Jet Airways says can't clear pilots' dues immediately

A source in the pilots' community said around 200 pilots had written to the CEO flagging concerns about non-payment of salaries. 

  Published: 31st March 2019 12:19 AM

 
Image of Jet Airways aircraft used for representation. (File photo | Reuters)

By PTI

MUMBAI: Struggling private carrier Jet Airways has expressed inability to clear salary dues of its pilots, saying it could pay only the balance 87.50 per cent of December pay, amid the looming threat of halting of operations from April 1.

Meanwhile, the airline's pilots body, the National Aviators Guild (NAG), has called an `open house' of its members in New Delhi and Mumbai Sunday.

The pilots, who along with engineers and senior staff have not been paid for almost four months now, have said they will not fly from April if dues were not cleared and a roadmap on future payment was not provided by March 31.

"The board of directors and the management team are working as fast as possible to implement the resolution plan agreed with the consortium of Indian lenders to quickly restore the much-needed stability to our operations and build a sustainable future for the airline.


"These are complex processes and it has taken longer than we had expected and as such we are only able to remit your remaining salary for December 2018," Jet Airways chief executive officer Vinay Dube said in a communication to pilots Saturday.

Last week, SBI-led consortium of lenders became the owner of Jet Airways after its founder-chairman Naresh Goyal along with his wife Anita stepped down from the board under a debt-rejig plan. Goyal also quit the chairman's post.

In the last few months the airline has witnessed exceedingly challenging times in the organisation, Dube said, adding, "We understand the hardship, anxiety and uncertainty which each of you have endured.

"We realise that this remittance does not lift the financial hardship that each of you are facing... we continue to work on additional funding on an urgent basis and shall advise you about the release of the remaining salary arrears as the funds come in," he added.

Earlier Friday, around 200 pilots had written individually to the Jet CEO, threatening to go on "leave of absence".

A source in the pilots' community said around 200 pilots had written to the CEO flagging concerns about non-payment of salaries.

HC: Return original certificates 

Staff Reporter 
 
March 31, 2019 00:00 IST

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Dean of the Madurai Medical College to return the original certificates submitted by four post graduate students and issue their transfer and conduct certificates, which were withheld after they failed to discharge a bond obligation executed towards serving the government.

Justice G. R. Swaminathan observed that the certificates cannot be withheld on the ground that they have not fulfilled their obligations in terms of the agreement bond. They do not constitute marketable items in terms of Section 171 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872. It has been consistently held that the educational certificates of the candidates cannot be retained for whatever reason.

However, the court said that it was left open to the college to sue the petitioners for recovery of the bond amount. Four post graduate students of the medical college had executed an agreement bond in favour of the college to serve the government for a certain period on completion of the course and if they failed to discharge the bond obligation, they would pay the bond amount.

DVAC books case against former HR&CE official 

Special Correspondent 
 
CHENNAI, March 31, 2019 00:00 IST

For corruption in regularising services of temporary staff

The Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has filed a case against a former Joint Commissioner of the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) for allegedly indulging in corruption in regularising services of temporary staff in five temples.

DVAC officials said M. Pugazhendran had served as a Joint Commissioner of HR&CE, Coimbatore region, between November 3, 2011 and January 31, 2013.

Temples

The five temples — Avinasilingeswarar temple in Avinashi, Anumantharaya Swamy temple at Idugampalayam, Arudra Kapaleeswarar temple at Erode, Mariamman Angalamman temple and Ayappa Swamy temple in Pollachi were under his control.

Without obtaining a sanction order from the commissioner of HR&CE, Mr. Pugazhendran issued orders for pay fixation for 46 temporary temple staff who were recruited on the daily wages basis, DVAC officials said.

This was in violation of the rules and regulations of HR&CE. By abusing his official position, he passed orders for the claim of pay arrears and other benefits apart from the regular pay for the above said 46 employees and thereby caused undue pecuniary advantage to them and monetary loss to the tune of Rs. 19.21 lakh to the exchequer, the DVAC charged.

Chennai Metro services now available from 4.30 a.m. 

Staff Reporter 
 
CHENNAI, March 31, 2019 00:00 IST



Timely extension:There will be a train every 30 minutes from 4.30 a.m. to 6 a.m. and from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m.File photo

Last train will depart from terminal stations at 11 p.m.

Starting today, Chennai Metro timings have been extended. At the four terminal stations of the Chennai Metro, which include Chennai Central, Chennai Airport, St. Thomas Mount and Washermanpet, the first trains will leave at 4.30 a.m. and the last ones will depart at 11 p.m.

But passengers have to note that there will be a train every 30 minutes from 4.30 a.m. to 6 a.m. and from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. That apart, in the regular peak hours and non-peak hours, there will be services every seven minutes and every 14 minutes respectively.

Manpower arranged

The Hindu reported in January that the Chennai Metro had planned to add few more hours of train services. But this plan was put off for some time due to various reasons.According to officials of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), more recently, they realised additional manpower had to be arranged for the security of the stations, if services were to be extended.

A meeting was convened on Friday to resolve the issue and they decided to begin additional services from Saturday itself. “The frequency during early morning and late night hours may increase if a lot of people take this service,” an official said.

CMRL had carried out a study sometime back and had seen that extension of services was necessary, as it would help passengers take trains from Chennai Egmore and Chennai Central and flights from Chennai airport.

