‘How fair is it to spend Rs. 30 lakh for biryani feast?’

Mohamed Imranullah S.

CHENNAI, AUGUST 01, 2019 00:00 IST

Judges appalled to hear about advocates’ association library lying in a dilapidated condition

The Madras High Court on Tuesday expressed dismay over Madras High Court Advocates Association (MHAA) having spent around Rs. 30 lakh for a biryani feast during its recently held Annual Day celebrations without bothering to spend the association money fruitfully for the betterment of its historic library, lying in ruin.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and R. Pongiappan were taken aback to read a report submitted by a committee comprising senior counsel A.E. Chelliah, M.K. Kabir, V. Selvaraj and Sudha Ramalingam on the poor shape in which the association premises as well as its library had been maintained over the years.

The committee, after inspecting the association premises and the library on July 25, said, it was appalled to find the entire place in disarray and unclean. “All law reference books as well as reports in the library were moth eaten and ruined. Book shelves were infested with rodents and we were informed that there is possibility of even snakes being present,” it said.

The court was further told that ancient reference books belonging to the Queen’s Bench and King’s Bench were uncared for and dusty, the committee said.

“This committee is of the view that emergent steps under the supervision of the Heritage Committee as well as Building Committee (both constituted by Chief Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani and comprising of High Court judges) of the High Court should be taken to repair the roof/ceiling, clean the entire premises and undertake pest control measures,” the report read.

The committee went on to warn that failure to act fast could lead to the roof of the heritage building collapsing any time. The report was filed on the basis of a direction issued by the Bench during the hearing of a writ petition filed by advocate K. Sathyabal accusing the office-bearers of the association of having indulged in various irregularities. After perusing the committee’s report, the judges directed the association to file the income and expenditure statement for the last five years after it was orally reported that though the association’s revenue was around Rs. 2 crore every year, the expenditure was nearly Rs. 1.5 crore and that it was left with a bank balance of just Rs. 2 crore.

T.N. had highest percentage of I-T assessment errors in FY18

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, AUGUST 01, 2019 00:00 IST

Tamil Nadu had the highest percentage of Income Tax assessments with errors, with a revenue effect of Rs. 1,644.16 crore during FY 2017-18, according to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India’s (CAG) report tabled in Parliament.

The report on direct taxes for the year ended March 2018, pointed out the details of ten States with the highest incidence of assessments with errors, where more than 10,000 assessments were checked.

Tamil Nadu had 1,914 cases with errors and at 8.71%, the highest percentage of assessments with errors, followed by Madhya Pradesh (8.62%), the CAG noted in the report tabled in Parliament on July 30.

The Income Tax Department needs to take corrective action in respect of errors noticed in the assessments, it also said.

The CAG also noticed irregularities related to incorrect allowance of ineligible claims of business expenditure as exemption.

During 2017-18, irregularities on this account were found to be highest in Maharashtra (60%) and Tamil Nadu (28%), it said.

The CAG also pointed out that during FY2017-18, 2,739 cases, with tax effect of Rs. 2,735.17 crore, became time-barred for remedial action. Out of it, Odisha alone accounted for 34.57%, followed by Tamil Nadu at 28.51%.

Tamil Nadu had 288 time-barred accounts with a value of Rs. 779.83 crore, it said.

“The Department should ensure that remedial action is taken in time so that such incidences do not recur,” the CAG said.

Six ex-Jet pilots caught cheating on cam in exam

DGCA Grounds Them For 6 Months

Manju.V@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:01.08.2019

Six former Jet Airways senior pilots appearing for written exams that would permit these Boeing 737 pilots to fly A320 aircraft for IndiGo were caught cheating on camera by a Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) invigilator. Last week, the regulator grounded these pilots for a period of six months, after which they will need to reappear for these exams.

The exams were conducted in-house by IndiGo in the presence of a DGCA invigilator. “Most of the six pilots were Jet Airways examiners on Boeing 737 aircraft. They openly consulted each other for answers to the multi-choice questions. They were very casual about the written exams,” said a source. Though the six pilots are highly experienced on Boeing 737, the questions pertained to the A320, the aircraft they would eventually fly for IndiGo. The minimum marks needed to clear this exam are 70%. “Even as the pilots inquired around hunting for answers, the invigilator recorded the happenings,” said a source.

