DMK walks out of assembly, to boycott session

DMK walks out of assembly, to boycott session

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.02.2021

The DMK, the principal opposition, staged a walkout when governor Banwarilal Purohit started his address to the state assembly on Tuesday. The party was protesting against the governor’s inaction on the petition it had submitted listing out corruption charges against the ruling establishment. The party also questioned the governor’s inaction over a cabinet resolution urging the release of the seven convicts undergoing imprisonment in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

“When the governor started his address, I drew his attention to the petition that we have submitted to him, listing corruption charges against the chief minister (Edappadi K Palaniswami), deputy chief minister (O Panneerselvam) and a few other ministers in the cabinet,” Stalin told reporters, at Kalaivanar Arangam, where the assembly session was held to ensure Covid protocols such as social distancing.

“He neither acted on our petition nor on the cabinet resolution seeking release of the convicts held in the Rajiv Gandhi case,” Stalin said. Instead of responding to the DMK’s questions, the governor referred to the central budget and the announcement of ₹1 lakh crore for the highways project, he said. “I have already termed the central budget a lollipop. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced setting up of AIIMS, Madurai in 2015. They enacted a drama of laying the foundation stone ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. But not even a brick has been moved there so far,” Stalin said. “Hence, we have decided to boycott the entire assembly session,” he added.

PMK founder S Ramadoss too felt the governor’s address did not have anything new to offer, other than praising the state government for its efforts during Covid-19 and attracting industrial investments. “Other than giving a telephone number ‘1100’ to enable people to address their grievances, there was nothing new in the address. I hope there will be new announcements at least in the reply to the governor’s address,” Ramadoss said. MDMK general secretary Vaiko said the governor’s address merely reflected the failures of AIADMK’s 10-year rule in the state.

IN PROTEST: DMK president M K Stalin outside the Kalaivanar Arangam, where the assembly session was held, on Tuesday

Sasikala posters: AIADMK expels 3 more partymen

Sasikala posters: AIADMK expels 3 more partymen

Padmini.Sivarajah@timesgroup.com

Madurai/Trichy:03.02.2021

On a day the ruling AIADMK expelled three more party functionaries for putting up posters welcoming former general secretary V K Sasikala from prison, fresh posters, in praise of her, surfaced in many parts of Madurai and Sivaganga.

One set of posters describing her as the “permanent general secretary of AIADMK” appeared in many parts of Madurai city with due credit to K Bhoominathan, Amma Peravai secretary of 8th Block. Madurai district MGR Mandram deputy secretary T Thirumaran, Veerapandi panchayat president V Sugapriya Vijaykumar and another AIADMK functionary, A Muthukumaran, were among others who also put up posters. They hailed her as the epitome of sacrifice.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the chief minister and deputy chief minister in their capacity as party organisers, expelled the Andipatti west union MGR youth wing president Pannai M Chinnaraja for putting up posters hailing Sasikala. In Trichy and Mayiladuthurai, the party expelled two more functionaries for activities against the principles of the party. They were former district panchayat vice-president of Thiruverumbur union, Arasangudi A N Saminathan, and minorities’ welfare wing secretary of Sembanarkovil north union in Mayiladuthurai district, A Qutubuddin.

Meanwhile, son of deputy chief minister Panneerselvam, Jeya Pradeep, who created a flutter last week when he tweeted for Sasikala’s health, clarified that he had only wished Sasikala well on humanitarian grounds.

(With inputs from R Gokul in Trichy)

FRESH TROUBLE: A poster praising Sasikala in Madurai on Tuesday

Scrapped MTech courses: HC tells Anna University to explain

Scrapped MTech courses: HC tells Anna University to explain

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:03.02.2021

The Madras high court on Tuesday made it clear that it would be constrained to stay the decision of Anna University in scrapping MTech Biotechnology and MTech Computational Biology programmes for the academic year 2020-21 if the university failed to give a proper explanation for arriving at the decision.

The courses have been scrapped due to a difference of opinion between the university and the AICTE in following reservation in admission.

