ஓய்வு பெற்றவர்களுக்கு, 'செக்' வீட்டில் வழங்கிய அதிகாரிகள்

Added : மே 01, 2020 23:29

தஞ்சாவூர் : கும்பகோணம் கோட்டத்தில் பணியாற்றி, ஓய்வு பெற்ற, போக்குவரத்து ஊழியர்களின் வீடுகளுக்கு, அதிகாரிகள் நேரில் சென்று, பண பலன்களை வழங்கினர்.

அரசு போக்குவரத்து கழகம், கும்பகோணம் கோட்டத்தில், திருச்சி, புதுக்கோட்டை, காரைக்குடி, கும்பகோணம், கரூர், நாகப்பட்டினம் ஆகிய, ஆறு மண்டலங்கள் உள்ளன. இந்த மண்டலங்களில் பணியாற்றிய டிரைவர்கள், கண்டக்டர்கள், தொழில்நுட்ப பணியாளர்கள் என, 271 பேர், மார்ச் மற்றும் ஏப்ரல் மாதங்களில் ஓய்வு பெற்றனர்.ஊரடங்கால் இவர்களுக்கான பணி ஓய்வு சான்றிதழையும், சேமநல நிதிக்கான செக்கையும், ஊழியர்கள் அலுவலகத்தில் வந்து பெற முடியாத சூழல் இருந்தது.

இதையடுத்து, 271 ஊழியர்களின் வீடுகளுக்கும், அந்தந்த கிளை மேலாளர்கள் நேரில் சென்று, பணி ஓய்வு பெற்றதற்கான சான்றிதழ், பாராட்டு சான்றிதழ், ஓய்வு கால சேமநல நிதிக்கான, 'செக்' ஆகியவற்றை வழங்கி, அவர்களுக்கு பொன்னாடை போர்த்தி, வாழ்த்து தெரிவித்தனர்

State and Centre differ on red zones

Karnataka’s list has 14 districts, as opposed to three on the Centre’s list

02/05/2020, KARNATAKA
BUREAU,BELAGAVI/BENGALURU

Kalaburagi is on the State’s COVID-19 red zone district list.By Special Arrangement

Red zones

Centre’s list: Bengaluru, Bengaluru Rural, and Mysuru

State’s list: Bagalkot, Belagavi, Bengaluru Urban, Bidar, Chickballapur, Dakshina Kannada, Davangere, Dharwad, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Mandya, Mysuru, Tumakuru, and Vijayapura

The list released on Friday by the Union government on red, orange and green zone districts has only three from Karnataka figuring in the first category. As per the State’s categorisation, the number stands at 14. This is because the guidelines on categorisation vary, and the State government is now examining the issue and will take a fresh call on it soon.

Karnataka now has only three districts in red zone — Bengaluru, Bengaluru Rural, and Mysuru — according to the Centre. The districts in the red zone on the State list are Bagalkot, Belagavi, Bengaluru Urban, Bidar, Chickballapur, Dakshina Kannada, Davangere, Dharwad, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Mandya, Mysuru, Tumakuru, and Vijayapura.

As per the Centre’s classification, there are three red zone districts, 13 orange zone districts, and 14 green zone districts in the State. This, officials said, is the result of the new criteria for deciding zones. Factors deciding zoning include incidence and doubling rate of cases, extent of testing, surveillance feedback, and rate of recovery. An officer working with the Health Department said there was no clarity yet on the issue.

Munish Moudgil, who is in charge of the State COVID-19 war room, said the Centre’s criteria was drawn up recently. “Karnakata had an existing criteria. Besides this, the Union Government clearly says that States can add districts to the red or orange zones. The State government is examining the new guidelines and will take a call on the matter,” he said.

According to the State government’s classification as on Friday, there are 14 districts in the red zone which have at least one case reported in the past 14 days. There are four districts in the orange zone, where there are no cases have been reported in 14 days, but at least one was reported in the 15-28 day period. Twelve districts are in the green zone, not reporting a single case in 28 days.

Unions call for job security, reduction in working hours

Govt. urged not to extend eight-hour working day

02/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

Amid an unprecedented lockdown necessitated by a pandemic, May Day took on a different meaning for the working class that is now battling job losses, pay cuts, likely extended working hours, and a host of other challenges they were not prepared for.

Participate from home

On Friday, the celebrations were marked by the struggles of surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. The All-India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) saw weavers, construction workers, ASHA workers, school bus drivers, and street vendors, among others, participate from home holding placards. An AIUTUC release also spoke about the plight of thousands of migrant workers who are being forced to walk back home for days on end, having lost work, some even losing their lives.

