Even 12 days after inauguration, Thanjavur bus stand fails to become operational

 Even 12 days after inauguration, Thanjavur bus stand fails to become operational

The smart city bus stand has 39 bus bays, five waiting halls for passengers, a mother feeding centre, four toilet blocks each two for men and women, six drinking water kiosks, a clock room and a time

 Published: 21st December 2021 09:27 AM  

By N Ramesh

Express News Service

THANJAVUR: The Thanjavur old bus stand, which has been redeveloped under the Smart City scheme and inaugurated by Chief Minister M K Stalin through video conference on December 8, is yet to become operational. Passengers are still seen going to the temporary bus stand at Karanthai area. To carry out the construction work, the terminus was closed on September 8, 2019.

Passengers who take the buses from the old bus stand area can be seen standing in the open braving the sun and rain owing to the delay in beginning operations at the bus stand. Two of the 20 components of the Smart City scheme pertain to the redevelopment of the Thanjavur old bus stand and converting the nearby terminus for Tiruvaiyaru route buses into a multi-purpose parking area.

According to sources, a sum of Rs 14.88 crores was spent for the redevelopment of the old bus stand and Rs 13.85 crores for converting the Tiruvaiyaru route bus stand into a mixed-use, multi-level parking area.

Though  works had to be completed by October 2020, even after adjusting the schedule due to the pandemic, the construction work ended only a few months ago.

According to sources, shopkeepers who took shops inside the terminus on lease had sought time from the City Corporation to furnish their shops and the administration had also given a week's time. However, even after the lapse of 12 days, the bus stand has not become operational.

"We have been demanding the early opening of the bus stand. Now, even after the inauguration ceremony, passengers and bus crew are suffering as operations are yet to begin," rued D Mathivanan, State vice-president of Tamil Nadu State Transport corporation (TNSTC) workers federation (AITUC).

"To reach the temporary bus stand at Karanthai, TNSTC has to spend extra fuel. Passengers also have to suffer standing outside the old bus stand in the open. The redeveloped bus stand, now called the smart city bus stand, must be made operational without delay," he said.

The smart city bus stand has 39 bus bays, five waiting halls for passengers, a mother feeding centre, four toilet blocks each two for men and women, six drinking water kiosks, a clock room and a time office. Besides, there are 40 shops and a separate restaurant block. The multi-purpose parking area, developed at the erstwhile Tiruvaiyaru route bus terminus, has a parking area with space for 434 two-wheelers and 61 four-wheelers. Besides, there are 31 shops and eight restaurants on this complex.

When contacted K Saravanakumar, Commissioner of City Corporation, told TNIE that he would take immediate action to begin the operations at the bus stand.

'Only safe in mother's womb or grave': Chennai teen's suicide note after sexual harassment

'Only safe in mother's womb or grave': Chennai teen's suicide note after sexual harassment

According to reports, a 21-year-old boy has confessed to the police that he was sexually harassing her

Published: 20th December 2021 06:03 PM 

By Online Desk

Three days after a 17-year-old girl allegedly committed suicide for being sexually harassed, the Mangadu police arrested a 21-year-old college student on Monday in connection with the case.

In a suicide note found from her room, the teen has mentioned that “a girl is safe only in the mother's womb or grave.”

The accused, Vicky alias Vignesh of Karayanchavadi, was a senior of the deceased at the same school. Police claimed that the two became friends on Instagram and the accused posted pictures of him working out in the gym on social media which gained the girl's attention and eventually developed into a relationship.

Currently, Vignesh is pursuing electronics and communications engineering at a private engineering college.

According to reports, the 21-year-old boy has confessed to the police that he was sexually harassing her.

"The boy has confessed to a physical relationship with the minor girl. In the last two weeks, he had been harassing and torturing her. We have located filthy messages and the exchange of photographs. They had a good friendly relationship for eight months before all this," a police official was quoted as saying by NDTV.

The accused has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

It is to be noted that the suicide note which had 'Stop Sexual Harassment' on top and ended with the words 'Justice for me' did not specify who had harassed her, mentioning 'relative, teacher, everyone'. Based on this, the police are probing if she was harassed by anyone else too.

