கிறுக்குத்தனமாக பதில் அளிப்பேன்! வெறுப்பேற்றிய வேளாண் அமைச்சர்

கிறுக்குத்தனமாக பதில் அளிப்பேன்! வெறுப்பேற்றிய வேளாண் அமைச்சர்

Added : ஜூன் 08, 2021 01:31

தஞ்சாவூர் : ''கிறுக்குத்தனமாக கேள்வி கேட்டால், கிறுக்குத்தனமாகத் தான் பதில் அளிப்பேன்,'' என, வேளாண் அமைச்சர் பன்னீர்செல்வம் கூறினார்.

அமைச்சரின் பேச்சுக்கு விவசாய சங்கத்தினர் கண்டனம் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர். குறுவை சாகுபடி தொடர்பாக, தஞ்சாவூர், திருவாரூர் மாவட்ட வேளாண் அதிகாரிகள் ஆலோசனை கூட்டம், தஞ்சையில் நேற்று நடந்தது. இதில், வேளாண் துறை அமைச்சர் எம்.ஆர்.கே.பன்னீர் செல்வம், எம்.எல்.ஏ.,க்கள் உள்ளிட்ட பலர் பங்கேற்றனர்.கூட்டத்துக்கு பின், அமைச்சர் பன்னீர்செல்வம் பேட்டி அளித்தார். அப்போது நிருபர்கள், 'நேரடி நெல் கொள்முதல் நிலையங்களில், மூட்டைக்கு, 40 ரூபாய் விவசாயிகளிடம் பிடித்தம் செய்யப்படுகிறதே' என கேள்வி எழுப்பினர்.

உடனே அமைச்சர், ''இப்படி கிறுக்குத்தனமாக கேள்வி கேட்டால், கிறுக்குத்தனமாகத் தான் நானும் பதில் அளிப்பேன்,'' என்றார். கேள்விக்கு உரிய பதில் அளிக்காமல், பத்திரிகையாளர் களை அவமதிக்கும் வகையில், அமைச்சர் பேசியது கடும் அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்தி உள்ளது. அமைச்சரின் பொறுப்பற்ற பதிலுக்கு, விவசாய சங்கத்தினர் கடும் கண்டனம் தெரிவித்து உள்ளனர். காவிரி விவசாயிகள் பாதுகாப்பு சங்கத்தின் தஞ்சாவூர் மாவட்டச் செயலர் சுந்தர விமல்நாதன் கூறியதாவது: விவசாயிகளின் வேதனைகளை வெளிப்படுத்தும் விதமாக, நிருபர்கள் கேள்வி கேட்கின்றனர்.

அதற்குப் பொறுப்பாக பதில் அளிக்க வேண்டிய அமைச்சர், பொறுப்பற்ற முறையில் பேசிஉள்ளார்.இதுபோன்று, அமைச்சர் பொது இடத்தில் பதில் அளிக்கும் பட்சத்தில், ஆட்சி மாறியும், காட்சி மாறவில்லை என்பது போலத் தான் உள்ளது. இது கண்டிக்கத்தக்கது. விவசாய துறைக்கு இவர் பொருத்தமானவரா என்பதை முதல்வர் தான் முடிவு செய்ய வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.அதிகாரிகள் குழு பயணம்தஞ்சாவூர், திருவாரூர், நாகை உள்ளிட்ட டெல்டா மாவட்டங்களில், குறுவை பருவம் துவங்கியுள்ளது. இப்பருவத்தில், 3.50 லட்சம் ஏக்கரில் நெல் சாகுபடி செய்ய, வேளாண் துறை இலக்கு நிர்ணயம் செய்துள்ளது. இதுவரை, 1 லட்சம் ஏக்கரில் மட்டுமே சாகுபடி பணிகள் துவங்கியுள்ளன.

