மானாமதுரை பேரூராட்சி நகராட்சியாக தரம் உயர்வு

மானாமதுரை பேரூராட்சி நகராட்சியாக தரம் உயர்வு

Added : ஜூலை 16, 2021 23:37

மானாமதுரை-மானாமதுரை பேரூராட்சி உட்பட தமிழகத்தில் 35 பேரூராட்சிகள் நகராட்சிகளாக தரம் உயர்த்தப்பட உள்ளதாக தகவல் வெளியாகியுள்ளது.சிவகங்கை மாவட்டத்தில் வளர்ந்து வரக்கூடிய பேரூராட்சிகளில் மானாமதுரை முதல் இடத்தில் உள்ளது. மானாமதுரையை ஒட்டியுள்ள மாங்குளம், கொன்னக்குளம், கீழமேல்குடி உள்ளிட்ட ஊராட்சிகளைச் சேர்ந்த பகுதிகள் பேரூராட்சி எல்லையை ஒட்டி விரிவடைந்து வருகிறது.தற்போது 40 ஆயிரத்திற்கும் மேற்பட்ட மக்கள் தொகை உள்ள மானாமதுரை பேரூராட்சியை தரம் உயர்த்தி நகராட்சியாக மாற்ற வேண்டும் என்று கடந்த சில ஆண்டுகளாக பல்வேறு அமைப்பினர் கோரிக்கை விடுத்து வந்தனர்.இந்நிலையில் தமிழகத்தில் மானாமதுரை உட்பட 35 பேரூராட்சிகள்,நகராட்சிகளாக தரம் உயர்த்தப்பட உள்ளதாக தகவல் வெளியாகியுள்ளது. மானாமதுரை பேரூராட்சி அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறுகையில், மானாமதுரை பேரூராட்சியை நகராட்சியாக தரம் உயர்த்த வேண்டும் என்று அரசுக்கு முன்பே கருத்துரு அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ளது,அதனடிப்படையில் தற்போது நகராட்சியாக மாற்றும் வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது, என்றார்.

Bus conductor who licked tickets takes Covid test

Bus conductor who licked tickets takes Covid test

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Coimbatore:17.07.2021 

The Tirupur city corporation on Friday collected nasal swabs from a government bus conductor for Covid-19 testing as he was applying saliva on tickets to single them out from the bundle before issuing the same to passengers.

According to an official source, passengers had raised objections when 47-year-old Gunasekaran, a conductor with a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) mofussil bus, used his saliva to single out tickets for issuing the same to them, citing the pandemic situation.

“However, Gunasekaran didn’t pay heed to them. He also didn’t wear the face mask properly. A corporation official was also travelling in the bus. The official alerted an urban primary health centre. Health workers subsequently collected nasal swabs from the conductor from the bus stand opposite to the collector’s office on Palladam Road,” the source said.

Meanwhile, the district chapter of TNSTC has launched an inquiry into the incident. An official said they had directed all the conductors and drivers to maintain hygiene inside the buses to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Passengers had raised objections when 47-year-old Gunasekaran, a conductor with a TNSTC mofussil bus, used his saliva to single out tickets

Sudden showers catch many Chennai residents unwares

Sudden showers catch many Chennai residents unwares

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.07.2021 

Many localities of the city recorded light to moderate rainfall for over 30 minutes on Friday evening.

The Met department has forecast light to moderate rain to continue across the city and neighbourhood in the next 48 hours. Bloggers said the city and the neighbouring districts have a high probability of rain till July 20. Meteorologists said the evening showers were due to strong westerlies that drive the southwest monsoon pushing moisture towards the east coast over the already warm zone. This led to convective spells.

Friday evening saw light to moderate rainfall over many parts of the city and suburbs for over 30 minutes in Nungambakkam, West Mambalam, Vyasarpadi, Korattur, Ambattur, Avadi, Chromepet, Iyyappanthangal and Poonamallee. IMD’s rain gauges recorded the highest rainfall at Villivakkam (70mm), Sathyabhama University (46.5mm) and Nungambakkam (48mm) till 7.30pm. Between June 1 and July 16, Chennai subdivision recorded 126.7mm rainfall, which is equal to the normal rainfall of 126.8mm expected in this period.

