DVAC registers corruption case against ACP after ₹5 lakh seized from office

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   18.04.2018

Chennai : Following its first surprise check at a police station in the state since 2011, on April 13, the directorate of vigilance and anti-corruption (DVAC) registered a corruption case against ACP P K Kamil Basha under three sections of the IPC on Monday.

A copy of the FIR has been sent to the city police commissioner, said police officials. “Departmental action will be initiated against Basha and he will be suspended,” a top cop said.

The surprise check led by DVAC officials yielded ₹5.08 lakh in cash. While ₹2.5 lakh was stored in the form of ₹2,000 and ₹500 notes in three drawers in Basha’s office at the Thirumangalam police station, ₹2.58 lakh was recovered from a contractor who had come to meet the cop.

DVAC officials said Basha collected bribes from petitioners and counter-petitioners for settling cases, adding that the details were noted down in a diary under the guise of donations made to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam.

Vigilance officials led by deputy superintendent of police Lavakumar nailed Basha following a tip that the ACP had received money from a contractor for settling a land dispute.

The DVAC team barged into his office around 10.30pm on Friday night after the contractor, identified as Selvam from Kodungaiyur, arrived to meet Basha.

Subsequently, police personnel questioned Basha and Selvam separately to verify if their statements corroborated with each other. The inquiries went on till 5am on Saturday following which DVAC officials let off Basha after informing him that he would have to appear before investigation officers for further questioning.

Police officials said Basha, who has a year to go for his retirement, had landed in trouble earlier when he was found to have delayed registering a case against a doctor from whose residence in Tiruvannamalai a 15-year-old girl from Koyambedu had been rescued last year.

A woman had taken the girl to Tiruvannamalai under the pretext of getting her a job at a medical shop before the girl was sexually exploited by many people.

The case, handled by the Tirumangalam all-woman police, was monitored directly by Basha. 



DVAC officials said Basha collected bribes from petitioners and counter-petitioners for settling cases, adding that the details were noted down in a diary under the guise of donations made to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam

Can’t interfere with ₹10L fee cap for PG med courses in Pondy: SC

Requests HC To Decide On Issue In 6 Mths

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com   18.04.2018

Chennai : Postgraduate medical students studying in deemed universities located in the union territory of Puducherry will continue to pay just ₹10 lakh as ‘interim fee’ annually. They got the reprieve on Monday, when the Supreme Court refused to interfere in the interim fee (₹10 lakh) fixed by Madras high court, until the fee fixation committee prescribes a final fee structure.

Dismissing a special leave petition filed by Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute against an order of the Madras high court, a bench comprising Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, said, “We are not inclined to interfere. The special leave petition is dismissed. However, we request the high court to decide the matter within a period of six months. At the same time, it is stated that some committee is undertaking the fee fixation in accordance. It is open to submit the report of the committee before the high court. With respect to fee structure, the fees which is realised as per impugned order, will hold good till such time the high court decides the matter.”

On June 16, 2017, as a big relief to students who had been asked to cough up fees ranging from ₹40 lakh to ₹50 lakh by Puducherry deemed universities, the high court had said it would be enough if students paid ₹10 lakh as first year’s fee and that final figures should be prescribed by a committee formed by the UGC and the Centre.

“When self-financing private medical colleges can survive by charging a fee of ₹5.5 lakh per annum for students under state quota and ₹14 lakh for students under management quota, which is 50% of the total seats, we find it difficult to accept that the fee of ₹40 lakh to ₹50 lakh per annum charged by deemed universities, is reasonable,” the high court said in its order.

Noting that it could not keep its eyes shut to the issue, the first bench of Madras high court headed by Chief Justice Indira Banerjee said, “By reason of exorbitant fee notified by deemed universities, there are still seats going vacant and students who have duly competed and succeeded in clearing the admission tests, and have undergone counselling, being deprived of an opportunity to pursue their higher studies by reason of prohibitive fees, which is prima facie unsustainable in law.”

The bench then directed the deemed universities to admit the students provisionally selected in the order of merit, subject to the condition that the student should deposit ₹10 lakh each at the time of admission towards annual fee for the first year with CENTAC, and subject to other conditions that in the event of the fee determined by the fee committee constituted by the UGC and union HRD ministry being more, they should pay the differential amount.

Never met Nirmala; only I’ve power to form probe panel, says guv in sex case 

‘Ready To Be Quizzed By Committee’

Sivakumar.B@timesgroup.com   18.04.2018

Chennai: As questions were raised about the Raj Bhavan instituting a probe into the case of a woman assistant professor allegedly asking students to offer sexual favours to higher-ups, Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit on Tuesday defended himself saying he, as the chancellor of the university, had the authority to do so.

He also denied having met Nirmala Devi, assistant professor of Devanga Arts College in Virudhunagar district (a constituent college of Madurai Kamaraj University), whose purported telephone conversation with four women students has a reference to the governor. She was arrested on Monday evening after an audiotape of the conversation went viral on Sunday, more than 25 days after the students complained to the college authorities about the assistant professor allegedly trying to lure them into offering sexual favours to some higher-ups.

“As a chancellor of the university I have powers under subsection 4(a) of Section 12 of the Madurai Kamaraj University Act, which states that in any emergency which in the opinion of the VC required immediate action, he may take action with the sanction of the chancellor or prochancellor as the case may be,” the governor told reporters at a press meet at the Raj Bhavan.

On his name being mentioned in the tape, the governor said, “I categorically deny meeting the woman. During a university convocation many people come on the stage and it is not possible to remember each one. Those on the stage may later claim that they are close to me. All the accusations against me are baseless and nonsense,” he said.

The issue took a new turn when the Raj Bhavan ordered a probe by retired IAS officer R Santhanam, hours after the MKU proposed to form a fivemember panel to investigate it.


‘Will ensure that guilty do not go unpunished’

Chennai: “The swift action was taken in an unbiased manner so as to ferret out the truth,” the governor said. “There is and there will be no attempt to shield anybody and it shall be ensured that the guilty do not go without punishment.”

He denied that the press meet was called to clear his name and said it was convened only to celebrate his completing six months in Tamil Nadu. “I am lucky to be a grandfather and a great grandfather. I am 78 years old.” The governor said he was ready to be quizzed by the probe committee.

The governor said several officials were always with him and even a bird could not come near him without their permission or knowledge. “It is not possible for the woman to state that she was close to me. He said on the issue of appointing a committee he need not consult the state government and on this he showed a book on Governor’s Guide authored by S S Upadhyay.

Stating that it is only a chancellor who has powers to appoint a committee to probe any issue regarding the university, the governor said Madurai Kamaraj University vicechancellor P P Chellathurai’s office has made some mistake with regard to constituting a panel to probe the issue. Soon after meeting the governor on Tuesday afternoon, Chellathurai issued a statement saying the proposal to form an internal committee has been withdrawn. “The university is keen that all details with regard to the incident be inquired without any bias,” he said.

Santhanam will submit a report by the monthend and it will be shared with the media, the governor said. “I assure you that strict action will be taken against those mentioned in the report. The former IAS officer has all powers to question any person, including the woman, even if she is in judicial custody. After the report is submitted, if required, we will even ask for a CBI probe,” saidthe governor. 

Governor Purohit addressing a press conference at Raj Bhavan on Tuesday

Elderly couple found murdered in south Chennai flat

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 18.04.2018

Chennai: The city police on Tuesday night started an investigation in a double murder, after residents of an apartment off Old Mahabalipuram Road, found an elderly couple, the owners of provision stores, beaten to death in a flat in the complex.

Police are yet to confirm if it was a crime for gain, but investigators said the assailants appeared to have opened a cupboard and drawers and left the Taramani flat strewn with clothes.

Mayandi, 65, and Valliammal, 55, originally from Tirunelveli, lived in a flat on the third floor of the apartment complex, an investigating officer said.

“The victims had severe injuries to the back of the head,” the officer said, adding that the wounds suggested that the assailants bludgeoned the elderly couple with a blunt object like a stick or the leg of a stool.

The police are awaiting autopsy reports from Government Royapettah Hospital to confirm the cause of death, he said. “Neighbours discovered the bodies in the flat on Tuesday evening,” the officer said. “They found Valliammal’s body near the kitchen; her husband Mayandi’s body was in the hall.”

Crime scene detectives searched the flat for clues and additional commissioner of police M C Sarangan, joint commissioner of police C Magheswari, Adyar deputy commissioner of police Rohit Nathan inspected the spot. Investigators believe the victims were acquainted with their assailants.

The police have asked family members to ascertain if valuables are missing from the flat. The elderly couple lived on income from the provision stores and rent from properties they owned.

“The killers appear to have got in the flat after the couple’s son had lunch and left the house in the afternoon,” the officer said. “The victims lived in a third-floor flat with their son, who runs a provision store and a supermarket in Chennai. ”

“The building has slots for car parking on the ground floor and the owners rented out the first and second floors to a women’s hostel,” he said. Investigators are going through security camera footage from the building and establishments nearby.

“The hostel in the building had a security guard. We asked him to identify anyone he may have observed approach the couple’s flat.”

Cash crunch at ATMs: Are ₹2,000 notes being hoarded?

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 18.04.2018

New Delhi/Mumbai: The problem of empty ATMs seems to have returned to haunt citizens in several parts of the country such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Bihar and MP, prompting the government and RBI to swing into damage-control mode and insist that there was enough currency in the system.

With the public searching for a reason for the cash crunch, the government attributed it to an “unusual spurt in currency demand”. But there is no official explanation for this spurt.

Several bank officials said a lot of 2,000-rupee notes were not coming back to banks, leading to speculation that they were going into the black economy, perhaps as they take less space to stock and are easier to transport. One theory doing the rounds is that cash is being hoarded by political parties and their supporters in the run-up to the Karnataka elections next month.

While finance minister Arun Jaitley said there was a “sudden and unusual increase” in demand in some parts of the country, the Opposition lost no time in latching on to the issue with P Chidambaram saying supply had been “arbitrarily reduced”. 



Printing of ₹500 notes to go up 5-fold

His party chief Rahul Gandhi linked the problem to the Nirav Modi fraud and demonetisation.

The government said currency supply had risen to ₹45,000 crore during the first 13 days of April — from ₹7,140 crore in the previous fortnight and ₹33,000 crore in the comparable period prior to that.

