Shah to meet TN all-party delegation on NEET on Jan 17

 Shah to meet TN all-party delegation on NEET on Jan 17

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Shanmughasundaram.J@timesgroup.com

11.01.2022

Chennai: Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to meet a seven-member all-party delegation from Tamil Nadu MPs on January 17 to discuss the anti-NEET bill and the ‘delay’ on the part of governor R N Ravi in forwarding it to the President for his nod, multiple MPs told TOI.

The development comes in the wake of the political parties strongly condemning the Union minister for not meeting the MPs from the state on multiple occasions. The issue took a political turn with chief minister M K Stalin strongly condemning the home minister on the floor of the state assembly last week for refusing an audience for the representatives of people and dubbed his act “anti-democratic”.

The MPs, who are part of the delegation, confirmed to TOI that they received a communication that Shah would meet them on January 17. “We received a communication (from DMK MP T R Baalu) regarding the appointment with home minister Shah coming Monday. The time of the meeting was tentative (between 4 pm and4. 30 pm),” said a member of the seven-member MP delegation that would be led by DMK Parliamentary party leader T R Baalu.

A few other members of the team too confirmed the schedule of the meeting with Shah. “We learned that the PM (Narendra Modi) directed Shah to meet the TN MPs,” said a senior DMK leader.

A Navaneethakrishnan of AIADMK, Navas Kani of IUML, Su Venkatesan of CPM, K Jeyakumar of Congress, Thol Thirumavalavan of VCK, Vaiko of MDMK would be part of the all-party delegation, sources confirmed.

 

PM Modi cancels visit to TN

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

11.01.2022

Chennai:In the wake of surge in Covid-19 cases in the country, Prime Minister Narendera Modi has cancelled his scheduled visit to Tamil Nadu on January 12. He will inaugurate11 new government medical colleges across the state and the new campus of the Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Perumbakkam at 4 pm via video conferencing on the same day.

 The new colleges have been established at ₹4,000 crore in Virudhunagar, Namakkal, The Nilgiris, Tiruppur, Thiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Ramanathapuram and Krishnagiri. While the Centre gave ₹2,145 crore, the balance was borne by the Tamil Nadu government. “Establishment of these colleges is in line with the PM’s constant endeavour to promote affordable medical education and improve health infrastructure in all parts of the country,” said a PMO release.

 

Shortage mars Pongal gift hamper distribution

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Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

11.01.2022

Chennai: Complaints of missing items, inferior quality and delayed distribution has surrounded the distribution of Pongal gift hampers to ration card holders.

The hamper contains 21 essential items. While initially there were complaints of missing items, now the standard of the items has come into question. For instance, some of the packets distributed at the Public Distribution System (PDS) outlet in Besant Nagar were damaged by rats. “Thankfully, we spotted it,” said Vijay Bobby, aration cardholder who raised the red flag.

On the other hand, the card holders in Chennai's neighbouring districts noticed a stark contrast between the quantity of the items promised. K Bethraj, a consumer rights activist from Kancheepuram said the packets distributed at the shops lo- cated near the collectorate at Pillayarpalayam contained only 10g-14g of cashew and 3g of cardamom instead of the 50g and 10g that were promised by the state government.

Besides, in Chennai, there was a shortage of the gift hampers resulting in serpentine queues outside the PDS outlets in Madipakkam and Kodambakkam on Monday.

F Syed, a cardholder from Madipakkam, said they were sent back home after waiting for hours. The employee at the shop attributed the delay to inadequate sugarcane supply. “Contrary to the government’s announcement, tokens for the gift hampers were not distributed. We waited the whole day at the ration shop to get the tokens. It makes no sense as those without the tokens are allowed in the queues,” he said.

A senior government official said the delay was due to the complete lockdown on Sunday, and they were taking steps to completedistribution.

23 districts report fresh cases in TN

 23 districts report fresh cases in TN

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

11.01.2022

Chennai: At least 23 districts reported an increase in fresh cases on Monday. Tamil Nadu reported 13,990 new cases, while Chennai logged 6,190 cases.

The sharpest increase was recorded at Tiruvallur, where cases went up to 1,054 from 702 cases on Sunday. City’s two other neighbours – Chengalpet (1696) and Kancheepuram (508) – also reported an increase compared to their Sunday tally.

Although the active cases in the state swiftly rose to 62,767 on Monday including 30,843 in Chennai, the percentage of active patients in hospitals have come down drastically. In a city like Chennai, more than 90% of the population have taken at least one dose, and 70% have taken both doses, hospitalization and deaths are low. “It is still important to follow precautions,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

Coimbatore reported 602 cases on Monday. Trichy (348), Madurai (330) and Ranipet (272) also logged a significant increase in new cases.

On the first day of launch, 20,765 people took the precautionary dose. At least 2. 5 lakh people took the vaccine on Monday. This includes 84209 people who took the vaccine on Monday. With this, 87. 29% adults have taken the first dose and 60. 20% second dose.

