City ration shop supplies tea past its sell-by date

City ration shop supplies tea past its sell-by date

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:22.06.2020

A ration shop at Chennai's suburb supplied expired tea packets to beneficiaries on Friday. People from Kadambathur village in Thiruvallur district, who consumed it without checking the expiry date on the wrapper, found the tea extremely bitter. "The tea packets provided to us had expired last year (July 2020)," said Ravi, one of the residents who filed a complaint with the Chief Minister's Special Cell.

Subsequently, employees from the local ration shop arrived at the complainant's house and provided fresh tea packets to them, said Ravi. When asked about this, a senior district civil supplies officer said that the salesman at the Public Distribution System (PDS) outlet named Gandhi had mistakenly provided an old stock without checking the expiry date on it and he is likely to face disciplinary actions for this.

"There was no point in blaming the salesman, who earns around ₹5,000 per month. The highly-paid officials, who are in-charge of monitoring the entire supply chain, should be questioned," said T Sadagopan from Tamil Nadu Consumer Progressive Centre, a not-for-profit organisation.

AS Balaji, another consumer rights' activist from Pattabiram, said that ration shops in the city's western suburbs do not provide bills for any of the packaged items sold to the public. Also, there is no mention of the price, manufacturing date or expiry date on the wrappers, he said.

When private shops don't follow these rules, they can be booked under the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011. But government PDS shops seldom come under these rules, say activists, who blame the state labour and food safety department for lesser number of inspections and inaction.

‘Ready for 50% AIQ seats in MBBS after intimating the SC’

‘Ready for 50% AIQ seats in MBBS after intimating the SC’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:22.06.2021

The Centre is ready to implement 50% OBC reservation under all India quota (AIQ) to medical admission, but only after placing it before the Supreme Court.

A submission to this effect was made before Madras high court in response to a contempt plea by DMK against the Union health secretary and others for non-implementation of a July 27, 2020 HC order granting 69% reservation in state contributed medical and dental seats to AIQ.

A committee has given the options of following state reservation or central reservations but subject to parliament enactments on these seats of state, the Centre told the court.

“We are ready to implement state reservation on AIQ but only after placing it before the Supreme Court in the Saloni kumari case,” it added.

According to the contempt petition, the July 27 HC order order held there was no legal or constitutional impediment to extend benefit of 69% reservation followed in TN in the state contributed seats to the AIQ for medical admission.

The court directed the Centre to set up a committee comprising the TN health secretary and secretaries of the MCI and dental council, among others, to finalise the manner in which such OBC reservation is to be applied to AIQ seats.

The authorities failed to make TN health secretary of Tamil Nadu and DGHS s members of the panel, the petitioner said.

Lockdown FAQs

E-pass mandatory to travel for marriage within state

TOI 22.06.2021 

I want to visit Kerala for a property registration process.if I return within 72 hrs, is the 7-day quarantine necessary? — Mohandas s

Home quarantine is mandatory for seven days.

Can an IRCTC railway agent open his shop in Chennai? — Avinash

The government has not mentioned specifically about railway agents but you can check with railway authorities

We plan to shift our residence from Chennai to Mahabalipuram in the next few days. Can packers and movers transport our household items in their truck to our new residence without e-registration? — Ram D S

The government has permitted movement of cargo. There is no need for e-registration.

My son needs to come for his second dose of vaccination from Mysuru to Chennai.He has gone there to attend yoga classes. Does he need an e- pass? — Rema Bhaskar

Yes. e-registration is mandatory for all to enter Tamil Nadu.

We need to go for a road trip to Tirupati from Chennai. Do we need to have an e-pass? Is any other process involved? — Anand D

There is no need for e-registration to travel. However, it is better to avoid non-essential travel to prevent spread of infection.

My sister’s marriage is scheduled on June 26.We live in Chennai and the marriage is taking place in Kanchipuram. Do we need an e-pass to travel between Chennai to Kanchipuram? — Raju

Yes. E-pass is needed to travel for marriage. The bride/groom or head of family on either side should apply for an e-pass from the destination district for upto 50 guests.

Can all standalone shops open? I run a pawnbroker shop (no jewellery display or sales) in an area of 100 sq ft. — Rakesh

There is no separate mention about pawn shops. You can check with the local police and do accordingly.

FOR COVID-19 RELATED QUERIES AND EMERGENCIES

Helpline: 108/ 104 or 044-4612 2300/ 044 2538 4520

For bed availability, visit: https://stopcorona.tn.gov.in/beds.php

Schools should issue TC immediately to children: Education Dept

Schools should issue TC immediately to children: Education Dept

Reiterating the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the department said that any child up to the age of 14 has the right to move from one school to another and that schools must immediately issue TC.

