At Kappalur toll plaza, rude staff even beat up motorists

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 04.33 AM IST

Madurai: The Kappalur toll plaza has become notorious for the hostile behaviour of its employees who frequently pick up quarrels with users and even beat them up occasionally. With the plaza witnessing law and order issues, local people have demanded that the district police verify the background of workers employed there and ensure that they wear identity cards.

At least three Ayyappa devotees from Chennai who were travelling on a van suffered injuries on Thursday when a group of toll plaza employees attacked them. Sakthi Sai, Kumaraguru and Madhesh suffered injuries and were treated in a hospital. Based on a complaint from S Baskar, 40, from Broadway in Chennai, a case was registered with the Thirumangalam Town police station.

Four people identified as N Pankaj, 20, from Bihar, S Tejbir Singh, 20, and K Rohit, 22, from Uttar Pradesh and V Vignesh, 26, from Maninagaram in Madurai city were arrested. Police sources said that the accused attacked them using a flag pole and helmet. According to the police, the van carrying 20 devotees wrongly entered FASTag lane. After being told by the toll gate employees that they would be charged twice, the van driver reversed the vehicle. An altercation ensued when the employees gently knocked on the vehicles asking them to make it fast. A quarrel erupted when the occupants of the van questioned it and in no time the employees gathered and started assaulting the devotees.

However, Shankar Raj, toll officer at the toll gate, said they acted only in self-defence as the Ayyappa devotees provoked them by attacking one of the employees. The devotees suffered injuries when they fell down accidentally during the altercation, he said. P K Vembuvendan, coordinator of the committee against Kappalur toll plaza, said that motorists being abused by the toll plaza staff is a regular affair irrespective of whether they are locals or outsiders. This is evident from the peace committee meetings periodically conducted by revenue officials to ensure law and order.

The plaza has been set up at Kappalur, which is within a 5km radius of Thirumangalam municipality, in violation of rules. “People from other states are being employed to threaten users. Police should intervene by checking the criminal antecedents of workers and ensure they wear ID cards. They go into hiding after every assault and the administration washes its hands off saying they were not employees,” Vembuvendan said.

NHAI project director, Madurai, V Saravanan said the issue was the result of the user entering FASTag despite being stopped by employees. A counter-complaint against the occupants of the van has been lodged with the police. “Users always have the mindset that they are being cheated. Things go out of control when the employees are being attacked. They had to retaliate in self-defence,” he told TOI.

Nirbhaya case: Kannada film actor Jaggesh offers Rs 1 lakh to hangman

TNN | Jan 11, 2020, 02.08 PM IST

BENGALURU: Kannada film actor Jaggesh announced on Twitter that he will hand over Rs 1 lakh to the hangman who will execute the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case.

Jaggesh told TOI that as a believer of the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, he felt the death sentence was a just decision. "I have watched videos of Nirbhaya's mother pouring her heart out and many a time I too have wept," he said.

Jaggesh said he saw an interview of the hangman, Pavan Jallad, who said hanging the four culprits would fetch him Rs 1 lakh which he plans to use for his daughter's wedding.

"In the video, the hangman said he does not have a proper home but wants to get his daughter married and does not mind hanging the convicts. He said hanging each of them would get him Rs 25,000 and since there are four convicts, he would get Rs 1 lakh," Jaggesh said.

"The money I am giving will be of help to Jallad, who will be ending the lives of the cruel murderers of an innocent girl," he said.

While Tihar Jail has sought for two hangmen to execute the four, Pawan Jallad from Meerut is expected to be one of them.

Jallad through a video on social media expressed joy at Jaggesh's gesture.

New govt medical collegesmay be under PPP model

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 04.44 AM IST

Sunitha.Rao

Bengaluru: The upcoming government-sponsored medical colleges are likely to be under Private-Public Partnership (PPP). This was discussed at the first meeting with NITI Aayog members to define the process here on Saturday.

The plan is to invite private medical colleges to work with the government and strengthen government hospitals and overcome staff shortage.

“There are 14 districts in Karnataka which don’t have medical colleges, but have government district hospitals. There is scope for starting medical colleges there so that hospitals also benefit,” said officials.

Officials of the health & family welfare and medical education departments were present at the meeting where private medical college managements and entrepreneurs discussed the PPP model.

NITI Aayog wants to build 75 district hospitals across the country under the PPP model. The partnership will differ from case to case, depending on land ownership, infrastructure and hospital. The final list of chosen districts will be published by NITI Aayog in February.

“Educational institutions with experience in running medical colleges, that have run medical colleges with at least 150-200 beds can be given the opportunity to establish medical college in these districts by using existing government hospitals. Detailed discussions are yet to be held,” sources said.

Medical education minister and deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan said the move is to encourage private institutions to work with the government. “Through the PPP model, the hospital running cost can be reduced for the government. We can overcome staff shortage, specialists’ posts get filled, and district hospitals can bring in superspecialties,” he said. He did not specify the modalities and number of medical colleges that will be built under PP model.

Sources said Ramanagara district where RGUHS wanted to build a medical college is likely to be considered for this model. But, Dr S Sacchidanand, VC, RGUHS, said no such matter was discussed. “Currently, the project of the university in Ramanagara is shelved,” he said.

The move has raised concerns about fee structure in colleges under PPP model, sharing of seats between government and private management and cost of treatment in the hospital connected to the college.

Nirbhaya convict allowed to meet mother

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 04.10 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Jail authorities allowed the family members of Mukesh Singh, one of the convicts in the Nirbhaya case, to meet him as he had started behaving erratically ever since the death sentence was read out to the four men.

Sources said that in an emotional meeting, Singh broke down several times while talking to his mother. The family members, however, assured him about the curative petition and the option of a mercy petition after which he allegedly calmed down.

