Vacations: Govt, varsities not on same page

Vacations: Govt, varsities not on same page

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:02.05.2021 

There seems to be a lack of coordination between the universities and the state government over summer vacations.

Several universities have recently announced vacations on their own. So the government, it appears, was compelled to announce a common vacation schedule before more universities came forward with such announcements, said sources aware of the matter.

The Gujarat government announced vacations for all universities and colleges in the state from May 1to June 5 amid the prevailing Covid-19 situation.

A few universities had declared vacations ahead of the state government’s announcement due to the worsening Covid-19 situation. For instance, North Gujarat University announced its May vacation a few days ago. On Friday, ahead of the state’s announcement, Gujarat Technological University announced its vacation from May 3 to June 2.

“There was pressure from faculty and other staff members to announce the summer vacation from May,” said a source in GTU. “Since there was no such announcement till the last week of April, the universities began announcing vacations on their own.”

The decision by the state government came after concerns were raised by student bodies and faculty members against the instruction to staff and faculty members to work at colleges and universities. The government had made it compulsory for colleges and universities to continue running at half the staff strength on the rotational basis.

The government began reopening schools and colleges from January this year after they had remained closed for over nine months due to Covid-19. But soon the government decided to shut them down as Covid-19 cases began rising in the state. Online education resumed.

12-hour shift draining us: Madurai GRH nurses

12-hour shift draining us: Madurai GRH nurses

“What’s worse, during monthly periods, nurses could not change their sanitary pads for half a day, until they complete the duty and remove the PPE suits,” she said.

Published: 02nd May 2021 04:11 AM |

Doctors And Nurses seen working with Personal Protective Equipment PPE. (Representational Photo | A Raja Chidambaram, EPS)

By Lalitha Ranjani

Express News Service

MADURAI: Left high and dry in PPE suits for 12 hours in the night with no means to quench their thirst or to attend nature’s call, a group of nurses at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) have raised their voice against the night-duty system.

Sources said that for the past four weeks, GRH nurses on Covid duty work in three shifts – 7.30 am to 1.30 pm, 1.30 pm to 7.30 pm and 7.30 pm to 7.30 am. Terming the 12-hour night shift extremely exhaustive, one of the nurses who completed the duty last month said that they could neither eat, drink water nor to attend nature’s call wearing PPE suit. She also said that the suit leaves them dehydrated. “What’s worse, during monthly periods, nurses could not change their sanitary pads for half a day, until they complete the duty and remove the PPE suits,” she said.

Another nurse said that as per the present arrangement, senior nurses are posted in morning shift while junior nurses, especially those working for consolidated pay, are allotted the 12-hour night duty. “When we requested equal shift hours (three shifts of eight hours each), the matrons informed us that the senior nurses would find it difficult to have their breakfast as early as 5.30 am before starting work and thus eight-hour shifts were not feasible,” she pointed out.

A nurse, who, on Saturday, was assigned the night duty starting Sunday, claimed that the bias shown in duty allocation, forcing junior nurses to work for twice the number of hours than the senior nurses would affect their morale and directly hit patient care. She added that senior nurses are usually exempted from Covid duty due to age factor and comorbidities and regular wards continue to function simultaneously.

“Consequently, the number of nurses available on call for Covid duty is lesser and the number of Covid duty shifts has been brought down to three this time, until fresh recruitments are made,” the nurse added.

During the first wave of Covid-19 last year, GRH nurses worked at the Covid wards in four shifts, spanning six hours each – 7.30 am to 1.30 pm, 1.30 pm to 7.30 pm, 7.30 pm to 1.30 am, 1.30 am to 7.30 am.

When contacted, the Grade I Nursing Superintendent at GRH Kaleeswari said that a new duty roaster of four shifts of six hours each was being prepared. She assured that it would come into effect from Sunday.

Suspended staff getting full benefits, rues HC

Suspended staff getting full benefits, rues HC

The petitioner, Arockiyasamy, was caught taking a bribe of Rs 2,000 by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corrupt ion sleuths in 2009.

