Chennai: School education dept lifts suspension of 1,100 teachers

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedFeb 14, 2019, 1:09 am IST

The school education department has suspended the teachers whoever got arrested during the agitations.

Fearing the transfer and disciplinary actions, most of the teachers returned to work before the strike was officially called off on January 30.


Chennai: In view of upcoming board exams, the school education department on Wednesday has revoked the suspension of over 1,100 teachers who have participated in the recent strike.

Pressing for several demands including to continue with the old pension scheme, the teachers and government employees under the banner of Joint Action Council for Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (Jactto-Geo) resorted to indefinite strike from January 22.

The school education department has suspended the teachers whoever got arrested during the agitations.

Fearing the transfer and disciplinary actions, most of the teachers returned to work before the strike was officially called off on January 30.

However, the suspended teachers could not resume working and the representatives held talks with the government to revoke the suspension.

"Due to the upcoming board exams to classes 10 and 12, the chief educational officers should revoke the suspension of the arrested teachers. They should be allowed to resume work with pending disciplinary action against them," said V.C. Rameswaramurugan in a circular to chief educational officers on Wednesday.

Over 550 teachers from school education directorate were suspended during the strike.

The elementary education directorate has informed the district educational officers that if the teachers post still vacant they should be allowed to resume their work in the same schools.

Earlier, the department has warned that they would not be allowed to work in the same department if they don't return to work by January 28.

The district officials have put 577 teachers from primary and middle schools under suspension for getting arrested during the protests.

Government exceeded approved expenditure by Rs 99,610 crore, says CAG in report

The Ministry of Finance spent Rs 1,157 crore on various heads during FY 2017-18 without obtaining prior approval of the Parliament, the CAG report said.

Published: 13th February 2019 07:50 AM 

Comptroller and Auditor General Rajiv Mehrishi (File | PTI)

By Anuradha Shukla

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In violation of the basic principles of democracy, the Union government exceeded its expenditure by Rs 99,610 crore without parliamentary approval in the financial year 2017-18, said Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in a report.

“Audit of the Appropriation Accounts revealed failure of the accounting authorities from the highest to lowest levels to enforce accountability, resulting in violation of the principles enunciated above, leading to an excess expenditure of Rs 99,610 crore over Parliamentary authorisation during 2017-18,” said the report.

The report, Financial Audit of the Accounts of Union Government, was tabled during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament on Tuesday, the last session of Lok Sabha before the general elections in April-May.

“Such excess expenditure over grants approved by Parliament are in violation of the will of the Parliament and the basic principle of democracy that not a rupee can be spent without the approval of the Parliament, and therefore, must be viewed seriously,” the report further observed.

The CAG also observed that during 2017-18, the entire cash supplementary remained unutilised in 18 cases across 15 grants. In 11 such cases involving cash supplementary of Rs 11,017 crore, actual expenditure was even less than the original provisions.

The report also highlighted that contrary to the procedure, Rs 94,036 crore collected under secondary and higher education cess was retained in the Consolidated Fund of India, instead of in the fund that has been created for this purpose.

The Ministry of Finance spent Rs 1,157 crore on various heads during FY 2017-18 without obtaining prior approval of the Parliament, the CAG report said. Excess expenditure aggregating Rs 1,156.80 crore was incurred during FY 2017-18 without obtaining prior approval of the Parliament, it said.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) too, in its 83rd report, had taken a serious view on the cases of augmentation of provisions of the object heads ‘grants-in-aid’ and ‘subsidies’.

The PAC noted that these serious lapses are a pointer towards faulty budget estimations and deficient observances of financial rules by the ministries/departments concerned.

Serial rapist, who targeted minor Irula tribal girls, detained under Goondas Act in Vellore

Venkatesan, who has married three women, is guilty of other crimes as well.

Published: 13th February 2019 09:15 PM



By R Sivakumar

Express News Service

VELLORE: Vellore Police have tightened the noose on a notorious serial rapist, who preys on minor girls belonging to a particular tribal community, by invoking the Goondas Act against him.

Thirty-eight-year-old S Venkatesan, a resident of Senkadu, in Wallajah near here, was booked for raping four tribal minor girls under the age of 13 belonging to the Irula community, sources said.

He used to target the Irula minors thinking that he could escape as the community is known for their docile nature.


“Venkatesan is a notorious criminal. He targeted only minor girls from the Irula community. After committing the offence, he would switch over to a hideout in some other place,” a police officer said.

He has reportedly raped several other minor girls too but they have not reported it to the police.


Venkatesan, who has married three women, is guilty of other crimes as well. Cases of jewellery theft, lifting of livestock and motorcycles have been pending against him in various police stations including Cheyyar, Kalavai and Kancheepuram. Recently, he was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police and imprisoned at Chittoor jail for one such crime.

Wallajah police has initiated proceedings for invoking the Goondas Act against him given the grave nature of the crimes he perpetrated. Following the recommendations of Superintendent of Police (SP) Pravesh Kumar, District Collector SA Raman issued orders to detain him under the Goondas Act last week, the officer informed.

2016 was when the Goondas Act was first invoked against him. Despite booked under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), he managed to get released from jail.

Police officials said he used to sell arrack in his initial days before indulging in theft and rape.

Meanwhile, another offender, P Sasikumar @ Thangam, 33, of Vangur, who has been running arrack sale as a family business, was also detained under the Goondas Act, officials said. They noted that his father Palani and brothers Manikandan and Prabu were selling arrack in their area for a long time without minding police action.

Now, cashless payments at sub-registrar offices in Tamil Nadu

You do not have to pay cash for transactions in 575 offices of registration department in the State from Monday with the introduction of POS (Point of Sale) machines.

