City airport’s website fails to fly high -

City airport’s website fails to fly high -

The Times Of India

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:28.10.2020

The city airport is yet to have a good website though there is a demand from people to know about Covid-19 restrictions and protocols, espcially at a time when states have started to change the screening and quarantine procedure for international and domestic passengers.

The existing website does not have information on flight schedules, details of health screening of passengers, quarantine rules. Instead it has only basic information about the airport.

The home page of Chennai airport's website that is run by Airports Authority of India shows in three boxes - Latest News, Tourist Places and Contact for advertisement. Closure of retirning rooms at the airport from February 3 and caution against employment fraud are shown under latest news.

In contrast, the website of Mumbai airport has a slide show detailing advisory for passengers, instructions for those repatriated to India, information for international arriving passengers, details of Covid-19 tests and others. There are also tabs to book an RT-PCR test at the airport's lab. Flight schedules are also posted. Similar is the case with websites of Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Kochi.

Sources said after a lot of complaints about the website, AAI improved its social media presence. AAI posts daily updates on flight schedules, quarantine guidelines, test protocols on its Twitter handle. However, the page gets a lot of comments and queries from passengers because most of the tweets get drowned when fresh tweets or retweets are posted. There will be at least four to five comments under each of the posts asking for details on flights, Covid-19 quarantine rules, availability of testing facility at the airport, need for test certificates and others. "The website has been outdated and poorly designed for the last few years. The local officials are not able to do much because it is handled from Delhi," said an airline official. .

M K Ajith Kumar, spokesperson, South Indian MICE Association, said "An updated website absolutely essential for domestic travellers and international travellers. A business traveller from abroad may want to know the whether the airport has a meet and greet facility, connectivity to the city. The airport is well linked to a metro station. These details can be updated daily otherwise they fall prey to touts. Domestic passengers will be able to check Covid-19 protocols which keep changing from one state to another."

Job on compassionate ground not charity: HC - The Times Of India

Job on compassionate ground not charity: HC - The Times Of India

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 28.10.2020

Appointment on compassionate ground is neither an act of charity nor temple ‘prasadham’, the Madras high court said censuring BSNL for refusing such appointment for a deserving candidate.

“Death of a sole breadwinner will definitely cause huge imbalance in any family especially when the family is in the low-income group,” a division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha said. The court made the observations while allowing a plea moved by G Vijaya Prasanna challenging an order passed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) denying her the benefit of compassionate appointment.

Vijaya Prasanna’s father K Gajendran died in 2003 while working as a telegraph man in BSNL.

In 2004, the petitioner gave a representation seeking appointment under compassionate ground. Though she was appointed as an office assistant on contract basis, her application for permanent appointment was rejected.

“… in view of the assets / liabilities of the family of the deceased, official support arrangement, constitution of the family and overall assessment of condition of the family, the circle high power committee did not agree to recommend the compassionate ground appointment and rejected the request under provision of the scheme,” BSNL said through an order dated June 1, 2016.

Aggrieved, the petitioner moved the CAT but her plea was dismissed by the tribunal, prompting her to move the high court.

Allowing the petition, the bench said, “In the instant case, the authorities, by their act, have deprived a truly indigent destitute and impoverished family, of a deserving compassionate appointment.”

Instead of extending a helping hand at the time of distress, authorities have remained mute for years only to turn the tables against the petitioner. Callous attitude and lack of empathy have caused this denial of an appointment on compassionate grounds, the court added.

The court then directed the BSNL to consider appointment of the petitioner under compassionate ground favourably within three months.

Reopening guidelines to be in force till Nov. 30

Reopening guidelines to be in force till Nov. 30

Lockdown to be implemented strictly in containment zones

28/10/2020

Screening time: Residents waiting for rapid antigen tests in north Delhi on Tuesday.Sushil Kumar Verma

Special CorrespondentNew Delhi

The Home Ministry on Tuesday said the “guidelines for reopening” post-lockdown issued last month, permitting cinemas, entertainment parks and swimming pools for sportspersons to open, would continue to be applicable till November 30 in areas outside the containment zones.

The guidelines issued on September 30 were to be in force till October 31.

The lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the containment zones during the period, the Ministry’s order said.

Appropriate behaviour

The Ministry said it had advised the Chief Secretaries of the States and the administrators of Union Territories that they “should endeavour to promote COVID-19-appropriate behaviour extensively at the grassroots level and take measures to enforce the wearing of masks, hand hygiene and social distancing”.

The guidelines said that international travel, except those permitted by the Centre, would remain shut while the State governments were given the flexibility to decide on reopening of schools and coaching institutions in a graded manner.

The activities permitted in areas outside the containment zones were — cinemas, theatres and multiplexes with up to 50% of their seating capacity, Business to Business (B2B) exhibitions, swimming pools used for training of sportspersons, entertainment parks and similar places.

The Ministry said that where schools were conducting online classes, and some students preferred to attend online classes rather than physically attend school, they may be permitted to do so. Students may attend schools and institutions only with the written consent of parents.

Attendance must not be enforced, and must depend entirely on parental consent, it said.

The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education may take a decision on the timing of the opening of colleges and higher education institutions, in consultation with the Ministry.

The Ministry reiterated that the States would not impose any local lockdown outside the containment zones without consulting the Centre. There would be no restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement.

MMC PG student found dead in hotel

MMC PG student found dead in hotel

28/10/2020

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

A 24-year-old post graduate student of the Madras Medical College was found dead in his room in a hotel in T. Nagar where he was under quarantine after COVID-19 duty.

The name of the victim was given as Lokesh Kumar, 24, a native of Mettur in Salem district. He was assigned COVID-19 duty at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).

After completing COVID-19 duty, he was under quarantine in the hotel from October 24. He did not come out from his room nor respond to calls from his relatives.

At 11 p.m. on Monday, the hotel staff opened his room using a spare key and found him dead.

The police suspect that he could have consumed poison and the reason for his decision was not known.

Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.

Fines for road traffic violations to be deducted from FASTag accounts

Fines for road traffic violations to be deducted from FASTag accounts

Corporation and the police will rely on camera footage to identify the violators

28/10/2020

Automatic fine: The Greater Chennai Corporation and the police have decided to automate the process of fine collection for violation of traffic rules. R. RAVINDRAN

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

Camera footage is likely to be used to identify motorists who violate traffic rules by automating the system of fine collection in the city.

Officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation are planning to automate traffic fine collection using FASTag and the system of cameras fitted across the city by the Corporation and the police.

For instance, a motorist who parks a vehicle in a no-parking zone will be identified by the camera and the fine amount deducted from the FASTag account.

Similarly, in the case of traffic violations at signals, the fine amount would be deducted from the account of the owner of the vehicle. “At least 90% of the vehicles have FASTag in Chennai. The system will deduct the fine amount from the account of violators once the cameras capture violations on road,” said an official.

The Corporation has installed 500 cameras at important junctions of 471 bus route roads.

More cameras will be installed along the roads. The police and other line agencies had installed cameras using funding under smart cities mission.

Meanwhile, work on recruiting parking attendants has started to strengthen parking management in the city.

“COVID-19 has led to reduced collection of parking charges in areas such as T. Nagar and Anna Nagar. We have started recruiting parking attendants to improve services. The parking attendants will carry a hand-held machine to collect charges and regulate parking of vehicles,” said an official.

After relaxation of restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the civic officials planned to strengthen parking management system to prevent unauthorised parking along roads.

The Corporation has planned to create 12,000 parking slots and the system would be expanded to more areas shortly.

Similar to parking violations, the Corporation has also started using analytics for regulating waste management.

It has installed cameras at 50 locations to identify overflowing bins. “We receive two to three alerts every day about overflowing bins. The system facilitates clearance of bins at frequent intervals. More cameras will be fitted to monitor garbage clearance issues,” said an official.

DU tussle: VC can give and take back his powers, says EC nominee

DU tussle: VC can give and take back his powers, says EC nominee

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:27.10.2020

A week into the chaos at Delhi University, the camp supporting vicechancellor Yogesh Tyagi has refused to back down. Sources in the university said that P C Jha, registrar appointed by Tyagi while on leave, was planning to send letters to all members of the DU administration and college principals asking them to follow the institute’s statutes and laws “in an attempt to claim legitimacy”.

