Filter coffee has a new address

Whether it is an impromptu catch up with an old friend, a leisure tea session with colleagues or a quick snack, Chennai’s cafés provide the perfect refuge.

Published: 14th March 2019 06:58 AM 

The first outlet of Coffee House opened in 2016. (Photo | P Jawahar, EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Whether it is an impromptu catch up with an old friend, a leisure tea session with colleagues or a quick snack, Chennai’s cafés provide the perfect refuge. To add to your caffeine-fuelling options, Coffee House opened its third branch near the busy Teynampet signal. Opened in 2016, Coffee House is known for its fresh brewed filter coffee at a price of `10, eggless black forest cake at `400 per kg and a wide range of bakes and savouries available at pocket-friendly prices. With a seating capacity of 30, the new outlet offers a pure vegetarian menu.


“We have a wide variety of sweets and a year-long offer on one kilo sweets free on purchase of one kilo of sweets. We also have pizzas, burgers, faloodas, pastas and sandwiches on the menu,” said SR Venkatesh, franchise owner, Teynampet branch. Coffee House also specialises in step cakes — two- and three-tier cakes — and accepts birthday party orders. Their team is now set for home delivery as well.

“The paneer grilled sandwich, chocolate donut and mini pizza taste amazing. I am a regular to their Triplicane branch. The service is quick and the quantity too is great for the price,” said Sienta Saravanan, a customer. The management of Coffee House plans to open 100 branches in Chennai in the next three years. Their next outlet is expected to open opposite the T Nagar bus terminus in the next 10 days and a branch near Saidapet bridge by next month.

HC directive to government on overstaying foreign students

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

BENGALURU, MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

It wants submission of details about such students and cases registered against them

Observing that instances of involvement of students from foreign countries in narcotics and other crimes may pose threat to security in the State, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to submit details about overstaying students and cases registered against them.

Justice Aravind Kumar issued the direction during the hearing of a petition filed by Hossie Bikandou Sidney, a Congolese national, who came to the city for pursuing education.

The court asked the Advocate-General to instruct the State authorities concerned to get necessary details from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), Bengaluru, and also inform the court about the actions taken for deporting the overstaying foreign nationals as per the procedure.

Also, the court observed that it had noticed that students hailing from Tanzania, Congo, Cambodia and other countries had been found associated with narcotics and other crimes while observing that quick action was required to initiate action in cases of overstaying beyond the visa period.

In his petition, Mr. Sidney contended that the trial against him could not commence before a trial court as the other accused persons were absconding. The petitioner, along with three others, were arrested by the Bengaluru city police in February 2017 on charges of violating the conditions of the visa under the Foreigners Act.

It was contended on behalf of the petitioner that he was unable to go back to his country despite having emergent situations at his native place as his passport had been impounded owing to pendency of the trial. Further hearing was adjourned.

Earlier order

The court in its February 18, 2016 judgement on a petition filed by Christian Chidieere Chukwu of Nigeria, had noticed from the data that there were around 1,165 foreign nationals overstaying in the State, and as many as 330 criminal cases were registered against foreign nationals for various crimes like violation of Foreigners Act and involvement in drug peddling.

The court also directed that there should be periodic meetings between officials of the FRRO and the State agencies to share the information like places where foreign nationals were employed, places where they were staying and studying, etc.

Besides, the court had directed that the courts expedite the trial of cases in which foreign nationals were involved.

Impossible to conduct polling during festival: MLA

STAFF REPORTER

MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

MLA P.T.R.P. Thiagarajan addressing a press meet in Madurai n Wednesday.S. Krishnamoorthy

To implead himself in the case filed in Madurai Bench of Madras High Court

Madurai Central MLA P.T.R.P. Thiagarajan on Wednesday said that conducting parliamentary elections in the temple city during Chithirai festival was virtually impossible.

Addressing media here, Thiagarajan, under whose constituency the Meenakshi temple falls, said he would approach the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court to implead himself in a PIL case already being heard on the issue.

The polling date of April 18, announced by the Election Commission, falls on the day of car festival of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and Lord Kallazhagar’sEthir Sevai, which attracts lakhs of people from many districts to Madurai city. The date is also preceded by the celestial wedding at Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple on April 17 and followed by Lord Kallazhagar’s entry into the Vaigai on April 19.

Mr. Thiagarajan said no amount of mitigation measures taken by the district administration would ensure smooth conduct of polling without any impact on the voter turnout.

“If for the sake of argument, we agree that extending the polling time till late in the evening can help voters in Madurai, what about those coming from other places for the festival? How do officials expect them to vote,” he asked.

Stating problems were aplenty, he said: “For instance, how will voters access polling booths on Veli Streets, which will be a sea of people during the car festival. The district administration cannot shift the polling booths as per its wish since the locations are already decided following due process and a variety of factors.”

There was the even risk of anti-social elements making use of the crowd and loopholes in security arrangement to commit unlawful activities that could affect the people and the polling.

Pollachi case

Mr. Thiagarajan also came down heavily on the State government and the police, mainly Superintendent of Police of Coimbatore R. Pandiarajan, for what he termed as incompetent, insensitive and partisan manner in which the Pollachi sexual abuse case was being handled.

HC stays order of simple imprisonment for IAS officer

STAFF REPORTER

MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

A single bench had sentenced former Madurai Corporation Commissioner

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday stayed a single bench order that sentenced IAS officer S. Aneesh Sekhar, former Madurai Corporation Commissioner, to undergo simple imprisonment for one week for disobeying the court’s orders.

A Division Bench of Justices P. N. Prakash and B. Pugalendhi, which heard the appeal preferred by Mr. Aneesh Sekhar, granted a stay against the single judge order that sentenced him to undergo simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 5,000.

