Online bookings for sevas in Bhadradrachalam temple

Pujas to be done by priests on behalf of devotees

21/04/2020, SPECIAL 

CORRESPONDENT,BHADRADRI-KOTHAGUDEM

The Sri Sitaramachandraswami Temple at Bhadrachalam of Bhadradri Kothagudem district. file photoFile Photo

As the historic temple dedicated to Lord Rama in Bhadrachalam continues to remain shut for devotees due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the temple authorities have come out with an online initiative to provide an opportunity to devotees get pujas performed on their behalf, without their presence in the shrine, by the temple priests.

Devotees can book various sevas and pujas of the temple deity online through https://ts.meeseva.telangana.gov.in/ , said temple Executive Officer Narasimhulu in a statement issued on Monday.

Those interested can log onto the Meeseva website and select “ENDOWMENT-ONLINE SEVA/POOJA BOOKING” option to furnish their full details and make payment of the prescribed amount for various sevas/pujas online. Those who avail this online facility will get text messages on their registered mobile phones after the conduct of the sevas/pujas in their names by the temple priests.

Mock NEET, JEE, EAMCET tests

21/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,HYDERABAD

Students preparing for JEE, NEET and EAMCET can take over 50 mock tests on the TOSO App, developed by a start-up GRK Technologies based out of IIIT-Hyderabad. GVS Giri, director, GRK Techhnologies, said that the application has over 50 mock tests with each question provided with a detailed solution and the key. Test takers can get analysis of section-wise performance. More details can be had on https://tosoapp.com/2020 or on 8008503613.

Sea escape from Chennai ends in quarantine in A.P.

27 workers attempted to dodge lockdown by taking a boat

21/04/2020, STAFF REPORTER

Red signal: The workers from Chennai waiting on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. Special Arrangement

Twenty-seven migrant workers — 10 from Odisha and 17 from Andhra Pradesh — made a daring five-day sea journey in a fishing boat from Chennai to dodge the continuing lockdown and reach their homes.

They travelled around 1,000 km in the Bay of Bengal, but ended up in the hands of waiting officials.

On receiving information about this group, the administrations of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh were keeping track of its movement. On Monday morning, their boat was brought to the coast at Donkuru, in Andhra Pradesh, around 35 km from Berhampur in Odisha.

According to Ganjam district collector Vijay Amruta Kulange all the workers have been quarantined in Andhra Pradesh.

Factories shut

Sources said they were working in different factories in Chennai and had been unable to return home due to the lockdown. Their factories had closed. Most of them belonged to the fisherman community. They pooled their savings to buy a fishing boat for ₹1.6 lakh.

Donations ‘diverted’ to PM-CARES

21/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

After an appeal for donations to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) from the University Grants Commission and the Delhi University (DU), one day’s worth of DU staff salaries were deducted for this purpose. However, the DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi has now said that the collected money — amounting to more than ₹4 crore — was sent to the PM-CARES Fund instead.

The change was made on the basis of direction from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, said a senior DU official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has written to the VC, objecting to the diversion.

Adityanath to stay away from father’s funeral

21/04/2020, PRESS TRUST OF INDIA,LUCKNOW/NEW DELHI

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s father Anand Bisht died on Monday and will be cremated in Haridwar at a funeral which will not be attended by the Chief Minister, who said he is duty-bound to stay in his State.

Mr. Bisht, 89, was admitted to the gastroenterology department of the AIIMS.

In a statement, the Chief Minister said, “I had the ardent wish to get a glimpse of him at the final moment. However, following a sense of duty towards the State’s 23 crore people during the COVID-19 pandemic, I could not do so. For the success of the lockdown and the strategy to defeat the novel coronavirus pandemic, I will be unable to attend the last rites on April 21.”

Doubling time of virus goes up in 18 States

04/2020

Delhi (8.5) and Tamil Nadu (14) were also included in the Health Ministry’s list of regions that had doubling times under 20 days but these were also among the leading contributors to India’s case load. After Maharashtra, Delhi follows with 2,000 cases and Tamil Nadu is the fifth largest contributor with 1,477 cases.

Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Andaman and Nicobar islands recorded doubling times of 20-30 days.

All COVID-19 patients in Goa were discharged after recovery, and the State now had no active cases.

Central teams

The Centre said it had constituted six Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs), two each for West Bengal and Maharashtra and one each for Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to combat the outbreak.

“Situation is specially serious in Indore (MP), Mumbai and Pune (Maharashtra), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Kolkata, Howrah, Medinipur East, 24 Parganas North, Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal,” a press release said and added that the teams would focus on complaints of implementation of lockdown measures as per guidelines, supply of essential commodities, social distancing, preparedness of health infrastructure, safety of health professionals and conditions of the relief camps for labour and poor people.

Several states — notably Delhi, Maharashtra and Karnataka — have said that a sizeable number of those testing positive appeared to be asymptomatic.