Blogger Pradeep John, in his online post, said the city and the suburbs may continue to receive sudden evening spells till July 20 before a low pressure is likely to form close to Odisha coast.

Tambaram-Trichy highway to do away with blackspots, get safer

Tambaram-Trichy highway to do away with blackspots, get safer

NHAI Sanctions 105 Crore To Cut Down On Accidents, Improve Infra Along Stretch

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

17.07.2021 

In a bid to cut down on accidents along the Tambaram-Trichy highway (NH-45), the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has sanctioned `105 crore for constructing bridges, vehicle underpasses, additional lighting facilities and improving road alignment.

The fund allocation comes almost eight years after NHAI identified risky stretches on the NH-45. The highway is one among the top ten most perilous road stretches in the country with 27 accident ‘blackspots’ — a 500m stretch where at least five fatal accidents were reported in a year. At least 40 people died in road accidents at some of these 27 blackspots on NH-45.

NHAI was under fire for failing to take adequate measures to reduce accidents at these places identified in 2012. Tenders were floated but work got delayed due to legal issues and land acquisition hassles.

It was only last year that work started at half-adozen blackspots on the Tambaram-Tindivanam stretch at a project cost of `9 crore. This includes road junctions at Singaperumal Koil, Kattankulathur, Marimalaimagar, Paranur railway bridge and Acharapakkam.

NHAI, which cleared obstacles that caused accidents, put in place metal-beam crash barriers, rumble strips, additional speed breakers, road studs, traffic signals and retro-reflective traffic sign boards.

Construction of pedestrian bridges and installation of pedestrian guard rails were pending at a few locations, an NHAI official from Chennai Regional Office said.

“Blackspot rectification work was delayed due to the lockdown but it has reached the final stage now. We expect to finish it by July-end,” the official added.

However, motorists, who use the Tambaram-Trichy stretch regularly, said their complaints pertaining to street lights have gone unattended.

During the entire lockdown period, road lights near Singaperumal Koil junction were dysfunctional, said G Ganesh from Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners Association. “Several motorists get blinded by the high beam without street lights,” he said.

NHAI had outsourced maintenance work of street lights on the stretch to a private contractor, but were unable to find electricians during the lockdown, Ganesh added.

Tenders have also been floated this month to rectify accident blackspots at Mamandur, Arasur and Ellis Chatram along Tindivanam-Ulundurpet stretch.

NHAI has set a one-year deadline to complete these infra projects.

On the progress of the project, public transport activist R Rengachari said, “The government should also speed up enforcement measures. The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system proposed for NH-45 has been pending for years now”.

ANPR project aims at installing 56 speed sensors and 168 cameras between Chennai and Trichy to automatically detect vehicles travelling above 100 km per hour and penalise them.

Right to be redacted: HC to study status of an acquitted man

Right to be redacted: HC to study status of an acquitted man

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:17.07.2021 

As a simple Google search can make or mar a person’s character, his/her name should be redacted (obscured for legal or security purposes) from judgments if he/she is acquitted in a criminal case, the Madras high court has opined.

Invoking an individual’s right to privacy and the right to be forgotten, Justice N Anand Venkatesh said a Google-search would bring up court judgments, and a person’s name would be shown against alleged crimes even after he was acquitted of all judgments. However, considering the deep ramifications a redact order would bring along, the high court has chosen to hear the views of members of the Bar, including the prosecution, before passing a detailed order on the issue.

A man who was tried for rape and cheating, was convicted and sentenced by a trial court in 2011, but he was acquitted of all charges by the high court in 2014. He has now approached the high court for redacting his name from the judgment.

Justice Anand Venkatesh observed that the petitioner is now facing a very peculiar problem as his name gets reflected in the judgment as an accused, though he was acquitted of all charges. “Unfortunately, whoever types the name of the petitioner in Google-search is able to access the judgment of this court. According to the petitioner it causes a serious impact on his reputation in the eyes of the society,” he said.

Agreeing with the man’s contention, the court said, “today, the world is literally under the grips of social media,” adding that the background of a person is assessed by everyone through Google-search and the first impression is created depending upon the data that is provided. “It will make or mar the characteristics of a person in the eyes of the society,” observed Justice Anand Venkatesh.

The existing laws protect the identity of women and child victims, and their names are not reflected in any order passed by a court, the judge said, adding: “This right has not been extended to an accused person who ultimately is acquitted from all charges.”