மேட்டூர் அணையில் இருந்து, ஜூன், 12ல் தண்ணீர் திறக்க முதல்வர் ஸ்டாலின் உத்தரவு பிறப்பித்துள்ளார்.காவிரி நீர், கடைமடைக்கு சென்று சேர்வதற்காக மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட கால்வாய்கள், வாய்க்கால்கள் துார்வாரும் பணிகள், 67 கோடி ரூபாய் செலவில் நடந்து வருகின்றன. சாகுபடி பணிகள் குறித்து ஆய்வு செய்ய, வேளாண் துறையினருக்கு, தலைமை செயலர் இறையன்பு உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளார்.இதையடுத்து, வேளாண்துறை செயலர் சமயமூர்த்தி, இயக்குனர் தட்சிணாமூர்த்தி உள்ளிட்ட அதிகாரிகள் குழுவினர், டெல்டா மாவட்டங்களுக்கு சென்றுள்ளனர்.மாவட்ட வேளாண் அதிகாரிகளுடன் சாகுபடி நிலவரம், விதை நெல், உரங்கள், பூச்சிக்கொல்லி மருந்துகள் கையிருப்பு குறித்து ஆய்வு செய்கின்றனர். சாகுபடியில் ஆர்வமில்லாத விவசாயிகளை ஊக்கப்படுத்தவும், தேவையான உதவிகளை வழங்கவும் அறிவுறுத்தி வருகின்றனர்.

How Covid-19 second wave rose like tsunami and is crashing fast

How Covid-19 second wave rose like tsunami and is crashing fast

Corpn’s Multi-Pronged Approach Helped City Shed Tag As Hotspot & Recover

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

Chennai:08.06.2021

The city had more cases, more deaths during the second wave of the viral infection that began on April 11 compared to the first wave in May 2020. While several factors including a highly infectious strain of the virus played a crucial rule in expediting transmission, epidemiologists say efforts taken by Greater Chennai Corporation dragged the curve down quicker this year.

On June 30, 2020, with 2,392 new cases, Chennai reported the highest number of cases for the first wave. It took 30 days for the city to reach the peak from May 31 (prepeak period) when it was reporting around 800 cases. In the second wave, on May 12, Chennai reported 7,564 cases – it’s peak during the second wave – 30 days after 2,105 cases on April 12, 2021. “In 2020, it took 16 weeks for the city to report a pre-peak number of 800 cases a day. In 2021, Chennai did that in a fortnight,” said P Ganeshkumar, epidemiologist, National Institute of Epidemiology.

How did the erstwhile hotspot manage this? Timely lockdown played a crucial role. But public health experts say five key decisions by GCC helped the city. First, besides ramping up testing, the state asked scan centres to share CT reports of patients suspected for Covid-19. Since Covid-19 is a notifiable disease, many patients evaded RTPCR tests and opted for CT scans. “This was one of the first leaks we plugged,” said joint commissioner V Alby John. Last year, while there were similar measures, the data from private labs was shared to members of the public directly. This year, it was the civic body that delivered the test results along with the medical kits.

Second, to stop those tested positive from spreading the infection, the civic agency initiated a slew of measures. It arranged for tele consultations and car ambulances that would pick them up from doorsteps to screening centres and hospitals. Those advised home isolation were given medical kits and were monitored by a special team, including medicos appointed by GCC. “Early isolation and therapy reduced the number of cases and deaths,” said Dr Ganeshkumar. The city also tested more than 30,000 people per day in May 2021. “With high and targeted testing, we were able to identify more cases. Test positivity rate also dropped below 10% eventually in a shorter period of time. Last year, it took about a month in comparison to less than 20 days this year due to higher number of tests,” he said.

Despite all these measures, as active cases in the city crossed 49,000 the pressure on the healthcare system was overwhelming. “The progression of the disease was rapid and unpredictable. And more women and younger people suffered badly, recalls infectious diseases expert Dr S Subramanian. Oxygen and drugs such as remdesivir were scarce.

The city corporation worked with the state health department to ensure timely supply of life saving oxygen gas and drugs at different hospitals. “After several brainstorming sessions, we tightened the existing system and filled some gaps. We took vaccines at people’s doorsteps to ensure vulnerable people are quickly covered,” says GCC commissioner Gangandeep Singh Bedi. “Almost all the measures worked. We know we still have a long way to go to stop the virus,” he said.