However, Raman Gangakhedkar, spokesperson for the Indian Council for Medical Research said there were no plans to change the testing criteria, which has been expanded.

Vijay Mallya loses U.K. High Court appeal

21/04/2020

“Now, Mr. Mallya has 14 days to file an application in the High Court for permission to appeal in the Supreme Court, which takes up constitutional matters and issues of larger public interest. We believe that it will be turned down in all likelihood. Once he exhausts all legal avenues, we will have 28 days to bring him back,” said a senior Enforcement Directorate official.

As flight operations are hit globally due to COVID-19, in case his extradition is cleared by the final authority during the lockdown period, he may be brought back on board any special aircraft, including Air India, the official said.

Meticulous probe

The Central Bureau of Investigation said the decision was a result of meticulous probe and would strengthen the “war” against the economic offenders who evaded judicial proceedings in India.

The U.K. High Court, in its 43-page judgment, discussed threadbare Mr. Mallya’s submissions against the lower court order, holding that on the first impression the charges made against him by the Indian probe agencies stood.

The agencies have alleged that Mr. Mallya, between September 1, 2009, and January 24, 2017, conspired with A. Ragunathan, S. Borkar, A. Nadkami, A. Shah, Y. Agarwal, B. Batra, O. Bundellu, S. Srinivasan, R. Sridhar and others to cheat those who might deposit funds with the IDBI Bank. This was done “by dishonestly causing and permitting the bank to sanction and disburse loans” to Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) in the order of (a) ₹1,500 million on October 7, 2009, (b) ₹2,000 million on November 4, 2009, and (c) ₹7,500 million on November 27, 2009, with the intention not to repay them.

False information

The alleged conspiracy was executed by supplying to the bank false information on Kingfisher’s profitability and the value and/or availability of securities to be relied upon. The funds so raised were diverted and laundered. The High Court, which had heard the case in February, also turned down the appellant’s contention that the lower court had erred in law in its approach to the prima facie case test and the admissibility of the respondent’s evidence.

State not to relax lockdown

21/04/2020

Officials present at the meeting also cited the decisions taken by governments of Delhi, Karnataka, Punjab, Telangana, Maharashtra and Gujarat to continue with the lockdown.

On Monday evening, the State government issued a G.O. to the effect that all restrictions mentioned in the Revenue Department G.O. dated March 25 (G.O. No. 193) would prevail and the G.O. issued on April 15 (G.O. No. 172) would not be applicable in Tamil Nadu. "On April 15, the State government merely endorsed all the guidelines issued by the Centre, which allowed select activities that were to be allowed after April 20. The fresh G.O. will not allow those activities," sources said.

Since the lockdown had been imposed under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the SDMA was to decide on whether to continue with it. Though the expert committee was constituted to generate suggestions on the way forward after April 20 and the "strategy to take measures in the post-lockdown period", there was no talk on the latter. "On Monday morning, the immediate issue to be considered was a decision on relaxation, which was not difficult to take. With the prevailing conditions, it was an open and shut case," a senior official said.

Two pilgrims test positive for COVID-19

They were among 127 people who visited Varanasi

21/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Two women, who were among a group of 127 people who recently went to Varanasi on a pilgrimage, have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. The pilgrims — mostly senior citizens — from Tamil Nadu were quarantined soon after arriving in Tiruvallur district from Uttar Pradesh last Friday.

“Since the pilgrims had stayed in Uttar Pradesh for over a month and had travelled through many States to reach Tamil Nadu, medical teams took samples of all 127 pilgrims. Two women have now tested positive. Some more results are awaited,” a senior State government official told The Hindu on Monday.

Campus isolated

The two women were shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai. The test results of the 125 other pilgrims were awaited. Officials of the Tiruvallur district administration and the police were monitoring the health status of the pilgrims, the official said.

The campus housing the pilgrims was isolated early on Monday and health workers disinfected the premises as per protocol. Since the women who had tested positive had travelled in buses with the other pilgrims, the latter would be subjected to additional tests. “Many of them have pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, etc. Health officials are closely monitoring their health,” the official said.

The pilgrims, hailing from 9 districts, including Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchi and Salem, had visited Uttar Pradesh in February. They were stranded in Varanasi since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ‘Janata Curfew’ on March 22. A couple of days later, the first phase of the nationwide lockdown began, confining the pilgrims to the quarantine camps in Varanasi. After the government announced an extension of the lockdown, they made an appeal to the local authorities to help them get back home, police sources said.

The pilgrims from Tamil Nadu were among hundreds from across the country who were stranded in Varanasi in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The authorities arranged 22 special buses to transport them to their respective States.

Fear of the dead transmitting disease unfounded: experts

'Usually, bacteria and viruses die if the host dies'

21/04/2020, SERENA JOSEPHINE M.,CHENNAI

On April 13 and 19, residents took to the streets to oppose the burial of doctors who died of COVID-19 in the city. But the fear that the disease could spread from the dead was unfounded, and unnecessary, said doctors.