On Saturday, the Union education ministry had written to DU of being “in receipt of a letter from one P C Jha claiming to be registrar of the university. It is requested to ascertain who this person is and if he turns out to be an employee of DU, then strict action as per DU Act 1922 be undertaken.”

On Monday, Rajkumar Bhatia, nominee of the chancellor on DU’s Executive Council, called out the ministry for “intruding in a university matter”. Bhatia, who was appointed in August, said that Tyagi was in the right. “I think the vice-chancellor is legally correct in what he is doing. The only solution is that the VC and the ministry should find a solution together. But the ministry has intervened in this matter,” Bhatia asserted.

Geeta Bhatt, the pro vicechancellor also appointed by Tyagi, added that “all appointments by the VC are as per the statutes of the university”.

Bhatia further said that contrary to claims, the VC does not need a medical certificate to resume duties after leave. “I don’t think there is a rule for a VC who was unwell to show a medical certificate to come back to work. It is the VC who deputes his responsibilities to the pro vice-chancellor to run the university and he can very well take them back when he returns to work. The vice-chancellor can give and take back his powers.”

A letter from the ministry last week had stated that if Tyagi wanted to join office, he had to submit a medical fitness certificate.

Bhatia said, “Tyagi was back and had started to work after taking over charge. There was an EC meeting on October 10, which was called by pro VC PC Joshi. The VC, however, asked Joshi to postpone the meeting and the pro VC agreed and postponed it for 10 days. I was at that meeting and I heard him say this. If the VC’s authority was intact on October 10, how is it that his authority was then lost by October 21 on the claim that hadn’t submitted a medical certificate?”

This sequence was corroborated by EC elected member Rajesh Jha, who said that “the pro VC conveyed to us on October 10 that the VC said that the meeting should be convened 10 days later and that he would chair the meeting then.”

According to a senior university official, a letter from the ministry secretary on October 19 was addressed to Tyagi as VC. “This begs the question why just a few days later, the ministry changed its stance on Tyagi’s status. If these DU members are opposing the VC, then they are indulging in insubordination and strict action must be taken against them,” the official said.

RAJKUMAR BHATIA, CHANCELLOR'S NOMINEE, SAYS

I don’t think there is a rule for a VC who was unwell to show a medical certificate to come back to work. It is the VC who deputes his responsibilities to the pro vice-chancellor to run the university and he can very well take them back when he returns to work

சிறப்பு பஸ்களில் கூட்டமில்லாததால் அதிர்ச்சி

சிறப்பு பஸ்களில் கூட்டமில்லாததால் அதிர்ச்சி

Added : அக் 26, 2020 23:59

சென்னை : ஆயுத பூஜைக்கு சிறப்பு பஸ்களை இயக்கியும், கூட்டம் இல்லாததால், போக்குவரத்து கழக அதிகாரிகள் அதிர்ச்சி அடைந்துள்ளனர்.

இது குறித்து, போக்குவரத்து துறை அதிகாரிகள் கூறியதாவது:ஆண்டுதோறும், ஆயுத பூஜை விடுமுறைகளில், அரசு போக்குவரத்து கழக பஸ்களில் கூட்டம் அலைமோதும். இந்த ஆண்டு கொரோனா பரவல் பிரச்னை இருந்ததால், குறைந்த அளவிலான சிறப்பு பஸ்கள் இயக்கப்பட்டன. ஆனால், எதிர்பார்த்த கூட்டம் இல்லை; வார இறுதி நாட்களில் ஏறும் கூட்டம் கூட இல்லை. தமிழகத்தில், பள்ளி, கல்லுாரிகள் திறக்கப்படாதது, ஐ.டி., நிறுவனங்களின் செயல்பாடு குறைவு போன்ற காரணங்களால், சென்னை உள்ளிட்ட மாவட்ட தலைநகரங்களில் இருந்து, சொந்த ஊர் செல்ல பெரும்பாலானோர் ஆர்வம் காட்டவில்லை.இவ்வாறு,  அவர்கள் கூறினர்.