Published: 14th February 2019 03:25 AM

CHENNAI: You do not have to pay cash for transactions in 575 offices of registration department in the State from Monday with the introduction of POS (Point of Sale) machines.

Inspector-General of Registration J Kumaragurubaran said that cashless transaction will be introduced from Monday in all registration department offices.

Initially, cash could be used for a transaction of Rs1,000 and a demand draft for a transaction of Rs 5,000 and above. “Now, we will be introducing POS machines at sub-registrar offices for transactions up to Rs 1,000 wherein you have to swipe your debit or credit card. For transaction up to Rs 5,000, the demand draft could be used,” said an official.

Attendant’s daughter shines at convocation

It was a proud moment for 56 students who brought laurels to their colleges and parents as they won gold medals during the 10th Convocation of the Akkamahadevi Women’s University.

Published: 14th February 2019 05:19 AM

VIJAYAPURA: It was a proud moment for 56 students who brought laurels to their colleges and parents as they won gold medals during the 10th Convocation of the Akkamahadevi Women’s University.

Geetha Jamdar (24), daughter of Shankar Jamdar of Ramdurga who works as an attendant in the Department of English, the varsity, has won three medals and emerged as Master of Economics topper in the varsity.

She dedicated the medals to her parents. Speaking to TNIE, Geetha said, “I have grown up admiring my uncle who is a former IAS officer Shivananda M Jamdar. Even I want to become an IAS officer if not at least Karnataka Administrative Service officer. I dedicate this medal to my parents as they always encouraged me amid financial difficulties. I also thank my parents, relatives and friends and it is one of the proud moments in my life.”

Similarly, Sudharani M, a resident of Sangli district in Maharashtra, has bagged five medals, the highest in this year’s convocation, in Kannada. Being a Maharashtrian, she developed interest in Kannada and stood first in Kannada since intermediate in all exams. Even the Kannada Development Authority awarded her cash prize when she got first rank in Kannada in the second PU exam. Sudharani told TNIE, “I always had a fascination towards Kannada. I want to become a Kannada professor and want to conduct more research. I want to work for the development of Kannada in my future.”Kavya Bindu M of Ballari secured three gold medals in BSc.

Pondicherry college student caught with 1 kg ganja

Najumon was taken to the CMBT police station for questioning, where he reportedly confessed that he had come to Chennai to sell the contraband to another college student.

Published: 13th February 2019 02:54 PM

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A 21-year-old college student was caught by the Chennai police for illegal possession of contraband on Wednesday morning. Police said they seized 1kg of ganja from N Najumon, of Ernakulam in Kerala, who is doing his second year of a BSc Cardiac Technician course at the private college in Puducherry.

“On Wednesday, at around 5.30am, patrol police at Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) found two men smoking in an autorickshaw near the exit of the bus terminus. After seeing the police constable, the men sped off. The police, from the smell, realised that they had been smoking weed. At around 6 am, the police noticed the man, who had been in the pillion seat of the autorickshaw, roaming around the terminus near the buses bound to Puducherry. After seeing the police he tried to slip away,” said a police officer.

Police said that, when questioned, Najumon said he had come to Chennai with his friends but they were not be seen.

“Since he smelled of ganja, we checked his bag and seized 1kg of ganja from him,” said the police officer.


Najumon was taken to the CMBT police station for further questioning. There, he reportedly confessed that he had come to Chennai to buy the contraband and to sell it to his friends at college.

“Najumon said that one Vicky would sell him the contraband. He reached Chennai at around 4 am on Wednesday and met Vicky at 5 am. In order to assess the quality of the ganja, he smoked a joint and sped off when he saw police,” said an investigating officer.

Najumon reportedly told police that Vicky got the ganja from Andhra Pradesh. He had purchased the contraband from Vicky three times before.

“They choose to exchange the package either at midnight or at early mornings to avoid getting caught by the police,” said the officer.

Najumon is a student of a college at Puducherry that is on the highway to Cuddalore. The stretch has three medical colleges and two engineering colleges. Police said Najumon purchased the contraband for Rs 14,000 and would sell the package for Rs 22,000.

The CMBT registered a case against him for possession of contraband for selling under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and remanded him under judicial custody. Police are searching for Vicky. Meanwhile, Chennai City police commissioner A K Viswanathan rewarded Grade I Constable Manimaran of CMBT police station for nabbing Najumon.

Governor urged to remove BU syndicate member

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

COIMBATORE, FEBRUARY 14, 2019 00:00 IST

Three members of the Bharathiar University syndicate, including a member of the Vice-Chancellor committee, have written to Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who is also the Chancellor, to remove a member from the administrative body.

V-C committee members P. Thirunavukkarasu, R. Nithyanandam and Bindu Ajeet wrote on Saturday last in three separate letters to Mr. Banwarilal Purohit to remove the syndicate member Prof. Chinnadurai, principal of Kamban Arts and Science College, as he had crossed 62 years of age.

Quoting a Government Order issued in this regard, Mr. Thirunavukkarasu said that though Prof. Chinnadurai had crossed 62 years of age, he continued to be the principal of the college and by virtue of that a syndicate member.

This was in violation of the Bharathiar University rules and a resolution of the very syndicate, which had said that persons who had crossed 62 years of age should not continue as principals.

In his letter, Mr. Nithyanandam said that there was a Madras High Court ruling in this regard and continuance of Prof. Chinnadurai would amount of disobeying the court.

Asked about the demand to remove Prof. Chinnadurai from the syndicate, Registrar in-charge B. Vanitha said that the University had initiated the process in this regard. “The University will send a note to the Higher Education Secretary for approval in a day or two and then initiate further action.”