Director general of civil aviation Arun Kumar confirmed the six pilots have been grounded and will reappear for exams after six months.

After Jet Airways suspended its flight operations in April, the six pilots had joined IndiGo. However, since IndiGo does not operate Boeing 737 aircraft, the pilots had to undergo what’s called “type-rating.” It’s a certification given by the regulator to pilots to fly a certain aircraft type — the A320 in this case — after the pilots have completed additional training and cleared the exams.

Type-rating training starts with ground training classes where pilots learn about systems on the particular aircraft, its performance, limitations etc. At the end of ground exams training, the pilots have to clear a written exam. Due to manpower shortage, since the past 8-9 years, the DGCA has allowed airlines to carry out type-rating exams. A flight operations inspector from DGCA goes to invigilate the exams.

“When the footage of pilots consulting each other reached the DGCA, action had to be taken. For six months, the pilots will be on ground as they won’t be able to fly for IndiGo. Their type-training program has stopped for now,” said a source.

The pilots openly consulted each other for answers to the questions and they were very casual about the written exams, said a source

Madras Race Club to hand over 1.6 acres to Ooty administration

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Udhagamandalam:01.08.2019

The Madras high court on July 25 ordered the district administration to reclaim 1.6 acres of the 55-acre race course in the town from the Madras Race Club (MRC).

The MRC owes about ₹642 crore to the state government as lease amount due. Taking into consideration the need for a parking lot – a long pending demand – in the town, the district administration sent a proposal of takeover of four acres from the tail portion of the Ooty race course.

Last February, the revenue officials conducted a survey at the race course and earmarked the area just opposite to ATC bus stand for the parking lot. Meanwhile, the MRC approached the Madras high court challenging the proposal. However, in an order on June 27, the court allowed the district administration to reclaim the four acres. But, the MRC went for an appeal citing that the surveyed slice of land includes a portion of sand track as well as main track.

When the appeal came up for hearing on July 25, the court directed the district administration to reclaim the surveyed 1.65 acres. Nilgiris collector J Innocent Divya told TOI: “We are waiting for the copy of the order from the court to proceed further.” CEO of MRC T Raman said, “Yes. The court has directed to hand over 1.65 acres of land of Ooty race course to the district administration. But the case is not yet over. A hearing is posted for next week.” Activists are up in arms against the stand taken by the MRC on handing over the land. They demand that it is high time the government take back the whole land from the MRC as the whole area — marshy land — is ecologically very important to the hill town.

150-seat govt medical college opened in Karur

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:01.08.2019

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami inaugurated the first medical college in Karur district at Sanapiratti on Wednesday through video conferencing from Chennai.

Spread across 17.45 acres, the district medical college was established at a cost of ₹115.71 crore. With this, the total number of government medical colleges in the state goes up to 23.

A total of 150 MBBS seats have been sanctioned at the college and classes will start from this year. With this, 1,350 additional MBBS seats were created this year in the state through the government medical colleges.

It was former chief minister J Jayalalithaa who announced a government medical college for Karur district in 2014 after learning that there was no medical college in the district. A government order was passed in January 2015 and a fund to the tune of ₹269.58 crore was allocated in June 2018 by the state government for establishing the government medical college hospital.

An additional ₹25.64 crore has also been allocated by the state government for procuring necessary equipment for the medical college through the Tamil Nadu Medical Service Corporation. Besides, it is also equipped with MRI scan facility worth ₹6 crore.

Speaking on the occasion, transport minister M R Vijayabhaskar said that the work on the hospital, which is part of the ₹269-crore project, will be completed soon. As many as 1,000 beds, including 300 beds for critical care, will be ready in a week.

Spread across 17.45 acres, the medical college in Karur has been established at a cost of ₹115.71 crore, and will offer 150 MBBS seats

REGION DIGEST
Siddha doctor from Pudukottai tops Ayush exam  01.08.2019

A siddha doctor from Pudukottai secured the first rank in the All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) for admission to post graduate Ayush courses.

G Ponmani of Aranthangi taluk in Pudukottai scored 377 out of 400 to grab the top spot. By securing the first rank in the entrance test, Ponmani has ensured a seat in the National Institute of Siddha, Chennai, which she was aiming for. Now, Ponmani wants to set up her own Siddha clinic in her village after her post-graduation.