ATM operators and government officials said that on an average, over ₹10,000 crore was being placed in ATMs every day, compared to ₹6,000-7,000 crore before demonetisation — which suggests that despite the push to go digital, the appetite for cash remains undimmed.

The use of ₹2,000 notes, in particular, is seen to be causing the problem. “Cash withdrawal from ATMs has witnessed continuous escalation post-demonetisation. Daily ATM transaction volume is now at par or greater than the pre-demonetisation period. Amount withdrawn per ATM withdrawal is also on the rise,” said Rituraj Sinha, MD of cash logistics company SIS, adding that the problem was confined to a few regions. The shortage first emerged in Andhra and Telangana — home to some of the country’s biggest contractors, and contractors, it is often said, like cash.

The shortage gradually spread to some other parts of the country with MP CM Shivraj Singh Chauhan acknowledging the problem on Monday. His finance minister Jayant Kumar Malaiya has been quoted as saying that 20% of ATMs in the MP were running dry.

Bihar deputy CM Sushil Modi said the state was facing a cash crunch for six days. “The RBI said there was a shortage of supply of currency notes, due to which the cash crunch occurred. But they have assured us that the problem will be resolved in the next day or two,” he said.

Gujarat deputy CM Nitin Patel, who is also finance minister, acknowledged that banks were facing a cash crunch and said the government was in touch with the RBI to ensure enough cash was supplied to banks.

RBI, however, maintained there was no shortage of cash. “It is clarified... there is sufficient cash in the RBI vaults and currency chests. Nevertheless, printing of the notes has been ramped up in all the four note presses. The shortage may be felt in some pockets largely due to logistical issues of replenishing ATMs frequently and the recalibration of ATMs being still under way...,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

Economic affairs secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said the printing of ₹500 notes would be stepped up five-fold to around ₹2,500 crore a day to deal with the shortage. “So, in a month, we will be printing about ₹75,000 crore. This should give you assurance we are geared up,” he said.

For the full report, log on to www.timesofindia.com

HC stays med admission on spl mark plea

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com 18.04.2018

Chennai: Postgraduate medical admissions across India came to a grinding halt on Tuesday with the Madras high court ordering the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), New Delhi, and Tamil Nadu’s state selection committee to not allot seats to students both under the all-India quota and state quota until further orders.

Justice S Vaidyanathan was passing the orders on a batch of petitions which wanted the court to direct the DGHS to comply with Post Graduate Medical Education Regulations in admissions to PG medical courses and award due weightage marks for service rendered in remote/difficult areas.

‘Can go on with counselling, but must not allot seats’

The authorities can go on with counselling, but must not allot seats till further orders, said Justice S Vaidyanathan in his interim order.

Some of the petitions also wanted reservation of 50% of seats for service candidates under all-India quota too.

When the pleas came up for hearing, assistant solicitor-general Karthikeyan submitted that though first phase of counselling had been completed admissions would not be made till the court passed final orders.

The petitions filed by Dr C Sudhan and six others said they were in-service candidates in Tamil Nadu Medical Services, working as assistant surgeons in government medical facilities. They had appeared for NEET PG-2018 and secured more than 50% marks and were duly declared as eligible for admission to PG medical courses this year.

“The places we serve are notified as remote/difficult by the state government and hence we are entitled for additional weightage (incentive) marks as per Regulation 9 (IV) of PG Regulations 2000 under all India quota seats. But, authorities are proceeding to conduct counselling for admissions to PG courses without awarding such weightage marks for in-service candidates,” the petitioners said.

Claiming that the move was in violation of MCI regulations, they added that it would adversely affect the interests of the petitioners who were entitled to weightage marks for service rendered by them in remote/difficult areas for determination of merit in selection.

They further pointed out that even in admissions made during the last academic year, the authorities had failed to allot the mandated 50% seats to service candidates as required by the regulation.

Tamil Nadu has 1,648 PG medical seats in its 13 government medical colleges. Of this, 50% go to the all India quota for which counselling would be conducted by DGHS.

The remaining 50% would go to the state quota filled by directorate of medical education through a seperate counselling.

Out of such 50% state quota seats, in-service candidates are demanding 50% reservation.

புற்றுநோய் அச்சத்தில் தமிழ்நாடு.. எல்ஐசி கேன்சர் பாலிசிக்கு அமோக வரவேற்பு!

 Written By: Tamilarasu Updated: Monday, April 16, 2018, 19:28 [IST]
 
லைப் இன்சூரன்ஸ் கார்ப்ரேஷன் 6 மாதத்திற்கு முன்பு புற்றுநோய்க்கான காப்பீடு திட்டம் ஒன்றை அறிமுகம் செய்தது. இந்தத் திட்டத்திற்கு நாடு முழுவதிலும் உள்ள மக்களிடம் அதிக வரவேற்பு உள்ளது. புற்று நோய்க்காக எல்ஐசி அறிமுகம் செய்த இந்தக் காப்பீடு திட்டத்தினை இது வரை 88,750 நபர்கள் வாங்கியிருப்பதாக ஆங்கில நாளிதழ் ஒன்று செய்தி வெளியிட்டுள்ளது.

 முக்கிய மாநிலங்கள் முக்கிய மாநிலங்கள் தமிழ்நாடு, மகாராஷ்டிரா, கேரளா, குஜராத் ஆகிய மாநிலங்களில் மட்டும் 88,750 பாலிசிகளில் 58.5 சதவீதத்தினை வாங்கி இருக்கிறார்கள் என்பது மேலும் அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்துகிறது. புற்று நோய்க்கான இந்த 88,750 பாலிசிகளின் முதல் பிரீமியம் தொகை மட்டும் 42.68 கோடி ரூபாய் என்று எல்ஐசி தெரிவித்துள்ளது. தென் மாநிலங்கள் தென் மாநிலங்கள் தென் மாநிலங்களில் கேரளா மற்றும் தமிழ் நாட்டில் இருந்து 25,670 நபர்கள் லைப் இன்சூரன்ஸ் கார்ப்ரேஷன் வெளியிட்டுள்ள புற்று நோய்க்கான இன்சூரன்ஸ் பாலிசியை வாங்கியுள்ளனர்.

வட மாநிலங்கள் வட மாநிலங்கள் வட மாநிலங்கள் பக்கம் என்றால் குஜராத் மற்றும் மகாராஷ்டிரா ஆகிய மாநிலங்களைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் தான் புற்றுநோய்க்கான இந்தப் பாலிசியை அதிகபட்சமாக 26,280 நபர்கள் வாங்கியுள்ளார்கள். ஆய்வு அறிக்கை ஆய்வு அறிக்கை நவம்பர் மாதம் வெளியான மாநில அளவிலான ஆய்வு ஒன்றில் தமிழ் நாடு, குஜராத், மாராஷ்டிரா மற்றும் கேரளா ஆகிய வளர்ச்சி படைத்த மாநிலங்களில் தான் தொற்று நோய் இல்லாத கேன்சர் உள்ளிட்ட நோய்களின் மையங்களாக மாறியிருப்பது தெரியவந்துள்ளது.

 காத்திருப்புக் காலம் காத்திருப்புக் காலம் எல்ஐசி புற்று நோய்க்கான காப்பீட்டினை 2017 நவம்பர் 14-ம் தேதி அறிமுகம் செய்தது. இந்தப் பாலிசிக்கான காத்திருப்புக் காலம் 180 நாட்கள் ஆகும். இந்தப் பாலிசியை வாங்கிய 180 நாட்களுக்குள் காப்பீட்டுத் தொகையினைப் பெற முடியாது. விருப்பம் I - நிலை தொகை காப்பீடு விருப்பம் I - நிலை தொகை காப்பீடு பாலிசி காலம் முழுவதும் அடிப்படை தொகை காப்பீடு மாறாமல் இருக்கம். எனவே ரூ. 10 லட்சம் மதிப்பிலான பாலிசியை வாங்கினால், அந்த பாலிசி காலவரையாகும் வரை இந்தத் தொகையினைப் பயன்படுத்த முடியும்.

விருப்பம் II - காப்பீட்டுத் தொகை அதிகரிப்பு விருப்பம் II - காப்பீட்டுத் தொகை அதிகரிப்பு அடிப்படை காப்பீடு தொகை முதல் 5 ஆண்டுகள் வரை ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்டும் 10% கூடுதலாக உயர்ந்துகொண்டே செல்லும். ஒருவேலை பாலிசிதாரருக்கு 5 வருடத்திற்குள் புற்று நோய் இருப்பது கண்டறியப்பட்டால் அடிப்படை காப்பீடு தொகை உயர்வு நின்று விடும். எனவே 10 லட்சத்திற்குப் பாலிசி வாங்கினால் ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்டும் 1 லட்சம் காப்பீடு உயர்வு என 5 வருடம் கிடைக்கும். அதாவது 10 லட்சம் காப்பீடு வாங்கி 15 லட்சம் ரூபாய் வரை பெற முடியும். உதாரணத்திற்குப் பாலிசி வாங்கிய 3 வருடத்திற்குப் பிறகு புற்று நோய் இருப்பது கண்டறியப்பட்டால் 13 லட்சம் ரூபாய் வரை காப்பிடு பெறலாம்.

 இரண்டு ஆண்டுக்கு பிரீமியம் தொகை உயராது. காப்பீடு தொகை அளவு காப்பீடு தொகை அளவு லைப் இன்சூரன்ஸ் நிறுவனத்தின கேன்சர் பாலிசி திட்டத்தின் கீழ் குறைந்தது 10 லட்சம் ரூபாய் முதல் 50 லட்சம் வரை காப்பீடு பெற முடியும். வயது வயது பாலிசிதாரர்களுக்குக் குறைந்தது 20 வயதில் இருந்து 65 வயதிற்குட்பட்டு இருக்க வேண்டும். குறைந்தது 50 ஆண்டுகள் முதல் 75 ஆண்டுகள் வரை காப்பீடு அளிக்கப்படும்.