Vax drive on hold as TN runs out of stock

NEXT BATCH ON JUNE 9

Vax drive on hold as TN runs out of stock

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:08.06.2021

Tamil Nadu had a little more than 30,000 vaccine doses left on Monday morning, and stocks were nearly emptied out in several districts by evening. By 8pm on Monday, the state announced that 28,000 people received vaccines across the state.

For the second time in the past ten days, the state has announced that it may have to pause the vaccination drive until it receives fresh stock of vaccine from the Centre. The immunisation wing at the directorate of public health said as per the Centre’s schedule for Tamil Nadu, the next batch of around 63,000 doses of Covaxin is expected on June 9 and another 40,000 doses on June10. By June 11, the state is expecting 3.65 doses of Covishield. “The dates are tentative. We have been told that these dates can be preponed or postponed based on availability,” said Dr K Vinay Kumar, joint director (immunisation).

On Monday, several people across the state were turned away by hospitals including tertiary care centres as they did not have vaccines. On June 3, vaccines were available in 2,780 vaccine sessions compared to 1,069 on Monday. With lockdown in force in many districts, people were advised to wait until the vaccination centre close to their homes receives fresh stock. “More people want to get vaccinated now. We have long queues outside vaccine centres, but many centres are turning people away because there is no vaccine,” said state health minister Ma Subramanian. “We don’t stock vaccines at warehouses. All of them are distributed to the districts and cold chain points as soon as stock arrives,” he said.

So far, the state has received 1.01 crore doses of the vaccine under the state and central quota. Of this, nearly 97.35 lakh doses were administered until Monday. In addition, 3 lakh doses have been wasted since inoculation began in January 2021.

In the last week of May, the state said it will pause the vaccination drive after stocks dwindled. But on June 1, the state received 4.25 lakh doses of covid vaccine. The centre promised to double the state’s allotment to 42 lakh in June. This included 25.8 lakh of the Centre’s vaccines and 16.7 lakh doses the state was to buy for people in the 18-44 years age group. “We have to see the Centre’s revised schedule after the PM's announcement on Monday on centralising vaccine procurement,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

So far, 17 lakh doses have been given to people in the18-44 years age group, 26 lakh doses in the senior citizens group and 34 lakh people in the 45-59 years age group. Along with doses given to healthcare providers and frontline workers, this takes the cumulative tally to 97.35 lakh doses.

Central quota rule for teacher test creates confusion

Central quota rule for teacher test creates confusion

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:08.06.2021

Inclusion of noncreamy layer OBC as a category for reservation in the Tamil Nadu State Eligibility Test (TNSET) has caused confusion among thousands of aspiring teachers.

This is because under the state government’s 69% reservation policy, a distinction is not made between “creamy layer” and “non-creamy layer” as the Centre does. However, Annamalai University, which is conducting TNSET 2021 to recruit assistant professors in state universities and college, has made this distinction in the application forms.

Online registrations begin from Monday. A minimum of 55% at the Masters level is the eligibility criteria. There is a 5% relaxation for candidates belonging to socially backward communities. Until last year, this 5% relaxation was provided to Backward Class (BC), Most Backward Class (MBC), Scheduled Caste (SC), and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates. This year, Annamalai University’s notification mentioned SC, ST and Other Backward Class (OBC) as noncreamy layer candidates.

G Uday Shankar, an applicant from Madurai, said that while the first half of the notification mentions providing 5% relaxation for OBC noncreamy layer candidates, there is no such mention in the second half. Instead, it uses the terms MBC and BC while discussing fees and results.

G Karunanidhy, general secretary of All-India Federation of OBC Employees' Welfare Association said, "According to Tamil Nadu's existing 69% reservation rule, there is no such category called OBC non-creamy layer. The state did not accept this reservation concept adopted by the Union government in its recruitment drives."

When asked about this, SS Sivashankar, Tamil Nadu Backward Class Welfare Minister, said that the issue was brought to his attention on Monday morning and he has asked officials to check.

