MTC resumes direct buses from Avadi to Tambaram via Guindy

MTC resumes direct buses from Avadi to Tambaram via Guindy

Nearly two years after terminating direct bus services between Tambaram and Avadi via Guindy, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) recently resumed the services.

Published: 02nd January 2021 06:37 AM 

Chennai MTC bus getting ready at Pallavan House to start operations. 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Nearly two years after terminating direct bus services between Tambaram and Avadi via Guindy, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) recently resumed the services.

Route number 70, which connected western parts of the Chennai suburban region and southwestern parts, was terminated and converted into two services Avadi-CMBT (70A) and CMBT-Tambaram (70C) two years ago. However, a year later, direct services from Avadi to Tambaram (No 202) were introduced via Pattabiram, Pettai and Chembarambakkam. 

“The ‘70’ bus service between Avadi and Tambaram has been resumed to cater to college students. The bus will run via CMBT, Ashok Pillar and Guindy,” said an MTC official.

Similarly, 47J, which was operated from Adyar to JJ East, will be terminated at JJ West, sources added.

ஒரே நாள்... ஒரே கிழமை... 1971 மற்றும் 2021ம் ஆண்டு காலண்டர் அதிசயம்

2021-01-02@ 16:57:33

நாகர்கோவில்: மனித சரித்திரத்தில் மறக்க முடியாத பதிவை 2020ம் ஆண்டு ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளது. கொரோனா வைரஸ் பரவல், புயல்களின் தொடர் தாக்குதல், போர்கள் என சாமானியர்கள் முதல் செல்வந்தவர்கள் வரை அனைத்து தரப்பினரையும் சுமார் ஒரு வருடம் வீட்டிலேயே முடக்கி வைத்தது. மேலும் பல முக்கிய தலைவர்களின் உயிரை பறித்தது. பலர் வறுமையிலும், பலர் உறவுகளை இழந்த சோகத்திலும், பலர் வேலையிழப்பிலும் அவதிப்பட்டனர். இந்த நிலையில் 2021ம் ஆண்டு பிறந்துள்ளது. இந்த ஆண்டு ஆறுதலான ஆண்டாக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பதே அனைவரின் ஏக்கமாக உள்ளது. இதற்கிடையே 2021ம் ஆண்டு ‘காலண்டர் அதிசய’ ஆண்டாக அமைந்துள்ளது.

கடந்த ஐம்பது வருடத்திற்கு முன்பு உள்ள 1971ம் ஆண்டு காலண்டரும், 2021ம் ஆண்டு காலண்டரும். ஒரே மாதிரி அமைந்துள்ளது. இரு ஆண்டும் நாள், தேதி ஒத்திருக்கிறது. பண்டிகை நாள்களும் ஓரளவு ஒத்திருக்கிறது. 50 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பின் அதே காலண்டர் திரும்பி வந்தாலும் மனித வாழ்வும், நாட்டு நடப்பும், கலாச்சாரமும் முற்றிலும் மாறியுள்ளது. 1971 போல மனிதன் திரும்ப மாற முடியாது. அன்று மாட்டு வண்டிக்கு முக்கியத்துவம், இன்று கம்ப்யூட்டருக்கு முக்கியத்துவம். அன்று மனிதன் இயற்கை உணவுகள் சாப்பிட்டான், இன்று செயற்கை உணவு வகைகளையும் சாப்பிட்டு வருகிறான்.

ஆன்மிக பயணம்: ரஜினி முடிவு?

ஆன்மிக பயணம்: ரஜினி முடிவு?

Added : ஜன 03, 2021 00:48

சென்னை:சொன்னதை செய்ய முடியாததால், மன உளைச்சலில் உள்ள ரஜினி, ஆன்மிக குருமார்களை சந்திக்க திட்டமிட்டுள்ளார்.

'சரியான ஆளுமை இல்லாமல் தவிக்கும் தமிழகத்திற்காகவும், தமிழக மக்களுக்காகவும், கட்சி ஆரம்பித்து, 2021 சட்டசபை தேர்தலில் போட்டியிடுவேன்' என, மூன்று ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் அறிவித்தார், ரஜினி. ஆனால், கொரோனா அச்சத்தால், அரசியலில் நுழையும் முடிவில் இருந்து பின்வாங்கினார்.கடந்த மாதம், ஐதராபாத் சென்ற ரஜினி, அண்ணாத்த படப்பிடிப்பில் பங்கேற்றார். அங்கு படக்குழுவினருக்கு, கொரோனா தொற்று ஏற்பட்டது.