Read more at: https://tamil.goodreturns.in/news/2018/04/16/tamilnadu-fears-on-cancer-diesease-lic-cancer-policy-finds-most-buyers/articlecontent-pf55738-011068.html?utm_source=desipearl&utm_campaign=desipearl&utm_medium=www.tamilmithran.com

 
அட்சய திருதியை முன்னிட்டு நகை வாங்க மக்கள் ஆர்வம் : ஒரே நாளில் சவரனுக்கு 136 ரூபாய் குறைவு
 
தினகரன் 
 
சென்னை: அட்சய திருதியை முன்னிட்டு ஆபரண தங்கத்தின் விலை உயர்ந்து வந்த நிலையில் ஒரே நாளில் சவரனுக்கு 136 ரூபாய் குறைந்துள்ளது. வரும் புதன்கிழமை அன்று அட்சய திருதியை கொண்டாடப்படுகிறது. அன்றை தினம் நகை வாங்கினால் செல்வம் பெருகும் என்று நம்பப்படுவதால் ஏராளமானவர்கள் நகை வாங்க ஆர்வம் காட்டி வருகின்றனர். இந்த நிலையில் ஏற்ற இறக்கத்துடன் காணப்பட்ட தங்கத்தின் விலை திடீரென குறைந்திருக்கிறது. தங்கத்தின் விலை வீழ்ச்சி குறித்து தங்க நகை விற்பனையாளர்கள் கூறிய போது 2 நாட்கள் முன்பாக சிரியா நாட்டின் மீது அமெரிக்கா, இங்கிலாந்து, பிரான்ஸ் போன்ற நாடுகள் ஏவுகணை தாக்குதல் நடத்தினர், அதன் காரணமாக உலகத்தில் மற்ற நாடுகளில் பதற்றமான சூழல் நிலவி வருகிறது. இதன் காரணமாக தங்கத்தின் விலை குறைந்திருப்பதாக தங்க நகை விற்பனையாளர்கள் கூறியுள்ளனர். அட்சய திருதி நாளில் நகைக்கடைகளில் கூட்டம் அலைமோதும். பொதுமக்கள் நகைகளை வாங்கும் போது ஹல்மார்க் முத்திரை உள்ள தங்க நகையை வாங்குமாறும் விஐஎஸ் நிறுவனத்திடம் அங்கீகாரம் பெற்ற நகை கடைகளுக்கு செல்லுமாறும் இந்திய தரச்சான்று நிறுவனம் சார்பில் அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டிருக்கிறது.

விளைச்சலோ அதிகம்; விற்பனையோ அமோகம்! 'நுங்கு'க்கு படையெடுக்கும் மக்கள் 

பாலஜோதி.ரா

vikatan 17.04.2018 

கொளுத்தியெடுக்கும் கோடை வெப்பத்திலிருந்து தற்காத்துக்கொள்ள, மக்கள் நுங்கை விரும்பி வாங்குவதால், அதன்விற்பனை சூடுபிடித்துள்ளது.



புதுக்கோட்டை மாவட்டம், அன்னவாசல் மற்றும் அதைச் சுற்றியுள்ள பகுதிகளில், வெப்பத்தைச் சமாளிக்க மக்கள் நுங்கை ஆர்வத்துடன் வாங்கி சாப்பிடுகின்றனர். ஏப்ரல், மே, ஜூன் மாதங்களில் காணப்படும் மிகக் கடுமையான வறட்சியைத் தாங்குவதற்கும், வெயிலின் சூட்டைத் தணிக்கவும் பொதுமக்கள் ஐஸ்கிரீம், குளிர் பானங்களோடு, இயற்கைக் குளிரூட்டிகளான இளநீர், வெள்ளரிப்பிஞ்சு, தர்பூசணி, நுங்கு, மோர் ஆகியவற்றையும் தேடி வாங்கிச் சாப்பிடுவார்கள். இதன்மூலம் வெப்பத்தின் தாக்கத்திலிருந்து ஓரளவுக்காவது தங்களை சமாளித்துக்கொள்வார்கள்.

என்னதான் கண்கவரும் விளம்பரங்கள் மூலம் பெரிய, பிரபல குளிர்பானக் கம்பெனிகள் தங்களது கூல்டிரிங்ஸைக் குடிக்கும்படி மக்களைக் கூவிக்கூவி அழைத்தாலும், மக்கள் நுங்கையும் இளநீரையும் விரும்பிச் சுவைத்துக்கொண்டுதான் இருக்கிறார்கள். சிறுவர்கள் முதல் பெரியவர்கள் வரை பெரிதும் விரும்பக்கூடிய ரசாயனக் கலப்படமற்ற இயற்கை உணவுப் பொருள்களுக்கு மவுசு சமீபகாலமாக கூடிக்கொண்டேவருகிறது. அதிலும் எவர்கிரீன் இளநீரும் நுங்கும் இப்போது சக்கைப்போடு போடுகின்றன.

இதில், இளநீருக்கு மட்டும் சீசன் ஏதுமில்லை. ஆண்டுதோறும் பரவலாக அது கிடைக்கும். அதேபோல, சீசனுக்கு முன்பாகவே தர்பூசணியும், வெள்ளரிப்பிஞ்சும், வெள்ளரிப் பழங்களும் விற்பனைக்குவந்து சாலையோரங்களில் குவிக்கப்பட்டுவிடும். ஆனால், நுங்கு குறைவாகவே கிடைக்கும். இந்த வருடம், ஏகோபித்த மக்களின் எதிர்பார்ப்பாகவே இருக்கிறது நுங்கு. மக்களின் எதிர்பார்பைப் பூர்த்திசெய்யும்விதமாக விற்பனைக்காக நுங்குகள் குவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. உடல் குளிர்ச்சிக்கு மட்டுமல்லாமல்,வெப்பத்தால் குழந்தைகளுக்கு ஏற்படும் வேர்க்குரு,வேனல் கட்டி போன்ற தோல் பாதிப்புகளுக்குப் பூசிக்கொள்ளும் மருந்தாகவும் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிறது.



புதுக்கோட்டை மாவட்டத்தில் பனைமரங்கள் குறைந்து விட்டபோதும், அன்னவாசல், முக்கண்ணாமலைப்பட்டி, செங்கப்பட்டி, இலுப்பூர், மலைக்குடிப்பட்டி, நார்த்தாமலை உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு கிராமங்களில் தற்சயமம் நொங்கு வெட்டப்படுகிறது. இந்தப் பகுதிகளில் இந்த வருடம் நுங்கு விளைச்சல் அதிகம் என்பதால், வியாபாரிகள் மகிழ்ச்சி அடைந்துள்ளனர். மாட்டு வண்டிகளில் குலைகுலையாக நுங்கை ஏற்றிவந்து கடைவீதிகளில் விற்பனை செய்கின்றனர். தற்போது ஒரு முழு நுங்கின் விலை 10 ரூபாயும் 3 நுங்குச் சுளைகள் 10 ரூபாய் என்றும் சாலையோரக் கடைகளில் விற்கப்படுகிறது.

புதுக்கோட்டை முதல் விராலிமலை வரையுள்ள கட்டியாவயல் குருக்களையாப்பட்டி, ஆரீயூர் அன்னவாசல், சத்திரம், காலாடிப்பட்டி, தாண்றீஸ்வரம், இலுப்பூர், மலைக்குடிப்பட்டி விராலிமலை வரை சாலையோரங்களில் கடைகள் அமைக்கப்பட்டு இளநீர், தர்பூசணி, வெள்ளரிக்காய், கேப்பைக்கூழ், நுங்கு, போன்றவை விற்பனைக்காக வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. அவ்வழியாகச் செல்பவர்கள், வெயிலை சமாளிக்க இதுபோன்ற கடைகளில் வாகனங்களை நிறுத்தி வாங்கிச் சாப்பிட்டு மகிழ்கின்றனர்.

'என்னை கருணைக் கொலை செய்துவிடுங்கள்' - கலெக்டர் ஆபிஸில் தீக்குளிக்க முயன்ற 80 வயது மூதாட்டி! 

எம்.கணேஷ் வீ.சக்தி அருணகிரி

vikatan  

தேனி மாவட்ட கலெக்டர் அலுவலகத்தில் கண்டமனூரைச் சேர்ந்த 80 வயது மூதாட்டி உடலில் மண்ணென்ணை ஊற்றி தீக்குளிக்க முயன்ற சம்பவம் பெரும் பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தியது.



தேனி மாவட்ட கலெக்டர் அலுவலகத்தில் நேற்று (16.4.2018) காலை மக்கள் குறைதீர்ப்பு நாள் கூட்டம் நடந்தது. கலெக்டர் அலுவலகம் வந்த பொதுமக்கள், தங்களது மனுக்களோடு கலெக்டரை சந்திக்க வரிசையில் காத்திருந்தனர். அப்போது அங்கே வந்த குருவம்மாள், தனது பையில் வைத்திருந்த மண்ணென்ணையை தனது உடலில் ஊற்றிக்கொண்டு வரிசையில் வந்து நின்றார்.

இதைக் கண்டு அதிர்ச்சியடைந்த அங்குள்ள மக்கள் மூதாட்டியிடம் விவரம் கேட்டனர், ‘’என்னுடைய பெயர் குருவம்மாள், ஊர் கண்டமனூர், இரண்டாயிரம் ரூபாய் ஒத்திக்கு ஒரு வீட்டில் இருந்தேன். ஒத்தி முடிந்ததும் வீட்டை காலி செய்யச் சொன்னார்கள். எனக்கு யாரும் இல்லை. பிள்ளைகள் கைவிட்ட நிலையில், வேறு வீடு பார்த்துச் செல்லலாம் என்று கொடுத்த இரண்டாயிரம் ரூபாயைக் கேட்டேன். தரமாட்டேன் என்று சொல்லிவிட்டார்கள். எவ்வளவோ போராடியும் என் பொருள்களை எல்லாம் வெளியே தூக்கிவீசி விட்டார்கள். கண் தெரியாத நிலையிலும், துடைப்பம் செய்து பிழைத்து வருகிறேன். நடக்கவே முடியாத நிலையில் என்னை எல்லோரும் ஏமாற்றுகிறார்கள். எனவே, என்னை கருணைக்கொலை செய்துவிடுங்கள்’’ என்றார் கண்ணீரோடு. இச்சம்பவம் அறிந்து பாதுகாப்பில் இருந்த போலீஸார், மூதாட்டியை மீட்டு அழைத்துச்சென்றனர். ‘’நீங்க மட்டும் என்ன நியாயம் வாங்கி கொடுக்கவா போறீங்க?’’ என்று போலீஸைப் பார்த்து விரக்தியுடன் சொன்னார் மூதாட்டி.