Published: 02nd May 2021 04:15 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Observing that several corrupt government officials placed under suspension are being paid all monetary benefits, while many deserving candidates are engaged as contract workers and paid meagre salaries, the Madras High Court dismissed a plea moved by a Sanitary Inspector seeking to quash the proceedings initiated against him in 2009.

The petitioner, Arockiyasamy, was caught taking a bribe of Rs 2,000 by Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corrupt ion sleuths in 2009. A special court in 2020 convicted him and awarded him four years of rigorous imprisonment and Rs 5,000 fine. Arockiyasamy then moved the High Court challenging the disciplinary proceedings initiated against him by the State.

Dismissing the plea, Justice S Vaidyanathan said, “It is pertinent to mention here that even on conviction of an employee, departmental proceedings shall be conducted, as there is every possibility of the conviction being set aside by a higher forum. The corrupt employee or official should not be allowed to go scot free on the ground of non-initiation of departmental proceedings.” The court also made it clear that the DVAC enquiry against Arockiyasamy should not be stalled for any reason.

“It is painful to note that several talented persons are working on contractbasis, especially in the Public Works Department , under Non-Muster Roll for years together without regularisation. Deserving persons are paid meagre salary, whereas corrupt officials, who are placed under suspension, are paid all monetary benefits, including arrears of subsistence allowance on the ground of technical flaws,” the judge further observed.

US allows kin of its mission staff ‘voluntary departure’

US allows kin of its mission staff ‘voluntary departure’

New Delhi:02.05.2021

The United States has authorised “voluntary departure” of family members of employees posted in its diplomatic missions in India and encouraged other citizens who wish to leave the country “to take advantage of currently available commercial flights”.

From 9.30am IST on May 4, the US will “restrict and suspend” the entry of “non-citizens”, with some exceptions, who were in India during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into America.

“...US Embassy New Delhi and Consulates General Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai will remain open and continue to provide emergency consular services,” states the website of the US embassy and consulates in India. TNN

EC moves SC against Madras HC’s ‘murder charge’ remarks

EC moves SC against Madras HC’s ‘murder charge’ remarks

Observations Made By HC Uncalled For: EC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:02.05.2021

Smarting at being lambasted by Madras high court which observed that Election Commission “should be put up on murder charges” for failure to maintain Covid protocol during election campaigns, the commission has moved the Supreme Court against HC for making derogatory remarks against the poll watchdog.

The commission submitted observations made by the high court were “uncalled for, blatantly disparaging and derogatory”. It said the HC should not have passed such remarks against a constitutional body, reflecting its sense the remarks were over the top and lacked a sense of proportion.

In an appeal filed against the HC order, the commission said the Madras high court being an independent constitutional authority made “serious allegations of murder on another independent constitutional authority without any basis, which has ultimately dented both the institutions.”

The HC on Monday came down heavily on the EC for not enforcing Covid-19 protocol during poll campaigning for assembly elections and blamed the panel for the spread of pandemic during election time.

“You (ECI) are the only institution responsible for the situation that we are in today. You have been singularly lacking any kind of exercise of authority…You have not taken measures against political parties holding rallies despite every order of this court saying ‘maintain Covid protocol, maintain Covid protocol’ like a broken record,” the HC had said.

HC made the observations while hearing a public interest writ petition filed by Tamil Nadu transport minister M R Vijayabhaskar, who is AIADMK’s candidate in Karur constituency where 77 candidates are in the fray. He had sought directions to the ECI to follow measures aimed at ensuring fairness in the counting of votes on May 2 when Covid protocols will be in place.

“The significance of adhering to such protocol may have been lost on the EC going by the puerile silence on the part of the commission as campaigns and rallies were conducted without distancing norms being maintained and in wanton disregard of the other items of the protocol,” the court had said.

