Chennai MTC told to pay Rs 14 lakh to girl who lost vision

The injured who was aged 16 then did not have a driving licence, counsel submitted.

Published: 18th January 2019 04:16 AM 

Image for representational purpose for MTC buses. (EPS file photo)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Nearly three years after an MTC bus hit a minor and caused grievous injuries to the victim to the extent of her losing vision in the right eye, a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has directed the transport corporation to pay a compensation of Rs 13.99 lakh to her.

The accident, in 2015, occurred due to the rash and negligent act of the bus driver, the victim submitted.

Counsel for MTC denied the allegations and said the two-wheeler rider drove rashly and negligently losing control and dashing the front side of the bus and sustained injuries. The injured who was aged 16 then did not have a driving licence, counsel submitted.

The tribunal headed by K Ayyappan observed that “Considering the fact that the petitioner is a minor, having no driving licence met with an accident, the driver ought to have been more careful, whenever there is a minor child driving the vehicle.”

After deducting a sum towards negligence on the part of the victim, the tribunal awarded a compensation of `13,99,500 to her.

Students protest against choice-based credit system

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MYSURU, JANUARY 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Students of the University of Mysore staging a demonstration on Thursday.M.A. SRIRAMM.A. SRIRAM

Hundreds of students belonging to the University of Mysore staged a demonstration in the city on Thursday against the introduction of the credit-based choice system.

It was introduced from the current academic year for the first-year degree students who claimed that there was no clarity on the new system which had caused confusion.

The students were led by All India Democratic Students Organisation and All India Democratic Youth Organisation and they assembled in large numbers in front of the Crawford Hall, the administrative seat of the University, and demonstrated against the system.

The students said that the results under the new system had lot of anomalies and should be rectified and announced afresh. They also demanded that the choice-based credit system should be dropped and the confusion over the number of attempts in failed subjects should be resolved at the earliest. The AIDSO and AIDYO also flayed the hike in evaluation fee and wanted it to be reduced.

Vice-Chancellor G. Hemantha Kumar and other administrative staff who listened to the students grievances assured them that the confusion over the number of attempts and their other demands would be resolved within 15 days and a suitable decision would be taken in the students’ interest at the next syndicate meeting.

The AIDYO and AIDSO leaders who addressed the students said they would intensify their protest in case the University failed to resolve the issue as promised.

People throng tourist spots on Kaanum Pongal

STAFF REPORTER

ERODE, JANUARY 18, 2019 00:00 IST

People gathered in large numbers at a park in Erode to celebrate Kanum Pongal on Thursday.M. GOVARTHANM_GOVARTHAN

Tourist spots and parks in the district witnessed heavy crowd celebrating Kaanum Pongal here on Thursday that marks the culmination of the four day festivities.

People in large numbers visited V.O.C. Park, Kodiveri Anicut and the parks attached to Bhavani Sagar Dam in the district.

Also, crowd could be seen at rivers and small parks where people danced to the tunes and exchanged food and snacks on the occasion.

Many preferred to enjoy bathing at Kodiveri Anicut and River Cauvery as elaborate security arrangements were made.

Shops selling fishes, snacks, beverages and other food items witnessed good sales at the dam area and also at Kodiveri. Women and children were seen dancing and singing at the parks as the celebrations continued till evening. Also, people visited Bannari temple and offered prayers.

In Salem district, Yercaud, Mettur Dam, Kurumbapatti Zoological Park, Anna Park and other parks witnessed huge crowds through out the day.

Fish stalls near the dam area witnessed huge crowds as people enjoyed bathing in the River Cauvery and visited the park attached to the dam. Likewise, people from many districts in the State thronged Yercaud in large numbers.

The boat house was over crowded with people have to wait for hours to enjoy the ride.

In Namakkal district, people visited Kolli Hills, Jedarpalayam Dam and the municipal park in the town. Police made elaborate arrangements to prevent untoward incidents.

Special buses were also operated to tourist spots through out the day.

Scoot Airlines to operate Coimbatore - Singapore flights

STAFF REPORTER

COIMBATORE, JANUARY 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Five flights a week to be operated from October this year

Singaporean budget carrier Scoot Airlines will begin operating from October this year five flights a week between Coimbatore and Singapore from October this year.

A low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines, Scoot is expected to take over routes from Silk Air which currently operates flights between Coimbatore and Singapore.

An official statement issued by the airline, announcing its expansion plans in India, said the services to Coimbatore and Visakhapatnam would begin on October 27, while flights from Thiruvananthapuram to Singapore would commence on May, all subject to the regulatory authority’s approval.

