Cabinet nod for 5% DA rise for govt. staff 
 
EC says ‘nothing wrong’ with move

10/10/2019 , Special Correspondent, NEW DELHI

In a decision that raised eyebrows coming just ahead of Assembly elections in States including Maharashtra and Haryana, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a decision to release an additional 5% dearness allowance for Central government employees over the existing rate of 12% of basic pay. A similar increase of 5% in dearness relief was also announced for pensioners.

“The Union Cabinet today approved to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief to pensioners with effect from July 1, 2019, representing an increase of 5% over the existing rate of 12% of the Basic pay/Pension, to compensate for price rise,” a government release said.

The Election Commission said there was nothing wrong with the announcement, even though it comes before the elections in Maharashtra. “This is linked to indexation as per the formula for all central government employees,” an official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Hindu.

HC refuses to quash CBI case against I-T official 

He allegedly received ₹8-lakh bribe from a real estate firm

10/10/2019 , Mohamed Imranullah S., CHENNAI

The Madras High Court has refused to quash a case filed by the CBI against SPR and RG Constructions Pvt. Ltd., a real estate firm which had purchased Binny Mills property in Chennai for ₹120 crore, its Managing Director Hitesh Kumar Kawad and his chartered accountant Sanjay Bhandari, for having allegedly bribed ₹8 lakh to Sallong Yaden, a Joint Commissioner of Income Tax.

Justice P.N. Prakash refused to quash the case after observing that the profile of the accused in the case was not that of a poor lineman caught receiving a bribe for providing a telephone connection.

According to the prosecution, the Income Tax department sleuths had searched the premises of Praveen Kumar Jain in Mumbai in September 2014 and found that he had made some accommodation entries with respect to capital infusion in SPR and RG Constructions. Hence, IT sleuths in Mumbai conducted a survey in the office of Mr. Kawad on September 5, 2014 and reportedly found some irregularities in their accounts.

Simultaneously, the IT sleuths in Chennai too were conducting an independent probe since SPR and RG had purchased the Binny Mill property for a huge consideration in December 2013. A Deputy Commissioner in Chennai sought the permission of Mr. Yaden to conduct a survey and the latter granted permission for it despite knowing about the survey already conducted by his counterparts in Mumbai. The survey in Chennai led to some incriminating material.

Meanwhile, the CBI obtained permission from the Union Home Ministry to intercept the mobile phone numbers of Mr. Bhandari and his son Shreyans Bhandari. They were put under surveillance and it led to the latter handing over ₹8 lakh to Mr. Yaden at his residence. When the then Joint Commissioner was questioned regarding the money, he supposedly tried to wriggle out by claiming to have taken a loan.

Although the CBI registered a case against the four individuals as well as the real estate firm and filed a chargesheet against them in 2016, the trial had not yet begun due to multiple petitions filed by the accused either to discharge them or to quash the case, special public prosecutor K. Srinivasan complained to the High Court.

Concurring with him, Justice Prakash said the present case only reminds him of sapient passages from a couple of Supreme Court verdicts which read: “It is common knowledge that currently in our country criminal courts excel in slow motion…there are appeals upon appeals and revisions and supervisory jurisdictions, baffling and baulking speedy termination of prosecutions. The slow motion becomes much slower when politically powerful or rich and influential persons figure as accused.”

Subasri’s father moves High Court seeking ₹1 cr. compensation 

‘Constitute special team to prosecute those responsible for her death’ 

10/10/2019 , Legal Correspondent, CHENNAI

R. Subasri

The father of R. Subasri, a techie who was run over and killed by a tanker after an illegal flex board fell on her while she was riding her two-wheeler in Pallikaranai on September 12, has moved the Madras High Court seeking a compensation of ₹1 crore from the State government.

The writ petition, filed by R. Ravi, 57, of Chromepet, is expected to be listed for admission before Justice R. Subramanian on Thursday. Apart from monetary relief, he had also insisted on the constitution of a special investigation team to prosecute those responsible for his daughter’s death, both directly and indirectly.