Central trade unions across segments, under the banner of the Joint Committee of the Trade Unions (JCTU), came together to mark the 134th May Day, urging the government not to extend the eight-hour working day.

“At a time when the unemployment rate is 23% in the country, it is only apt that the working day should be reduced to six hours to sustain, create employment, and revive the economy in general,” a JCTU release said.

Workers across different industrial areas such as Doddaballapur, Peenya, Bommasandra, Jigani, Hoskote, and Whitefield, as well as other unions, also marked May Day with flag hoisting ceremonies.

AITUC marked the day with a flag hoisting ceremony with the volunteers who are in the frontline of the relief work being undertaken by the trade unions by distributing food to migrant and construction workers in the city. A meeting resolved to defend the working class rights for income, job security, and to shorten the working day to six hours.

Online protest against PG medical, dental fee hike planned

02/05/2020, JAYASIMHA K.R.,BENGALURU

The State government’s decision on Friday to hike fees for postgraduate medical and dental seats in private colleges for the 2020-21 academic year has students up in arms. The Medical Service Centre (MCS), Karnataka, and All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO) have organised an online protest on Saturday that will see doctors, medical students and PG aspirants holding placards on social networking sites, urging the government to withdraw the decision.

MCS and AIDSO have urged the government to immediately withdraw the hike and also increase the number of seats for PG in all government medical colleges. Sithara H.M. of AIDSO said that a fee hike at a time when the entire country is reeling under the effects of the pandemic was unacceptable and undemocratic. “At this juncture, we cannot even take this issue to streets and the government is suppressing dissent using the lockdown as a shield,” she said.

On Friday, the government announced its decision to hike PG medical and dental fees for institutional quota by 30% and government quota seats by 20% for both dental and medical streams.

Priyanka J.P., another medical PG aspirant, said that she had expected a 10% hike, which is generally done every year, and had planned and arranged the amount based on that. “However, everything has changed now and I will have to change my plans accordingly,” she said.

The seat matrix was released late April 30 night and the last date option entry for eligible candidates was May 2. “This is undemocratic and unfair, that too when there is complete lockdown. We hardly have any time to think and plan,” she added.

Experts warn that seats may go vacant

K.S. Nagesh, former member, Dental Council of India, and former principal of R.V. Dental College, Bengaluru, said that the government should have approved only a 10% hike. “Colleges have to pay salaries and bear many other expenses and hence a 10% hike is acceptable. But, at the same time, we should also take into account the hardship that parents and students are facing,” he said. He also warned that due to the hike, a situation may arise where seats may go vacant as many people cannot afford to pay so much.

Managements of private colleges maintain that they only got half of what their long standing demand was. M.R. Jayaram, chairman, Ramaiah Medical College, argued that without the hike, private medical colleges “would be doomed”. “Our demand was a 40-50% hike. The committee appointed by the government recommended a 30-40% hike but we didn’t get that either,” said Mr. Jayaram.

S. Kumar, Chancellor, Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education & Research, said the government was probably trying to narrow the huge gap between fee structures in private colleges affiliated to RGUHS and deemed to be universities. “I am surprised by the hike of 20-30% at this juncture, but that was a long standing demand,” he said.

Medical team recounts containment zone experience

“ We got tremendous support from the residents of K.K. Pudur”

02/05/2020, KARTHIK MADHAVAN,COIMBATORE

The team from Coimbatore Corporation's Urban Primary Health Centre in K.K. Pudur that attended to residents' needs in the first COVID-19 containment zone in the city.S. Siva Saravanan

When medical officer Lakshmi Bharathi picked up her mobile phone to answer a call on March 19, little did she realise that the news to be conveyed to her would change how the medical team at the K.K. Pudur Urban Primary Health Centre would work in the days to follow. The team worked for a month and a half since then in that area, and the containment zone restrictions were ordered to be lifted on Thursday night.

The call from Coimbatore Corporation Health Officer K. Santhoshkumar said a person from the area had reported positive for COVID-19.

A girl from the area who had returned from Spain had tested positive for the corona virus, making it the first case in Coimbatore.

After taking advice and getting personal protection kits from Dr. Santhoshkumar, the team on March 20 started going door-to-door in the girl’s neighbourhood to check if anybody complained of fever or showed COVID-19 symptoms.

“When the news reached me and I relayed it to the team, we knew we will be in the forefront. That did not scare us,” says Dr. Bharathi, speaking on behalf of urban health nurses P. Venkateswari, A. Thangamani and A. Prema.

As the team went door-to-door, it was only welcomed. “Gates of apartments and palatial houses that were hitherto closed to us, opened up as people cooperated,” she says. “In an apartment, the residents were so kind that they served tea to all of us,” adds Ms. Venkateswari.