Published: 20th June 2021 05:05 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Department of School Education, in a recent circular said that delay in producing Transfer Certificate (TC) cannot be considered grounds for denying or delaying admissions for children up to the age of 14.

Reiterating the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the department said that any child up to the age of 14 has the right to move from one school to another and that schools must immediately issue TC.

Further, these children cannot also be expelled till the completion of elementary education (up to Class 8).

The department instructed that children above the age of six years, not admitted in any school can be admitted in a class appropriate to his or her age. The child should be given training to become on par with other students.

Further, no school can collect any capitation fees and subject the child to any screening procedures.

“Receiving capitation fee and subjecting a child to screening procedures in contravention of the provisions of the (RTE) Act is punishable,” the circular read.

Tamil Nadu extends COVID lockdown till June 28. Here is the list of activities allowed

Tamil Nadu extends COVID lockdown till June 28. Here is the list of activities allowed

The public transport such as bus service will resume in Chennai and its three neighbouring districts.In Chennai, Metro service will also be resumed.

Published: 20th June 2021 07:56 PM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu state government has extended the ongoing lockdown till June 28 morning 6 am with some more relaxations starting Monday.

The public transport such as bus service will resume in Chennai and its three neighbouring districts.In Chennai, Metro service will also be resumed.

The new relaxations were given following the recommendations of the medical experts committee and authorities team.

To curb the spread of Covid-19 in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has extended the lockdown till June 28 morning 6 am. The districts are divided into three categories and relaxations vary in each category.

Category 1:

Coimbatore, Nilgris, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Karur, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts:

Existing Lockdown continues without any additional relaxations.

Category 2:

Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Kallakuruchi, Kanyakumari, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Perambalur, Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Ranipet, Sivaganga, Theni, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Tiruppattur, Tiruvannamalai, Thoothukudi, Tiruchirappalli, Viluppuram, Vellore and Virudhunagar districts.

Business hours of the individual shops including tea stalls: Morning 6 am to 7 pm.

Hotel, restaurants, bakeries and food supply e-commerce services: Morning 6 am to 9 pm.

Beauty parlours, saloons and spa, non-AC., will be permitted to function from morning 6 am to 7 pm.

Government departments for essential services will function with 100 percent capacity.

Non-essential departments will function with 50 percent of employees.

The sub-Registrar office will be functioning with full capacity.

All private companies are permitted to function with 33 percent of employees.

Export companies and the units which provide inputs to export companies will be permitted to function with 100 percent of employees.

Shops that sell electric and electronic goods and service centres, vehicle spare parts and service centres, and two-wheeler service centres, stationery shops, cell phone sales and service, construction material sales, footwear shops, opticals, Home finance companies, Non-banking finance companies and microfinance companies will be functioning from 9 am to 5 pm.

Admission and other administration works in educational institutions.

Functioning of sports academies and sports competitions in open places will be permitted from morning 6 am to 5 pm.

Cinema halls can carry out maintenance works once in a week with due permission from the respective Tahsildar.

Category 3:

Chennai, Chennalpattu, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts.

Additional relaxations along with the relaxations given to category 2 districts.

Roadside food stalls can sell foods, only parcel service, from 6 am to 7 pm.

Shootings for cinema and TV serials will be permitted with a maximum of 100 people after conducting the Corona test.

Post-productions works will be permitted.

The public transport within districts and inter districts, only the above four districts, will be permitted with the 50 per cent of passengers, only in non-AC busses.

Call taxi and auto service will be permitted without e-registration.

Metro rail service will be permitted to operate with 50 per cent of passenger capacity.

All construction works will be permitted.

All private companies will be permitted to function with 50 percent of employees.

Fancy stores, vessels stores, xerox shops, tailors, printers, photo and video studios, dry cleaners will be permitted to function from morning 9 am to 7 pm.

Potters and other handicraft workers will be permitted to function from 9 am to 7 pm.

Computer software and hardware sales and service from morning 9 am to 7 pm.

General to all districts:

After getting the e-pass from the respective districts, where the marriage will take place, only 50 persons can attend the marriage functions, except for Coimbatore, Nilgris, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Karur, Namakkal, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai districts.

Emergency travelling for Kodaikkanal, Nilgris, Yercud, Yelagiri and Kutralam will be permitted after getting the e-pass from the respective district collectors.