இதனால், ரத்த அழுத்த பிரச்னை காரணமாக, மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட ரஜினி, உரிய சிகிச்சைக்கு பின், வீடு திரும்பினார். அதைத் தொடர்ந்து, கட்சி ஆரம்பிப்பதில் இருந்து பின்வாங்கினார். ஆனாலும், ரசிகர்களையும், நிர்வாகிகளையும் ஏமாற்றி விட்டோமோ என்ற மன உளைச்சலில், அவர் இருப்பதாக கூறப்படுகிறது.

இந்நிலையில், ரஜினி வீட்டுக்கு, நமோ நாராயணா சுவாமிகள் வருகை புரிந்துள்ளார். அவரை வரவேற்ற ரஜினிக்கு,ஸ்படிக மாலையை அணிவித்து, ஆசிர்வதித்து, அவருடன் சிறிது நேரம் பேசியுள்ளார். இந்த சந்திப்பின் போது எடுத்த படங்கள், தற்போது இணையதளத்தில் உலா வருகின்றன. ஆன்மிக அரசியலை அறிவித்த ரஜினி, தற்போது மன நிம்மதிக்காக, ஆன்மிக பயணம் மேற்கொள்வார் என, தகவல் வெளியாகிஉள்ளது.

SETC told to pay ₹10L to accident victim’s kin

SETC told to pay ₹10L to accident victim’s kin

Chennai:  03.01.2021

A motor accidents claims tribunal in Tiruvallur has directed government-run State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) to pay ₹10.1 lakh to the family of an elderly man who was killed after he got knocked down by a speeding SETC bus along the Chennai-Tindivanam road four years ago.

The family of Govindasamy moved the tribunal seeking a compensation of ₹28 lakh. According to their petition, Govindasamy was walking towards a bus stop when the rashly driven SETC bus hit him. In response, the transport corporation contended that the accident occurred due to the victim’s negligence while crossing road. The tribunal perused both submissions, FIR, witness accounts and held the transport corpoation liable. It arrived at a compensation of ₹10.1 lakh to be paid by SETC in two months. TNN

HC notice to TN on school bag tender violations

HC notice to TN on school bag tender violations

Chennai:  03.01.2021

A Haryana-based company has moved the Madras high court alleging irregularities in a tender floated by Tamil Nadu textbook corporation for purchase of school bags and shoes for government school students.

Admitting the plea, Justice Senthil Kumar Ramamoorthy directed the state and the corporation to file their reply in two weeks.

According to the petitioner BNG Fashion Gears, though it was an eligible bidder and made the lowest bid in the tender, its bid was rejected without any reason. “Though we made multiple attempts to know the reason for the rejection, officials of the corporation failed to provide any valid reason,” the petitioner said.

Claiming the action of the authorities in rejecting its bid illegal, the petitioner said, a division bench of Supreme Court headed by Justice S K Kaul had made it clear that the tender-inviting authority is duty-bound to disclose the reason for rejection to the bidder. In the present case, the authorities have deliberately violated the same and refused to provide any justification for the rejection, the petitioner firm said. TNN

Officials: Vax for vulnerable in TN by May

Officials: Vax for vulnerable in TN by May

Chennai:  03.01.2021

A Covid-19 vaccine for the vulnerable in Tamil Nadu — the elderly and those with co-morbidities — could be available by early May if everything goes well, estimate public health officials.

On Saturday, at the end of the dry run for the first stage vaccination, officials said it would take nearly a month to complete the process for the group as per Union health ministry protocol. The first phase is likely to be slow as adverse reactions and other technical glitches during vaccination will be closely monitored. “After this we will vaccinate frontline workers, including police and uniformed service personnel. By the time we reach the vulnerable population, which forms the large chunk of people in this phase, we will have adequate experience to speed up the process,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. TNN

Dry run goes smooth but for internet issues

TheUnion health ministryapproved vaccine will be centrally procured and distributed to states as per demand. Health minister C Vijayabaskar, who was in Coimbatore, said it will be administered to 1.6 crore people across the state in the first phase from 47,200 centres. The recipient list includes six lakh health workers in 2,881 government hospitals and 35,403 privatehospitals.

The Centre is yet to roll out the schedule, but has told states 30 crore people including healthcare workers, frontline workers and vulnerable people will be covered in the first phase. It has not permitted use of the vaccine for others as of now. TN public health officials are working on protocol that will allow them to offer the vaccine to multiple groups, Vijayabaskar said.

The state can store 2.5 crore vials of vaccine in cold storage units and has trained more than 21,000 health workers, said officials, adding that each centrewill vaccinate not morethan 100 people a day.

