Bihar school spends on sanitary napkins for boys, inquiry ordered

 Bihar school spends on sanitary napkins for boys, inquiry ordered

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Faryal.Rumi@timesgroup.com

23.01.2022

Patna: A government co-ed school in Bihar’s Saran district has shown spending on sanitary napkins for boys over three consecutive years prior to 2019.

The alleged discrepancy in financial statements of Halkori Sah High School in Manjhi block was highlighted recently by its new headmaster Rais-ul- Ehrar Khan. He wrote to the district magistrate, seeking an inquiry into financial records that mention around 50 boys being beneficiaries of the sanitary napkin and dress scheme.

“A two-member committee comprising district programme officer Rajan Kumar Giri and his colleague Sunil Kumar Gupta has been formed to do an audit and submit the findings in a week,” Saran district education officer Ajay Kumar Singh said. The irregularities took place during former headmaster Ashok Kumar Rai’s stint. Since 2019, social welfare allocations meant for students are being sent to the their bank accounts under the direct benefit transfer system.

Airline told to pay for travel hassles

 Airline told to pay for travel hassles

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

23.01.2022

Vadodara: Etihad Airways has been ordered to pay Rs 62,000 with 7% interest and legal expenses as compensation to a Vadodara-based doctor who could not board a flight from Abu Dhabi to Ahmedabad despite having a confirmed ticket.

Dr Krutesh Shah had approached the Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Ahmedabad in 2018 seeking compensation from the international airline as well as a travel agent after his return journey from the US had got disturbed.

In January 2017, Shah had booked a return ticket of Etihad Airways for San Francisco-Abu Dhabi-Ahmedabad through a travel agent. Before boarding the flight to Abu Dhabi, he was informed at San Francisco airport that he will get his boarding pass for Ahmedabad once he lands at Abu Dhabi. But when he reached Abu Dhabi, Shah was told that the flight to Ahmedabad had been overbooked. “I was even ready to pay the fare difference for an upgrade to business or first class but the airline denied that as well. The only option I was given was to take Abu DhabiDelhi flight and later a DelhiAhmedabad flight with a promise that my luggage too would reach Ahmedabad airport,” said Shah. 

Later, however, his luggage too had not arrived at Ahmedabad airport. Shah had sought Rs 5 lakh as compensation for the mental harassment and towards damages. The commission on January 19 ordered the airline to pay Shah Rs 62,000 as compensation along with 7% interestfrom the date of complaint in October 2018.

HC seeks Aadhaar info in selection case

 HC seeks Aadhaar info in selection case

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

23.01.2022

New Delhi: Delhi High Court has directed Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to provide information relating to over 400 people who were allegedly issued fake Aadhaar cards for enrolment for Civil Defence training in the national capital.

Justice Chandra Dhari Singh recently allowed the petition filed by the Delhi government seeking direction to UIDAI to disclose information on the Aadhaar card holders sought by an investigation agency for probe of a case.

The case was lodged by the anticorruption branch for the alleged offences of criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. “This court is inclined to allow the instant petition. The respondent (UIDAI) is hereby directed to provide all relevant information, qua the persons named in annexure… of the petition, as required for the purposes of investigation as per the provisions of the Aadhaar Act. The investigation agency is also directed to investigate the matter, upon receiving the requested information, with due regard to the provisions of the statute,” the court noted in its order.

The ACB said it received a complaint from Vijender Gupta stating that the manner of recruitment of marshals for DTC buses was illegal. It was further alleged that the recruitment process was manipulated and the district magistrate had issued fake certificates, certifying as Delhi residents for making Aadhaar cards, to over 400 people from his home state Rajasthan and had compelled them to pay Rs 2 lakh per head. On the basis of the complaint, an FIR was lodged in January 2020.

The prosecutor submitted before the court that the then district magistrate had committed criminal misconduct by abusing official position as public servant with an ulterior motive to give benefit to ineligible people, and in total, around 450 candidates with fake Aadhaar cards had enrolled for training in Civil Defence.

The counsel for UIDAI submitted that the authority has no objection in sharing the information being sought, to the extent and in a manner as permissible under the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, on being directed by this court.

BDS ADMISSION 2021-11

 

Jipmer asked to let domiciled students apply

 Jipmer asked to let domiciled students apply

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23.01.2022

Puducherry: The Puducherry government has requested Jipmer to permit all domicile students to register for MBBS counselling after verifying the residential proof. The government had earlier sent the Neet UG 2021 results of the domicile students to Jipmer. However, the directorate of health and family welfare services received representations from Puducherry domicile students stating that they are unable to register for the counselling since Jipmer gave the provision of entry in the field ‘applicant’s state’ as Puducherry to only 5,025 students.

TNN

Hefty fine awaits those flouting norms at weddings

 Hefty fine awaits those flouting norms at weddings

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

23.01.2022

Chennai: The corporation is levying fines up to ₹ 8,500 on individuals who flout Covid regulations at weddings. According to corporation’s data, 44 violators were reported by zonal officials in the 572 weddings that took place over the last fortnight in the city. The corporation has so far collected a total of ₹50,000 as such fines. “We imposed hefty fines on those individuals who failed to wear masks or observe social distancing. From one individual, ₹8,500 was collected for norms violations,” corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi told TOI.

He said managers of wedding halls should inform the civic body about bookings of weddings. Such information should be provided on the website http://covid19. Chennai corporation. gov. in/covid/marriage hall/. An order by the corporation commissioner recently said refusal to comply with this direction would attract penal provisions under Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act. 2005. One corporation official each has been appointed per ward to inspect the halls.

HC cracks whip on squatters, tainted babus

 HC cracks whip on squatters, tainted babus

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Sureshkumar.k@timesgroup.com

23.01.2022

Chennai: Noting that the court cannot turn a Nelson’s eye towards the calculated attempts of unscrupulous elements, with the connivance of revenue officials to encroach waterbodies, the Madras high court has ordered immediate action against such officials.

“This court cannot be a mute spectator to such acts. The judicial sword has to definitely cut through the web so that water, which is the source of livelihood of the living beings, is passed on generation after generation,” Justice M Dhandapani said.

With equal force, the officials, who had refrained from taking any action on such encroachment should also be dealt with in accordance with law, he added.

The hight court passed the order while dismissing a plea moved by Annamalai, a resident of Tiruvallur challenging disconnection of electricity supply to his property on the ground that it was an encroachment on a water body.

Appalled over the manner in which such encroachments are made, and legal colour is given to the same with the collusion of revenue officials, the court suo motu impleaded the commissioner of revenue administration and passed the order.

Justice Dhandapani directed the commissioner to find out the officer who aided the encroachment and take immediate action against them.

“The revenue and electricity department officials, throwing caution and vigilance to the winds, unmindful of the environmental impact created by the act of encroachment on water bodies, provide the persons, like the petitioner and his vendor with electricity connection and what not,” Justice Dhandapani said.

Thereby, the future generations are deprived of storage space for water, even at times of incessant rains, but face acute water shortage during peak summer, which destabilises the life and livelihood of the persons living in the locality, Justice Dhandapani added.