சம்பளம் கொடுத்து சம்மர் டூர்.. கண்ணு போட்டுடாதீங்க ப்ளீஸ்! - 'ராஜா ராணி' ஷப்னம் 

அய்யனார் ராஜன்

vikatan  

நாள் தவறாம சீரியல் பார்த்துட்டு வர்றீங்களா, அப்ப உங்களுக்கு நிச்சயம் இந்தச் சந்தேகம் இருக்கும். அதெப்படி இப்ப எல்லா சீரியல்லயும் ஊட்டி, கொடைக்கானல், ஏற்காடுன்னு சீன் போயிட்டிருக்கு? ஆமாம். 'அழகு', 'ராஜாராணி' சீரியல்களின் யூனிட் இப்போதுதான் ஏற்காட்டில் ஷூட்டிங்கை முடித்து விட்டு வந்திருக்கிறார்கள். 'சரவணன் மீனாட்சி' தொடரின் ஷூட்டிங் கொடைக்கானல் சுற்று வட்டாரத்தில் நடந்து கொண்டிருக்கிறது. இன்னும் சில சீரியல்கள் ஊட்டி, ஏலகிரி, கொல்லிமலை போன்ற இடங்களுக்குச் செல்லத் தயாராகி வருகிறார்கள். எப்படி?



''சென்னை வெயில்ல இருந்து தப்பிக்க ஓடறோம். சாதாரண மக்களைப் போலத்தான் ஆர்ட்டிஸ்டுகளும் வெயிலுக்கு எங்காச்சும் ஒதுங்கினாத் தேவலைன்னு நினைக்கிறாங்க. ஆனா ஸ்கூலுக்கு கோடை விடுமுறை விடற மாதிரி சீரியலுக்கு விட முடியுமா? சொல்லப் போனா, லீவு நாட்கள்ல பார்வையாளர்கள் அதிகமாகுறாங்க. நடிகர், நடிகைகள் எல்லாரும் சம்மர் டூர் போறோம்னு கிளம்பிட்டா ஷூட்டிங் எப்படி நடக்கும்? அதனாலதான், ஒரு ரெண்டு மாசத்துக்கு கதையை அந்த மாதிரி இடங்களுக்கு நகர்த்த வேண்டியிருக்கு'' என்கிறார் பெயரைக் குறிப்பிட விரும்பாத அந்த இயக்குநர்.




'ராஜா ராணி'க்காக ஒரு வாரம் ஏற்காட்டில் தங்கியிருந்து திரும்பிய ஷப்னத்திடம் கேட்டால், ''ஏதோ புரடியூசர் புண்ணியத்துல சம்பளமும் வாங்கிக்கிட்டு சம்மரையும் என்ஜாய் பண்ணிட்டிருக்கோம். ஜனங்களுக்கும் காட்சிகள் கண்ணுக்கு குளுமையா இருக்கு. கண்ணு போட்டு இதுக்கு வேட்டு வச்சிடாதீங்க' எனப் பதறுகிறார்.

விடைத்தாள் திருத்தும்போது மாரடைப்பால் உயிரிழந்த தலைமையாசிரியர்! - ஈரோடு அருகே சோகம்

17.04.2018



கோபிசெட்டிபாளையத்தில் விடைத்தாள் திருத்தும் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டிருந்த தலைமையாசிரியர் ஒருவர், பள்ளியிலேயே உயிரிழந்த சம்பவம் அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்தியிருக்கிறது.

ஈரோடு மாவட்டம், சத்தியமங்கலம் தாலுகாவை அடுத்த புஞ்சை புளியம்பட்டி காயிதே மில்லத் வீதியைச் சேர்ந்தவர், ஏசுராஜா (53). இவர், புஞ்சை புளியம்பட்டியிலுள்ள கே.வி.கே அரசு மேல்நிலைப் பள்ளியில் தலைமையாசிரியராகப் பணியாற்றி வந்துள்ளார். தற்போது 2 பொதுத் தேர்வு விடைத்தாள்கள் திருத்தப்பட்டுவரும் நிலையில், கோபிசெட்டிபாளையத்தில் உள்ள பழனியம்மாள் பெண்கள் மேல்நிலைப் பள்ளியில் 12-ம் வகுப்பு பொதுத்தேர்வு விடைத்தாள்கள் திருத்தும் பணியில், மதிப்பெண் சரிபார்க்கும் அதிகாரியாக ஏசுராஜா இருந்துள்ளார்.

இந்த நிலையில், இன்று பிற்பகல் சுமார் 4.15 மணியளவில் மதிப்பெண் சரிபார்க்கும்போது திடீரென ஏசுராஜாவுக்கு மாரடைப்பு ஏற்பட, வலியால் துடித்துச் சரிந்திருக்கிறார். இதைப்பார்த்து அதிர்ச்சியடைந்த ஆசிரியர்கள், உடனடியாக மருத்துவமனைக்கு அழைத்துச்செல்ல ஏற்பாடுசெய்யும்போதே ஏசுராஜாவின் உயிர் பிரிந்தது. இதையடுத்து, ஏசுராஜாவின் குடும்பத்தினருக்குத் தகவல் சொல்ல, அவர்கள் உடலை அவர்களது சொந்த ஊரான புஞ்சை புளியம்பட்டிக்கு எடுத்துச் சென்றனர். உயிரிழந்த ஏசுராஜாவுக்கு 2 மகள்கள் உள்ளனர். அதில், ஒருவர் தற்போது நிறைமாத கர்ப்பிணியாக இருக்கிறாராம். இன்னொரு மகளுக்கு இன்னும் திருமணம் ஆகவில்லை. பணியின்போது பள்ளிக்கூடத்திலேயே, தலைமையாசிரியர் ஒருவர் இறந்த சம்பவம் அப்பகுதி மக்களை சோகத்தில் ஆழ்த்தியுள்ளது.

வாட்ஸ் ஆப்பில் மீடியா ஃபைல்களை மறுபதிவிறக்கம் செய்யும் வசதி அறிமுகம் 

17.04.2018

செல்போன்களில் வாட்ஸ் ஆப்பில் வரும் மீடியா ஃபைல்களை தெரியாமல் அழித்துவிட்டால் மீண்டும் பதிவிறக்கம் செய்து கொள்ளும் வசதி அறிமுகப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.
வாட்ஸ் ஆப்பில் வரும் ஜிப், வீடியோக்கள், ஆடியோக்கள் ஆகியவை ஒருமுறை பதிவிறக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டால் செல்போனில் சேமிக்கப்பட்டுவிடும்.

சேமிக்கப்பட்ட ஃபைல்களை தெரியாமல் அழித்துவிட்டால் அவற்றை மீண்டும் வாட்ஸ் ஆப்பில் சென்று பதிவிறக்கம் செய்யமுடியாது. இந்த பிரச்சனை தீர்க்கும் விதமனாக மீடியா ஃபைல்களை மறுபதிவிறக்கம் செய்து கொள்வதற்கான வசதி ஆண்ட்ராய்டு வாட்ஸ் ஆப்பில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

7-ஆவது ஊதியக் குழு பரிந்துரைக்கு முன்பு ஓய்வு பெற்றோருக்கான நிலுவைத் தொகைகள்: 2 தவணைகளாக வழங்க தமிழக அரசு உத்தரவு 

17.04.2018

7-ஆவது ஊதியக் குழு பரிந்துரைகள் நடைமுறைப்படுத்தப்படுவதற்கு முன்பாக ஓய்வு   பெற்றவர்களுக்கான ஓய்வூதிய நிலுவைத் தொகைகளை இரண்டு தவணைகளாக வழங்கிட தமிழக அரசு உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

கடந்த 2016-ஆம் ஆண்டு ஜனவரி 1 முதல் கடந்த ஆண்டு (2017) செப்டம்பர் 30-ஆம் தேதி வரையிலான காலத்தில் ஓய்வூதிய நிலுவைத் தொகைகளை இரண்டு கட்டங்களாக பெற்றுக் கொள்ளலாம் என்று தமிழக நிதித் துறை கூடுதல் தலைமைச் செயலாளர் க.சண்முகம் உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளார்.
அரசுப் பணிகளில் இருந்து ஓய்வு பெறும் ஊழியர்கள், ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு ஓய்வூதிய பணப் பயன்கள் அளிக்கப்படும். அதாவது, பணிக் காலத்தில் பிடித்தம் செய்யப்பட்ட தொகைகள், பணிக் கொடைகள், விடுப்புகளை பணமாக மாற்றிக் கொள்ளுதல் போன்றவை ஓய்வு பெற்ற உடனேயே வழங்கப்படும்.
இந் நிலையில், கடந்த 2016 ஜனவரி 1-ஆம் தேதி முதல் கடந்த ஆண்டு செப்டம்பர் 30-ஆம் தேதி வரையிலான காலத்தில் ஓய்வு பெற்ற அரசு ஊழியர்கள், ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு ஓய்வுக் கால பணப் பயன்கள் இரண்டு தவணைகளாக அளிக்கப்படும்.

முதல் தவணையானது, 2017-18-ஆம் நிதியாண்டிலும், இரண்டாவது தவணைத் தொகையானது 2018-19-ஆம் நிதியாண்டிலும் அளிக்கப்படும். ஏற்கெனவே முதல் தவணை அளிக்கப்பட்டிருந்தால், இரண்டாவது தவணையை இந்த மாதத்தில் இருந்தே (ஏப்ரல்) ஓய்வூதியதாரர்கள், குடும்ப ஓய்வூதியதாரர்கள் ஆகியோருக்கு வழங்க கருவூலம் மற்றும் கணக்குத் துறை அதிகாரிகள் கேட்டுக் கொள்ளப்படுகிறார்கள்.

முதல் தவணையைப் பெறாத ஓய்வூதியதாரர்கள் இரண்டு தவணைகளையும் சேர்த்து மொத்தத் தொகையாக பெற்றுக் கொள்ள அறிவுறுத்தப்படுகிறார்கள் என்று தனது உத்தரவில் நிதித் துறை கூடுதல் தலைமைச் செயலாளர் க.சண்முகம் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

ஏழாவது ஊதியக் குழு: தமிழகத்தில் ஏழாவது ஊதியக் குழு பரிந்துரைகள் கடந்த ஆண்டு அக்டோபர் 1-ஆம் தேதி முதல் நடைமுறைப்படுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன. எனவே, அதற்கு முந்தைய தேதி வரையில் ஓய்வு பெற்றோருக்கு ஓய்வூதிய பணப் பயன்களை இரண்டு தவணைகளாக வழங்க தமிழக அரசு உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.

