Over 2 lakh cardholders get Pongal gift hampers on day 1

TNN | Jan 10, 2020, 04.02 AM IST

Madurai: Long queues were witnessed outside all 1,354 ration shops in the district from early in the morning on Thursday to receive the Pongal gift hampers, with more than two lakh beneficiaries receiving their gifts on the first day.

The Tamil Nadu government is distributing gift hampers of one kg of raw rice, cashewnuts, raisins, sugar, and Rs 1,000 cash to all beneficiaries of the rice card in the state for Pongal festival. While the programme was formally launched last Sunday by the ministers in each district, the distribution for public started on Thursday.

Many shops in the city witnessed squabbles between the people in the queues. While the beneficiaries were told that the names of the people would be displayed on the board outside the shops to prevent overcrowding, however confusion prevailed at many places.

In Villapuram, women and elderly people stood in long queues and were given tokens from as early as 6 am. “I stood in the queue from 6 am but got my gift only at 11 am, so I could not go to work,” said Shanthi, a resident.

It was announced that beneficiaries whose names appear on the ration card can come to the shop and receive the cash and gift hamper by producing the card or their Aadhaar as proof, many of them complained that it got delayed due to the serpentine queues.

“Last year, I went on a Sunday before the Pongal festival and was given only Rs 500, as they said cash, rice and other condiments were not available. So, I came on the first day this year, but have lost half my day’s pay waiting for this,” said Rajeswari of Karupayoorani.

Meanwhile, sources from the district administration said that Pongal gift hampers were issued to 2,23,437 rice cards in Madurai district out of the total 85,00,15, which is about 26%.

Eating from vendors on beaches, streets may become safer soon in Chennai

TNN | Jan 9, 2020, 04.14 AM IST

CHENNAI: Hot bajjis served on beaches or crispy hot dosas had at roadside stalls are set to become safer to eat if regulators in the city have their way.

In the last few weeks, at least 80 street food vendors on Elliot’s beach were taught about the need for food safety, what the Food Safety and Standard Act expects out of every food business unit, violations and punishments. At the end of the day, vendors who attended the camp were given Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTaC). “If we have at least one certified personnel in every unit we will improve food quality and also emphasise that they follow all rules,” said A Ramakrishnan, designated food safety officer, Chennai.

For instance, street vendors on the beach were taught about the reuse of oil and safe way to dispose cooking oil. They were taught the importance of hand wash, food preservation and how things they use and their surrounding should be clean, he said.

Street food vendors will be given basic guidance including catering services. Under the FoSTaC programme, the regulator plans to train staff in the organised as well as unorganised sector. For street food vendors, anganwadi workers and Amma canteen staff, the authority is raising funds from people for the course. “We will be rolling out day-long training programmes for vendors on Marina and staff of Amma canteens soon,” another senior official said.

The course offers 17 types of competence-based certification programmes — each of 8 to 12-hour hour duration spread over a couple of days. Street vendors and aganwadi workers were given the basic course and training manuals. Most of the staff were also taught about where and how they should source ingredients and how they can check quality of the ingredients difference between edible oil/ghee and the cheap ones that are made for lighting lamps at temples.

Several studies by doctors’ bodies and nutritionists have shown high volumes of Ecoli coliform, salmonella, shigella, staphylococcus aureus and pseudomonas, which are major causes of infections such as diarrhoea, typhoid, food poisoning, urinary tract infections and pneumonia. Food safety training teaches the importance of handwash, which keep a majority of these infections at bay, officials said.

Chennai: Property tax rollback not effected online, say residents

TNN | Jan 9, 2020, 04.32 AM IST

CHENNAI: More than 45 days since municipal administration minister S P Velumani announced rollback of the property tax hike in urban local bodies, several Chennai residents say the civic body’s online services are still asking for the hiked rates.
A Chennai Corporation official, however, said they had rolled back the rates online too and if there was any ambiguity, residents could petition the revenue department or their respective zonal offices and get it rectified immediately.

The government had announced on November 19 that it had set up a committee to examine representations against the tax hike and that till its report came, in the old rates would prevail.

Some residents’ associations had even written to the Chennai Corporation Commissioner seeking clarity on the status of property tax.

“The inaction on the part of corporation officials causes confusion and many residents are unable or unwilling to make the payment,” said V S Jayaraman of T Nagar Residents welfare association. Jayaraman acknowledged that the property tax rates had been rolled back to 2017-18 rates in some streets.

Jayaraman pointed out that in certain cases, there had been two increases because of change in usage. A resident of Motilal street in T Nagar was surprised to learn that the civic body had hiked property tax for 2017-18 itself due to the status of his property turning ‘tenanted’.

In September 2019, the property owner wrote to the revenue officials seeking clarity and documentary evidence as he had neither let out nor leased the property to anyone. The issue is pending before the Regional Deputy Commissioner, Jayaraman said.

The tax revision came about from July 2018 without any consultation with residents. Residents were also shocked by the quantum of tax hike -- as against the promise of keeping maximum raise at 50 %, residents of some localities complained that the tax went up by 600%. Residents associations in Nanganallur (Alandur zone), for example, have decided to not pay until the old rates are put up.

