Intern doctors want stipend hiked, threaten strike

Intern doctors want stipend hiked, threaten strike

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:09.12.2020

Intern doctors on Covid duty at government hospitals since April have threatened to go on strike if their monthly stipend is not increased from the present Rs 12,800 per month to Rs 20,000.

The intern doctors, who have completed their MBBS and are serving in teaching hospitals of government colleges wrote to the deans, superintendents and Covid-19 nodal officer, saying their demand for an increase in their stipend be fulfilled immediately. They stated that either the government announces an increase in their stipend by December 14, or they will assume they have been relieved from their duties by the authorities.

In a letter addressed to the authorities, the intern doctors stated that they have been serving in Covid-19 wards since April, and have been discharging all duties. Nearly 150 intern doctors have been infected by Covid-19. They underwent isolation and resumed work enthusiastically.

They said that alongside senior faculty members, resident doctors and paramedical staff, they have been discharging their duties in Covid-19 wards. They are proud to have been respected as corona warriors and are grateful to the government and the people for this. However, the remuneration they are getting is not enough, compared to corona warriors in Gujarat and other states, including the medical students who have been ordered by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to work as ‘Covid Sahayaks’.

UP IN ARMS: The intern doctors said if the government does not announce an increase in their stipend by December 14, they will assume they have been relieved from their duties

SANDIP UNIVERSITY NOTIFICATION

 

Bharat bandh gets lukewarm response across the country

Bharat bandh gets lukewarm response across the country

Normal Life Disrupted Only in T’gana, Andhra Pradesh & Odisha

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

09.12.2020

The Bharat Bandh called on Tuesday in support of farmers got a lukewarm response across the country, with reports of disruptions to normal life from only a few states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

While there were no reports of violence in Punjab, movement of vehicles, including buses, was affected due to closure of roads at various places by farmers. Though government offices were open, attendance was thin as many of the employees joined the protest.

Haryana remained peaceful as farmers sat at various places on state and national highways carrying their tractor-trolleys and hookahs. No political leader was allowed to address the gathering of farmers.

A 32-year-old farmer reportedly died on Tuesday near Sonipat border where farmers are camping for the protest. He reportedly died due to a heart attack while a 58-year-old died during a chakka jam on the Jind-Patiala national highway due to cardiac arrest.

In Odisha, normal life was affected as offices, shops, commercial establishments remained largely closed in the forenoon. All state government offices were closed for the day. Buses remained off the road. At least three trains got halted for around one hour in Bhubaneswar station as members of Left parties staged a symbolic rail roko.

However, Chhattisgarh, where the Congress and chief minister Bhupesh Baghel came out in support of the bandh, saw widespread impact of the bandh call. Business and establishments stayed shut till 2pm. Chhattisgarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the state chapter of Confederation of All India Traders extended support to bandh.

In Bihar, opposition party leaders and supporters held demonstrations, put up road blockades and disrupted rail and road traffic across the state to register their protest. At some places like Ara in Bhojpur, Araria and Jehanabad, the bandh supporters clashed with the police. In Patna, protesters overpowered constables manning traffic, burnt the effigies of PM Narendra Modi and CM Nitish Kumar.

In western Uttar Pradesh, farmers blocked all major highways leading to Delhi, including Yamuna Expressway and NH2 in Mathura, Aligarh-Palwal road in Aligarh and Pilibhit-Basti national highway in Pilibhit on Tuesday, but allowed operation of all emergency services. The bandh evoked mixed response in Madhya Pradesh too. Many cities felt the impact in the morning as markets were closed. AAP activists held a demonstration at the bungalow of Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar and were arrested. All the main markets of Bhopal were open.

Scores of TRS ministers and MLAs along with leaders blocked national highways, towns in Telangana and in Hyderabad. Businesses were shut and traffic went off the roads for a large part of the day. Hundreds of IT employees on Tuesday took part in a demonstration organized by the Forum of IT professionals and took out a rally from Raidurg metro station to TCS Deccan Park and also blocked roads at Lemon Tree Junction.

Normal life was affected in Andhra Pradesh as the state government cancelled public transport services till 1 pm. Government offices also remained closed till 1 pm in support of the farmers. Schools and colleges did not function. The ruling YSRCP, though did not directly extend support to the Bharat bandh, the state government kept its offices closed in the morning.

Farmers raise slogans during a protest in Amritsar on Tuesday

PIL seeks pension to be paid at doorstep

PIL seeks pension to be paid at doorstep

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:09.12.2020

The Karnataka high court has asked the Centre to clarify whether senior citizens are entitled to receive their pension at home during the prevailing pandemic.

A division bench led by chief justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka made this oral observation while hearing a PIL filed by Akhila Karnataka Vayovrudhara Okkoota (Aikyata), an organisation which represents senior citizens seeking enhancement of pension.

The organization’s counsel told the court that the guidelines issued by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) says citizens above 65 years and those with comorbidities have been advised to stay at home.

Considering this, the bench said the state cannot expect citizens to go to banks to collect their monthly pension and the issue needs to be addressed by the government by the next hearing. Under the Sandhya Suraksha Yojana and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, pension was increased from ₹600 to ₹1,000 for people above 65 years, effective from November 1, 2018.

The petitioner argued, “A senior citizen has no other means of livelihood during the pandemic. It is imperative that to adequately comply with its duties and secure the living conditions of senior citizens in cities like Bengaluru, the pension amount needs to be increased from a mere ₹1,000.”