அக்டோபர் 1-ஆம் தேதிக்குப் பிறகு ஓய்வு பெறுவோருக்கு ஓய்வூதியப் பணப்பயன்களும், தொகையும் மிகையளவு மாறுபடும். எனவே, அக்டோபர் 1-ஆம் தேதிக்கு முன்பாக ஓய்வு பெறுவோருக்கு பணப் பயன்களை இரண்டு தவணைகளாக விரைந்து அளித்திட தமிழக அரசு உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

Posted by SSTA

Who’s behind Nirmala Devi? 

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published Apr 17, 2018, 1:35 am IST

Even as she is being grilled, political leaders strongly favour CB-CID or CBI probe as they suspect cover-up operations by ‘high-level persons’.

Chennai: A day after the controversial audio clip of a woman professor luring four girls to do sexual favour emerged and went viral, the big question that remains unanswered is who is behind her.

Even as professor Nirmala Devi of Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai was arrested by the police on Monday evening, political parties and academicians wondered whether she is just the tip of the iceberg and demanded CBI or CBCID probe to identify the network behind her and bring the culprits to book.

Sources said there could be possible efforts to cover up the entire scandal and after the release of the audio clip, the university and college are acting fast.

“The complaint was not forwarded to the government and officials are not aware of it until it was aired on the television channels,” sources said.

Though three simultaneous inquiries by the college, Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) Vice-Chancellor P.P. Chelladurai, Governor Banwarilal Purohit were ordered into the matter, political leaders including DMK working president M.K. Stalin and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss demanded CBI probe to bring out the truth as high level persons suspected to be involved in the scandal.
The vice-chancellor has announced five-member internal inquiry committee headed by Professor Lellis Thivagar to inquire into the issue.

“It seems top-level officials of the MKU are involved in this scandal. How can the government allow the Vice-Chancellor to form such committee?” asked Anna University former vice-chancellor E.Balagurusamy.

“There are several complaints of sexual harassment filed by girl students in several universities in the state. But so far no action was taken against any professor. Nothing will happen by this committee,” he said adding that the government should immediately order CBCID inquiry so that truth will come out.

He further demanded action against who instigated the professor. “The state government should initiate serious action not only against the woman professor but also the people who wanted college girls.”

Manonmaniam Sundaranar University former vice-chancellor V.Vasanthidevi said the internal committee to inquire into the issue is not adequate. “It must include very strong external members from civil rights groups and prominent persons. We don’t know whether it is the tip of an iceberg. Possibly there could be a network. The entire thing should be brought out,” she demanded.

She also suggested revamp of an entire higher education system in the state. “There must be a total re-examination of the entire university system in Tamil Nadu and very powerful mechanism should be put in place to weed out these elements,” she urged.

Calling the entire episode shocking, N.Pasupathy, vice-president, Association of University Teachers (AUT), said it brought disrepute to the entire higher education set up in the state. “There is an attempt to use the poverty of the girl students. The government should bring all those involved in the issue to the book through a transparent investigation. Those involved in the issue should be severely punished,” he said. Nirmala Rani, advocate and member of AIDWA, who led a protest in the college has opposed multiple enquiries ordered by Governor, the university and the college as it would only lead to secondary victimisation of the poor girl students. “We demand an impartial probe into the issue to bring out all those powerful people behind the assistant professor,” she said.

Judge helps transgender’s mom get death certificate 

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

Published Apr 17, 2018, 6:21 am IST

The police said Thara committed suicide but her family and friends alleged that she was killed by the cops in the station. 


Judge Jayanthi (centre) hands over the death certificate to trangender’s mom.

Chennai: Remember transgender Thara who died in mysterious circumstances due to burn injuries inside the Pondy Bazaar police station in November 2016? While the police claimed she committed self-immolation, her family as well as the several transgender friends who had thronged the station to demonstrate after that gruesome incident, alleged custodial murder.

The 38-year-old transgender had gone to the station to get back the key of her scooter which had been snatched by the police after catching her riding on the wrong side of the road. With the cops refusing to return the bike key, Thara refused to budge from the station and was seen by eyewitnesses pacing up and down inside the station in an agitated mood. Next she was seen screaming in flames.

Taken to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital with extensive burns, she died the following morning. The police said Thara committed suicide but her family and friends alleged that she was killed by the cops in the station.

To add to the misery of the family, they could not get Thara’s death certificate despite making several petitions and pleading before many officials after registering the death with the Corporation of Chen-nai on November 10 (2016), the day after the death. The death certificate was necessary for claiming Thara's dues from the banks and other places.

"We knocked on several doors but only got abuse and rebuke. Finally, on hearing about her compassion, we approached Judge I. Jayanthi of the district legal aid services authority today and in less than two hours, she got us the death certificate”, said Thara’s mother Manna Bai, adding: “Now we will initiate further action on getting justice for my daughter’s death”.

Asked about her humane gesture that went beyond mere adherence to the law books, court arguments and case diaries, Judge Jayanthi told DC: “I believe in delivering justice to the victims as quickly as possible. That's why we are here for, to provide relief to the affected when they come to us as the last resort. I phoned the concerned divisional office of the Corporation and had them send me the death certificate on my whatsup within two hours. I took the print outs and gave the family”.

This is not the first time Judge Jayanthi hit the headlines for doing something out of the book to help the litigant poor. In September last year, she took an elderly couple in an autorickshaw to the TN slum clearance board to get them a plot allotment order that the officials dodged issuing for over 20 years.

Tamil Nadu: With no pantry car, Brindavan, Guruvayur Express travellers starve
By B Anbuselvan | Express News Service | Published: 17th April 2018 02:46 AM |

CHENNAI: Passengers travelling in Brindavan Express and Guruvayur Express have been starved of food and beverages these days as the railways delinked the pantry car recently.Particularly, elderly passengers, ulcer and diabetic patients and those accompanying children for long journeys from Chennai to Bengaluru and Madurai, which take more than five to eight hours, were put to an ordeal for want of food. Brindavan Express leaves Chennai Central at 7.50 am and reaches Bengaluru at 2 pm. The train has been witnessing highest passenger demand throughout the year. In particular, between Friday and Monday, and during festival seasons, every bit of train space including reserved coaches gets occupied by passengers in both directions.

To accommodate more passengers, the Southern Railway replaced the pantry car with additional unreserved coaches increasing the total number of coaches to 24, the highest number of coaches permitted for any train in the Indian railways.Since then, passengers have been forced to depend on food sold by unauthorised vendors at stations, which is mostly unpalatable and poor in quality.“I boarded the train at 7.40 am at Chennai. Though a few vendors sold coffee in the train, I could not get tea. From 12 pm, we tried to buy rice food but could not get anything until we reach Bengaluru. My children and I were starved of food for more than three hours,” said Radhakrishnan of Whitefield, Bengaluru. His complaint over the catering services has been registered with the railways.

The condition of passengers who travel in Guruvayur Express running from Chennai Egmore to Guruvayur is no different. Due to absence of catering service, they are forced to travel with empty stomach as they have no access to proper food between 12 pm and 2 pm.S Merlin of Kollam who recently travelled in Guruvayur Express said the train starts at 8.15 am at Egmore and reaches Madurai around 4.30 pm. “We dont have any food en route and I got only biscuits and water, that too, at higher prices,” she said.

Though the Southern Railway is yet to authorise the IRCTC to appoint vendors for selling snacks and food, a few unauthorised vendors have been selling coffee, snacks and water bottles in the trains.When contacted, an official said pantry car cannot be added to the Brindavan and Guruvayur Expresses as both trains are operated with 24 coaches. “Measures are being taken to introduce on-board catering in the trains, where food and other beverages can be loaded in the en-route stations. The issues will be addressed soon,” said an official.

MLA demands appointment of doctors at Alangulam PHC
  Special Correspondent 
 
TIRUNELVELI, April 17, 2018 00:00 IST

If situation continues, we’ll lay siege to the Collectorate: Poongothai Aladi Aruna

Appealing to the State Government to appoint adequate number of doctors in the upgraded primary health centre at Alangulam, MLA Poongothai Aladi Aruna submitted a petition to Collector Sandeep Nanduri on Monday during the weekly grievance redressal meet.

Dr. Poongothai, after submitting the petition, said the condition of the upgraded PHC at Alangulam was in worst shape as the posts of obstetrics and gynaecologist, paediatrician, anaesthetist and orthopaedic surgeon were vacant although buildings and medical equipments were adequately available.

“Though Alangulam taluk witnessed dengue outbreak last year, the Department of Public Health did not any concrete measures to improve this PHC, which conducted only 18 family planning surgeries and 22 cesarean sections last year. The operation theatre is not in use for the past four months for reasons best known to the officials concerned. Hence, the Department of Public Health should take adequate steps at the earliest to make the upgraded PHC into a full-fledged hospital,” Dr. Poongothai said.

She also complained that the Department of Social Welfare and the Department of Rural Development were ignoring the constituency by refusing to implement development works even under the MLA Constituency Development Fund.

“We’ve the doubt that the government is purposely avoiding executing development works in my constituency. If this situation continues, we’ll lay siege to the Collectorate,” she said.

‘Release water’

A group of farmers from Zamin Singampatti, Ayansingampatti, South Paappaankulam and Moolachchi submitted a petition seeking release of water from Manimuthuar Dam for advance ‘kar’ paddy cultivation as the dam now had water for over 80 feet.

However, the district administration is unlikely to recommend the release of water from the dam since the water managers will be relying upon the reservoir to meet drinking water requirements during this summer in the wake of the meagre storage of just 23 feet water in Papanasam Dam.

A couple from Tirunelveli Town said in their petition that their 11-month-old daughter, after being admitted to a private hospital in Tirunelveli Town due to high fever on April 10 last, was referred to another private hospital in Perumalpuram after two days of treatment.

“However, she died as the doctors of the hospital in Tirunelveli Town failed to diagnose the cause of the fever and give appropriate treatment. Hence, the Collector should order an inquiry into the mysterious death of my daughter,” M. Maharani, mother of the deceased baby, said.

