TN announces Pongal bonus to Group C & D staff

TN announces Pongal bonus to Group C & D staff

The State government on Monday announced Pongal bonus for regular and temporary employees of Group C and D categories.

Published: 05th January 2021 04:44 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The State government on Monday announced Pongal bonus for regular and temporary employees of Group C and D categories.According to a (Government Order) G.O. issued by Finance (allowance) Department, orders were issued to grant ad hoc bonus, equivalent to 30 days of emoluments and subject to a ceiling of Rs 3,000, to regular and temporary government employees of Group C and D and employees of local bodies and aided educational institutions for the accounting year 2019-2020.

The G.O. further said that a special ad hoc bonus of Rs 1,000 will be paid to full-time and part-time employees who are paid from contingencies at fixed monthly rates, employees of consolidated pay, special time scale of pay including employees in the nutritious meal programme, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), anganwadi workers, mini anganwadi workers, village assistants, and employees on daily wages.

The government further ordered to provide Pongal gift amount of Rs 500 to all government pensioners – those who had retired from Group C and D categories, employees of local bodies, aided educational institutions, nutritious meal programme, ICDS, anganwadi workers, mini anganwadi workers, village assistants and others.

Centre taking up massive project to vaccinate nation: Harsh Vardhan

Centre taking up massive project to vaccinate nation: Harsh Vardhan

The Union Minister says next five to ten years is expected to be golden era for our country

Published: 05th January 2021 04:56 AM | Last Updated: 05th January 2021 04:56 AM 

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan addressed the virtual Convocation of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research on Monday

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Union government is taking up a massive project to vaccinate the nation against Covid-19, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday.Speaking at the 32nd convocation function of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, the minister through video conference said the Centre had initiated a slew of measures to prevent contagion. 

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has been interacting with Chief Ministers of States and Union Territories to collaborate efforts to effectively manage the crisis,” Harsh Vardhan added.

“I agree that the pandemic has turned the clock back many years, if not decades. The deadly virus has derailed our painstaking efforts for development, and diverted scientific attention. The lockdown has raised insurmountable barriers, interrupted supply chains and diverted manufacturing capacities. What we need now is strategised thinking, thought leadership and disruptive social entrepreneurship. It needs mass mobilisation, aggressive campaigns, powerful partners and deep commitments, especially from doctors. Doctors are the backbone of any society. If healthcare professionals are committed, then many things will fall into place,” the minister said.

Noting that India spends about 4.2 per cent of its GDP on healthcare and related services, as compared to about 18 per cent by many developed nations, Harsh Vardhan said, “The government has already made a substantial increase in the healthcare spending this year and the Finance Commission has projected a massive increase in the health outlay for the next five years. At present, our doctor - patient ratio is 1:1700. It should improve to 1:1000 as per World Health Organisation norms. We are also trying to set up one medical college in every district in the country.”

Medical professionals have a lot of scope to innovate, and responsibility to facilitate the Prime Minister’s dream of ‘AtmaNirbhar India’, and also contribute to the ‘Make in India’, the minister reminded the students. “The next five to ten years are expected to be a golden era for our country. All youth should imbibe Gandhiji’s teachings to create a better society,” he added. 

Chancellor VR Venkataachalam conferred the degrees to the graduates, and along with Pro Chancellor R V Sengutuvan and Vice Chancellor PV Vijayaraghavan, presented 94 gold medals to meritorious students.

Shop, hop on to a metro train soon

Shop, hop on to a metro train soon

12-Storey Mall At Ekkattuthangal To Be Ready By Mid-2022

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  05.01.2021

In less than two years, city residents can shop in a new mall and saunter across the corridor to hop onto a metro train, as CMRL has awarded a contract for constructing a 12-storey complex adjacent to Ekkattuthangal metro station. The mini-shopping mall, likely to be ready in 18 months, is one of the first properties to be developed outside metro stations through which CMRL is expected to generate non-ticketing revenue, by renting out retail and office spaces. CMRL is developing nearly 12lakh sqft multimodal hubs with commercial space in three prime locations in the city including the Central Square and Kathipara.

Officials said the commercial complex will be built on a 41,861sqft land at a cost of ₹₹73 crore, construction contract for which was awarded recently to a city-based firm. According to tender, which was floated last year, the building will have 11floors with a ground floor and two basement levels. Visitors to the building could have easy access to the metro station either through a pathway.

“The lowers levels will be for retail and the upper levels will be for office space,” an official said earlier. An official said the basement levels will be for parking for both passengers and those visiting the building.

CMRL also plans to build similar structures near stations such as Nehru Park. Construction for the urban square under Kathipara flyover, multilevel parking and pedestrian subways as part of Central Square project and underground amenities centre below Thiru Vi Ka Park at Shenoy Nagar is underway. The properties developed in these locations are expected to provide people with shopping experience, office space and a seamless switch from one mode of transport to another.

These developments, however, come at a time when large retail spaces in metro stations remain unoccupied likely due to low footfalls in the stations. Except for a few stalls in the street level of stations like Nehru Park and Koyambedu, many of them built inside bigger stations more than three years back are lying vacant. Due to no takers, CMRL made an attempt to study market interest in 2019 and it had planned to build in Ekattuthangal and Nehru Park.

Make three years’ experience at Bar must to become judge, BCI to tell SC

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  05.01.2021

Should a judge have prior experience of advocacy in order to be effective?