"Since Annamalai University's vice-chancellor post is vacant, we are trying to contact the committee formed to monitor the application process to seek an explanation and the issue will be clarified tomorrow (Tuesday)," he told TOI.

Annamalai varsity notification this year mentioned non-creamy layer OBC as a category

House surgeons stage protest in Coimbatore

House surgeons stage protest in Coimbatore

Coimbatore:  08.06.2021 

As many as 100 house surgeons at Karpagam Medical College and Hospital staged a protest on Monday, demanding an increase of the monthly stipend, accommodation and food facilities.

“They pay us a stipend of 2,500 per month, which is meagre compared to the government stipend of 23,000 a month. They also don’t provide us accommodation or food, despite us working round-theclock,” said a protester. “Any given day, 30 house surgeons are posted in the Covid-19 ward and many are posted in the emergency care, where Covid-19 patients are treated. In the last one month alone, 15 house surgeons were infected with the virus.” By afternoon, the hospital management agreed to provide accommodation. But food will not be free and the stipend will remain the same. TNN

Recover ₹20K from suspended official: SHRC to govt

Recover ₹20K from suspended official: SHRC to govt

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:08.06.2021

The state human rights commission (SHRC) has recommended to recover ₹20,000 from a suspended panchayat secretary in Tenkasi district who had cheated two women of their money after assuring them to get a job as a sweeper and for granting building permission respectively.

SHRC made these recommendations in the petitions filed by P Sundarammal and V Mariammal, residents of Kuvalaikkanni village complaining about Murugan, secretary of the panchayat.

According to Sundarammal, she had paid ₹11,000 to Murugan for appointment to the post of sweeper. Though she was appointed as a sweeper and worked for more than a year, salary was not paid to her. Since no steps were taken on her representation to the district administration officials, she had filed the petition before the SHRC.

Similarly, Mariammal had paid ₹20,000 and ₹1.2 lakh on two occasions to Murugan for getting building permission and for allotment of a group house. Since Murugan did not take steps and failed to return the money, she moved the SHRC.

In his counter affidavit, Murugan denied all the allegations by both women. However, the Tenkasi district collector had submitted a report stating that an inquiry was conducted and Murugan was placed under suspension. During the pendency of the inquiry, Murugan had returned the money to both the women.

Taking into account the submissions, SHRC member A Chittaranjan Mohandoss said that based on the report of the collector, it is clear that Sundarammal was appointed as a sweeper by Murugan in his personal capacity without any appointment order. Salary of ₹45,000 was also paid to her without any records after she had made a complaint to the commission.

The commission said that it indicates that Murugan, by abusing his position as a public servant, had obtained money from both the women.

RTOs to accept licence applications from Thursday

RTOs to accept licence applications from Thursday

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:08.06.2021

Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in Chennai are likely to accept applications for fresh driving licence (DL) and learner's licence from Thursday.

The state transport department has issued orders extending the validity of all motor vehicle documents till September 30. This order is based on Ministry of Road Transport and Highway (MoRTH) guidelines.

There are 13 RTOs in the city and its suburbs. In order to avoid crowds, they were accepting a limited number of applications. Everyday, a few license applicants were allowed to visit these RTOs for tests or submitting photos/ biometric details. But their operations came to halt from May 24.

Now that the government has relaxed lockdown norms in Chennai, motorists have started applying for DLs, LLRs and RCs through the government's online portal (https://parivahan.gov.in/parivahan/).

“Despite so many attempts, I was not able to book a slot online as the portal said services were shut indefinitely,” said Vijayakannan, whose licence is due for expiry in two weeks. “I'm worried if traffic police might fine me for driving with an expired licence,” he said.

In response, a senior transport department official said that there was no need to panic as validity of all motor vehicle documents, which expired since February 1, has been extended till September end.

“We have opened up only today (Monday) with limited staff. So we have not enabled online booking of slots for fresh DL/LLR applications. But we are planning to accept applications for fresh DL and LLR in the next two days” he said, requesting anonymity.

The transport department is waiting for National Informatics Centre (NIC), an union government entity which manages parivahan portal, to depute adequate staff from their end to restart operations in Chennai RTOs.