DMK seeks paramilitary force for all booths: The DMK on Wednesday demanded that paramilitary forces be deployed at all polling booths in the Vellore Lok Sabha constituency to ensure a free and fair election. Polling in the constituency will be held on August 5, and votes will be counted on August 9. In a petition to the Vellore returning officer, DMK principal secretary and Sriperumbudur MP T R Baalu said the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu was planning to rig polls by capturing booths.

Rohini backs Suriya’s stand on NEP: After Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, actress Rohini has lauded actor Suriya's stand against the draft National Education Policy (NEP). Rohini, who is also vicepresident of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists' Association, was in Thanjavur on Wednesday as part of her signature campaign against the policy.

Tusker found dead in Sathyamangalam: A tusker, aged about 30 years, was found dead in Kadambur forest range of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Erode (STR) on Tuesday. Forest officials said the jumbo died after complications in its intestines.

VELLORE: BATTLE OF THE LAST BASTION
‘I see cancellation of May polls as a welcome development’

Being part of the AIADMK alliance,

A C Shanmugam

has everything for the asking with the entire state cabinet campaigning and canvassing votes for him. Having won the Vellore Lok Sabha seat in 1984 and placed second in 2014, his is a popular face. But, since he does not belong to the AIADMK and his New Justice Party hardly has a presence, he has a tough battle ahead. Excerpts from an interview with

D Govardan:

When election to Vellore LS seat was cancelled, what was your reaction?

Income tax authorities discovered ₹11 crore cash from (DMK treasurer) Durai Murugan’s college and premises on April

1. It was proved that cash played a role. After seizing the cash on April 1, they should have cancelled the elections on April 4. But, it was done a day after the campaign ended (on April 16) and it shocked everyone. India was voting to elect the Prime Minister, but the people of Vellore could not participate in that process. Our hard work came to naught. Like Theni, even in Vellore, we would have won by 50,000 to 75,000 votes. My victory was stalled by their cash bags. It jolted me.

Is it any different now?

Now I see that as a welcome development. At least 30 ministers are now camping here to ensure victory of the AIADMK alliance. My only request to them was not to treat this as just an election exercise but help me resolve all issues relating to the constituency. If I had to do this after my win, it would have taken me four years to get these many ministers as well as the chief minister and deputy CM to visit my constituency. Now people have submitted their petitions in person to them and in 15 days the issues of my constituency are known to all ministers. This will help me serve the people better.

You are being projected as a future Union minister if you win.

I am part of the National Democratic Alliance and was with it in 2014 too. During Vajpayee’s NDA too, my party was part of it and I have been a part of the BJP alliance. But my becoming a minister will be decided by the PM and the NDA convenor. My focus is to ensure victory of the two leaves symbol and to serve people. With the AIADMK in power in the state and the BJP at the Centre, I along with my brother and Theni MP P Raveendranath Kumar, can ensure all central schemes reach the state.

Vellore has a large Muslim population and you are alligned with the BJP.

Muslims have accepted the BJP in the north. In Tamil Nadu, due to the opposition’s smear campaign against PM Narendra Modi it became an issue. After becoming PM, Modi has instructed his party MPs to endear themselves to the minorities, so the poisonous campaign by the opposition will not work in Vellore. Recently, a bishop filed his nomination as an independent. But, fearing a split in minority votes, DMK cadres tried to attack him. They attack Muslims and Christians and hence neither of them will vote for Durai Murugan’s family this time. The DMK is in for a big defeat.

Has the BJP has been kept out of the AIADMK campaign?

It is not true. BJP district and state secretaries and functionaries are campaigning with us. The BJP’s flags are prominent on our campaign and rallies. BJP state president Tamilisai Soundarajan too is set to join the campaign.

There are differences within the AIADMK over triple talaq.

A small section of Muslim women welcome the Triple Talaq Bill as a majority of them view the law to be against the Quran. Support and opposition are both from within the community. Hence, my brother Raveendranath Kumar spoke in favour of women’s rights. But, the AIADMK opposed it in Rajya Sabha keeping in mind the majority views and beliefs of the community. They are with us and we will win.