Will take stringent action, says V-C 

Staff Reporter 
 
MADURAI, April 17, 2018 00:00 IST



P.P. ChellathuraiS_James
But doesn’t rule out ‘conspiracy’

The Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) has constituted a five-member committee, which includes three female professors, to enquire into the controversy that erupted after a woman faculty member of an affiliated college was heard ‘luring’ four girl students into doing “certain things” in return for academic and financial benefits.

M. Lellis Thivagar, Syndicate member and chairperson of the School of Mathematics, will be the convenor of the committee.

S. Andiappan, Syndicate member and chairperson of the School of Religions, Philosophy and Humanist Thought; S. Rajashabala, Syndicate member and Associate Professor in School of Physics; P. Varalakshmi, Assistant Professor in the School of Biotechnology; and P. Jeyabharathy, Assistant Professor in the School of Youth Empowerment, are the other members.

Vice-Chancellor P.P. Chellathurai, who said he was presently in Delhi, told The Hindu that the committee would investigate all aspects of the issue.

“We will take stringent action if any MKU official is found to be involved. At the same time, we are not ruling out the possibility that the entire audiotape was recorded in an orchestrated manner so as to malign MKU’s reputation,” he said.

Meanwhile, university sources said that the Registrar of the MKU, V. Chinniah, left for Chennai on Monday, reportedly on being summoned by the Governor’s office through the Higher Education Department.

‘Panel disappointing’

The Joint Action Council of MKU (JAC-MKU), a coalition of two teaching and non-teaching staff associations, expressed disappointment over the constitution of the committee.

In an emergency meeting of its executive committee convened on Monday regarding the issue, the JAC-MKU said that it would be inappropriate for the internal committee, involving Syndicate members who were nominated to the Syndicate by the university, to investigate the issue when the audiotape indicated the involvement of senior officials of the MKU.

The JAC-MKU passed resolutions demanding the constitution of a committee by the Higher Education Secretary with members drawn from outside. It also sought transfer of the case to the CB-CID wing of the Tamil Nadu police.

The coalition has also called for a gate meeting at the university campus on Tuesday morning, which is expected to be attended by all members of the two associations, to decide on the future course of action.

We are not ruling out the possibility that the entire audiotape was recorded in an orchestrated mannerP.P. ChellathuraiVice-chancellor, Madurai Kamaraj University

Medical varsity to evaluate answer scripts online 

R. Sujatha 
 
CHENNAI, April 16, 2018 00:37 IST
 
Move will save time and help minimise errors

The Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University has moved to online evaluation of answer scripts from this year.

The decision was announced by the University’s Vice Chancellor S. Geethalakshmi in 2016 following which a pilot project was taken up last year.

The university receives as many as 3.5 lakh answer scripts for evaluation every semester. Not only would online evaluation speed up the process but would also help minimise errors while correcting the scripts, said Registrar T. Balasubramanian.

The software was developed by an outside agency but the server is located in the university and uses the intranet facility. Once the answer scripts are received they are scanned and uploaded on the server. The computer will automatically generate random numbers for each answer script.

Quick process

When the evaluation was done manually the university required a month to complete the process. But now the process can be completed in 10 days, Dr. Balasubramanian explained.

“Earlier there was only one session in a day and this delayed the correction process. Now, we have two shifts where examiners will come at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. When they start evaluating the papers the answer keys will be displayed alongside the answer sheets. This will minimise the possibility of errors,” he said.

The software is built in such a way that when a candidate is found to have failed it will automatically go for a re-valuation. “The computer will simultaneously carry out evaluation when a candidate has failed. This is done to ensure that there are no errors,” Dr. Balasubramanian said. 

The system has a built in mechanism to check examiners from skipping pages. Only after the answer to a question is evaluated will the answer key for the next answer appear. Another advantage of the online process is that it makes it easier to calculate the remuneration for evaluators.

When students call for copies of their corrected answer scripts it is easy to recall them as they are stored online. “The university offers 600 courses and for 290 days some exam or the other is on. The system is foolproof and will be continuously in use,” the Registrar said.

Alagappa University appointment of VC Notification TOI

Pondy CM finds 70% staff ‘absent’ in office, orders pay cut

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com   17.04.2018

Puducherry : Chief minister V Narayanasamy, made a surprise visit to the chief secretariat at 9.30am on Monday, and was in for a shock. More than 70% of the staff had not arrived at the office whose work hours are from 8.45am to 1pm and 2pm to 5.45pm.

After ordering a pay cut for a day for the absentees, he found the biometric attendance facility defunct. He inspected all the departments functioning in the five-storied building and found most seats empty. Only peons were present in most departments.Narayanasamy directed the chief secretary and secretaries to initiate stringent action against the latecomers including deducting a day’s salary and disciplinary proceedings against those coming late often. He said he and his cabinet colleagues will undertake surprise inspections at government offices in future.

The inspection was the result of frequent complaints of inordinate delay in getting clearance for routine administrative matters from officials.

“We chalked out a proposal to launch biometric attendance at all government offices. Stern action will be taken against those using official vehicles for personal purposes as well,” said Narayanaswamy.

“We propose to constitute a committee to monitor and action against such people,” he said.

CM V Narayanasamy at the near-empty office on Monday

Prof tries to lure girls for officials, held

Oppn Parties Demand CBI Investigation

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   17.04.2018

Madurai: Seven hours after they knocked on the doors of assistant professor Nirmala Devi, who allegedly tried to lure some girl students to do sexual favours for higher officials in Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU), the police broke into the house and arrested her on Monday evening. She was taken to the Aruppukkottai town police station.

Nirmala Devi, who taught at Devanga Arts College (affiliated to MKU) in Aruppukkottai, Virudhunagar district, allegedly tried to lure a group of four BSc final year students when she went to MKU last month for a refresher course. The girls filed a complaint with the college management on March 19, based on which the faculty member was placed under temporary suspension on March 21. The incident came to light again as the 20-minute conversation — in which she is heard allegedly trying to convince the young girls to do sexual favours to get marks and financial support — went viral on social media. The Aruppukkottai town police registered a case under IPC Sections 370 (buying or disposing of any persons as slaves) and 511 (attempting to commit offence punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment). She was also booked under Section 65 of the Information Technology Act. The case was based on a complaint from college secretary R Ramasamy. Police sources said Nirmala Devi completed her graduation from Devanga College and did her research in MKU.

Earlier in the day, MKU vice chancellor P P Chellathurai announced an inquiry by a fivemember committee led by senate member Lellis Thivakar. He said that the university had not been informed by the college earlier. He added that the university had a tamper-proof system in place and no paper could be traced to alter the marks. Nirmala had told the students in the conversation that they could get 85% marks in return for certain favours.

Opposition parties reacted strongly to the developments. “Since a teacher, who has to impart education, has tried to spoil the life of students, the probe into the matter should be handed over to the CBI under the supervision of the high court,” DMK working president M K Stalin tweeted.

PMK youth wing leader and Lok Sabha member Anbumani Ramadoss said, “The shocked students are heard saying in a broken voice that they are not interested. Undeterred, the professor tells the students that if they agree to the proposal the students can achieve anything.” The CPM wanted all sections of society to protest against the incident. “People must raise their voice against such issues happening in Tamil Nadu,” said party state secretary K Balakrishnan.

Meanwhile, a group of students and members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association took out a protest at the college demanding the termination of the faculty member’s service.

Governor Purohit orders probe

Chennai: In an unusual move, Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who is also chancellor of MKU, ordered a high-level inquiry by retired IAS officer R Santhanam into the incident based on a report from the MKU. Santhanam was collector of Ramanathapuram and had held several senior positions before retiring in the rank of chief secretary. A Raj Bhavan statement said, “It is important to inquire into such matters immediately and without prejudice so that the guilty do not escape without punishment.” State fisheries minister D Jayakumar said the government will act. “A professor misleading the students cannot be accepted,” he said promising an appropriating inquiry by the law enforcement officers. TNN

Getting copies of degree certificate just got simpler

Sambath.Kumar@timesgroup.com 17.04.2018

Trichy: The higher education department has simplified the process of obtaining duplicate copies of mark sheets and degree certificates but for aprice, of course.

Speaking to TOI, secretary in the higher education department, Sunil Paliwal said that from now on a candidate only had to apply for a duplicate certificate with an ID proof and required fee to get the certificate issued in a few days. The new system has come into effect.

The duplicate issued by the university will have the same details as the original and will be considered equivalent to that of the original. Before the new system came into effect, candidates were made to run from pillar to post for it. A candidate had to get a first information report (FIR) filed and get a non-traceable certificate after a wait of several weeks in order to apply for a duplicate with the concerned university. In case of losing the semester mark sheet, a police complaint was enough to obtain a duplicate mark sheet.

“Apart from getting nontraceable certificate from the police, candidates had to give an advertisement in the newspaper on the missing certificates. The university used to provide duplicate certificates after submission of both,” said an administrative staff member of Bharathidasan University.

If the duplicate certificate might have cost only ₹100 now, the delay of over a month and beyond in certain cases, mainly due to administrative delay, was more tiring for the candidate, said the staffer.

“A candidate should be able to get a duplicate copy of his or her certificate any number of times. Students need not go to the police station as per the new rule and should be offered a duplicate copy on furnishing a valid identity proof,” said Sunil Paliwal.

However, he said that a reasonable charge had been fixed for it to avoid unnecessary claims for duplicate copies
.

No further plea once compensation is accepted in land acquisition: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 
 
17.04.2018

Chennai: In land acquisition cases, once a compensation package is accepted, no legal right survives for the land owner to demand enhancement of compensation, said the Madras high court.

Clarifying the legal point on Monday, a division bench of Justice K K Sasidharan and Justice P Velmurugan set aside an order passed by a single judge, allowing one such plea moved by EVP Estates and Properties Development Ltd, whose land was acquired for Chennai airport expansion project.

On October 9, 2007, the Tamil Nadu government granted administrative sanction for acquisition of 886.6 acres of land in Kolapakkam, Manapakkam, Tharapakkam, Gerugambakkam and Kovoor villages in Sriperumbadur taluk, Kanchipuram district for the expansion of Chennai airport.

To begin with, 126.59 acres of land in Manapakkam and Kolapakkam were acquired, and they included land owned by EVP Estates. On July 29, 2008 a GO was passed fixing the land value for different kinds of land for settlement with the landowners and determination of compensation by agreement under the Land Acquisition Act.