The frequency during early morning and late night hours may increase if a lot of people take this service

Official

CMRL

Improve varsity’s finances: senate 

Special Correspondent 
 
CHENNAI, March 31, 2019 00:00 IST

Professors raise issue of Madras University’s deficit budget

Senators of the University of Madras wanted the Vice-Chancellor to find ways to improve the finances of the institution.

At the senate meeting on Saturday, many senior professors raised the issue of deficit budget of the institution and urged the V-C, an economist by training, to find solutions. For the financial year 2019-20, the University has posted an estimated Rs. 84.92-crore deficit budget, against the revised estimate of Rs. 61.02 crore in 2018-19 and Rs. 60.36 crore in the financial year 2017-18.

The debate was set in motion by S. Karunanidhi, head of Psychology department, who wanted to know the status of work done by the various centres the institution had set up over the years. For years, University professors had maintained that many of the centres were in name only. The University Grants Commission had refused grants to many of them for non-compliance.

Vice-Chancellor P. Duraisamy said: “Some of the decisions we have taken are within our statutes and Acts and not in the purview of the government orders. The government has approved of posts sanctioned before 1.1.96. Whatever posts that we have created after that, the (payment of) salary has been disallowed.”

The University had transferred faculty from various departments to the newly created centres against the UGC norms, resulting in funds cut by the Commission. According to him, while the expenditure had increased, the University had not revised the examination or course fee for nearly 15 years, leading to a stagnation of revenues.

சென்னை சுற்று வட்டார பகுதிகளில் இருப்பவர்கள் மரம் நட இடமிருந்தால் அணுகலாம்...!!

சென்னை சுற்று வட்டார பகுதிகளில் இருப்பவர்கள் மரம் நட இடமிருந்தால் அணுகலாம்...!!

சென்னை சுற்று வட்டார பகுதிகளில் இருப்பவர்கள் மரம் நட இடமிருந்தால் சொல்லுங்க, பள்ளமெடுத்து மகத்தான நாட்டு மரங்களை நட்டு தருகிறோம், கட்டணமில்லை

1. மஹோகனி
2. வேங்கை
3. தான்றிக்காய்
4. கடுக்காய் மரம்
5. ஜாதிக்காய்
6. தான்றிக்காய்

7. மாசிக்காய்
8. கருங்காலி
9. நீர்மருத
10. மலைவேம்பு
11. அரளி மஞ்சள்
12. மகிழம்
13. சரக்கொன்றை
14. செண்பகம்
15. ஃபாரஸ்ட் பிளேம்
16. வில்வம்
17. வேம்பு
18. சொர்க்கம்
19. புங்கன்
20. இயல்வாகை
21. இலுப்பை
22. நெல்லி
23. நாவல்
24. நாகலிங்கம்
25. பலா
26. நெல்லி 5
27. மாதுளை
28. கொய்யா
29. எலுமிச்சை
30. நாவல்
31. மாமரம்
32. புளியமரம்
33. கொடிபுளிக்காமரம்
34. யானை குன்றிமணி
35. பெரிய நெல்லி

*சென்னை சுற்று வட்டார பகுதிகளில் இருப்பவர்கள் மரம் நட இடமிருந்தால் சொல்லுங்க, பள்ளமெடுத்து மகத்தான நாட்டு மரங்களை நட்டு தருகிறோம், கட்டணமில்லை.*

Contact :
Eshwar +91 98410 85484

Posted by SSTA

Doctors: Valve replacements being done without open heart surgeries

TNN | Mar 31, 2019, 04.27 AM IST

Chennai: Replacement of almost all four valves of the heart, especially among patients deemed unfit for surgery, is increasingly being done without an open heart surgery. Backed by results of global studies, doctors say these procedures, like angioplasty, are done in cath labs and offer better outcome and reduce complications, tempting doctors to recommend some of them to even patients with lower risk.

Unlike in developed countries, the non-surgical replacement called ‘transcatheter heart valve replacement’ is yet to take over conventional heart surgeries, because of the cost. While the average cost of an open heart surgery is Rs 5 lakh, the cheapest valve comes for Rs 5 lakh. The cost of imported valves varies between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh, says senior cardiac surgeon Dr KM Cherian, chairman & CEO of Frontier Lifeline Hospital.

At present, the only Indian valve available is being used by doctors to replace all the four diseased heart valves. Across the globe, the procedure is widely used to replace the aortic valves. “With its success, we are using the same valve to replace tricuspid, mitral and pulmonary valves. The only problem with the other valves is that unlike the aortic valve, these don’t have space for anchorage. So we use them in patients who have undergone valve replacement at least once. The new valve is sent through a catheter in the groin and placed inside the synthetic valve. Sometimes, we use stents as an anchor,” said interventional cardiologist Dr G Sengottuvelu.

Doctors at Frontier Lifeline recently replaced the pulmonary valve — the one that stops deoxidised blood flowing out of the atrium into the lungs, to return to the heart — using the transcatheter valve replacement.

On Saturday, when a 24-year-old patient had come to the hospital for a check-up after undergoing surgery at the St Gregarious Cardiovascular Centre, Parumala in Kerala, cardiologist Dr Rajaram Anantharaman said she had recovered quickly. “People, like this patient, with congenital heart disease or structural heart disease undergo multiple cardiac surgeries in their lifetime to restore pulmonary blood flow. This results in many health complications. The minimally invasive technology allows them to return home the following day,” he said.

The research wing of the hospital at Dr K M Cherian Heart Foundation, Frontier Mediville Science Park, is working on developing these valves in Chennai’s backyard. “If we do this, we must be able to make this accessible and affordable to most of our patients,” he said.