Jail officials, meanwhile, said that this was not the last meeting between Singh and his family. The convicts would be allowed to meet their family members twice a week, as per the norms. The families would be informed about their last meeting before the hanging well in advance, so that they can prepare for it. During this, they would be allowed to take the personal belongings of the convicts and record a will in the presence of a superintendent.

During the meeting, Singh was learnt to have spoken to his mother about the welfare of his brothers and parents. Jail sources said that the four Nirbhaya convicts on death row had stopped interacting with even the jail staff ever since a court issued the death warrants.

The four men were being kept in solitary cells.

Singh, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta had even shown violent traits and got into arguments with the jail employees on Wednesday, while they were being served food. They were kept on a simple diet of chapatis, daal and vegetable curry that they initially refused to eat. However, jail sources said that later they were calmed down by the counsellor and convinced to eat. The jail officials even shifted the three men to the ‘kasoori ward’, where they are left alone in a cell to introspect, before being convinced.

Vinay Sharma, on the other hand, had confined himself to his cell ever since the verdict. Jail sources said that all of them seem to be restless. Jail counsellors said that this behaviour was common among convicts on death row. The authorities would provide them religious books to read. Jail doctors advised the authorities to keep a check on the health — both mental and physical — of the four men since they had to maintain adequate body weight required for hanging a prisoner.

(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)

Probation for profs in TN univs not automatic: HC

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 04.37 AM IST

Chennai: The Madras high court has made it clear that completion of probation for professors appointed to state universities is not automatic, and that in the event of non-confirmation of their service after the expiry of probation period, such candidates cannot claim regularisation as a right. Justice V Anand Venkatesh made the observation while concurring with the submissions of advocate P Sanjai Gandhi, who represented the Tamil Nadu Open University and dismissing pleas moved by professors E Ravi and S Prabakaran.

According to the petitioners, they were originally working as lecturers in Annamalai University. In 2014, Tamil Nadu Open University called for applications for the posts of professor and associate professors. The petitioners applied for the posts and got selected.

On November 28, 2015, they were appointed to their respective posts with two-year probation with a lien for the same period in Annamalai University. However, even after the expiry of the probation period they were not absorbed permanently for the posts. The lien provided for them in Annamalai University also expired. Therefore, they made a representation to the open university to regularise their service. To their shock and surprise, the open university refused to absorb them permanently and passed an order dated February 1, 2018. Aggrieved, they moved the present plea challenging their removal.

They contended that since they were permitted to continue the service even after expiry of probation period, their service had become automatically permanent in view of Tamil Nadu Civil Services [Discipline and Appeal] Rules.

Opposing the same, Sanjai Gandhi contended that the petitioners had given a specific undertaking that they would not claim permanent absorption in the university while seeking extension of lien for one more year and therefore, they are stopped from claiming the relief. Concurring with his submissions, the court dismissed the pleas.

Colleges rush to Anna Univ for nod to offer new engg courses

Jan 12, 2020, 04.36 AM IST

Chennai: To reverse the droopy admission trend of engineering courses, colleges in Tamil Nadu have turned their eyes towards emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, data science and machine learning. More than 35 engineering colleges have applied to Anna University expressing interest to start BTech courses in artificial intelligence and data science, and computer science and business systems for the next academic year.

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has announced that engineering colleges would be allowed to start new courses in artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security, machine learning and block chain. Anna University had invited application for starting a course in artificial intelligence and data science. It has also began to frame syllabus for the course.

“Colleges must get AICTE’s approval to offer the new programme. The council may allow fresh intake for BTech courses in National Board of Accreditation (NBA)-accredited departments,” officials from Anna University said.

“Artificial intelligence and data analytics hold great future. Information technology will be used in every stream. Students who study these courses will have a bright future,” said K Maran, director of Sairam Institutions.

B Chidambararajan, principal of Valliammai Engineering College, urged the university to work with AICTE to enable colleges to offer these courses from the next academic year.

The university will check whether the colleges have necessary infrastructure to offer the courses and accord permission. “We have to train our engineering graduates in all emerging streams such as artificial intelligence, internt of things (IoT) and block chain to make them employable. Even cyber security has a good demand for engineers. After proper inspection, the university will allow colleges to start such courses,” said M K Surappa, vice-chancellor of Anna University.

But university professors also cautioned against offering the specialised course at undergraduate level saying courses such as agriculture engineering, geo informatics and mining, which had initial attraction, have lost steam. They said specialised courses should be offered only at the postgraduate level.

Meanwhile, many engineering colleges have sought to discontinue traditional courses such as civil engineering and electrical and electronics engineering due to poor enrolment.

Chennai: Buses to run from 6 stations for Pongal

TNN | Jan 12, 2020, 06.48 AM IST

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu state transport corporation (TNSTC) and state express transport corporation (SETC) will be functioning from six locations in the city from January 12 to 14 to facilitate smooth movement of vehicles at the Koyembedu bus terminus.

Traffic police have banned omni buses from going towards Vadapalani from Maduravoyal bypass and have banned heavy vehicles from entering the city limits.

Vehicles heading to Mayavaram, Nagapatinam, Velankanni, Tiruchi, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Sengottai, Tuticorin, Tiruchendur, Nagarkoil, Kanyakumari, Trivandrum, Villupuram, Karaikudi, Pudukottai, Tiruppur, Ooty, Coimbatore, Salem, Ramanathapuram, Ernakulam and Bengaluru will operate from Koyambedu. Buses bound to AP will operate from Madhavaram. Buses headed to Puducherry via ECR will start from K K Nagar. For bookings, the transport corporation have opened 30 special counters.