That the medical team had a record of all pregnant mothers and feeding mothers only helped ease things as several faces were familiar.

While going door-to-door the only problem the team faced was sweat and heat as the members were covered from head to toe in protective gear. “Even drinking water became difficult,” Ms. Venkateswari recalls.

“In a few cases, the people called us to ask if we could check on families that went into self-quarantine,” says Ms. Thangamani.

The COVID-19 work only added to the team’s work burden and that meant long hours at the centre. “Even as we were engaged in containing the spread of the virus, we oversaw five deliveries,” says Dr. Bharathi.

And then there were adjustments that they had to make to their working style as well. “Each of us in the team took an additional set of clothes to the centre. After returning from the containment zone, we would bathe and change into new set of clothes,” says Ms. Prema.

During this period, the team got support from family as well. “My husband took charge of cooking breakfast,” Ms. Venkateswari says. “My husband started cleaning the house and even doing dishes,” adds Ms. Thangamni.

Being the first Corporation medical team to work in containment zone also had some advantages. “When Podanur saw a few COVID-19 cases, we were the first ones whom the medical team there called to ask how to go about performing the additional duty. In that way, we were kind of mentors,” recall Ms. Prema and Thangamani.

Coimbatore district moves from red to orange zone

Containment zone restriction lifted in K.K. Pudur

02/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,COIMBATORE

A man scans the QR code to get travel pass at the Coimbatore Collectorate on Friday, during the nationwide lockdown to combat the spread of COVID-19.M. Periasamy

District Collector K. Rajamani announced on Thursday that the district has moved from red to orange zone, based on “multi-factorial criteria” issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The containment zone restriction has been lifted in K.K. Pudur.

Some of the factors that Mr. Rajamani said might have helped include - the number of current active cases is only seven, the number of persons discharged is 134, there has been no new case in the last eight days, and the number of new cases in the last 21 days was 15. Additionally, he said: “Of the 26 containment zones in the district, two-thirds saw no new case in the last 15 days and the administration had lifted the containment zone restriction in K.K. Pudur 28 days after the discharge of the COVID-19 positive person belonging to the area, from hospital.”

Sources in the district administration added that of the seven active COVID-19 cases, six were at a private hospital and another was at the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital. They would be ready for discharge on Monday.

Though the movement to the orange zone would help the district gain some advantages or relaxation of rules, after the May 2 Cabinet meeting, this was not the time to let down guard, Mr. Rajamani said.

Meanwhile the district administration continued lifting about 300 samples from people at containment zones and peripheries every day. It would continue to monitor the district borders to restrict entry of people from other districts, particularly from places were the number of cases was high.

If it found people showing symptoms of influenza like infection, severe acute respiratory infection or COVID-19, the administration would take them to quarantine facilities it had set up across the district.

Members of the public and industry association have demanded ease of lockdown restrictions to resume commercial or industrial activity.

The district administration had issued orders in a few cases and would continue to do so, keeping in mind the State Government’s guidelines.

The Collector, however, clarified that the district moving into the orange zone would not entail relaxation of the rules in force.

Tiruppur has four patients in hospital

Meanwhile, Tiruppur district has only four patients undergoing treatment for COVID-19.

A 14-year-old boy from Avinashi and a 55-year-old man were discharged from ESI Hospital on Friday. Out of the 112 confirmed cases in the district, 108 recovered and were discharged as of Friday, Health Department sources said. On Thursday, 15 patients from Tiruppur district were discharged.

On Friday, Tiruppur District Administration declared Avinashi Block as orange zone, following the discharge of the last patient from the Block. On Thursday, Dharapuram Block was declared as orange zone.

Shops in bazaar area in Salem function on rotation basis

02/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,SALEM

To prevent crowd from gathering in Shevapet Bazaar area and to ensure physical distance among the public, the shops in the area functioned on rotation basis for the past few days.

The Shevapet bazaar is one of the important business areas in the district and wholesale dealers of grocery items operate from the bazaaar.

Though physical distance was mandated, huge crowd turned up at the market every day to get grocery items for retail sales and for personal use.

Hence, in consultation with the district administration, the shops in the bazaar agreed to operate on rotation basis. The shops on left side of the bazaar would function one day and the shops on the opposite side would function the next day.

Traders here said that they advised the public to stand inside the boxes drawn on the ground to ensure physical distance. They also emphasised the public to wear masks.

S.K.Periyaswami, district president of Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangankalin Peramaippu said that the traders had been advised to wear masks and they had requested the public not to bring children to the bazaar. Earlier, there were difficulties in terms of vehicle parking and unloading of goods. However, operation of shops on rotation basis had eased this. The traders had been told not to sell products to persons not wearing masks. They had also been advised not to hike prices.