The new routes are due to be transferred over from sister airline Silk Air, said the release. The airline is currently connecting cities such as Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Lucknow, and Tiruchi with Singapore. Announcing the new services, the airline has introduced a limited period sale of tickets on its website from all its India points -- including Thiruvananthapuram, Coimbatore and Visakhapatnam -- from January 14 to January 28.

One-way promotional fares (inclusive of tax) begin from Rs. 4,500 for economy class for trips to 27 cities in Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam via Singapore, the release said.

How genuine are the alternative bags?

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, JANUARY 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Bagful of problems:CPCB says action will be taken against erring manufacturers.File Photo

Users say they go by the makers’ claims

With the plastics ban in place, restaurants, shops and commercial establishments are going in for alternatives. But they are not sure whether the alternative bags are eco-friendly or bio-degradable as claimed by the manufacturers.

“Bio-degradable also includes compostable stuff but some items may require certain conditions like higher temperatures of not less than 60 degree Celsius or a suitable inocula. The term compostable means within 60-120 days the covers or cups should break down into compost,” said ecologist Sultan Ahmed Ismail. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recently listed four units in Tamil Nadu that had not taken the requisite permissions from them.

“We found three of those units in Ambattur and one in Chennai. Our officials will be visiting them sometime this week and we will take necessary action,” said a source in the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

Trusting labels

Anna Nagar resident T.K. Pandian said that many shops were using bags that resembled plastics but with stickers saying they can be used and that they were eco-friendly. “We can only trust what is mentioned on the bags. The local bodies must ensure that companies manufacturing alternatives are popularised,” he said.

The CPCB website lists only three companies as certified manufactures/sellers for compostable carry bags/products in the State.

Milk retailer S.A. Ponnusamy said that in such cases, traders should not be penalised for using such bags since they may buy them out of ignorance.

Tamil Nadu Hotels Association secretary R. Srinivasan said that hotels can only rely on certification that the bag supplier provides.

Acquittal in case can’t have bearing on departmental action’

Legal Correspondent

CHENNAI, JANUARY 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Confirms dismissal of head constable acquitted in case

Holding that acquittal of a government servant from a criminal case would not have any bearing on departmental proceedings initiated against him/her for identical charges, the Madras High Court has confirmed a head constable’s dismissal from service.

A Division Bench of Justices S. Manikumar and Subramonium Prasad reversed a single a judge’s February 14, 2018 order commuting the punishment from dismissal from service to compulsory retirement, so that the head constable could receive all terminal benefits, and restored the police department’s order dismissing him from service.

Allowing a State appeal challenging the single judge’s order, the Bench said: “Learned single judge has been predominantly swayed by the fact that the respondent (R. Gnanasekaran) herein has been acquitted by the trial court... but it is well settled that the findings of a criminal court cannot bind a civil court or a civil proceeding.

“The learned single judge should have restricted himself to the evidence which was placed before the inquiry officer in the departmental proceedings and ought not to have traversed beyond it. The finding of the inquiry officer... ought not to have been interfered with on the basis of material which did not emanate from the departmental proceeding.”

The charges levelled against the head constable was that he had tarnished the image of the police force by demanding dowry and beating his wife who was ultimately murdered in the police housing quarters at Erode in September 2006. He was also accused of attempting to cover up the crime and make it appear as a case of suicide.

A Sessions Court had acquitted him from the charge of murder and the High Court refused to entertain a revision petition filed against his acquittal. However, he was found guilty of the charges in the departmental proceedings and was imposed with the punishment of dismissal from service in 2012.

He challenged the punishment and a single judge of the court commuted the punishment to compulsory retirement forcing the police department to prefer the present writ appeal.

Special coins released to mark MGR’s birth centenary

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, JANUARY 18, 2019 00:00 IST

Arch in late leader’s memory unveiled discreetly

Commemorative coins to mark the birth centenary of former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran were released by Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami at the State-run medical university named after the late Chief Minister here on Thursday.

The first sets of coins in the denominations of Rs. 100 and Rs. 5 were received by Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam. Council of Ministers, senior officials and Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University Sudha Seshayyan were present.

Earlier, the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Ministerand other Ministers and elected representatives paid floral tributes to the statue of the former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran located on the campus.

The commemorative arch built across the Kamarajar Salai was unveiled discreetly on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the late leader in the early hours of Thursday.

Under wraps

The unveiling of the arch was kept under the wraps in view of the observation of the Madras High Court on a PIL plea against an elaborate function since it would obstruct traffic in the area. Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal laid the foundation stone for the construction of the arch in August last year. Constructed at a cost of Rs. 2.52 crore near the Public Works Department head office, the arch is 52-foot high and 66-foot wide.