In the suicide note, she also mentioned that the school was not safe and teachers could not be trusted, adding that she could not even study or sleep because of "mental torture even in her dreams".

"Every parent should teach their kids and sons (to treat) girls with respect," wrote the 17-year-old.

The girl's mother had stepped out for an hour and upon returning, she found that the teen had allegedly died by suicide.

(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu's health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)

Illegal OU hostellers told to vacate by Friday

Illegal OU hostellers told to vacate by Friday

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:21.12.2021

Osmania University (OU) has warned all the unauthorised persons staying in hostels to vacate the rooms before 12 pm on December 24 (Friday) following conclusion of the semesters.

“The bonafide students are demanding the OU authorities for evacuating unauthorised persons from hostels to control undue incidence and inconvenience in hostels,” stated the university spokesperson in a press statement.

The authorities further warned that those who do not vacate will be evacuated forcibly and be liable for legal action for trespassing on the university premises. “The exit of the unauthorized persons who occupied rooms during the lockdown will facilitate the admission of bonafide students of campus and constituent colleges seeking admission into university hostels,” the authorities added.

Meanwhile, OU along with Telangana State Council of Higher Education is holding a seminar on December 22 and 23 on national education policy to strategise its implementation in a phased manner.

Break the chain of fake news, try Times Verified

Break the chain of fake news, try Times Verified

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

21.12.2021

Social media, which connects and catalyses change, can also be a minefield of fake news and falsehoods. A steady, constant stream of misinformation is spread through platforms and networks that link families, friends and associates. The undercurrent of anxiety and panic is palpable.

As changing dynamics pit media against emerging forms of communication, TOI has tried to meet the challenge by putting even greater emphasis on news verification. We don’t claim to have all the answers, but we do have rigorous systems in place to check information before we publish it. In case an error still slips through, we acknowledge it and are quick to set the record straight.

In keeping with the same spirit, Times Verified seeks to provide clarity and accuracy on vital issues through a collaborative effort with readers. We see this as a service that we wish to provide to our readers with a sense of utmost humility and responsibility. We will not declare that something is true or fake unless we are fully satisfied with our due diligence. And if we are not in a position to reach a definitive conclusion, we will not shy away from saying so.

Since beginning a trial run in some cities a few months ago, we have scrutinised close to 25,000 messages sent by our readers on a dedicated line. They ranged from forwards about the demise of a decorated war veteran, to a cell phone number for sourcing drugs for Covid patients, and a purported announcement on another impending lockdown.

Our panel, comprising editors and reporters who cover various agencies and sectors, submitted the data, reports, statements and other details that came in for corroboration to experts and relevant authorities. Their inputs helped us get back to the reader with as clear a picture as possible.

Some of the messages analysed were downright absurd—“all citizens are entitled to Rs 7,000 per week to stay at home to combat the virus”—but there were several that seemed to carry a ring of authenticity, providing information on apps offering vaccination slots or quoting statements attributed to people in important positions (“Mike Yeadon, former chief scientist at Pfizer, declares vaccine a threat to human life”).

This is clearly the more insidious side of social media; half-truths dressed up to appear real. The challenge is to analyse such viral fakes and separate fact from fabrication. This is important because fake news can quite literally be lethal.

“The rapid spread of false information during a pandemic can cost people their lives,” says US-based physician Dr Seema Yasmin, whose recent book speaks about how misinformation spreads faster than microbes in times of crisis. “In the last year we’ve seen people write Facebook posts from their hospital beds saying they didn’t believe the pandemic was real because of what they’d read on social media and now they were infected,” adds Yasmin, stressing on the need to identify red flags in information packaged to be “very certain”.

With truth being the best, most effective vaccination to counter the epidemic of fake news, we urge you to forward all dubious, anxiety-causing messages to our expert panel. Let the green tick in the Times Verified logo counter the tyranny of the grey curved arrow of forwards.

HP staff to get revised pay scales from 2016

CABINET MEETING

HP staff to get revised pay scales from 2016

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Shimla:21.12.2021

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet on Monday decided to provide revised pay scales to about 2 lakh employees of the state government from January 1, 2016. The employees would get salary of January 2022 payable in February 2022 in revised pay scale. This would put an additional burden of about Rs 4,000 crore annually on the state exchequer. The state government has already provided an interim relief of about Rs 5,000 crore to the employees as part of the arrears.

