Wedding cluster in village leads to Covid surge in Nagapattinam

Wedding cluster in village leads to Covid surge in Nagapattinam

After a few months, the district over the past one week has been witnessing a spike in the number of positive cases.

Published: 06th September 2021 04:51 AM |

By Express News Service

NAGAPATTINAM: A series of weddings in the recent past at Panchanathikulam West has led to a surge in Covid-19 cases in the district, with the village alone contributing nearly half in daily caseload.

After a few months, the district over the past one week has been witnessing a spike in the number of positive cases. The district on Sunday recorded as many as 46 new cases. In this backdrop, the Health and Family Welfare Department on Sunday discovered as many as 20 Covid-19 cases in Panchanathikulam West alone. Following the results, all 20 villagers, including a 10-year-old girl, were shifted to the government Hospital and the village was disinfected.

As a precautionary measure, Collector Dr A Arun Thamburaj conducted an inspection and reviewed the situation on ground. The Collector told The New Indian Express, “We are closely monitoring the situation. It is said that most of them participated in wedding ceremonies recently. Fever camps are being conducted and the situation is being monitored closely.”

It may be noted that recently, Annapettai village in the district also recorded a rise, contributing as many as 11 cases on a single day. On Saturday, Thagattur village recorded six cases on the same day.

SC/ST doctors in Telangana allege bias in promotions

SC/ST doctors in Telangana allege bias in promotions

One of their key demands was to establish a roaster system to ensure that eligible doctors from the SC/ST community also got a chance to hold senior posts.

Published: 05th September 2021 01:40 PM | Last Updated: 05th September 2021 01:40 PM | A+A A-

By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Alleging discrimination in the way senior administrative positions of the Health Department are filled, the Telangana SC/ST Government Doctors Association staged a protest in Hyderabad on Saturday, September 4, 2021, demanding parity and transparency in the process.

The protesting doctors stated that despite their seniority and years of experience, they were left out of key positions not only at the level of District Medical and Health officers (DMHO), but also at the level of Principals, Director of Health and Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad Commissioner.

“Of the 100-odd doctors eligible to hold these senior posts, nearly 70 belong to SC/ST groups. Yet none of them have been placed in senior positions of administration,” said Dr Babu Rao, head of the association.

The doctors further said that several key positions were currently held by people of one specific caste. This has been the case for the past 6-7 years, they claimed. One of their key demands was to establish a roaster system to ensure that eligible doctors from the SC/ST community also got a chance to hold senior posts.

Five youth killed as speeding MUV crashes into lorry in Chennai

Five youth killed as speeding MUV crashes into lorry in Chennai

When asked if Naveen, who was behind the wheel, had consumed alcohol, the traffic investigation police said a conclusion can be arrived at only after the arrival of autopsy reports.

Published: 06th September 2021 04:35 AM |

Five youngsters were killed as their car rammed a truck in Perungalatur, in Chennai. (Photo | Express)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Five youngsters died during the wee hours of Sunday after their multi-utility vehicle lost control, brushed past a heavy vehicle, and collided with a trailer lorry parked on the roadside in Perungalathur.

The deceased persons are Aravind Shankar (21) of K K Nagar, Naveen (21) and Raja Harish (21) of Mettur in Salem district, Rahul (20) of Pudukottai, and Ajay (21) of Tiruchy. Chromepet traffic investigation police told The New Indian Express that the five died on the spot and their bodies were damaged severely in the mishap. The premium-segment vehicle was reduced to rubble, indicating the high speed at which the vehicle was running, the police said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident happened between 1.30 am and 2.20 am near a private Information Technology company on GST Road in Perungalathur. CCTV visuals released by the police showed the MUV brushing past a heavy vehicle and ramming a trailer lorry laden with iron rods. On information, the Fire and Rescue Services personnel were pressed into action to retrieve the mangled remains of the bodies. All of them were shifted to Government Chromepet Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Except Naveen, the other four were fresh engineering graduates from a private college in Thoraipakkam. Police sources said that the four of them had campus interviews scheduled on Monday. When asked if Naveen, who was behind the wheel, had consumed alcohol, the traffic investigation police said a conclusion can be arrived at only after the arrival of autopsy reports. Chromepet traffic investigation police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.

Retired hurt, or any other plan?

HYDERABAD CONFIDENTIAL

Retired hurt, or any other plan?

06.09.2021

Ever wondered what happens to the various IPS and IAS officers who retire? The government has appointed several retired babus as advisors in the past seven years, but their services are never utilised once they bid adieu after superannuation. Case in point is retired chief secretary SK Joshi, who was appointed as an advisor (irrigation), but he is conspicuous by his absence in official meetings, especially the crucial KRMB and water-sharing meetings. There are more such instances, so will the ‘advisors’ be dropped for good in future?

Top cop’s job up for grabs?

After VC Sajjanar’s sudden transfer from the high-profile job of Cyberabad top cop, our sources say that more changes are on the cards. Once a favourite poster boy of officialdom, former Cyberabad commissioner CV Anand, who is currently on deputation to the central forces, may get a shot at the Hyderabad police chief’s post. Another IPS officer, Vijaykumar, has reportedly come back to the state after completing his deputation and is waiting for a top posting. It remains to be seen as to who makes it to the top seat in the police department soon if changes do happen.

Any takers for collector’s job?

Is the Medchal collector’s post jinxed? So, it seems that as the government recently shifted and posted collectors for eight districts, Medchal still doesn’t have a full-time collector. Presently, Medak collector S Hareesh is in-charge of Medchal and Preeti Mohanty has also acted as incharge collector for Medchal. Is finding a collector for the crucial Medchal district so tough or the government has other plans?

