HC declines petition on welfare of sex workers

HC declines petition on welfare of sex workers

12/05/2020,NEW DELHI

The Delhi High Court on Monday declined to entertain a petition seeking direction to the Centre and the city government to take steps to protect and provide welfare measures such as food, accommodation and medicines, to sex workers and the LGBT community during the lockdown. A Bench of Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal rejected the plea, by advocate Anurag Chauhan, who had sought financial aid, food, shelter and medicines to sex workers and LGBT community members in Delhi to ensure their survival during the lockdown.

Baijal meets directors, V-Cs of universities

Baijal meets directors, V-Cs of universities

12/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, NEW DELHI

Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal on Monday held a meeting through videoconference with the Vice-Chancellors of universities and Director, IIITD, to review preparedness for online learning, pending examinations, internships, placements and admissions for the forthcoming sessions.

All V-Cs and Directors of universities, Mr. Baijal said, should emphasise on the use of technology for teaching-learning, admission processes and examinations. He told them to ensure continuity of educational activities along with the safety of students, faculty members and staff.

Plea challenges decision to freeze DA of govt. staff

Plea challenges decision to freeze DA of govt. staff

‘No financial emergency to take the step’

12/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,NEW DELHI

A petition before the Delhi High Court has challenged the Centre and the AAP government’s decision to freeze dearness allowance (DA) of public servants and pensioners in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The plea contended that there is no financial emergency to take such a step as Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) has around ₹3,800 crore corpus and according to news reports, PM CARES Fund has received ₹6,500 crore donation.

The plea also contended that the decision to freeze DA of government employees has been taken at a time of rising inflation, especially in Delhi, where there has been an increase in price of fuel, liquor and essential commodities.

It said the decision to freeze DA is in violation of constitutional provisions and the Disaster Management Act does not give the government any power to withhold salary as it also includes dearness allowance.

JNU to develop device for COVID-19 tests

JNU to develop device for COVID-19 tests

‘University aims at demonstrating first prototype in 4 months’

12/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

JNU Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar on Monday said that the university has been given approval to carry out a project on COVID-19 testing that will be an alternative to RT-PCR test.

Mr. Kumar said that Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, a public sector enterprise set up by Department of Biotechnology, has given its nod to JNU under diagnostics category to develop a low-cost portable device for large-scale screening of the viral infections.

The V-C said that currently, the detection of COVID-19 infection is being mostly done by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) by using a real-time PCR machine, a very accurate lab test for detecting, tracking and studying the virus. However, this technology is expensive, requires high-end laboratory-based equipment and is time-consuming. He added that there is also a need of expert personnel to operate the instrument and perform the testing at the laboratory reducing its capacity of sample handling per day.

“To overcome the cost and other disadvantages of the conventional methods, a team from the School of Biotechnology, JNU, has designed a chip-based low-cost portable spatial RT-PCR where the PCR has been integrated with an in-built detection system containing LED and diode detector enabling us to perform a point-of-care measurement,” the V-C said.

He added that JNU has already filed an Indian Patent application on this technology that can complete the testing in about 50 minutes as compared to 120-180 minutes required for conventional real-time PCR. The V-C added that the university was targeting to demonstrate the first prototype testing device in about four months.

Business as usual in Salem

Business as usual in Salem

12/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,SALEM

Business went on as usual with majority of automobile workshops, bakeries, electronic appliances stores and other businesses started functioning here on Monday.

Traffic was busy on Meyyanur Main Road where many automobile workshops operate.

According to Salem district two-wheeler mechanic employees’ association, close to 1,000 workshops started functioning.

S .Devarajan. general secretary of the association said, “workshops are opened, however, we are operating without any job works as of now.

Besides this, many spare parts shops have not opened despite relaxations. So even if vehicles are accepted for repairs, we would not be able to get sufficient spare parts. The government must consider offering relief to mechanics as they have been jobless for over a month now.”

Many bakeries and tea shops remained closed.

P.L. Palanisamy, secretary of Salem District Hotel Owners’ Association said, “operating just on take away would not help us. Even on just parcel basis, we would have to employ four-five persons and there would not be enough business to meet even their salary needs. Most of the bakeries are thinking reopening once things normalise.”

Traffic snarls witnessed in Erode

Traffic snarls witnessed in Erode

12/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER ,ERODE

Panneerselvam Park Junction in Erode witnessed sharp increase in the movement of vehicles on Monday.M. GOVARTHAN M_GOVARTHAN

With the government permitting more standalone shops to function from Monday, shops offering services saw good business.

As a result, vehicular traffic and movement of people saw a sharp increase on the arterial roads after shops were opened on Monday.

With lockdown to end on May 17, the State government had announced relaxations in a phased manner allowing industries to function and opening of shops. Reasonable crowd was witnessed at mobile phone sales and service centres, two-wheeler repair and service centres, bakeries, shop selling household appliances and repair shops, electrical stores, photocopying shops and courier booking offices.

Since only parcel service were allowed in tea shops, a few customers could be seen in the shops as shop owners said that their business could be normal only when the restrictions were removed. In many shops, a worker was deputed to instruct customers to maintain personal distancing and also give sanitisers.

‘E-pass of Kerala government must to cross borders’

‘E-pass of Kerala government must to cross borders’

12/05/2020, STAFF REPORTER,COIMBATORE

Coimbatore rural police have issued advisory to people who are planning to travel to Kerala through the district.

Inter-State borders

The police have informed that those who want to travel to Kerala should come to the inter-State borders Walayar, Velanthavalam and Anaikatti only if they have obtained the e-pass issued by the Kerala government.

Coimbatore rural Superintendent of Police Sujit Kumar issued the advisory on Sunday after major inter-State borders witnessed beeline of Keralites who wanted to cross go to their native places though they had not obtained e-pass issued by the Kerala government.

The borders witnessed heavy rush of people returning to Kerala on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Majority of them attempted to return from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Thooyamani Vellaisamy, inspector of K.G. Chavadi police station, said that Walayar check post did not witness much people who came without obtaining e-pass of the Kerala government.

In order to reduce rush at inter-State borders, Coimbatore rural police checked vehicles of those travelling to Kerala at places including Madukarai and Neelambur. People, who did not have Kerala government’s e-pass, were not allowed travel further to inter-State borders, said Mr. Vellaisamy.

Digital submission

He said that the Kerala government was mandating digital submission of COVID-19 test result (negative) for the issuing of e-pass.