Pension, salary deferment pleas posted to June 15

Pension, salary deferment pleas posted to June 15

02/06/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,HYDERABAD

Telangana High Court

The Telangana High Court on Monday posted a batch of PIL petitions challenging deferment of pensions by 25% to retired employees and salaries by 50% of serving employees by State government to June 15.

A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy heard the separate pleas filed by senior lawyer S. Satyam Reddy, lawyer Ravi Shankar Jandhyala and some retired government employees on these matters. Pensioners told the court that they are dependent on pension to meet all their expenses.

With the government deciding to defer 25% of their monthly pension, the pensioners are finding it difficult to meet their medical expenses in the lockdown period, their lawyer said.

Advocate General B.S. Prasad sought adjournment of the matters stating that government would be ready to present its arguments on the matters.

In another PIL petition, the bench said it cannot direct GHMC to take action against industrial units causing pollution since the civic body is occupied in tackling coronavirus pandemic.

The bench was hearing the plea seeking a direction to the civic body to close down industries damaging environment in Shastrinagar, Tatanagar, Katedan and other localities where some persons are operating industries without permission from the government.

The petitioners alleged that such factories, by releasing wastage into drains, are causing irreparable damage to the environment. The bench directed the GHMC authorities to file a detailed counter affidavit explaining how many industries were put on notice and closed for damaging the environment.

16-year-old boy kills grandmother for pension money

16-year-old boy kills grandmother for pension money

02/06/2020, STAFF REPORTER,HYDERABAD

A 16-year-old boy allegedly murdered his sexagenarian grandmother at Moinabad on Sunday night after she refused to give him money to meet his expenses. Police said that Kavali Venkatnamma (65) was smothered to death at her house in Sriramnagar.

Moinabad police said that the offence took place around 10 p.m. “Their neighbour’s saw the boy beating her grandmother with a belt for her pension money. They warned him too. Later, at night, he smothered her to death,” the investigators said.

His father passed away a few years back and his mother and two siblings went to a village.

Man succumbs to injuries

In a case of hit and run, a private employee suffered severe injuries and succumbed on Monday at KPHB Colony. The victim, Yalala Swamy Venkata Ramana, 36, from KPHB Colony, was hit by an unidentified auto-rickshaw at a foot over-bridge at Seventh Phase. The accident took place at around 8 p.m. on Sunday and soon he was rushed to Sankhya Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment on Monday evening.

Newly-married minor girl found dead

A 17-year-old girl, who got married two months ago, was found dead at her parents' house in Gumdal village in Doma mandal of Vikarabad district on Sunday night.

She committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan around 6.30 p.m. According to Doma Sub-Inspector G Suresh, the victim was depressed as her husband, Shiv Kumar Reddy (22) of the same village, was refusing to take her home.

“They were in love and got married three months ago with their parents' consent. They were living in Hyderabad, and before lockdown, she came to her parents home to appear for Class X board exams,” the officer said. Later, when the exams were postponed, she went back to Hyderabad, and again in the April first week, Mr. Reddy dropped his ‘minor’ wife at her parents' house. “Since then, he did not return to take her back and was avoiding her calls and messages,” Mr. Suresh said.

(Roshni - Suicide prevention helpline: 914066202000 and 6666 1117).

Students studying abroad are running out of time, money

Students studying abroad are running out of time, money

Classes are to start soon, but many struggling to book tickets

02/06/2020, TANU KULKARNI,BENGALURU

Several students studying in foreign universities, who had come to India for a short vacation, are now stuck in different cities. Classes are to commence soon, but the students are unable to book tickets and have been left in the lurch.

Many of them have visas expiring in the months of June and July and have to get back before that date as they are required to apply for visa extension at the immigration office in their respective countries.

Students studying in many European countries have their examinations in the third week of June. Some others are required to be present to defend their Master’s thesis. “Failure to reach in time will result in many of us losing an academic year while adding to our financial debts,” said a group of Indian students who study in Germany in a statement.

Many students also said interviews for internships and jobs have been put off or cancelled as they could not return in time. The students also said their savings were diminishing because of payment of rent, insurance, and loans, and the rates of Air India flights were not affordable.

Costly affair

Amrutha Varshini, an M.Sc. student from Berlin, Germany, said she had come to Bengaluru on March 12 and had scheduled a return flight on April 15, but it was cancelled because of the lockdown. “A one-way ticket costs around ₹90,000 and it is very difficult for students to shell out so much money on tickets.” She said that she was supposed to intern in July and was pressed for time to return to Germany.

Another student, from Brussels in Belgium, said she has written multiple letters to the Ministry of External Affairs and Air India as her flight scheduled in March was cancelled. “I had booked a flight from New Delhi to Paris, but later had to cancel it because in Europe you can enter another country only if there is no direct flight to your country. After I booked the ticket to Paris, I saw a flight to Brussels. So I had booked that flight, but have still not got any refund or update on my cancelled flight to Paris,” she said.