On receipt of a copy of the individual awards, EVP Estates executed separate agreements, agreeing to receive the compensation ₹44.41 crore. Pursuant to the awards and taking into account the consent agreements, Kancheepuram collector paid compensation to EVP Estates and obtained receipts.

After receiving the compensation, the company issued a notice dated December 19, 2013 to the special tahsildar, to refer the matter to the civil court for determination of enhanced compensation. But the tahsildar rejected the request on the ground that it was a consent acquisition. The company then moved the HC. It was allowed by asingle bench of the court.

The present petition is moved by the district collector assailing the single judge’s order.

The bench said, “The single judge, without discussing the legal effect of the agreement executed by the company for accepting the award, proceeded as if it was a simple case of failure to refer the matter. The plea was allowed and a writ was issued for reference to the civil court.”

Relying on a decision of the Supreme Court which said, a right of a landholder to obtain an order of reference would arise only when he has not accepted the award and once such award is accepted, no legal right in him survives for claiming a reference to the civil court, the bench allowed the appeal.

Tribunal directs MTC to pay ₹13L to kin of man killed in accident

TIMES NEWS NETWORK   17.04.2018

Chennai: The Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal directed the general manager of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) to pay a compensation of ₹12.7 lakh to the family of a corporation sanitary worker who was killed in an accident involving an MTC bus near Vandalur Zoo, eight years ago.

V Settu, 47, was knocked down by the bus when crossing the road near Vandalur Zoo around 7pm on July 10, 2009, according to the petition.

The petitioner claimed that bus was moving from Guduvanchery towards Vadapalani and was driven in a rash and negligent manner leading to the accident. The family sought a compensation of ₹15 lakh from the MTC.

MTC, however, denied the allegations and said that its driver was very cautious and was proceeding slowly as the road was occupied by a lot of light and heavy vehicles at the time.

“At the Vandalur signal, after passengers had alighted and boarded, the driver started the bus in a careful manner. Suddenly, he noticed a man who was walking on the platform in a zigzag manner. The pedestrian ignored the sound of the horn and while the bus was moving slowly, he suddenly crossed the road,” MTC stated in its counter petition.

It further suggested that Settu may have been drunk emphasising that the accident occurred only due to the gross negligence on the part of the pedestrian.

K Ramanathan, additional district judge, Chengelpet perused the documents available on both sides and ruled in favour of the petitioners.

“The MTC has not proved that the driver was careful and cautious at the time of the accident and has also not proved that the deceased contributed certain factors for the cause of the accident,” the judge observed. Further, the Otteri police had also registered a case against the driver citing rash and negligent driving.

“There is no oral or documented evidence to prove that the deceased was under the influence of alcohol as claimed by the MTC,” the order stated.

The judge directed the MTC to pay a compensation of ₹12.7 lakh to the family of V Settu within two months of the order.

Now, tap this app to book a zoo ticket 
 
17.04.2018  Times of india 

Chennai: Visitors to the zoo hereafter can use an app designed to help them book tickets, among a host of other things, in a jiffy.

Ticket booking, virtual zoo map, information of the animals exhibited in the zoo, 4 dimensional view of animals are some of the features in the app.

An official release said the zoo map is an interactive map, which will act as a virtual tour guide. It will show the directions and also the distance the visitor has to walk to reach a particular enclosure, where a specific animal is housed.

Animal info has the details of all the exhibits, which have been categorized into three – birds, mammals and reptiles. Apart from this a voice based explanation of each animal is also added.

At present the app can be downloaded only on the Android platform. It can be downloaded from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aazpor search for Vandalur zoo in Google Play Store.

TNN

Math Olympiad: HC relief for boy without passport

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 
 
17.04.2018

Chennai : The Madras high court has clarified that Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) cannot restrain candidates without Indian passport from participating in the selection to represent India in the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Justice S Vaidyanathan made the observation while allowing a plea moved by Raghuram, a school student seeking direction to HBCSE to add his name to the list of candidates to attend the camp scheduled from April 18 to May 16 to select candidates from India for the Olympiad.

According to the petitioner, he was born in London on March 14, 2003, and held an Indian Passport at birth. In 2009, he acquired a British passport and obtained an Overseas Citizen of India Card on May 19, 2010.

Subsequently, his parents moved to India and have been in the country since 2010. Raghuram was also admitted to an Indian school.

On March 1, National Board of Higher Mathematics sent a communication to the petitioner stating that he had been selected in the International Mathematical Olympiad-2018 as an INMO-2018 awardee.

The communication further stated that he was invited for a 4 weeks long camp to be conducted by HBCSE and that based on the performance through various tests in the camp, a team of 6 members will be chosen to represent India in IMO 2018.

It also had a condition that the student must hold an Indian passport. Therefore, the boy’s mother sent a communication stating that he holds a British passport and OCI card. In response, HBCSE sent a communication that the boy cannot attend the camp since the government policy does not allow it.

Assailing the decision the boy has moved the high court.

HC gives nod to put ailing temple elephant to sleep

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com 17.04.2018

Chennai : The Madras high court has given its nod for the mercy killing of an ailing elephant of Arulmigu Sugavaneswarar Temple in Salem, if veterinarians certify it cannot be cured. The court has given authorities 48 hours to complete the process.

“The veterinary officer incharge of the area where the elephant, Rajeshwari, is being treated may examine her and if the veterinary officer certifies the physical condition of Rajeshwari is such that it would be cruel to keep her alive, she should immediately be administered euthanasia. The examination shall positively be conducted at the earliest, preferably within 48 hours.

“Needless to mention that euthanasia shall be performed as per the rules, regulations and guidelines with regard to performance of euthanasia,” the first bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose said. The order was on a plea by S Muralidharan of Chennai seeking a direction to authorities concerned to euthanise the elephant, which had been subjected to “terrible treatment” without any improvement.

Euthanasia needed to relieve agony: Bench

Advocate Chockalingam, appearing for the petitioner, said several veterinarians, including from the forest department, tried to save Rajeshwari who. while being lifted with an earthmover in a bid to make her stand, broke her tushes and limbs.

“The elephant is in agony and on humanitarian grounds, it should be euthanised,” he added, pointing to provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 which allows destruction of an animal when its ailment cannot be cured.

The advocate also brought to the court’s notice a November 25, 2013 Animal Welfare Board of India circular which said euthanasia was a humane method of alleviating animal suffering in cases of incurable disease or injury or debility.

Noting that a letter from the forest veterinary officer to the principal chief conservator of forests showed steps taken to treat Rajeshwari were not successful, the petitioner said, “The prognosis, as per the letter was ‘guarded to grave’, which means intensive treatment and care till her death.”

Recording the submissions, the bench said the report made it clear the elephant was in agony with little or no chance of recovery and that it seemed euthanasia should be performed so that it was relieved from prolonged agony.

Can States Provide For Reservation For In-Service Candidates For PG Medical Courses? ; SC Constitution Bench To Examine [Read Order] | Live Law

Can States Provide For Reservation For In-Service Candidates For PG Medical Courses? ; SC Constitution Bench To Examine [Read Order] | Live Law: Can state make reservation in favour of the in-service candidates for Post Graduate medical courses?, the Supreme Court has reopened this question as it has referred the matter to Constitution bench. Tamil Nadu Medical Officers’ Association and others had filed a writ petition before the Apex Court challenging Regulation 9(4) and (8) of the Post …

College fined, told to return certificates to dropout

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | A ARUL PALANI

 

Published Apr 16, 2018, 6:12 am IST

 

The Forum also directed the college to return her original certificates to her in six weeks.

 In its reply, the management of the college replied that his daughter could not continue due to family circumstances.

 

Chennai: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Chennai (North) slapped a fine of Rs 55,000 on a dental college for not returning original certificates to a student who discontinued the BDS course in 2011. The Forum also directed the college to return her original certificates to her in six weeks.

In the petition, M. Sundaravadanam of Pudupet submitted that his daughter S. Thirupurasundari was admitted in BDS course in July 2010 under the management quota at Priyadarshini Dental College and Hospital, Aminjikarai. While she was pursuing the second year she became ill. Due to her physical and mental ailments, she was unable to continue the course from August 2011.

 He said he paid fees of Rs 1,80,000 for the first academic year 2010-2011 in September 2010 and Rs 1,82,000 in December 2011 for the second academic year. In January 2013, he sent a request to the college seeking original certificates along with the transfer certificate of his daughter. He sent reminders on several occasions. The management of the college replied stating that unless the pending tuition fees of Rs 2 lakh for the year 2012 - 2013 was remitted, the original certificates would not be returned. 

 Dejected over this, he approached various government authorities to instruct the college to return the certificates. As there was no response from the college management, he filed the petition. He sought direction to the college management to return the original mark certificates of 10th standard, 12th standard, community certificate and transfer certificate. He also sought a compensation for causing him mental agony.

In its reply, the management of the college replied that his daughter could not continue due to family circumstances. She was unable to cope with the curriculum and voluntarily left the course. The admission of the total number of students for the particular year was fixed at 100 by the authorities and any discontinuation in the middle of the course cannot be filled up and the vacancy will continue for the remaining period causing monetary loss to the institution. Stating that the college had not committed deficiency in service, the management sought to dismiss the complaint with cost.
The bench comprising President K. Jayabalan and member M. Uyirroli Kannan said that the institution must be blamed for giving admission to her without testing the merit of the student. Under the circumstances, the management cannot hold her certificates for the payment of balance fees. Hence, we hold that the college committed deficiency in service in not returning the certificate demanded by the complainant, the bench said.

Imposing a fine of Rs 55,000 on the college management, the bench directed the college to return her original certificates, 10th Mark Sheet, 12th Mark Sheet, Transfer Certificate and Community Certificate in 6 weeks.

9-year delay in subway irks Chromepet commuters 

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | K V NAVYA
 
Published Apr 16, 2018, 6:42 am IST

With no clear way forward, another subway has been planned at the level-crossing opposite to Vaishnava College.

Railways went ahead with the construction works soon after they received their share of Rs 4 crore.

Chennai: Delay in construction of the Chromepet subway for more than nine years has worsened traffic congestion in the neighbourhood and has made the stretch more prone to trains running over people crossing the tracks.

The state highways department in 2009 announced that a subway connecting east Chromepet with Grand Southern Trunk (GST) road, would be constructed, in association with the Southern Railway, near Radha Nagar.