In his appeal, Mr. Aneesh Sekhar, now working as Executive Director, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, said that his intention was not to disobey the court.

He said that a Division Bench had modified the single bench order and the Corporation ought to have followed this order.

He said that a government order was issued in 2010 to promote Tax Collectors eligible for promotion to the post of Assistant by relaxing the condition that insisted on experience as Junior Assistant for two years.

The government also clarified that a seniority list be prepared to the cadre of Assistant by taking into account those who joined service prior to 1996.

When this clarification was challenged by one Ahamed Ibrahim, the single bench dismissed the petition and ordered the promotion of private respondents, including J. Vijayakumar, who had filed the contempt petition.

However, a Division Bench, hearing the appeal of Ahamed Ibrahim, gave specific orders that though a special benefit was extended to Tax Collectors to be integrated to the post of Assistant, this would not mean that they were entitled to supersede those already appointed to the post.

Taking into account that he was promoted to Junior Assistant in 2009 and Assistant in 2013, the court, in 2018, directed that the seniority list be redrawn and allowed him to be placed above J. Vijayakumar. Following the orders of the court, Ahamed Ibrahim was placed above J. Vijayakumar in the list and a seniority list was prepared.

Moreover, the contempt petitioner J. Vijayakumar had already retired from service, he said.

Thiruvalluvar varsity gets new V-C

STAFF REPORTER

VELLORE, MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

Senior professor from Anna University S. Thamarai Selvi has taken charge as Vice-Chancellor of Thiruvalluvar University, Serkadu near Vellore on Wednesday.

After garlanding the statue of poet Thiruvalluvar, she officially took charge. Ms. Thamarai Selvi was appointed as Vice-Chancellor of Thiruvalluvar Universityby Governor Banwarilal Purohit last Tuesday.

She will will hold the post for three years. Until her appointment by the Governor, she was working as Professor with the Department of Computer Technology, MIT Campus, Anna University.

She assured the students and teaching fraternity to uphold the tradition of the university in the uplift of downtrodden students from rural pockets.

With no one giving surety, Nirmala Devi still in jail

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

MADURAI, MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

High Court granted bail to her on Tuesday

Even after the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court granted bail to audiotape case accused Nirmala Devi on Tuesday, the suspended Assistant Professor of Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai, continued to remain in jail, as her close relatives did not come forward to provide surety, fulfilling the bail conditions.

Ms. Nirmala Devi was arrested in April 2018 after a telephonic conversation she had with a few college girls in which she was heard inducing them to do certain favours for higher officials of Madurai Kamaraj University in exchange for higher marks and money. As several of her bail pleas were rejected, she was in the Central Prison, Madurai for 11 months.

Only after the High Court came down heavily on the investigating agency, Crime Branch - Criminal Investigation Department, for not allowing her bail even after filing of chargesheet, she got the bail. “In the last 11 months, Nirmala Devi has not been contacted by her close family members. They have been threatened against meeting her in jail and also moving her bail applications. This has forced them to keep away from her,” her advocate S. Pasumpon Pandian claimed.

Even after he attempted to contact two of her close relatives after obtaining bail, they refused to talk. “With the Court laying conditions that two persons - a blood relative and a friend - have to produce surety, I am talking to some of her relatives to help her come out of the jail,” he said.

Bharathiar University Syndicate meeting venue and agenda upsets academics

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

COIMBATORE, MARCH 14, 2019 00:00 IST

Academics are upset over Bharathiar University's decision to hold the latest Syndicate meeting in Chennai and include an agenda to consider lesser punishment for a faculty found guilty of corruption.

The University had planned to hold the March 15 Syndicate meeting in Coimbatore. But on Tuesday night, the University changed the venue for the meeting to Chennai. University sources familiar with the development said the last-minute change of venue was at the behest of Higher Education Secretary.

The Secretary had expressed helplessness due to official engagements and requested that this be a one-time exemption to hold the meeting in Chennai. The University had passed on this information to Syndicate members and hoped they would attend, the sources said.

At a time when the University faced financial crunch, it would have to spend close to Rs. 2 lakh on travel and miscellaneous expenses to take the members to Chennai, said the sources.

If the Secretary was indisposed, the University could have postponed the meeting, said an academic.

It was precisely for such reasons that the Association of University Teachers had opposed Higher Education Department secretaries holding the post of convenor of the Vice Chancellor Committee. If the Secretary had delegated the convenor post to either of the two members of the Committee, it would help the University take quicker decisions, said N. Pasupathi, the Association's State vice president.

The second issue – the agenda before the Syndicate to decide the quantum of punishment to Bharathiar University Arts and Science College, Valparai, L. Ramesh for his involvement in corruption case – has angered the academic community.

The agenda suggests, “...under Rule 17(b) of the Tamil Nadu Government Servant Conduct Rules, it is opined that a major penalty of reduction to a lower stage of pay or to a lower category of the University service under Statute 14(2) of Bharathiar University Statutes Volume II be imposed on him.”

The agenda also goes on to say that other penalties mentioned under Rule 17(b) are reduction to a lower rank in the seniority list, compulsory retirement, removal from civil service of the State Government and dismissal from the civil service of the State Government.

Academics say that when the person in question Mr. Ramesh has been found guilty by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption and charges proved, the agenda should only be about his dismissal.

Further, the inquiry committee the University had constituted in this regard had also recommended imposition of major penalty, which could only be his dismissal, academics say and add that leniency shown towards corrupt faculty or administrative staff would only further dent University's image. Echoing similar thoughts, Mr. Pasupathi said that the Syndicate should not take a lenient view.