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Clerk’s assets swell 560% in 7 years, booked

Clerk’s assets swell 560% in 7 years, booked

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.01.2021

In what it sees as a clear indication of corruption at taluk offices, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) has discovered that a record clerk in a tahsildar’s officer has had his wealth increase fivefold in seven years. He was booked for holding disproportionate assests earlier this week.

The DVAC said the accused, M Sivakumar, was working as a record clerk in the office of Shollinganallur taluk tahsildar. He was first recruited as a night watchman in the office of Tambaram tahsildar in July 2000 and elevated to the rank of record clerk nine years later.

The agency kept the check period for calculating the growth of his assets as January 2012 to January 2020, when the accused held the post of a record clerk in the election section of Greater Chennai Corporation. “This is the period when he accumulated maximum assets,” the agency said in a release.

As per calculations by the agency, assets in Sivakumar and his wife’s names in January 2012 were worth ₹20.4 lakh. By December 31, 2019, value of the assets the two held boomed to ₹1.3 crore.

Sivakumar’s legal income during the period was ₹18.2 lakh. The couple had incurred an expenditure of ₹6 lakh. Therefore, the assets acquired by the couple during the period were worth ₹1.1 crore. Likely savings was calculated as ₹12.2 lakh.

As per DVAC’s calculations, this means that assets were disproportionate to the tune of ₹1.02 crore, 561.2% times his income. The agency added that Sivakumar had purchased properties in his wife’s name as she had insufficient means to purchase them herself.

The DVAC booked a case against Sivakumar under section 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In the past few months, the agency has conducted several surprise checks at registration and taluk offices and uncovered thousands of rupees of bribe money and a network of agents at play.

From ₹20 lakh in Jan 2012, the value of assets held by record clerk Sivakumar and his wife soared to more than ₹1 crore by the end of 2019. DVAC calculated this to be a five-fold jump after taking into account his income, expenditure

TN nursing grad loses life, baby in attempt to deliver at home

TN nursing grad loses life, baby in attempt to deliver at home

Trichy:11.01.2021

A 29-year-old BSc nursing graduate lost her life while delivering a baby under the supervision of her husband Vijayavarman, an acupuncture practitioner, at their house in Perambalur district on Sunday. The woman developed serious medical complications including blood coagulation while the unborn baby was found dead and decomposed within the uterus, reports Deepak Karthik.

Health department sources said Alagammal of Poolambadi village was scheduled to deliver a baby on December 28 and the family had registered her name for reproduction and child health (RCH) identification number. Alagammal, however, failed to turn up for pregnancy screening. “The family told us that they will take care of childbirth at their home. They even said they will bear the consequences and threatened us for intervening,” said R Geetharani, deputy director of health services (DDHS), Perambalur. As per government data, the state has nearly 98% institutional delivery.

DELIVERY AT HOME

Death termed suspicious, cops investigating

On Saturday night, the woman developed labour pain. The DDHS said that during the delivery attempt at home, only the head of the baby came out and Alagammal’s health deteriorated.

She developed further complications and was rushed to Perambalur government hospital in an ambulance.

The woman had developed liver and renal complications while her uterus was damaged since the baby had decomposed, the official said. Despite treatment, Alagammal’s condition worsened with blood platelets declining drastically and she had to be referred to Trichy MGMGH. She died of medical complications on Sunday. While the woman’s body was kept in the government hospital for medical examination, the family allegedly demanded that it be handed over immediately. “We have registered a case for death under suspicious circumstances. Based on further investigation and reports from the health department, we may alter the section,” Nisha Parthiban, Perambalur superintendent of police, told TOI. An RDO inquiry will also be conducted, police sources said.

துணைவேந்தர் பதவி நீட்டிப்புக்கு வரவேற்பு உயர்கல்வி செயலர்களின் முடிவுக்கு 'குட்டு'

துணைவேந்தர் பதவி நீட்டிப்புக்கு வரவேற்பு உயர்கல்வி செயலர்களின் முடிவுக்கு 'குட்டு'

Added : ஜன 10, 2021 01:51

பாரதிதாசன், பெரியார் பல்கலை துணைவேந்தர்கள் பதவி நீட்டிக்கப்பட்டதற்கு, கல்வியாளர்கள் வரவேற்பு தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

இதன்மூலம், உயர்கல்வித் துறை செயலர்களின் தன்னிச்சையான முடிவுகளுக்கு, 'குட்டு' வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.பல்கலை துணைவேந்தர்நியமனங்களில், பல ஆண்டுகளாக பல்கலை மானியக் குழுவின் விதிமுறைகளை கடைப்பிடிக்காமலும், துணைவேந்தராக நியமிக்கப்படுபவரின் நன்னடத்தை குறித்த விபரங்களை சரிவர கண்காணிக்காமலும், பல கோடிகளை பெற்று, துணைவேந்தர்கள் நியமனம் நடந்துள்ளது.

