Tamil Nadu has 52,000 active cases; Sivaganga worst fatality rate

Tamil Nadu has 52,000 active cases; Sivaganga worst fatality rate

TNN | Sep 3, 2020, 04.31 AM IST

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu added 5,990 cases on Wednesday taking the case tally to 4,39,959. The state reported 98 deaths that took the cumulative death toll to 7,516. There were 52,380 people still under treatment on Wednesday.

The recovery rate was more than 86%, after 5,891 people were discharged in the past 24 hours. While an average of 11% of the people was still under treatment across the state, there were 33.6% of active cases in Erode, 31.5% in Salem and 30.8% in Tirupur. Coimbatore had around 25% of its patients still under treatment, compared to 9% in Chennai and 5% in Madurai. Perambalur (107) , Dharmapuri (168), and Sivaganga (249) had the lowest number of people under treatment.

The state tested more than 73,883 people and 75,829 samples between Tuesday and Wednesday. The average positivity rate is 9.2% in the state and around 15% in Chennai. While Ranipet has around 15.4% positivity rate, Chengalpet and Cuddalore have 13% each. The fatality rate was 1.7% in the state. Sivaganga (2.6%) had the highest fatality rate followed by Madurai (2.5%), Ramanathapuram (2.2%) and Chennai (2%).

Chennai, the worst affected district, recorded 1,025 new cases and 19 deaths. Neighbouring Chengalpet (390), Kancheepuram (133) and Tiruvallur (285) together clocked 808 cases and 18 deaths. The Chennai region had 1,833 fresh cases and 37 deaths, pushing active cases in the region to 18,558, including 12,537 in Chennai. The seven other northern districts together reported 1,247 cases and 16 deaths.

After the northern districts, the eight districts in the West together reported 1,375 cases and 16 deaths. Coimbatore reported 579 cases and Salem recorded 403 cases, followed by Erode (106), Tirupur (87) and Namakkal (83). The number of active cases in the zone was 11,543, including 4,269 in Coimbatore and 3,724 in Salem.

Though the southern districts had fewer cases than the west, it reported 21 deaths. The ten districts together reported 858 cases, while the central zone recorded 664 cases and eight deaths. There were 7,805 people under treatment in the south and 5,558 in the central districts. Of the 98 people whose deaths were reported on Wednesday, five had no comorbid conditions.

Navi Mumbai: Woman loses Rs 1.4 lakh to e-SIM fraud

Navi Mumbai: Woman loses Rs 1.4 lakh to e-SIM fraud

TNN | Sep 1, 2020, 10.53 AM IST

NAVI MUMBAI: A 47-year-old interior decorator from Kharghar has been cheated of Rs 1.46 lakh by an e-fraudster, who contacted her over mobile posing as representative of a mobile service provider.

The caller said that the company was activating an e-SIM card for customers and sent her a message from the cellular network company’s central helpline and told her to share the OTP for e-SIM verification.

After she shared the OTP, her SIM card was blocked for a day when the fraudster carried out three fraudulent transactions of a total of Rs 1.38 lakh on her credit card and one transaction of Rs 8,000 from her savings bank account.

Covid-19: Puducherry to recruit doctors, nurses and others on contract basis

Covid-19: Puducherry to recruit doctors, nurses and others on contract basis

Sep 2, 2020, 02.53 PM IST

PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry government has proposed to recruit 153 general duty medical officers, 125 nursing officers, 92 auxiliary nurses and midwives and 24 sanitary workers (health) on a short-term contract for 90 days to strengthen the healthcare machinery in the fight against Covid-19.

The candidates who are native/resident of the territory can attend a walk-in-interview at the directorate of health and family welfare services in Puducherry, Karaikal collectorate, regional administrators' offices in Mahe and Yanam. Interviews will be held from September 3 to 5 (between 10am and 5pm).

Candidates must bring all original certificates and one set of self-attested photocopies of their qualifications and details of experience along with two photographs and signed curriculum vitae.

Candidates with MBBS, who have registered with the Medical council of India and are aged below 45 years, can attend the interview for the post of general duty medical officer. The selected candidates will be paid a remuneration of Rs 40,000 per month.

The candidates with BSc nursing/diploma in nursing registered with the Indian Nursing Council and aged below 40 years can attend the interview for the post of nursing officer. The selected candidates will be paid a remuneration of Rs 15,000 per month.

The candidates with diploma in auxiliary nursing and midwifery who have registered with the council and are less than 40 years of age can attend the interview. The selected candidates will be paid a remuneration of Rs 12,000 per month.

The candidates who have cleared SSLC and are aged below 40 years can attend the interview for the post of sanitary worker (health). The selected candidates will be paid a remuneration of Rs 10,000 per month.

