issue.

Published: 18th September 2018 04:31 AM 

File photo of Kerala floods. (Photo | EPS)

By Anil S

Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After the deluge, the salary challenge is giving the LDF Government tough times. With the High Court too coming out against forcing anyone to contribute, employees’ organisations are chalking out their next move.

While several employees have their reservations, some former top bureaucrats have a different take on the issue. Employees’ bodies are considering whether to implead in the ongoing case before the HC. Members of the 2,000-strong pro-Congress Secretariat Association plan to give their dissent note. “We welcome the HC verdict. We feel the government will consider the HC’s views and act accordingly. We have already expressed our reservation,” said Secretariat Association president J Bency.

While many employees are not against contribution, the forced manner in which salary is collected irks many of them. “I have given donations through my residents association, kid’s school, colleagues and friends in addition to an individual contribution. Now, how can the government insist on deducting my one month’s salary? The insistence that no contribution less than a month’s salary will be accepted is also wrong,” said another Secretariat employee.

On Saturday, the Chief Secretary issued an order stating the employees should not be forced to contribute to flood relief. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala has demanded the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday should revoke the order.

Salem-Chennai evening flight service likely from next month

Syed Muthahar Saqaf

SALEM:, SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 00:00 IST




Trujet, Hyderabad-based Turbo Megha Airways, has been operating morning flights since March 25.E. Lakshmi Narayanan
Will be useful to those taking flights to north India, foreign countries

Residents of Salem and surrounding districts will get an evening flight service to Chennai from here soon. It is expected to come into operation next month

Trujet, the Hyderabad-based Turbo Megha Airways, already operates a morning service in the Salem–Chennai sector since from March 25. The Chief Minister Edappadi E. Palaniswami inaugurated the service introduced under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik).

Turbo Megha Airways Private Limited, the holding company of Trujet, is a promoter of RCS routes and encouraging connectivity of unserved sectors.

Though the Salem–Chennai morning service has been enjoying good patronage ever since its inception, people have been demanding an evening service to take flights to the North Indian cities and foreign countries.

K. Mariappan, president of the Salem District Small Scale and Tiny Industries Association (SADISSTIA), said in a statement here on Monday that Trujet got the approval to operate second flight service from Salem. SADISSTIA has received information in this regard from Trujet management. According to him, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also given its approval.

Mr. Mariappan said despite the morning schedule not being flier-friendly, the service enjoyed more than 70% occupancy in the last five months.

He thanked the Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Minister for Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu, Rohini R. Bhajibhakare, District Collector, and officials of the Airport Authority of India for taking the initiative to introduce the evening service.

When contacted, Trujet sources confirmed that the airlines proposed to introduce evening service in its winter schedule (October to March). But the timings have not been confirmed so far, the sources added.

The Salem airport was idle for about seven years before it came to life with the operation of the Trujet service in March 25.

Couple receives petrol as wedding present

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CUDDALORE, SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 00:00 IST



A can of petrol being given to the couple at their wedding reception held at Kumaratchi on Sunday. 

The guest who gave the gift says he wanted to sensitise people about rising fuel prices

In an incident that has fuelled intrigue , a couple who tied the knot at Kumaratchi near Cuddalore got an unique wedding present — a can of petrol. An apt gift from the thoughtful guest, given the skyrocketing fuel prices .

The gift was presented at the reception of , Ilanchezhiyan and Kanimozhi, on Sunday.

K. Prabhu alias Prabhakaran, hailing from Kumbakonam, presented the couple with a five-litre can of petrol. This was a pleasant surprise and drew the attention of the guests, the groom said.

Prabhakaran is the District Committee Member of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association and a M.Phil student of Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University, Chennai. Ilanchezhiyan was his junior. He said that he came to know that the price of petrol in Cuddalore was higher compared to other areas.

“We were waiting at a retail petrol bunk outlet to fill fuel. I was moved by the plight of the people reeling under the skyrocketing fuel prices. We immediately decided to gift a can of petrol to the couple,” he said.