மறுபரிசீலனைஇது குறித்து, பல்வேறு கால கட்டங்களில், கல்வியாளர்கள் குரல் கொடுத்தும், எவ்வித பயனும் இல்லை. இவ்வாறு நியமிக்கப்பட்ட துணைவேந்தர்கள் சிலர், உயர்கல்வி துறையினரோடு இணைந்து, பல்வேறு ஊழல் புகார்களில் சிக்கி, பல்கலைகளின் மாண்பையும் கெடுத்து வந்தனர். கவர்னராக, பன்வாரிலால்புரோஹித் பதவி ஏற்ற பின், துணைவேந்தர் நியமனங்கள் வெளிப்படைத் தன்மையுடனும், தகுதி அடிப்படையிலும் நடந்தன. என்ன தான் துணைவேந்தர் நியமனங்கள் நேர்மையான முறையில் நடந்தாலும், அரசியல்வாதிகள், அதிகாரிகளின் கையில் சிக்கி, துணைவேந்தர்களால் சுயமாக செயல்பட முடியவில்லை.பல்கலை சிண்டிகேட் கூட்டங்களில், நிதி சம்பந்தமான விஷயங்களில் முடிவுகள் எடுக்கப்பட்டால், அந்த தீர்மானத்தை நிறைவேற்றாமல், ஏற்கனவே நிறைவேற்றப்பட்ட சிண்டிகேட் தீர்மானங்களை மறுபரிசீலனை செய்து, திட்டங்கள் செயல்படுத்தப்படுகின்றன.கொரோனா காலத்தில், பல்கலைகளில் பணியாற்றும் ஆசிரியர், அலுவலர்களுக்கு சம்பளம் கொடுப்பதற்கே திணறும் நிலை உள்ளபோது, பல்கலைகளில் தேவையில்லாத ஆசிரியர் பணியிடங்களை உருவாக்குகின்றனர்.

இதனால், பல்கலைகள் கடும் நிதிச்சுமைக்கு தள்ளப்படும். இந்நிலையில், திருச்சி பாரதிதாசன் பல்கலையில், மானியக் குழுவின் விதிகளுக்கு மாறாக, ஆசிரியர் நியமன விளம்பரம் வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ளதை எதிர்த்து, பல்கலை ஆசிரியர் சங்கம் வழக்கு தொடர்ந்தது.பணி நீட்டிப்புஇந்த வழக்கில், பல்கலைசார்பில், உயர்கல்வி துறையின் வழிகாட்டுதலின்அடிப்படையிலேயே விளம்பரங்கள் வெளியிடப்பட்டதாக, பதில் மனு தாக்கல் செய்யப்பட்டது.வழக்கை விசாரித்த நீதிபதி, உயர்கல்வி துறை செயலர், அந்த பதவியை வகிப்பதற்கான தகுதி உடையவர் தானா எனக் கேள்வி எழுப்பி, ஆசிரியர் நியமன அறிவிப்பை ரத்து செய்தது.இந்நிலையில், பாரதிதாசன் பல்கலை துணைவேந்தர் மணிசங்கரின் பதவிக்காலம் ஜன., 7ல் நிறைவடைந்தது. புதிய துணைவேந்தர் நியமனம் செய்யப்படும் வரை, உயர்கல்வி துறை செயலர் அபூர்வா தலைமையில், துணைவேந்தர் பொறுப்பு குழு நியமிக்கப்பட்டது.இந்நிலையில், கவர்னர் அலுவலகத்தில் இருந்து, மறு அறிவிப்பு வரும் வரை, மணிசங்கருக்கு பணி நீட்டிப்பு வழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இதுபோலவே, ஜன., 7ல்பணி நிறைவு பெற்ற, பெரியார் பல்கலைக்கழக துணைவேந்தர் குழந்தைவேலுவுக்கும் பணி நீட்டிப்புவழங்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.இது, கல்வியாளர்கள் மத்தியில் பலத்த வரவேற்பை பெற்றுள்ளது. இதன் மூலம், புதிய துணைவேந்தர்கள் நியமிக்கப்படும் வரை, உயர்கல்வி துறை செயலரின் தன்னிச்சையான முடிவுகளை நிறைவேற்றுவது தடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

- நமது நிருபர் -

High court refuses to entertain plaints over MBBS admissions

High court refuses to entertain plaints over MBBS admissions

SagarKumar.Mutha@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: 10.01.2021

The Telangana high court has made it clear it will not examine complaints against non-implementation of the Article 371-D and the Presidential Order in the ongoing MBBS admissions because of the amendment carried out to the provisions of the Medical Council of India Act. It also said there are clear pronouncements from the high court and the Supreme Court on its applicability.

A bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice MS Ramachandra Rao said this while hearing a petition filed by G Apoorva, A Harshita, and others complaining about procedural irregularities in implementing the existing rules of admissions. The bench, however, assured the petitioners that it would examine the issue of less meritorious getting seats to the detriment of the more meritorious, only if the persons likely to be affected on account of this litigation were made respondents here.

The contention of the petitioners is that the more meritorious students from Telangana who could gain seats in the unreserved 15 percent are being shown in the 85 percent local quota and this is adversely affecting the Telangana students. The bench sought a counter from the Kaloji University within two weeks from now and posted the case to February 19.

The Kaloji varsity has been saying that it could only effect changes in tune with the options given by the meritorious students. If they settle with the initial allotments and do not apply for any change in the subsequent counselling, the varsity would not be in a position to affect the changes on its own, the university said in a press release while explaining its case.

Additional advocate general J Ramachandra Rao responded to a query from the bench about the applicability of the Presidential Order given the legal pronouncements and explained that the university has been implementing it as the AP Reorganisation Act asks them to implement it till 2023. There were certain subsequent court orders too clarifying the position in this regard, he said.

CAG starts audit of Covid mgmt

CAG starts audit of Covid mgmt

Pradeep Thakur & Rajeev Deshpande TNN

New Delhi: 10.01.2021

The Comptroller and Auditor General has started an audit on Covid-19 pandemic management, with field studies in eight states to evaluate procurement and availability of drugs and equipment and paramedics in public health centres and efficacy of the first response system in hinterlands.

Speaking exclusively to TOI, CAG GC Murmu said the audit will also look into vaccine distribution, appraisal of the Central government health system, the ESI (Employees’ State Insurance Corporation) hospitals and dispensaries and state health infrastructure. The report will be completed within 3-4 months and tabled before Parliament.

“We have started to audit how effectively the pandemic has been handled in various states. The case study will be carried out with field visits in West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, MP, UP, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Telangana — and will look into the procurements and availability of drugs, equipment in the public health centres, availability of paramedics and the overall response system in the hinterlands,” Murmu said.

“This audit will also highlight good practices and innovations applied by different states,” the CAG said. The audit will be carried out by CAG officials having expertise in auditing health systems in the past and also by engaging outside experts, if needed. The auditor had in 2019 audited the districts hospitals in UP where it had compared practices in these hospitals with the national health standards and WHO guidelines taking help from experts hired from the NIPFP (National Institute of Public Finance and Policy) and AIIMS. The CAG emphasised on bringing in more transparency in the system to make it more efficient and professional.

Murmu said the pandemic did affect completion of several audit reports whose finalisation has been delayed. However, work on finishing them has been in progress and by 2022 all the sectoral and state reports will be regularised.

Full report on www.toi.in

CAG GC Murmu

Indonesian jet with 62 aboard crashes into sea after takeoff

Indonesian jet with 62 aboard crashes into sea after takeoff

10.01.2021

A passenger jet carrying more than 60 people crashed into the Java Sea on Saturday, minutes after taking off from the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, Indonesian officials said.

Indonesia’s transportation ministry said that the last contact with the plane, Sriwijaya Air Flight 182, was made at 2.40pm (1.10pm IST). The Boeing 737-524 was bound for the city of Pontianak on Borneo. It had 62 people aboard, according to an official from Sriwijaya Air, an Indonesian airline based in Jakarta.

Four minutes after taking off amid heavy rain, the 26-year-old plane lost more than 10,000 feet of altitude in less than 60 seconds, according to Flightradar24, the flight-tracking service. The Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency said it had found pieces of debris in waters just northwest of Jakarta that it believed may be from the plane’s wreckage, but it said that darkness had impeded its search.

“Tomorrow we are going to survey the location,” Soerjanto Tjahjono, the head of Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee, said. Indonesia’s navy had pinpointed the site of the missing aircraft and ships had been sent there, a navy official said. Authorities did not say whether they believed there were survivors.

The aviation sector in Indonesia has long been plagued by trouble. In 2018, Lion Air Flight 610 plunged into the Java Sea with 189 people aboard after the 737 Max jetliner’s antistall system, designed by Boeing, malfunctioned. Another 737 Max crashed in Ethiopia in 2019 after a similar erroneous activation of the antistall system, leading to the worldwide grounding of the entire Max fleet for nearly two years. On Thursday, the US government said that Boeing would pay more than $2.5 billion in a settlement with the justice department related to the antistall software.

The Sriwijaya Air plane, while a Boeing 737, was not a Max. Instead, it was from Boeing’s 737 500 series, which is considered a workhorse model with years of safe flying. Sriwijaya Air said in a preliminary statement on Saturday that “management is still communicating and investigating this matter and will immediately issue an official statement after obtaining the actual information”. The plane was in good condition, the airline’s CEO Jefferson Irwin Jauwena said. NYT & REUTERS

Relatives and friends of people aboard the plane waiting at a temporary crisis centre