SRMIST extends free education to students in Perambalur

SRMIST extends free education to students in Perambalur

TNN | Sep 3, 2020, 04.46 AM IST

Trichy: SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, will offer free education to 300 students in Perambalur parliamentary constituency for a second year in a row. Students from the Perambalur Lok Sabha segment, who wish to pursue engineering, arts and science, horticulture, management, and health sciences can apply for the same.

It was announced by SRMIST’s founder chancellor and Perambalur Lok Sabha MP T R Paarivendhar last year and is being followed this year too. Keeping his promise of giving free seats in higher educational institutions to students from his constituency, the Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi (IJK) leader launched a free higher education scheme last year.

Applicants from economically weaker sections will be selected based on their performance in their respective board examinations. These 300 students, 50 each from the six assembly constituencies in the LS constituency would be given free education at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology. In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, hostel facilities will not be provided this time.Paarivendhar asked students to utilize this opportunity to pursue higher studies. He assured that deserving students would get suitable placements.Those eligible in his constituency need to submit the applications online on or before September 10. For further details, applicants can contact the office of director (admissions), SRM Nagar, Potheri, Chengalpet district - 603203.Applications can be filled on www.ijkparty.org and www.srmist.edu.in. Applicants can contact helplines: 044-27417011/7006, 044-27455510/ 47437500.

Lockdown relaxations in Tamil Nadu: Inter-district bus and passenger train services to resume

Lockdown relaxations in Tamil Nadu: Inter-district bus and passenger train services to resume

Sep 2, 2020, 02.23 PM IST

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday announced that inter-district public and private bus transport and passenger train services within the state will be permitted from September 7.

The state government resumed bus transport within districts on Tuesday. In an official statement, the chief minister said there were requests from the public to recommence the operations for inter-district travel for work and business-related activities.

“Permission is granted to resume inter-district public and private bus transport following the standard operating procedure,” Palaniswami said.

There were media reports about ordeals faced by the commuters to travel to other districts as the state transport corporations stop the services quiet away from the district boundaries, compelling the commuters to take a walk to enter the neighbouring district to get another bus.

The chief minister also said passenger trains would also be allowed in the state adhering to the standard operating procedure.

Palaniswami said despite the government extended relaxations, the public would have to follow the safety precautions, including wearing masks, washing hands with soap and maintaining social distancing norms, to prevent the virus spread.

“I urge the public to extend full cooperation to the government’s efforts,” he said.

NEET impersonation: HC reserves orders on plea by students

NEET impersonation: HC reserves orders on plea by students

TNN | Sep 3, 2020, 04.41 AM IST

Madurai: The Madras high court on Wednesday reserved orders on a plea moved by two students who were involved in NEET impersonation, seeking to return their original certificates for them to pursue their college education.

Justice R Pongiappan reserved the orders after the counsels for the petitioners sought to return the certificates on sympathetic grounds.

In one of the cases, the petitioner, a resident of Chennai had obtained a medical seat in Theni Government Medical College in 2019. The petitioner, who was arrayed as first accused was arrested and subsequently released on bail.

The petitioner moved the high court Madurai bench seeking to return his Class X and XII marksheets, transfer and community certificates to pursue an undergraduate course in an arts and science college in Chennai.

Similarly, another student who was arrested in connection with NEET impersonation also moved the HC seeking to return his certificates. During the previous hearing, the court had directed the registry to send a letter to the Theni judicial magistrate (JM) to ascertain as to whether any certificates were produced before the JM court by the Theni district CB-CID officials.

Univ registrar booked after sexual harassment complaint by prof

Purpose of suspending employee defeated if he draws salary: HC

TNN | Sep 3, 2020, 04.41 AM IST

Madurai: The very purpose of placing an employee under suspension is defeated if he is conveniently getting 50% of his salary as subsistence allowance without doing any work, due to delay on part of the officials in initiating disciplinary proceedings, the Madras high court has said. The observation came as the court took a serious view of the delay on the part of the authorities in initiating proceedings against an employee who was suspended for failing to attend Covid-19 duty in Trichy district. Justice R Suresh Kumar observed that of late, it has become a practice among the authorities to place erring employees under suspension for months or years and even decades together in some cases. However, no disciplinary proceedings are initiated by issuing charge memo against such erring officials.

The court was hearing a petition filed by P Poomani, who had challenged his suspension order issued by the district social welfare officer on April 10. The petitioner claimed that due to lack of transport facilities during the lockdown period, he was unable to attend office and hence sought to treat his period of absence on duty.

Justice R Suresh Kumar observed that the petitioner is permanently residing at Perambalur district and used to attend the office by taking a bus which takes a total travel time of five hours everyday. The petitioner has not thought of shifting his residence to a nearer place to reach office early or in time. If the authorities speed up the disciplinary proceedings by issuance of charge memo and conduct inquiry and complete the same in the manner known to law, the wastage of money from government exchequer could be avoided. Since for more than four months, no further action against the petitioner in this case, the judge sought explanation from the district social welfare officer on the reasons for delay in initiating disciplinary proceedings against the petitioner.