A total of Rs 14 crore was released towards this facility aimed at helping residents, particularly office-goers and college students, from Radha Nagar, Nemilichery, Barathipuram and Jameen Royapettah.

Railways went ahead with the construction works soon after they received their share of Rs 4 crore. Concrete box culverts were created so that the highways and the state public works department could go ahead with their works.

However, till date no progress has been reported. Consequently, commuters are forced to wait for longer hours at the railway gate connecting the locals with GST Road.

This stretch gets clogged due to traffic congestion during the peak hours. Some impatient commuters sneak through the closed railway gate and trespass on to the tracks.

When questioned about the delay, a senior official from the state highways department said that the project was hit due to land acquisition issues and other government agencies associated with the construction were not ready to hand over the required land citing expansion plans.

“It is practically impossible to construct a vehicle subway with the available land and only a narrow pedestrian subway can be set up,” the official added. The residents are up in arms against the talk of setting up a pedestrian subway as it would not serve the intended purpose although a more serious concern here is the increase in number of run-over accidents.

With no clear way forward, another subway has been planned at the level-crossing opposite to Vaishnava College. However, it would at least another three to four years for this project to materialise and till then Chromepet residents will have to bear the brunt of traffic jams and fatal accidents on the railway tracks.

Prostitution angle in clip puts Madurai Kamaraj University in trouble

By Express News Service | Published: 16th April 2018 06:20 AM |


Madurai Kamaraj University

MADURAI/VIRUDHUNAGAR: As an audio clip purportedly of an Aruppukottai private college professor allegedly attempting to lure a group of female students into prostitution went viral, P P Chellathurai, the Vice-Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University, to which the college is affiliated, on Sunday said that the issue was an attempt to malign the reputation of the varsity and its officials. Meanwhile, the college claims that the woman has been under suspension since March 21. In the 19-minute clip now being shared on social media and WhatsApp, a woman identifying herself as a professor is heard telling a group of four women, alleged to be students, “I was approached with this ‘offer’ a while ago, but now I am being rushed into getting it done.

I am telling you about this offer based on the assurances given by the higher officials of MKU on the financial as well as academic support until you complete your fellowships.” Throughout the conversation the nature of the ‘offer’ is not made explicit but it has been alleged to involve prostitution. Devanga Arts College, Aruppukottai in Virudhinagar district has said that the woman is an assistant professor there but had been suspended after the issue first came to light in March. The college, said that the woman was an assistant professor there but was under suspension.

“The issue was brought to our notice by the four students on March 19 following which an inquiry committee was formed. Based on the initial inquiry, the woman has been suspended since March 21. Further inquiry will be held after the ongoing semester examinations,” college secretary R Ramasamy said. In the audio clip, the woman goes on to say that if case the students took up the ‘offer’, bank accounts could be opened and money could be transferred and that she did not want to discuss the topic until they completed their course.

The girls decline ‘offer’ stating that they did not intend to pursue postgraduate studies and that they would like to take up government jobs. In response, the woman says, “Even the post of a Vice Chancellor is obtained through political influence and you will be able to get through any government examination with ease upon agreeing to this.” Towards the end of the audio clip, the woman, who asks the girls to keep the conversation confidential, is heard giving them a deadline for their positive reply, despite them repeatedly declining the ‘offer’.

Attempts by Express to reach the woman for a response proved futile. Speaking to Tamil TV channels, the woman said that while it was her voice in the audio clip, the conversation was being misconstrued. Meanwhile, Chellathurai told Express that he saw the issue as an attempt to malign the reputation of the university. “This comes in the backdrop of the university constituting an inquiry committee at the level of syndicate sub-committee last month based on the complaints against the college management over misappropriation of UGC funds. The university will lodge a complaint against the college with the SP,” he added.

Cuddalore eateries in Tamil Nadu make snail meat a hot delicacy

By Harish Murali | Express News Service | Published: 16th April 2018 02:46 AM |


Image for representational purpose only.

CUDDALORE: With snail meat catching up with restaurants in the coastal villages in the state and demand from domestic and export markets rising, fishermen in Cuddalore have seen their pockets becoming fatter. As a blessing in disguise, snails are conspicuous by their absence in other parts of the state.  

Snail meat is processed and their shells are used by paint companies as they are rich in calcium. N Somanathan from Cuddalore Old Town was seen busy in counting the day’s catch in the wee hours of Sunday -- the last day of the breeding season. The export market is ticking so also the new-found love for snail meat by restaurants and liquor shops in Pondicherry.

Catching snails is a time-consuming affair and requires physical stamina to hold on for long hours in the deep sea. Due to this, many do not take it up as a vocation.

Besides, large nets are needed which call for special skills, said V Ramanathan, while segregating the catch based on their size and the texture, which have a say in their prices.

Speaking to Express, E Daniel, who heads a six-member crew, said that his day’s catch includes those snails which are sold in the outside market with the prices hovering around `50 per kilogram. It is reported that snail meat is rich in protein and has many health benefits. Due to this, there are many takers for it.

Three varieties of snails are found in the area. They are: vellai muli, nellikkai and jollikkira muli. Those meant for the export market is cleaned by boiling to take out the calcium-rich shells, which go to the paint industry. Snails are found in Karaikal, Puducherry, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore.

Hospital wrongly removes man’s spleen, penalised in Tamil Nadu

By Express News Service | Published: 16th April 2018 02:50 AM |

 

Image for representational purpose only.

MADURAI, CHENNAI: The district consumer disputes redressal forum ordered a private hospital doctor to pay a compensation of Rs 2.25 lakh to a patient who was admitted for treatment of jaundice but whose spleen was removed.

According to the petitioner’s council, the patient, M Beemarajan, who is a tailor by profession and a resident of Y Othakadai, had body pain and excessive tiredness. He approached a private hospital run by S Karthick in Y Othakadai, where he was diagnosed to be suffering from jaundice. The doctor reportedly advised Beemarajan to get admitted to a hospital at Narayanapuram, where he was asked to undergo surgery.

The surgery was performed on May 22, 2008, and Beemarajan was discharged later in the month, said the council. However, the patient apparently did not recover fully from the illness.
Later, Beemarajan was admitted to another hospital in Madurai, in February 2009, and was given ultrasonography treatment. Since this also did not help him get better, Beemarajan went to another private hospital and then to the Government Rajaji Hospital with his medical records. It was then Beemarajan came to know that his spleen had been removed through surgery, the council said.

Reportedly, despite repeated requests for a discharge summary for the treatment given at the two private hospitals, he did not receive any.

Pronouncing the judgement, the forum ordered the doctor to pay Rs 75,000 towards medical expenses, `1 lakh with 6 per cent interest for loss of spleen, and Rs 50,000 for the mental agony and strain caused to the patient.

United India Insurance fined for denying full claim amount

A Chennai consumer forum has fined the United India Insurance for having denied a health insurance policyholder the full amount, though he produced bills for the claim.
The complainant, K Nirmal Chand Sethiya, made a claim for a sum of `1.87 lakh to the insurance company, of which the company settled only `1.43 lakh and disallowed the part claim amount of `44,158 allegedly without any reason.

“The opposite party has not stated any reason in the written version how it has disallowed a sum of Rs 44,158 in the claim amount,” said the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, Chennai (North).

The United India Insurance, on its part, said the dispute was only with regard to quantum of the disallowed amount and said that Sethiya ought to have referred his grievance to the arbitration. However, the forum rubbished this claim.

The company has been directed to pay a sum of Rs 25,000 towards compensation for mental agony, besides a sum of Rs 5,000 towards litigation expenses.

Tambaram stations in Chennai gets top grade, set for more facilities soon
By B Anbuselvan | Express News Service | Published: 16th April 2018 03:15 AM |

CHENNAI: Six suburban stations in Chennai — Tambaram, Tiruvallur, Avadi, Perambur, Mambalam, and Chengalpattu — and two stations in the neighbouring Vellore district, Arakkonam and Katpadi, are all set to witness a faster revamp of passenger amenities as Railways has given them a higher grade.
The Railway Ministry decided in December last year to recategorise the stations based on account of revenue, footfalls and other strategic importance, aiming to improve passenger services and amenities at stations. The stations are segregated into three groups: non-suburban (NS), suburban (S) and halt (H). The groups are put in grades: Non-suburban grade (NSG) 1-6, suburban grade (SG) 1-3 and halt grade 1-3, respectively.

According to official sources, Chennai Central, Chennai Egmore and Tambaram have topped the revised station list with non-suburban grade (NSG)-1, while Tiruvallur, Avadi, Mambalam, Chengalpattu, Arakkonam and Katpadi have been brought under NSG-2 category. Perambur and Sulurpetta stations have been graded as NSG-3 and NSG-5, respectively.

The revised category will make these stations eligible for better passenger amenities and services such as waiting halls, platform shelters, lifts, escalators, digital chart display, Illumination and train/coach indication boards on platforms. Besides these stations will be given preferences for providing other amenities, including additional foot overbridges, separate path for trolley and wheelchair movement and higher level platforms.

So far, stations have been categorised as A1, A, B, C, D E and F, based on annual revenue generated through passengers. Similarly, all non-suburban stations were categorised as B, D, E and F depending on revenue generation, while all suburban stations in Chennai ranked under ‘C’ category, which made them ineligible for additional passenger services.

“Tambaram station, the third terminal in Chennai city, which has been under A category so far, will now be ranked in the top station category on a par with Chennai Central and Egmore and the new grading will lead to faster development. The revised categorisation will ensure that suburban stations with higher footfalls will develop faster with better passenger services,” said a senior railway official.

In addition, Mambalam, Avadi and Tiruvallur suburban stations and non-suburban A grade stations of Arakkonam and Katpadi will also get additional funds for station improvements. Major stations such as Tiruchy, Salem, Tirunelveli, Erode, Tirupur, Nagercoil, Thanjavur, Dindigul, Thoothukudi, Rameswaram, Jolarpettai and Villupuram that were categorised under A, have now been recategorised under NSG-3.

Similarly, other A grade stations such as Kumbakonam, Kanniyakumari, Virudhunagar, Kovilpatti and Mayiladuthurai have been recategorised under NSG-4. But the flip side is that the new system is expected to put a blockade at many erstwhile grade A stations as they will have lesser priority for fund allocation.