The petitioner’s third plea was for the enactment of a special legislation, prescribing stringent punishment for those erecting unauthorised flex boards on roadsides. He said he had made a representation to the government on September 24, with regard to all the three requests, and sought for a direction to consider the representation.

In his affidavit, Mr. Ravi stated that Subasri was his only child, and she had scored 455 out of 500 marks in her Class X examinations, and 1,054 out of 1,200 in her higher secondary examinations.

Subsequently, she cleared B.Tech (Mechatronics) in first class, pursued a diploma in software engineering, and began earning ₹2.22 lakh per annum.

‘Economic suffering’

“My daughter started earning on December 2018, and since then, the economic burden of the family has been balanced. Due to the sudden demise of my daughter, we have been suffering mentally as well as economically. I am working in a private company, and my wife is a homemaker. A major part of my income and savings was spent on my daughter. I had fond hope that she would take care of me and my wife during old age, but now, we have become orphans,” the affidavit read.

It also acknowledged that immediately after the accident, a Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and N. Seshasayee had ordered payment of an interim compensation of ₹5 lakh to the petitioner and his wife, and the amount was paid to them through a demand draft.

A child has right to affection of both parents, says SC
‘Visitation rights must be granted keeping this in view’

10/10/2019 , Legal Correspondent, , NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court said family courts should grant visitation rights in such a manner that a child is not deprived of the love and care of either parent.

A Bench led by Justice Deepak Gupta said the interest of the child should be kept foremost in custody battles between separated parents. “A child has the right to affection of both his parents,” Justice Gupta noted in a two-page order.

The order is based on a plea by a man for custody of his child, who is with the wife.

The court declined to interfere with the family court’s order granting the custody of the child to the mother.

The Bench, however, gave the man liberty to approach the family court for enhancement of his visitation rights.

“We direct the family court to ensure that visitation rights are fixed in such a manner that the child gets to know and love his father. A child has a right to the affection of both his parents and the family court shall ensure that visitation rights are granted in such a manner,” Justice Gupta wrote.

He said the family court should also make suitable arrangements during vacations, keeping the interest of the child foremost.

Govt doctors announce indefinite strike from Oct 25

Minutes after the protest intensified, the health minister called the doctors for talks at the Secretariat and assured them that their demands would be met within six weeks.
 
Published: 10th October 2019 05:08 AM 



Nurses employed under various schemes of National Health Mission protest demanding wage revision and equal pay, at Cheapauk on Wednesday 

| DEBADATTA MALLICK.

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Government doctors announced an indefinite strike from October 25, after the Health department failed to fulfill their demands, including the promised salary hike within six weeks. The decision was announced at a press meet by the members of the Federation of Government Doctors Association (FODGA) on Wednesday.

Dr A Ramalingam, member, FOGDA, said, “We will go on indefinite strike from October 25 as the Health Department failed to fulfill our demands within six weeks. We will boycott out-patient, in-patient services and elective surgeries. However, we will attend to fever cases as there is an ongoing epidemic.”

Health Minister C Vijayabaskar had held a meeting with the representatives of doctors on October 2 to discuss the demands. Commenting about the same, Dr Ramalingam said,” The Minister sought time from us as by-elections are scheduled. So, we will wait till October 24 and commence our strike from the next day.”

In August, while six government doctors began a hunger strike, hundreds of other doctors across the State assembled at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital campus in their support, to stage a protest to highlight their four-point charter of demands including pay hike.

Minutes after the protest intensified, the health minister called the doctors for talks at the Secretariat and assured them that their demands would be met within six weeks. After marathon talks, the doctors had withdrawn their protest temporarily. The doctors have been demanding pay hike as per G.O. 354, increase of doctors’ strength depending on the patients’ load, and also 50% reservation for government service doctors in PG medical courses.

Hunger strike

In August, six government doctors began hunger strike, hundreds of doctors across the State assembled at Rajiv Gandhi GH campus to stage a protest to highlight their 4-point charter of demands.

Power shutdown in parts of Chennai on Friday

According to a statement from Tangedco, power supply will be resumed before 4 pm if work is completed. 