In addition, the association also urged the court to order the directorate of social security and pensions, Karnataka, to release pension due to senior citizens since January this year with immediate effect and pay it at their doorsteps. It also sought a direction to the body to ensure it regularly releases pension amounts by the second week of every month through the agreed upon mode of payment and also ensure holding of monthly ‘pension adalats’.

The petitioner claimed that despite lockdown guidelines stipulating disbursement of pensions be continued, several beneficiaries did not receive their pensions.

Parties miffed over SC nod for Salem-Chennai expressway

Parties miffed over SC nod for Salem-Chennai expressway

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:09.12.2020

The DMK and the PMK have expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court verdict that has come in favour of the₹10,000 crore Salem – Chennai expressway project. They urged the state government to drop the project.

In a statement DMK president M K Stalin said the SC verdict, in favour of the expressway, has come on a day when farmers are holding protests to safeguard their livelihood. It is disappointing to both farmers as well as environmental activists. “The failure of the AIADMK government to put forth its views strongly to protect the livelihood of farmers and the determination with which the Centre argued about implementing the project are the two main reasons for such a verdict,” Stalin said.

“The two parties, which are together, in working against the interests of the farmers in the name of development may have succeeded in their plans in the Supreme Court. But the people’s court is sure to give them a fitting verdict,” Stalin said. “The farmers, who opposed the project, were subjected brutal police atrocities for the sake of the rulers’ gain from implementing the expressway. Will chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at least now come out in support of the farmers,” Stalin asked.

Reminding the CM that he cannot escape responsibility by stating it is a project being implemented by the Centre, Stalin asked Palaniswami to drop the project.

Expressing disappointment over the verdict, PMK youth wing president Anbumani Ramadoss, who was one of the petitioners against the project, urged the state to withdraw the project. Since there are two national highways connecting Chennai and Salem cities via Ulundurpet and Vellore-Krishnagiri and a third NH being laid via Tindivanam-Krishnagiri, the fourth road project connecting the two cities is unnecessary. “This was the stand of our party,” Anbumani said in a statement. PMK is an ally of BJP-AIADMK in TN. More than 10,000 families of farmers would lose their livelihood as the state would acquire around 7,000 acres of land for the 2,77.3km road project, he said.

Meanwhile in Salem, farmers vowed to continue to protest. “Farmers in Salem, Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Tiruvannamalai and Kancheepuram will continue to protest until the project is withdrawn. We will not allow the project to be implemented,” P Mohanasundaram, a farmer, said.

As farmers continue protest, DMK and PMK criticise expressway project terming, it unnecessary and anti-farmer

Two leaves’ symbol on OP slips at govt hospital in Pudukottai sparks row

‘Two leaves’ symbol on OP slips at govt hospital in Pudukottai sparks row

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:09.12.2020

The outpatient slips issued at a government hospital in Pudukottai district with ‘two leaves’ symbol on the back created a row on Tuesday. The slips are used by doctors to write basic details of patients coming to the hospital.

The hospital authorities withheld the slips after DMK functionaries created an uproar over the incident. While dubbing it a coincidence, deputy director of health services (DDHS) Aranthangi Vijay Kumar has sought clarification from the doctors on the incident. A few patients who went to the government hospital at Malaiyur village near Karambakudi were taken aback after noticing the ‘two leaves’ symbol, the poll symbol of the ruling AIADMK, on the back side of the slips. In a few slips, the symbol was mentioned as victory symbol seeking votes. Some of the patients approached the doctor raising the issue.

The slips were procured from a nearby printing press after the primary health centre ran out of slips. But the hospital staff had failed to notice the symbol and issued it to the patients. The slips were in use for the last two days.

DMK Pudukottai north district secretary K K Sellapandian said that doctors could have avoided the incident. Saying that the incident is very serious, he said a government hospital cannot campaign for a particular party by having its poll symbol on the outpatient slips.

The hospital authorities withheld the slips after DMK functionaries created uproar over the incident

Selection panel has no clue about seats vacant in state-run colleges

Selection panel has no clue about seats vacant in state-run colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 09.12.2020

Hours after the MBBS seats surrendered by Tamil Nadu for admission under all-India quota were returned to the state, the selection committee in-charge of admissions did not know the number of seats that were vacant in state-run colleges after two rounds of centralised counselling.

Aspiring medical students, who are awaiting admission and upgrades to college of their choice, were disappointed. “Every year, the centre announces the last date well in advance. The state has to collect vacancies from its colleges and give a count at the end of the day. It is never done,” said Rakesh S, a student counsellor. “The selection committee has to add these into the matrix. We don’t know if it will be done when counselling resumes on Wednesday,” he said.

Each year, every state surrenders15% of MBBS seats in state-run colleges for admission of students from across the country. This year, TN surrendered 548 seats. Counselling for AIQ seats is done online by the medical counselling committee of the directorate general of health services. Students from across the country are allowed to lock choices and allotment is done based on merit in NEET 2020.

“The last date for students to join colleges allotted to them during the second round ended on December 8. If students don’t join colleges they are allotted to, the seats will be considered vacant and returned. We have asked deans from all government colleges to give us the number,” said selection committee secretary G Selvarajan.

Officials closed the counselling with 367 MBBS seats in government colleges and 314 in self-financing colleges. There were 78 BDS seats in government colleges and 948 in self-financing colleges.