Justice B Pugalendhi made the observation while adjourning the plea moved by R Chitra, a student of the university challenging the decision.

When the plea came up for hearing, counsel for the petitioner, Saravanan Annadurai, submitted that the decision to scrap the courses has to be stayed as it is against the interest of the students. However, the counsel representing the university sought time to get appropriate instruction from the university. “The university must give proper and appropriate explanation, or the court will be constrained to grant interim stay as sought by the petitioner,” the judge said and adjourned the hearing to February 3.

According to the petitioner, the central government’s insistence that the university follow only 49.5% reservation and not the state’s 69% quota policy in admission is arbitrary. “The entire infrastructure, resources, salaries of staff and the teaching faculty are all taken care of by the state government. The Centre through its department of biotechnology only provides Rs 12,000 for MTech Biotechnology and Rs 12,500 MTech Computational Biology as stipend. This will not give them any right to insist that only the reservation policy of the Centre should be followed,” she said.

Since the courses are sponsored by the central government, the AICTE wanted the university to follow the 49.5% reservation policy of the centre. But the state government has directed the university to follow 69% reservation. Due to this tug of war between two agenciesour future is at stake, the petitioner said.

Fill backlogs in reserved vacancies: UGC to univs

Fill backlogs in reserved vacancies: UGC to univs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:3.2.2021

The University Grants Commission (UGC) asked the central, state and deemed universities and grant-in-aid institutions to fill up backlogs in reserved vacancies in teaching and non-teaching posts.

"All centrally funded universities, colleges and institutions are required to ensure strict compliance of government of India orders/rules on the reservation in their institutions. State universities including its affiliated, constituent colleges and other institutes functioning within the state should follow the percentage reservation for OBCs, SC/ST as prescribed by the concerned state government," UGC's joint secretary G S Chauhan said in a letter to the registrars of all universities on Monday.

The letter also asked the institutions to display the reservation roster which is to be updated at regular intervals on the website. The registrars also asked to circulate the letters to all constituent and affiliated colleges of the concerned universities.

Income-Tax Slabs Remain Unchanged; Relief For Senior Citizens Above 75 Years : Budget 2021 Highlights

Income-Tax Slabs Remain Unchanged; Relief For Senior Citizens Above 75 Years : Budget 2021 Highlights: The UnionFinance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman today presented the Budget for financialyear 2021

Madras High Court Allows Subordinate Courts In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry To Function In Full Capacity With No Limitations/Restrictions From Feb 8

Madras High Court Allows Subordinate Courts In Tamil Nadu, Puducherry To Function In Full Capacity With No Limitations/Restrictions From Feb 8: The Madras High Court, in an Official Memorandum issued on Monday (01st February), has allowed the Subordinate Courts (in the State of Tamil Nadu and UT of Puducherry) to work in full capacity ...

Rs 63k crore alloted for Chennai Metro Phase-2

Rs 63k crore alloted for Chennai Metro Phase-2

This announcement by Centre has come as Phase-2 Metro rail construction works are underway.

Published: 02nd February 2021 03:44 AM 

By Omjasvin MD

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Months after Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for the 118.9-km Phase 2 Metro stretch in Chennai, the Centre has announced funding of Rs 63,246 crore for the project. This announcement by Centre has come as Phase-2 Metro rail construction works are underway. The stretch will have both elevated and underground lines along Madhavaram-SIPCOT (Siruseri), Lighthouse-Poonamallee and Madhavaram-Sholinganallur. Officials said that once completed in 2026, this will be the longest metro rail stretch in the country, carrying close to 25 lakh passengers a day.

CMRL officials said that Larsen and Toubro is likely to take work orders for the 21-km stretch between Madhavaram and Tharamani. L&T has already received contracts to build stations for the 8-km stretch between Powerhouse and Porur. Officials said 23 tunnel boring machines are likely to be used for the project. It is also funded by various foreign banks such as JICA, ADB, AIIB and NDB. The 45.8 km-long Corridor 3 is from Madhavaram to SIPCOT and will have 50 Metro stations.