Two power centres

Is it a case of not putting eggs in one basket? It seems there are two power centres in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). While DS Lokesh Kumar is technically head of the GHMC, there is another power centre at Buddha Bhavan, where GHMC’s enforcement wing boss Vishwajit Kampati operates. While a little birdie says there are rumours that the enforcement wing chief and the GHMC commissioner have some differences in opinion, GHMC sources say the enforcement wing chief is hardly seen in the corridors of power. Vishwajit, who was superintendent of Rajanna-Sircilla district, was literally handpicked by KTR and brought to GHMC.

Karvy trivia

Here is a little trivia for all of you. Did you know that among the more than one lakh victims of Karvy stock broking scam, there are several IAS and IPS officials from the Telugu states? Despite trading and investing in stocks, our sources say they have not come forward and complained. Many All India Service officers and senior babus, who are clients of Karvy, have lost huge amounts of money, but the question is, will they file a complaint? Only time will tell.

No takers for this one

The Telangana Civil Supplies Corporation has been headed by a retired IAS officer V Anil Kumar for over a year now. The talk in the corridors of power is that not many regular IAS officers are keen on occupying the post of the commissioner of civil supplies as it is considered a hot seat. The incumbent is always under the direct supervision of the chief secretary and the chief minister given the fact that paddy procurement is crucial to keep the farmers happy. The flip side, sources say, is the strong nexus between some of the officials of the corporation and the rice millers, and breaking it is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Tailpiece: Neta and Abhineta

If politicians are what they are, actors are proving to be on a par with them in playing political games or are even better on the political turf during elections. Elections to the Movie Artistes Association (MAA) are to be held in October and national award-winning actor Prakash Raj is vying to become president and is calling the right shots. Two other actors, Jeevitha Rajasekhar and Hema, are also known to be in the fray for the top post, but they are now in Prakash Raj’s panel. While Hema is contesting for the post of vice-president, Jeevitha will be fielded for the post of general secretary. With two of the most vociferous women in his panel now, Prakash Raj hopes to make all the right kind of noises in the run-up to the polls.

Coimbatore private schools stop students with pending fees

Coimbatore private schools stop students with pending fees

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Coimbatore:06.09.2021

District chief education officer (CEO) N Geetha said she had been receiving complaints from parents about private schools preventing their wards from attending physical classes, as they have failed to settle the pending fees.

“I have received seven such complaints in person on the first day of school reopening. My office continues to receive such complaints. We have asked the schools not to disallow the students from attending the classes,” she said.

Geetha has also warned of action against the schools if she were to receive written complaints from parents, as the state government had asked the schools not to prevent students from attending the classes.

A senior official with the CEO office said while some cases were genuine, there were also deliberate attempts by parents not to pay the fees.

Pointing out that a parent, who had enrolled three daughters to a private school, hadn’t paid their fees last year, the officer said while the former was ready to pay the first term fee for the current academic year, he was reluctant to pay the pending fees.

“I had lost my job during the pandemic last year. While I have managed to get back to work, it will take time to set my finances right. I can pay the first term fees of this academic year, but I can’t afford to pay the pending fees,” said the parent who approached the CEO office seeking intervention.

The official said the school management was not ready to forgo the pending fees of all the three children. “We too find it unfair on our part to ask the schools to make unreasonable fee waivers.”

Academicians said the issue was mostly faced by the schools on the outskirts of the city, while the known ones in the city with a higher fee structure were able to collect the fees, as they were preferred by the parents who could afford the fees.

Admission to the first category of schools, they said, depended on the quality teachers. “To retain teachers, the schools need to pay them more. Since the fees collected from the students is the main source of their revenue, the schools are insisting on payment of pending fees.”

D C Elangovan, general secretary, Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu, said the high court had a few months ago asked the schools not to insist on fees from parents, who were facing financial issues.

Polytechnic lecturers exam from Oct 28 to 30

Polytechnic lecturers exam from Oct 28 to 30

06.09.2021

Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB) announced that polytechnic lecturers recruitment exam will be held on October 28 to 30. Around 1.26 lakh candidates had applied for the exam that was scheduled in May last year and postponed due to the pandemic. The exam will be a computer-based test. The board had notified 1,060 vacancies in government polytechnic colleges in 2019. TNN

Ex-Union health secretary Keshav Desiraju dead

Ex-Union health secretary Keshav Desiraju dead

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  06.09.2021

Bureaucrat, scholar and public health expert Keshav Desiraju, a former Union health secretary, passed away on Sunday at a city hospital, where he was admitted following health complications. He was 66.

He died on the birth anniversary of his illustrious grandfather S Radhakrishnan, former President of India, which is celebrated as Teachers Day.

An IAS officer from the 1978 batch of the Uttarakhand cadre, he held several key positions in Tamil Nadu and at the Centre. He grew up in Mumbai, where he first heard M S Subbulakshmi, on whom he penned a critically acclaimed book, “Of Gifted Voice: The Life and Art of M S Subbalakshmi”.

He had a masters degree in economics from the University of Cambridge and a masters degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Expressing his condolences, chief minister M K Stalin said Desiraju was a multi-faceted personality whose interests extended beyond bureaucracy and administration.

He was known for his advocacy of mental health and improving public health. Desiraju was one of the architects of the National Mental Health Policy 2016.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, former Union minister Jairam Ramesh, and CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant took to social media to express their condolences.

Jairam Ramesh told TOI that he had close ties with Desiraju and recalled meeting him as a child. “His aunt and my mother were school mates. His uncle and my father-in-law were school mates. He moved to Chennai to be near his aunt and also for his passion for carnatic music. I was planning to call him and was shocked to hear about his death,” Jairam Ramesh said.