‘Non-veg’ forwards hit weekend turnout at vaccination camps in Tiruchy

‘Non-veg’ forwards hit weekend turnout at vaccination camps in Tiruchy

Instead of coming forward to take the vaccine, several people are seeking information on future vaccination dates so as to consume meat over the weekend and then take the jab.

Published: 21st June 2021 12:45 AM 

By Jayakumar Madala

Express News Service

TIRCUHY: Even as efforts are on to improve Covid-19 vaccination coverage, unverified messages shared on social media platforms, including WhatsApp, throw a spanner in the toil by officials in the district.

A case in point is the misconception regarding consumption of meat after taking the jab taking a hit on vaccination drives in the city and rural areas during weekends.

According to officials organising the inoculation camps during the weekends, instead of coming forward to take the vaccine, several people are seeking information on future vaccination dates so as to consume meat over the weekend and then take the jab.

For Guru, a mechanic at a private vehicle showroom in the city, a WhatsApp forward prevented him from taking vaccination over the past one month.

"I received a message through one of my friends that we should not consume meat until completion of two doses of the vaccine. Due to this, I have avoided going to the vaccination camps in our neighbourhood. Only today, a doctor informed me that such messages are fake and meat can be consumed like always. If I had known this before, I would have volunteered for my vaccine long ago. I just kept delaying it because it is difficult for me to avoid consuming meat for such a long time".

Doctors from the city opine they have been receiving several calls echoing similar concerns over the past few weeks.

Dr Aleem, former Vice Principal of KAPV Medical College, said, "I have received several calls in the last few weeks asking whether we can consume non-veg food after taking vaccination. There are no such official guidelines till date, and all these misinformation are spread through social media. No vaccine used in regular usage currently requires any form of dietary restrictions. Only thing that people should make sure of is to always follow a good, balanced diet."

With the hoax messages creating doubt in the minds of the public, the officials, who are trying to ensure usage of available vials, are now left with the unenviable task of convincing people to take their jab.

A supervisor of a vaccination camp in the city said, "This misconception is a major problem. We have been advising patients, and making sure they do not delay taking their vaccine. We are also requesting to spread the same information to their relatives, so more people would come forward for vaccination.”

ஒரே நாளில் பட்டா வழங்கிய கலெக்டர்

ஒரே நாளில் பட்டா வழங்கிய கலெக்டர்

Added : ஜூன் 20, 2021 23:44

தஞ்சாவூர்-வீடு கட்ட விடாமல் உறவினர்கள் தடுத்ததால், பெண் ஒருவர் கண்ணீருடன் அழுது 'வீடியோ' வெளியிட்ட நிலையில், கலெக்டர் 24 மணி நேரத்தில் அவரது வீட்டிற்கு சென்று வீட்டுமனைப் பட்டா வழங்கினார்.

தஞ்சாவூர் மாவட்டம், பேராவூரணி அடுத்த பட்டத்துாரணி கிராமத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர் பாஸ்கரன் மனைவி மணியம்மை, 36; மூன்று குழந்தைகளுடன் குடிசை வீட்டில் வசித்து வருகிறார். பாஸ்கரன், மலேஷியாவில் உள்ள ஓட்டலில் தொழிலாளியாக பணிபுரிகிறார். இவர், தன் வீட்டை புதுப்பிக்க முடிவு செய்தார். ஆனால், உறவினர்கள் சிலர் அந்த இடம் தங்களுக்கு சொந்தமானது என, மணியம்மையிடம் தொடர்ந்து தகராறு செய்து வந்துள்ளனர்.

இது குறித்து, 'கலெக்டர்உரிய நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும்' என, மணியம்மை கண்ணீருடன் வீடியோ ஒன்றை வெளியிட்டார். இந்த வீடியோ பரவியநிலையில், கலெக்டர் தினேஷ் பொன்ராஜ் ஆலிெவர் உத்தரவுப்படி, பேராவூரணி தாசில்தார் ஜெயலட்சுமி விசாரணை நடத்தி, கிராம புஞ்சை தரிசு வீட்டு மனைப் பட்டா வழங்கலாம் என பரிந்துரைத்தார்.இதையடுத்து, 24 மணி நேரத்திற்குள் 2.5 சென்ட் வீட்டுமனை பட்டா தயார் செய்து, கலெக்டர் தினேஷ் பொன்ராஜ் ஆலிெவர்,நேற்று மணியம்மை வீட்டிற்கு சென்று வழங்கினார்.