Dental treatments may have to wait longer

Dental treatments may have to wait longer

Most dentists are still concerned after one of them tested positive for COVID-19

02/06/2020, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

sebastian francis

Your toothache may have to wait longer before your dentist fixes it. Though a few dentists have restarted their practice, they are only offering out patient services and not conducting procedures. However, a majority of dentists are still concerned over the spread of COVID-19 and are yet to return to work.

Even those who had opened their clinics are now contemplating shutting them again after a dentist who had restarted her practice in HSR Layout tested positive for COVID-19 three days ago.

“The dentist contracting the infection has set in a fear psychosis in the community. We are scared to restart our practices,” said Sudarshan Sajjan, hon. secretary, Indian Dental Association, Bengaluru Branch. “With respiratory and saliva droplets being one of the main sources for the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, our work poses the great risk of contracting the infection. There is no way we can escape coming in contact with saliva droplets. Social distancing has no meaning in a dental clinic,” he said.

The few who have restarted their practice are also a worried lot today. A. Yeshwanth, a dentist with a chain of dental clinics in the city, said while they were not doing any procedures that involved the usage of aerosols — an air and water hose used in dental procedures — as it spreads droplets, they were taking utmost precautions otherwise. “All the dentists and their assistants wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suits while seeing the patients. Use of disinfectants to sanitise the patient’s body, especially mouths, thermal guns to check temperatures and a detailed medical history are some of the other measures in place,” he explained.

The Dental Council of India issued a detailed advisory on May 7, which has categorised dental issues as emergency, urgent and has advised against performing any procedures that involves use of aerosols. This essentially rules out root canals, implants and most other surgical procedures, leaving many patients disappointed. “I had the first few sittings for a root canal in March, but before the procedure was completed, lockdown began. The dentist asked me to wait till things settle down, which doesn’t seem to have happened even two months later,” said Meera C., a resident of Malleshpalya.

Dr. Sajjan hasn’t restarted his practice yet. “I have put up my contact number on the doors of my clinic. Anyone can call me. I have opened the clinic twice during lockdown to conduct emergency procedures. But for that, I have been prescribing medicines online or over phone. Most patients tell they are in extreme pain and claim their case is an emergency. But we are scared to conduct any procedure. Some dentists have also asked for COVID-19 test reports before treating patients,” he said.

The Indian Dental Association, Bengaluru Branch, has distributed over 5,000 PPE kits to dentists. “Of the nearly 1,500 dentists in the city, I think less than 20% of them have opened shop,” he said.

IDA, Bengaluru Branch, has also approached the Department of Health and Family Welfare seeking a relief package that includes subsidy on PPE kits, dental equipment, tax waivers and a minimum income support scheme. “Dental clinics are essentially small businesses and over two months of lockdown has pushed most of them to the brink. We need to pay salaries and rents, which many are not able to manage,” Dr. Sajjan said.

RTC staff to get May salary in instalments

RTC staff to get May salary in instalments

With drop in demand, RTCs incurring losses even by plying buses

02/06/2020, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

There are nearly 1.25 lakh workers in the four road transport corporations in the State. Sampath Kumar G.P.Sampath Kumar G.P.

Workers of the four road transport corporations (RTCs) in the State will get only half of their salary for May in the coming week, while the State government and the corporations chalk out a road map to mobilise resources to pay the second instalment. A couple of RTCs are even planning to deploy their workforce on rotation as per demand.

There are nearly 1.25 lakh workers employed in the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

With most bus operations hit, the corporations are dependent on the government to pay salaries, senior officials in the RTCs told The Hindu. All the four corporations paid full salaries in one instalment for April as the government released money towards it. However, problem has risen for payment of salaries for May as the government has sanctioned only half the salary bill presently. The salary bill of the four corporations comes up to around ₹366 crore a month, sources said.

A rude welcome for Odisha’s migrants as villages lack basic facilities

A rude welcome for Odisha’s migrants as villages lack basic facilities

The hapless workers find shelter in abandoned toilets and dry culverts

02/06/2020, SATYASUNDAR BARIK,BIRIPALI

Desperate measures: Migrants workers taking refuge under a culvert in Odisha’s Balangir district. Biswaranjan RoutBiswaranjan Rout

After a back-breaking 1,300-km cycle ride from COVID-19 hotspot Mumbai to his village in Odisha’s Balangir district, Kishore Behera thought he had escaped hell. But little did the 31-year-old mason anticipate the appaling conditions in his village, Biripali.

With 12 positive cases reported in the village of 3,000 people, Mr. Behera went neither to a quarantine centre, as required, nor to his house. Instead, he took refuge in a road culvert. “I opted to cycle all the way from Mumbai on May 7 and did not seek pickup from passing trucks fearing I could contract the virus. However, on reaching my village, I found no social distancing being adhered to in quarantine centres. I took shelter in a half-constructed Indira Awas Yojna house with my friends,” he said.