Madras high court imposes Rs 15,000 cost on petitioner for filing false case

TNN | Jan 9, 2020, 03.07 PM IST

MADURAI: The Madras high court on Thursday imposed a cost of Rs 15,000 on a petitioner for filing a false case stating that his father, who is a ward councillor in Mudukulathur panchayat union in Ramanathapuram district, had been abducted.

S Raja filed a habeas corpus petition in the high court seeking to rescue his father, Sathaiah. Sathaiah, a DMK member, was recently elected as the councillor of ward eight in Mudukulathur panchayat union. Raja said his father had been abducted to prevent him from casting his vote in the indirect elections in the panchayat union scheduled to be held on January 11.

On Wednesday, the court directed police officials to produce the petitioner’s father before it on January 9, failing which the Ramanathapuram superintendent of police should appear before the court to explain the status of the case.

Police produced Sathaiah in the court on Thursday. Sathaiah informed the court that he had not been abducted and had been living in daughter’s house.

Taking note of the submissions, a division bench of Justice T Raja and Justice B Pugalendhi imposed a cost of Rs 15,000 on the petitioner for wasting the time of the court by filing a false case. The judges directed the petitioner to pay the cost to the high court legal services authority within 10 days.

Pongal holidays: Vandalur zoo makes arrangement to welcome visitors

TNN | Jan 9, 2020, 08.11 PM IST

CHENNAI: Vandalur zoo managers have made arrangements to receive visitors during Pongal holidays, that start on Wednesday.
On Thursday, Chengalpet district collector John Louis visited the zoo and supervised the arrangements.

In view of the Pongal holidays, the zoo will remain open on Tuesday, though it used to be the weekly holiday. For three days from Wednesday, the zoo will be open between 8am and 6pm.

There will be 20 counters for selling tickets. Visitors can also book tickets on website: www.aazp.in or on mobile app ‘Vandalur Zoo’.

Tickets can be booked at the zoo using credit/debit cards and also UPI payment facilities will be available at the counters. Zoo managers have set up CCTV cameras in strategic locations to ensure safety for the visiting public.

As far as parking of vehicles, separate area has been provided for two-wheelers and four-wheelers near the rescue and rehabilitation centre of the zoo.

Those who park their vehicles at the parking area can reach the zoo entrance for which shuttle service will be operated from Tuesday onwards. More than 300 special buses will be operated from Broadway, Marina Beach, Koyambedu, Vadapalani, T Nagar, Adyar, Poonamallee, Tirupporur, Mamallapuram, Tambaram and Chengalpet to the zoo.

The district administration had made arrangements to provide purified drinking water to the visitors. The zoo authorities have assured to provide mobile toilets and two separate rooms will be available on the zoo premises for lactating mothers, the release said.

Every child entering the zoo will be tied with a tag for safety and first aid facilities will be available on the premises. Visitors are advised not to bring banned plastic materials and no liquor, cigarettes and sugar cane will be allowed.

Zoo managers have made the arrangements to coordinate with police, fire, health, TWAD board, electricity and transport departments, the release said.

Chennai Metro Rail adds large vehicle to operate feeder service from Airport to Pammal

TNN | Jan 9, 2020, 08.19 PM IST

CHENNAI: Commuters arriving at Airport metro in big groups could now take a van to Pammal, as Chennai Metro Rail Limited has introduced another feeder service on Thursday to provide commuters with last mile connectivity.

The additional facility is to provide commuters with last mile connectivity to locations are not connected by metro services as well as far away from main localities.

In December 2019, similar vans were introduced from Alandur metro station to Velachery via St Thomas Mount metro and Thillai Ganga Nagar subway. At Alandur, CMRL has been operating vans to DLF Cyber City IT park and Tidel Park and to Ramanujam IT Park in Taramani from Little Mount Station to provide feeder services to IT employees using metro service.

Efforts are also underway to replace share auto and share taxi service at all 32 stations where commuters can book share cabs on a mobile app.

TN most unsafe state for the elderly

TNN | Jan 10, 2020, 04.15 AM IST

Chennai: Tamil Nadu remains one of the most unsafe states for the elderly in the country. According to NCRB data, 152 senior citizens were murdered in Tamil Nadu in 2018, the highest in the country, followed by Maharashtra (135) and Uttar Pardesh (127).
While the numbers are alarming, Tamil Nadu also has a higher percentage of senior citizens, 11.2%, compared to other states. In the overall crime rate against senior citizens, Tamil Nadu is third with 3,162 cases.

Maharashtra, where the elderly population is less than 10%, recorded the maximum number of crimes against senior citizens at 5,961, followed by Madhya Pradesh, which has less than 8% senior citizens, with 3,967 cases.

Tamil Nadu also recorded the highest number of attempt-to-murder cases against senior citizens, 76. There were 182 cases of robbery and 16 extortion cases in which the elderly were targeted.

Activists said the high incidence of robberies, in which 184 senior citizens were targeted, highlighted how criminals found the elderly population an easy target.

Police said they have strengthened patrolling and all city police stations have been directed to collect details of senior citizens living alone.

A senior police officer said personnel on beat patrol have been assigned to enumerate the elderly in their neighbourhoods.

“Those living alone become soft targets of miscreants as they cannot fight back,” said Chandrasekar, a member of Senior Citizens Group Of Besant Nagar and Mylapore.