Election commission said the Madras HC being an independent constitutional authority made “serious allegations of murder on another independent constitutional authority without any basis, which has ultimately dented both the institutions”

Govt paid ₹4.5cr for work not done, NGO tells DVAC

Govt paid ₹4.5cr for work not done, NGO tells DVAC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:02.05.2021

Chennai based anticorruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam has filed a complaint with the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) charging that the state health department made an irregular payment of ₹4.5 crore to a contractor who did not deliver a health management information system.

The health management information system was supposed to have improved features of integrated patient record and live dashboards among others. The contract was awarded in May 2017.

A senior health department official said the contractor had completed a portion of the work and was paid money for that. “Every aspect has been documented properly and passed through a committee,” the official said, denying the allegations.

According to documents submitted by Arappor to the DVAC, the contractor was the sole bidder as the only other participant did not qualify in the prequalification criteria. The agreement was signed for ₹17 crore. The software was to be delivered by April 2018 and the contract included maintenance for four years there after.

Quoting official documents, Arappor said nothing was delivered till April 2018 and even pilot runs done in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Government Royapettah hospital were failures. Doctors shared feedback on how cut and paste MIS charts from the election department and weather department were used to cheat the hospital, Arappor said.

The National Health Mission had issued a show-cause notice to the contractor in September 2019 and stated that not even 10% of the work assigned was done. A termination order was issued in December that year. However, then health secretary Beela Rajesh wrote to the NHM in February 2020 to reconsider the termination. Another opportunity was given to the contractor and by July 2020, the work was not completed.

“Despite this, the tender was not cancelled and a note was circulated to pay them ₹4.5 crore with false claims of completion,” JayaramVenkatesan, convenor of Arappor Iyakkam, said in the complaint to DVAC.

This is why we have not been able to see live dashboards of bed availability, Jayaram said.

Arppor Iyakkam, in its complaint to DVAC, said the state health department paid ₹4.5 crore to a contractor who failed to deliver a health management software

Mad scramble for US flight tickets sends fares soaring

Mad scramble for US flight tickets sends fares soaring

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:02.05.2021

The US’ ban on entry of Indian citizens from Monday has left many in the city scrambling for a flight out.

The sudden ban on non-citizens has impacted those who need to get back for work and those returning to their families. Many living in the US want their relatives to join them given the worsening Covid-19 situation in Chennai.

Since Chennai does not have direct flights to the US and transit hubs in the Middle East have barred Indian travellers, direct flights from Delhi — via Air India and United Airlines — were the only options. Qatar still allows travellers to transit via Doha. But fares are too high.

The demand has surged as people, who had been trying for tickets for travel next week, have joined other travellers hoping to reach the US before the slim window shuts completely. The high demand caused one-way airfare to shoot up to ₹4.6 lakh on some routes.

SSuresh, who was scheduled to travel to New York with his wife on May 11, was lucky as the airline agreed to advance the travel dates for ₹25,000 per passenger. “I thought I would not be able to travel as seats were not available or fresh tickets cost a couple of lakhs. However, the airline told us that the ticket can be advanced for a fee,” he said. However, many others were not so fortunate as people from across the country were all vying for seats on flights from Delhi.

With many unable to get seats on flights from Delhi, charter flights from Chennai and Mumbai to different US cities are now under consideration by hiring long haul aircraft from airlines. The cost for economy class works out to ₹1.6 lakh.

While travel agents and the airline helplines were flooded with requests for seats, social media groups created by the Indian diaspora in the US saw a flurry of activity with many seeking help to be reunited with family. There was a lot of confusion about transit via Qatar and Europe and travel eligibility. The requirement for an RTPCR test report taken 48 hours before departure is also posing a hassle for passengers.

Basheer Ahmed of Chennai Metro Travels said: “Air fares have shot up because of the demand. People are ready to spend ₹5 lakh on business class. Those who are trying to travel before the deadline are struggling to get an RT-PCR test report. They do not have enough time to get the results even if tests are given at labs.”