The Bar Council of India says yes and plans to move the Supreme Court to seek that a minimum three-year practice at the Bar be made mandatory to become a judicial officer at the subordinate judiciary level.

In a release, BCI said it will file an application before the SC, arguing that judicial officers not having practical experience as advocates were mostly found to be “incapable and inept in handling matters”.

At present, fresh law graduates are being allowed to sit for the Judicial Service Examinations without having any practical experience at the Bar.

Claiming it has the support of all state bar councils, BCI said inexperience at the Bar is one of the primary and major reasons for delays in the disposal of cases in subordinate judiciary.

“Judicial officers not having practical experience at the Bar are mostly found to be incapable and inept in handling matters. Most of such officers are found to be impolite and impractical in their behaviour with members of the Bar and litigants,” Srimanto Sen, BCI secretary, stated.

It added that “Trained and experienced judicial officers can comprehend and dispose of matters at a much faster pace, thereby leading to efficient administration of justice.” Since the requirement of three-year experience at the Bar had been done away by the SC in March 2002, the apex body for advocates said it would file an application before the apex court to seek the modification of that order.

The statement came in the wake of a petition moved before the SC in connection with the decision of Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission inviting applications in a notification in December for the appointment of civil judges (junior division) in the AP State Judicial Services for advocates having a minimum experience of three years.

India needs better doc-patient ratio, more beds: Min

India needs better doc-patient ratio, more beds: Min

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  05.01.2021

The Centre is taking up the Covid-19 vaccination programme in a big way, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday.

Addressing the gathering at the 32nd convocation of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in Chennai over video conference, the minister said Covid-19 had turned the clock back by many years, if not decades, derailing efforts of decades. But the novel coronavirus has showcased the contribution of the government sector towards adequate healthcare, he added. He praised frontline health workers who aided in patient care during the pandemic.

India should increase doctor-patient ratio from 1:1,700 to 1:1,000 as per World Health Organisation (WHO) norms, and the number of hospital beds from 9 per 10,000 people to 40 per 10,000, the minister said. The country spends about 4.2% of its GDP on healthcare and services as compared to about 18% by many developed nations, he said.

“This year, we have already made a substantial increase in our healthcare spend and the finance commission has projected a massive increase in the health outlay in the next five years,” he said. There is also a move to increase the number of medical colleges, almost one per district, and also the number of medical graduates, he said.

He told those graduating to do the things righteously with the best intentions and efforts. “A lifelong commitment to going forward is essential and you must always look to give back to your alma mater,” he said.

Chancellor V R Venkataachalam conferred the degrees and vice-chancellor Dr P V Vijayaraghavan presented 94 gold medals to meritorious students and distributed certificates to 1,266 students including in Ph.D, super specialties, post-graduate and undergraduate disciplines.

Union health minister Harsh Vardhan participated in the convocation of Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in Chennai over video conference

Court: Standing by striking staff not participation

Court: Standing by striking staff not participation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  05.01.2021

Merely standing near other employees during a strike will not amount to participation in a strike, a city labour court observed and directed a manufacturing unit in Ambattur Industrial Estate to reinstate an employee who was dismissed from work for his participation in a strike. The labour court also stated that the management did not follow procedures in domestic enquiry and held that the employee did not indulge in any misconduct.

E Kandan of Chettiyar Agaram moved the labour court against his employeran automobile parts manufacturing unit against his termination. According to his petition, he joined the company in 2010 and in April 2014, he was terminated, stating that he was a member in the labour union.

In response, the management submitted that the petitioner was deputed at another factory of them in Villivakkam and instead of reporting to work there, he was found indulging in an illegal strike in front of the Ambattur factory. The management contended that they did not terminate his services, but the petitioner stopped reporting to work.

After perusing the submissions from both sides, Jacintha Martin, Presiding officer, II additional labour court noted that the main charge of the management was that the petitioner participated in an illegal strike. To prove their point, they had played a video in the court showing the petitioner standing near the other employees who participated in the strike, the court noted.

The presiding officer pointed out that the name of the petitioner is not mentioned in the list of the partial lock out. The management has failed to establish that the petitioner participated in an illegal strike, the court observed merely standing near other employees during strike does not mean participation.

Flights to UK to begin but not from Chennai

Flights to UK to begin but not from Chennai

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

05.01.2021

Flyers to London will have to go via Bengaluru or Hyderabad as there will not be any direct flight from Chennai when services resume on January 8. The ministry of civil aviation has allowed direct flights only from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

This has hit many who had arrived earlier and have tickets to fly back from Chennai. Refund is not an option because they have already used one leg of the ticket. The airline has allowing them to shift the date of travel but they have to fly domestic to board flights from Bengaluru or Delhi.

Basheer Ahmed of Metro Travels said, “The ministry has allowed more frequency to airports other than those in the south because of the worry of the new strain. People from other TN towns will have to fly to Chennai and then to Bengaluru or Delhi to board direct flights.”

There will be two services from Bengaluru, three services, from Hyderabad, five services from Mumbai and five services from Delhi per week.The ministry has allowed outbound flights to resume from January 6 and inbound flights from January 8.

“The resumption of services is only temporary. People are looking to postpone trips. The restriction on the number of flights is likely to affect reopening of international sector,” said Ahmed.

Sources said Air India may start a direct flight from Chennai to London this month. “However, the state government is unlikely to allow services on the route. The four metro airports except Chennai have been identified as gateway airports for international flights during the shutdown so that passengers can be screened in a more efficient manner,” said an airport official.