After the revised pay scales due to higher fixation for about 1.05 lakh NPS employees, Rs 260 crore would be spent as government contribution as 6-year arrear under NPS. Decision was also taken to increase the salary of contractual employees.

The cabinet also decided to promulgate Himachal Pradesh Swarn Jayanti (Legacy Cases Resolution) Scheme, 2021 for settlement of arrears of tax, fee, interest, penalty etc which are pending for recovery or are pending in the appellate forums or may accrue in future as a result of disposal of pending tax assessment under the various enactments. This would also address tax dues which are trapped in cases that have not been assessed so far as well as those cases where arrears have been declared under the Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue Act, 1954.

The cabinet also accorded its approval for creation of new sub-division (civil) at Kupvi in Chopal assembly constituency of Shimla district. It gave its approval for filling up of three posts of inspector in food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department on a contractual basis through direct recruitment.

It approved FOR science classes in government senior secondary schools, Mahog in Karsog area, Kamad, Sianji, Baggi, Nagwain, Seri Kothi and Talyar in Mandi district, and Gushaini in Banjar area of Kullu district and commerce classes in government senior secondary school, Bathalang in Arki area of Solan district.

Private varsities’ Bill passed in assembly

Private varsities’ Bill passed in assembly

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chandigarh:21.12.2021

The Haryana legislative assembly passed the Haryana Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which was tabled on the first day of the ongoing winter session on Monday.

The Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has been passed to further amend the Haryana Private Universities Act, 2006. In order to accommodate the unprecedented growth of students in higher education, and also to cross the target of 50% gross enrolment ratio (GER), as per National Education Policy, 2020, there is a need to roughly double the number of institutions at all levels and the government intervention would not be adequate to meet this benchmark. Haryana Private Universities Act, 2006, has been brought essentially to rope in private sector to supplement the government initiative in expanding the capacity in higher education and upscaling its standards. To achieve the objectives of the Act, proposal has been made to setup Geeta University in Panipat.

OTHER BILLS

Three other bills were also tabled in the House — The Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021, The Haryana Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2021 and The Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2021 — and will be passed later after a detailed discussion.

No non-academic work for teachers in school hours, says Haryana min ‘Will Be Paid If Assigned Other Duties’

ASSEMBLY SESSION

No non-academic work for teachers in school hours, says Haryana min

‘Will Be Paid If Assigned Other Duties’

Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh:21.12.2021

The teaching staff in the state-run schools of Haryana would not be assigned any nonteaching work during the school hours. The state has also decided that teachers would be paid, in case they are assigned any non-teaching work by the state authorities in addition to their teaching work, during the non-school hours.

State education minister Kanwar Pal provided this information while replying to a question by Meham MLA Balraj Kundu during the ongoing winter session on Monday. Kundu had asked the reasons for which teachers in schools are being assigned non-teaching work against the rules and despite the Supreme Court instructions.

The minister said in addition to their primary duty of teaching, teachers would be required to undertake only statutory duties like election and census work. For any other work that teachers may be asked to do, deputy commissioners or any other department will seek the prior approval of the director general school education, who would then ensure that it has the least adverse effect on teaching. The minister said instructions in this regard were issued in September 2005 to all administrative secretaries, department heads and deputy commissioners in the state.

“It has also been decided that for any duty other than teaching, which teachers may be assigned assigned/required to undertake, they should be asked to do this duty only after school hours and they should be paid honorarium suitably by the department concerned for undertaking the work so allowed by the education department,” the minister stated. Recently, teachers were assigned survey work for the Haryana government’s much touted project Parvivar Pahchan Patra (PPP). Those connected to teachers’ associations had informed TOI that in most parts of the state teachers were not paid for the survey work done by them for PPP. Some teachers were even assigned work in the state revenue department’s survey regarding updation of land falling under “lal dora”. Apart from this, teachers are even deployed for voter verification-related duties.

However, Haryana School Lecturers Association president Satpal Sindhu said teachers should not be given any kind of non-teaching duty even after the school hours as it “affects teaching work because teachers have to prepare the lesson plan for the next day”.