On Saturday, the dry run was done at 17 sites across the districts of Chennai, the Nilgiris, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore and Tiruvallur using at least 2,000 health workers. Each centre had five vaccinators, a doctor, supervisory health officials and 30 volunteers.

Officials checked multiple steps of the process, efficiency of the exclusive vaccination network(CoWIN),internetconnectivity andfacilitiesin theobservation room. “There were some issues with internet connectivity in districts such as the Nilgiris, but overall, we were abletocompleteitsuccessfully,” said director of public health Dr T S Selvavinayagam.

Volunteers took separate exit and entry, wore masks and maintained social distancing norms. At entry, vaccinator 1 verified the identity and vaccinator 2 entered it in the CoWIN app before sending him/her in. No vaccine was given, but the nurse or health worker clicked the ‘yes’ button on the CoWIN app, allowing updation of details on the centralised portal before text messages with detailscan besenttothe volunteer. The volunteer waited in the observation room for 30 minutes.

2 Chinese held in loan app case, ₹300cr under lens

2 Chinese held in loan app case, ₹300cr under lens

₹5,000 To ₹50,000 Given To 1L People At 36% Interest

A.Selvaraj@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  03.01.2021

The Chennai police have arrested four people, including two Chinese nationals, and unearthed an extensive network of illegal micro-financing apps offering instant loans at interest rates as high as 36%. According to police sources, more than two dozen illegal apps which could have cumulatively disbursed ₹300 crore in sums ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹50,000 to more than one lakh people across the country have been unearthed.

“The source of the money and to whom and how was the principal and interest credited back is not known and is being probed,” an official said. Two bank accounts with ₹48 lakh and ₹1.96 crore balance in ICICI Bank and RBL Bank branches in Bengaluru have been frozen by police.

While two Chinese nationals Xia Ya Mau, 38, and Yuvan Lun, 28, have been arrested, two others, Hong and Wandish, managed to escape to Singapore.

Two others from Karnataka — S Pramoda of Doopanahalli and C R Pavan of Chikkanahally — too were arrested and remanded in judicial custody in Chennai. “Though the Karnataka duo were cited as ‘directors’ of many of these lending companies, they were paid ₹20,000 as monthly salary, while the Chinese took full possession of cheque leaves, ATM debit cards and the company’s internet banking access credentials,” said a senior official of Central Crime Branch. A CCB team worked on the racket for 20 days and camped in Bengaluru for about a week to nab the suspects.

The Chennai breakthrough has come after the suicide of at least four men in Telangana and one in Bengaluru owing to shaming and humiliation meted out to them by recovery agents engaged by these loan app firms.

Xia Ya Mau & Yuvan Lun

Instant debt trap: T’gana man kills self

In yet another tragedy triggered by the instant debt trap, a 36-year-old warehouse labourer in Hyderabad took his own life on Saturday after being allegedly threatened and then shamed in front of family and friends for defaulting on repayment of a loan procured through a lending app. G Chandramohan’s death is the fifth suicide in Telangana linked to loan apps in a month. Family members suspect Chandramohan may have borrowed between ₹60,000 and ₹70,000. P 11

Over 100 hired at ₹8K/month to harass loan defaulters

At least five more Chinese nationals have been arrested in different parts of the country, including Delhi, in recent weeks.

Commending the CCB team, Chennai city commissioner of police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal said: “We are looking into the flow of money to the company -- True Kindle Technologies Solutions Private Limited -- floated by the Chinese. The two arrested Chinese nationals have been staying even after the expiry of their visa period.”

Another officer said they would engage a translator to interrogate the suspects and obtain more information about their apps after taking them into police custody. The laptops and mobiles seized from them will be scruitinized.

The officer said CCB has sent requests to Google Play Store to suspend 25 mobile applications as they are illegal and existed against the investment as well as lending norms in the country.

Pramoda and Pavan told the CCB sleuths that they came across an online advertisement posted by the Chinese requiring them to set up a call centre in Bengaluru. “Their role was to register a company and recruit tele-callers, while the money partwastaken careof by theChinese. More than 100 telecallers were recruited at₹8,000 as monthly salary andthey were given a targetof at least 10 loan referrals every day. Their job was to make abusive phone calls to defaulting customers, access the contact list of the defaulters andshamethem by sending messagesto alltheir contacts,” said a CCB official.

After three of the customers caught in the debt trap committed suicide in a single month, Hyderabad police have arrested a Chinese national and15 others and registered 27 cases.