Prabhakaran said he had wanted to sensitise people about the fuel issue. He added that he had immediately filled the tank of the two-wheeler which had been gifted to the groom.

Merger of BoB, Vijaya & Dena banks proposed

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 18, 2018 00:00 IST

The Centre on Monday proposed the amalgamation of state-owned Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank to create India’s third-largest bank.

The decision was taken at the meeting of a ministerial panel, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, which oversees merger proposals of state-owned banks.

The other members of the panel include Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

“This major decision was taken by Alternative Mechanism today to amalgamate Bank of Baroda, Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank. While making this suggestion, we have borne in mind that we don’t want a merger of what are relatively weak banks,” Mr. Jaitley said, adding, “You can have two well-performing banks absorbing a weak one in the amalgamation process and hopefully creating a mega bank which will be sustainable, whose lending ability which will be far higher.”

On the choice of banks, Mr. Jaitley said it was the government’s assessment because one of the banks [Dena Bank] had been placed under the prompt corrective action framework. “We want to save all the banks. When you make a merger, you want to make sure the merged entity is a stronger entity.” Therefore, our capacity to subsume that weaker bank into the merged entity, which will be a stronger bank, is the principal factor that weighs with the government. Of course, we see the all India expanse and so on…”

SC overturns govt drug ban, allows sale of three FDCs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:18.09.2018

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed sale of Saridon, Piriton Expectorant and Dart — three fixed dose combination (FDCs) drugs — recently been banned by the Centre along with 325 other drugs and permitted pharmaceutical companies to manufacture and sell the medicines.

Agreeing to hear the plea of pharma majors which approached the apex court challenging the Centre’s decision to ban the drugs, a bench of Justices R F Nariman and Indu Malhotra issued notice to the Centre and stayed the government decision with regard to the three drugs.

The government took the decision on the basis of recommendation of a panel constituted by the Centre on the SC’s direction to review safety, efficacy and therapeutic justification of FDC drugs. Hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Centre’s 2015 ban on some FDC drugs, the court in December referred the issue to the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) for a fresh view before recommending any action. FDCs are combinations of two or more drugs in a single dosage.

The review was ordered after the Centre challenged the Delhi high court order quashing its March 10, 2016, notification banning 344 FDC drugs citing health risks and lack of therapeutic justification. The ban on FDC drugs was enforced following a report by a six-member committee headed by Chandrakant Kokate, which in January 2015 termed 963 FDCs “irrational”, posing health threats. The court, however, said its Monday order will be applicable to FDCs given licence prior to 1988.

A sub-committee of DTAB submitted its report on 349 FDC drugs saying there is no therapeutic justification for ingredients in 328 FDCs and these can be a risk to people. The board recommended banning these drugs and the health ministry prohibited their manufacture, sale and distribution with immediate effect and restricted another

six. Challenging the Centre’s decision, manufacturing companies — Piramal Healthcare, GlaxoSmith-Kline and Juggat Pharma — filed an application before the court saying the order is illegal and arbitrary. Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Shyam Divan contended the three FDCs were given licence before 1988 and the panel was not allowed to examine their safety and efficacy as per the court order.

Additional solicitor general Pinky Anand, appearing for the Centre, contested the arguments of the companies that drugs were given licence before 1988 and told the bench she would file response on behalf of the government.

Recording the statement of the companies, the bench allowed them to continue to manufacture the drugs and asked the Centre to file response.


AVAILABLE AGAIN:Saridon, Piriton Expectorant and Dart were banned along with 325 other drugs

Engineers’ Day celebrated at Vellore Institute of Technology

Vellore:18.09.2018

With many countries facing a shortage of engineers, India is in a position to contribute highly qualified technical manpower to them, said Dr G Viswanathan, chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology, on Monday.

Presiding over the Engineers’ Day celebration and the inaugural function of the Students’ Council at the VIT premises, Viswanathan said the population is declining in about 50 countries, as a result of which they will have to look towards India or China to increase the workforce.

Denying the claim that employment opportunities were declining for engineers, he said that engineers can always survive. TNN