Published: 10th October 2019 06:25 AM By Express News Service

CHENNAI: For carrying out maintenance work, power supply will be suspended by Tangedco on Friday from 9 am to 4 pm in the following areas. According to a statement from Tangedco, power supply will be resumed before 4 pm if work is completed.

ROYAPETTAH: Peters Road, Dr Besant Road, Bharathi Salai, West Cott Road, JJ Khan Road, Gaffore Sahib St, Devaraj St, Gazattee Begum St, and other nearby streets, Balaji Nagar, Part of Ice House.

MITTNAMALLEE: Muthapudhupet, Mittnamallee, Periyar Nagar, Palavedu Road, PTMS, Mittanamallee Colony, CRPF, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Brindavan Nagar, MTM Kandigai, Veerapuram, Veltech, Sothupakkam Salai, Dharga Road, Part of bypass Road, Theerthakarayanpattu, Grandlyne, Vilangadupakkam, Kosappur, Part of Redhills market, Alingivakkam.

Bus pass renewal in Chennai is not as you please

Lack of bus pass renewal centres along OMR and ECR forces commuters to opt for other more expensive modes of transport.

Published: 09th October 2019 10:06 AM 



Commuters renew their passes in Adyar or Thiruvanmiyur| Ashwin Prasath

By KV Navya

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Of the more than 300 new Metropolitan Transportation Corporation (MTC) buses that have been introduced in the city recently, a lion’s share has been allotted to the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) to cash in on the IT sector.

But, residents worry that there is not a single bus pass renewal centre across the entire stretch of OMR. The commuters are forced to travel to Thiruvanmiyur bus terminus or Adyar to renew bus passes. Except for Thiruvanmiyur, even East Coast Road (ECR) lacks bus pass renewal centres.

Numerous commuters including college students, working professionals and even labourers renew the monthly ‘Travel As You Please’ pass for Rs 1,000 and other concession passes priced at Rs 320, Rs 370, Rs 410, Rs 450, Rs 500, Rs 540, Rs 590, Rs 630 and Rs 670.

Thousands of commuters from ECR and OMR use MTC buses to reach their offices daily. Commuters from areas such as Kottivakkam, Palavakkam, Kelambakkam, Sholinganallur, Padur, Neelankarai, Injambakkam and Navalur among others, are affected by the lack of bus pass renewal centres.

“OMR and ECR are deemed as the most happening areas in Chennai, thanks to the development of the IT sector as well as hospitality and healthcare sectors, and commercial real estate projects. The lakhs of residents of these two localities with the largest electorate in the state are lacking even basic facilities including a bus pass renewal centre,” said R Ramaswamy, a retired banker residing in Sholinganallur.

He said that most of the housemaids and construction workers in the area commute by bus and lack of a bus pass renewal centre is forcing them to take share autorickshaws, which charge considerably higher, comparatively.

Since the IT corridor is devoid of local trains, after Thiruvanmiyur/Taramani, MTC and share autorickshaws are the two public transport options available for commuters. As many as 346 buses operate on OMR daily and the number of trips taken per day goes up to 3,983.

“Firstly, in Thiruvanmiyur too, there is only one counter for renewal which is always crowded. So, we have to travel for two hours to reach the terminus and again wait for at least an hour to renew the pass. It is ridiculous,” said V Balan, a resident of Kannagi Nagar. Suggesting a solution, Ramani Mohan, a regular commuter, said, “If the Corporation does not have enough funds to construct a permanent renewal centre inside a bus terminus, they can open weekly temporary counters in two or three locations across the stretch.” Despite repeated attempts, officials could not be contacted for their response on the issue.

In OMR 

Number of buses: 346
Number of trips taken every day: 3,983
Number of bus pass renewal centres on OMR: NIL
Nearest Renewal Center: Thiruvanmiyur

Areas affected

Kottivakkam, Palavakkam, Kelambakkam, Sholinganallur, Padur, Neelankarai, Injambakkam, Kannagi Nagar, Semmanchery and Navalur among others.