The judge further observed it is also brought to the notice of this court that when a similar issue came up before the Delhi high court recently, interim orders were passed directing the websites concerned to redact the name of the petitioner. “It is also informed to this court that a new right called the ‘Right to be Forgotten’ is sought to be included in the list of rights that are already available under Article 21 of the Constitution,” he said.

Justice Anand Venkatesh then observed that though the court found that there was a prima facie case made out by the petitioner and that he was entitled for redacting his name, “this court wants to hear counsel appearing for the respondents and also the members of the Bar and understand the various ramifications before writing a detailed judgment on this issue.”

The judge requested the assistance of the Bar members in this case and posted the case to July 28 for further hearing.

Lockdown extended for 2 wks; edu institutes to remain shut: Stalin

Lockdown extended for 2 wks; edu institutes to remain shut: Stalin

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:17.07.2021

The Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced extending lockdown by two weeks ending 6am on July 31.

In an official statement, chief minister M K Stalin said that certain activities, remained prohibited, including inter-state public and private transport except Union territory of Puducherry, international air travel except the purposes permitted by the Union home ministry, cinema theatres, all liquor bars, swimming pools, all social, political gatherings, entertainment, sports and cultural events, schools and colleges and zoological parks.

“A maximum of 50 persons will be permitted for marriage events and 20 persons in funeral/last rites in a bid to contain the spread,” the chief minister said. The already permitted activities will continue in the state, except containment zones.

Stalin said that industrial training institutes (ITIs) and industrial schools, and typewriting/ shorthand institutes shall function with 50% students at a time and on a rotation basis from Monday. Teachers will be allowed to work in schools to facilitate admission of students, distribution of books and preparation of syllabus.

A maximum of 50 persons will be permitted for marriage events and 20 persons in funeral/last rites in a bid to contain the spread

MK STALIN  Chief Minister

Every decimal to count as no rounding off Class XII marks

Every decimal to count as no rounding off Class XII marks

Govt Move To Make College Admissions Hassle-free

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:17.07.2021 

A decimal point in Class XII marks can decide the fate of a student seeking admission in a college. That’s because marks will not be rounded off this year. This time, subject marks will have two decimal points to break the tie in ranking for engineering and arts and science seats.

An official in the school education department told TOI that Class XII marks will have two decimal points as per the government order. The department is introducing decimal points to avoid confusion in college admissions.

The directorate of government examinations (DGE) on Friday announced that the Class XII results will be declared on July19 and students can download their marksheets from July 22.

The state government cancelled the Class XII board exams due to Covid-19 second wave. As per the expert committee’s suggestion, it was decided to give weightage to Class X and XI board exams and Class XII practical and internal assessment. The Class X marks will carry a weightage of 50% while Class XI will carry 20% and Class XII will carry 30% weightage while computing marks.

Career consultant Jayaprakash Gandhi said there will be a lot of students in the same cut-off due to the weightage system followed this year for awarding marks to Class XII students.

“We suggested giving decimal points to break ties in deciding rank for admissions to professional courses including engineering, agriculture courses. National Testing Agency is giving JEE (Main) results in up to seven decimal points. State government has decided to give results in two decimal points and I welcome the move as it would partially solve problems during admissions,” he said.

He further suggested looking at Class XI maths, physics and fourth subject marks in addition to Class XII marks in maths, physics and fourth subjects, date of birth and random number to break tie while ranking the students. “There are possibilities that many students in Class XII would have scored full marks in maths,” he added.

G J Manohar, principal of MCC Higher Secondary School in Chetpet, said the move would help the colleges during admissions.

Some principals differed and said many students will lose the advantage of getting two or three extra marks. N Vijayan, principal of Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Tambaram, said students may lose three to four marks by not rounding off their marks in each subject. “The universal rule is to discard marks less than 0.5 and add one mark to more than 0.5 mark. Marks with decimal points may lead to some confusion,” he said.

Agnes Rita, principal of GRT Mahalakshmi Vidhyalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Ashok Nagar, too said it would be better to round off the marks.

We suggested giving decimal points to break ties in deciding rank for admissions for professional courses including those in engineering and agriculture. The National Testing Agency is giving JEE (Main) results in up to seven decimal points

JAYAPRAKASH GANDHI

Career consultant