As there was no water connection in the house, he and his seven migrant labourer friends decided to stay under culverts that offered some respite from the scorching temperature, soaring past 45° Celsius and the unseasonal rain.

“My neighbours definitely won’t feel happy to find me staying near them. Moreover, my family members will be in trouble if I get into my house,” said the mason, who admits to being scared of snakebites out in the open.

His struggle has already spilled over from May to June but he does not foresee any feasible solution any time soon. Barely 200 metres away from the culvert lives Thabir Behera, another Mumbai returnee, in a small, abandoned toilet, built under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

“I cannot go home. The toilet is too small but will be my home for the next two weeks,” he said.

Like them, more than 150 migrant labourers, who have returned from other States, have quarantined themselves at half-constructed temples, makeshift agricultural watchtowers, riverbeds and village forests as they dread staying in official centres. They are also facing resistance from fellow villagers who do not want them to enter their homes at this point of time.

Facing stigma

Despite the unusual risks the migrant labourers have taken to get back, there is a sense of apprehension as well as stigma surrounding them. Wary of getting infected, their own family members are keeping a distance from them while supplying food.

“For the sake of a few, a whole village cannot be put in jeopardy. People are of the view that these returnees should not be allowed to go back to their homes until they test negative,” said Lingaraj Saraf, a Biripali native.

Situated on the border of neighbouring Nuapada district, Biripali seems to have fallen off the development map of the district. For the past two decades, people have been waiting for irrigation water from Nuapada’s Tikhali dam to cover the village’s fields. At any given time, 500 able-bodied men and women of the village can be found doing manual work in the construction sector, brick kilns and industrial projects.

The pandemic has left the poor families bewildered, forced to stay indoors and away from their fields during the crucial pre-monsoon season.

With 12 cases, the administration should have continued containment zones as is the SOP. On May 1, Balangir reported its first COVID-19 case. Without containment, the district’s tally has now touched 80.

Balangir Collector Arindam Dakua does not seem to have time for the poverty-stricken village. His office said he could not be contacted over his phone as he did not want to be disturbed at odd hours.

Train services resume

Train services resume

02/06/2020, S. SUNDAR,MADURAI

Passengers standing in a queue in front of Madurai railway station to board the special train bound for Villupuram after resumption of train services on Monday. G. Moorthy

Scheduled special trains open for all passengers resumed here on Monday.

While Madurai-Villupuram special train left the station at 7 a.m., another special train from Tiruchi bound for Nagercoil passed through Madurai at 8.15 a.m.

Though the schedule of the two trains were announced two days back, the announcement of e-pass continuing to be mandatory for passengers going from one zone to another one caught many passengers unawares. However, revenue officials set up special facilitation centres at Madurai, Virudhunagar and Dindigul stations to help the passengers get e-passes.

In Madurai, a handful of village administrative officers were deployed to generate e-passes for passengers using their mobile phones. “Since the announcement came late in the night, not all had e-pass. We are either generating e-pass or helping the passengers register themselves for it with the hope that they would get the pass by the time they reach their destination,” an official said. This is only a temporary arrangement and hereafter e-pass would be made mandatory for passengers to board the trains, he said.

In Virudhungar, passengers who came from Tiruchi without e-pass were asked to give their details like name, address, Aadhaar card number and mobile number before they were allowed to leave the railway station.

On the first day, the trains had only a moderate crowd. Southern Railway had advised the passengers to arrive at the station at least 90 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure so that they could be screened with thermal scanners. Only asymptomatic passengers are allowed to board the trains. Passengers must compulsorilty wear a mask. Only passengers with confirmed tickets are allowed to enter the station. Passengers have been advised to bring their own food.

Train timings

Train No.02636 Madurai- Villupuram Intercity special will leave Madurai at 7 a.m., Dindigul at 8 a..m., Tiruchi at 9.15 a.m., Ariyalur at 10.10 a.m. and reach Villupuram at 12.05 p.m.In the return direction, train No.02635 will leave Villupuram at 4 p.m., Ariyalur at 5.25 p.m., Tiruchi at 6.40 p.m., Dindigul at 8.05 p.m. and arrive Madurai at 9.20 p.m.

Nagercoil train

Train No.02627 Tiruchi– Nagercoil superfast special will leave Tiruchi at 6 a.m., Dindigul at 7.15 a.m., Madurai at 8.15 a.m., Virudhunagar at 8.57 a.m., Tirunelveli at 11.10 a.m..and reach Nagecoil at 1 p.m.

In the return direction, train No.02628 will leave Nagercoil at 3 p.m., Tirunelveli at 4.25 p.m. Virudhunagar at 6.25 p.m., Madurai at 7.25 p.m. and reach Tiruchi at 10.15 a.m.