‘Allow train travel even if cases rise’

 ‘Allow train travel even if cases rise’

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Ayyappan.V@timesgroup.com

11.01.2022

Chennai: Suburban commuters are a worried lot as they fear the railways may bring in further restrictions and convert trains into workmen specials if cases continue to spike.

A forum of suburban commuters has appealed to the railway authorities to allow employees of private firms to travel in trains if they show a letter from their employers.

More than four lakh commuters use the suburban trains in the city. Railways have tightened rules to ensure that people use masks at stations and on trains all the time.

After vaccine certificates were made compulsory, commuters had appealed to the DRM not to bring in further restrictions. They said that barring commuters from using suburban trains had led to job losses when the pandemic began in 2020.

K Baskar, a frequent commuter, said, “We have appealed to the railways to not bring back the workmen special because suburban services are the mainstay for several people who commute for work to the city. ”

The forum of suburban commuters has also requested the railways to not bar people from using trains even if Covid-19 cases are high, he added.

Suburban trains are the mainstay for people who travel for work in industrial estates at Guindy, Ambattur, Kakkalur and others. Most firms in these estates get their employees from Arakkonam, Tiruvalangadu, Tiruvallur and other areas.

“Many people were forced to travel by motorcycles all the way to the city during the first wave to save their jobs. That should not be the case this time if the government is going to declare a shutdown,”Jayapaul, a frequent commuter said.

A railway official said that the restrictions are being imposed on suburban services to ensure people can travel safely. Further decisions will be taken based on instructions from the railway board.

On Day 1 of booster dose, many hopefuls sent back

 On Day 1 of booster dose, many hopefuls sent back

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Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

11.01.2022

Chennai: On the first day of vaccine booster programme in the city, officials of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) said they were unaware of the campaign. Several people who had queued up were sent back home.

Greater Chennai Corporation on Sunday had announced that booster doses will be available at 140 PHCs in the city. However, soon after chief minister MK Stalin launched the campaign at MRC Nagar on Monday, complaints began to pour in.

S Ganesh, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur, said he visited three PHCs in his area to get the booster shot for his 73-yearold mother, but could not get it. He said he had received a text message from the government on Sunday requesting her to get her third dose.

“Workers deployed at helpdesks in Thiruvanmiyur, Kottivakkam and Palavakkam PHCs had no information regarding the booster shot. The situation was no different at Virugambakkam PHC. Overall, it was a mess,” he said, hoping that the government will rectify the matter in the next one or two days.

People residing within Tambaram and Avadi corporation limits faced a different set of problems. “Government hospitals here do not have adequate Covaxin stock. So only those who had received two doses of Covishield were able to get inoculated,” said SM Govindarajan from Federation of Residents' Welfare Associations in Tambaram.

In Avadi, even though booster doses were available, not many were aware about the campaign, eligibility and documents required. “Some eligible people arrived at PHCs here without Aadhar card, printed copies of comorbidity or vaccine certificates. So they were sent back,”said T Sadagopan, a resident-activist from Pattabiram.

None of the private hospitals administered the third dose. Their names were not even listed on the official Cowin website. “It would be better if the government starts vaccinating people at their doorsteps,” Sadagopan said.

GCC Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said doorto-door vaccine campaigns for booster shots will begin soon. People who are 60 or above can contact 1913, 044-25384520 or 044-46122300 to register.

30% of all positive cases in city are household contacts Corpn Asks Infected To Wear Mask At Home Too

 

30% of all positive cases in city are household contacts

Corpn Asks Infected To Wear Mask At Home Too

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Omjasvin.MD@timesgroup.com

11.01.2022

Chennai: Around 30% of people with Covid-19 in the city are those who share homes with quarantined patients, the city corporation has found.

According to data collated by the corporation through contact tracing, 1,502 of the 5,040 people who tested positive on January 8, are family contacts or those who shared the household with quarantined patients.

Such cases made up half the new infections in north Chennai, where manyneighbourhoods have small houses. In Madhavaram zone, 60% of cases were household contacts, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar reported 49% of them, and Tondiarpet 43%.

Such cases were fewer in Anna Nagar, Teynampet and Adyar, where housesaregenerally bigger. Only 12% cases are family contacts in Anna Nagar zone, 25% in Teynampet and15% in Adyar.

With this learning, the city corporation has suggested people sharing houses with patients wear masks all the time.

Corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the civic body could do little to contain spread in homes. “We are efficiently containing it in public places,but mostcases arecoming from inside homes. Only wearing masks at home can reduce the spread,” the commissioner said.

Medical experts also suggested the same thing. Dr C Jagadeesh, senior consultant, internal medicine, Apollo Hospitals, said people with comorbid conditions sharing houses withquarantined patients should wear mask and try to maintain social distance as much as possible.

“The spread inside the houses was observed even during the previous Covid waves, but this time it is faster. Other than this, hygienic practices such as frequent washing of hands should be followed,” said Dr Jagadeesh.