So far, 17 persons have died due to COVID-19 in the State. However, the burial of two doctors - an orthopaedic surgeon from Nellore (the death was part of Andhra Pradesh’s tally) and a neurosurgeon who headed a private hospital in Chennai - witnessed opposition from residents living in the area where the burial grounds were located.

Official sources said that the Chennai Corporation did not face any hurdles in conducting the burial of other patients who had died of COVID-19 in the city.

“The route to the burial ground was cleared and the burials were conducted smoothly,” an official said.

“Last night, an earthmover was engaged in digging a pit at the burial ground. The residents came out on hearing the sound. When they knew that a patient who died of COVID-19 was going to be buried there, they started to block the entrace to the cemetery. Chances are slim that they knew it was a doctor. They would have objected to and attacked anyone for that matter, considering the profile of the locality,” the official said.

SOP followed

R. Selvakumar, professor and head, Forensic Medicine Department, Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, explained the standard operating procedure followed in preparing a body for burial or cremation. “If it is a confirmed COVID-19 patient, we take all necessary precautions. We wear personal protective equipment and sanitise the body with antiseptic solution. We wrap the body in a cloth and pour the antiseptic solution on it. We then cover it using a plastic sheet and put in a body bag which is leakproof with a zipper in the centre. Both the inside and outside of the bag are sanitised,” he explained.

If the patient had tubes during hospitalisation, the passages are packed carefully to prevent leaks, he said. He added that sometimes, a person could have been admitted to the COVID-19 ward but died before the test result arrived. “In such a situation, the same protocol is followed. But we keep the body in the mortuary until the laboratory result arrives.”

He said the body is shifted from the mortuary only after the Chennai Corporation arranges for the burial and a pit is dug for burial. “None of the relatives are allowed to touch the body. But they are allowed to see the face of the person,” he said.

Deeper pit

He said that usually, bacteria and viruses die if the host dies. “There is no chance of any infection spread by burying the person. There is no study to prove that the virus spreads from the dead to others,” he said. For the burial of persons who died of COVID-19, a deeper pit - six to eight feet deep - is dug.

“A dead person cannot sneeze or cough or breathe. All ways of infection spread stops the moment a person dies. Viral replication also stops. The skin may contain viral particles. So long as there is no touch, there is zero per cent chance of infection spread,” J. Amalorpavanathan, retired vascular surgeon, said.

“Safe and dignified burial or cremation of those who died of COVID-19 is the responsibility of the State. If there is any failure, it is that of the State,” he added.

An official said many countries were cremating those who died of COVID-19 and this was in fact ideal to prevent any further infection.

“The government could also identify a place that is outside the city. Most of the burial grounds in the city are old and in the midst of residential localities,” he said.

10 discharged from hospital in Erode

21/04/2020, STAFF REPORTER  ERODE

Ten COVID-19 patients, including a woman, were discharged from the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital at Perundurai taking the total number of discharged to 32 in the district here on Monday.

The discharged persons offered prayers and thanked the district administration, doctors and frontline workers for saving them from the disease.

Collector C. Kathiravan, Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan, College Principal R. Mani, doctors and nurses wished them and asked them to follow the guidelines while being at home.

Addressing media persons on the hospital premises, Mr. Kathiravan said that so far 37 persons were discharged and they would be monitored by health staff for 14 days at their houses. It includes four members of railway doctor’s family in Coimbatore and one person from Tiruchi, who is a native of Erode district.

However, two Thai nationals, who were discharged last week, were arrested and kept in a separate ward along with four of their colleagues.

“Currently, 38 persons are in the isolation ward and are undergoing treatment”, he added.

Mr. Kathiravan said that 1,258 swab test was conducted so far in the district in which 70 persons tested positive while the rest 1,188 persons tested negative. Also, 1,500 rapid test kits had arrived in the district and the testing would begin from Tuesday.

A total of 32,435 families comprising 1,20,135 persons in 18 containment areas, including 10 places in the city, were in the district and were monitored by health officials continuously, he added.

Namakkal Staff

Reporter adds

33 discharged in Namakkal

As many as 33 persons, who were undergoing treatment for COVID-19 at Karur Medical College Hospital, were discharged on Monday.

According to officials, the 33 persons, 12 from Rasipuram, 14 from Namakkal, three from Velur, three from Kokkaranpettai and one from Manapalli were discharged and sent in ambulances to their homes from the hospital. Earlier, six patients from Namakkal were discharged from the hospital.

S. Somasundaram, Deputy Director of Health Services said, “still 11 persons are undergoing treatment at the Karur hospital and they are stable. They would also be discharged soon.”

Dr. Somasundaram said that till date 2,133 samples have been collected from here and most of them were Delhi event attendees and their close contacts and those tested positive were moved to hospitals. According to officials, the district has received 900 rapid antibody test kits and training was given to officials regarding using the kits.

7 more COVID-19 patients discharged

No new positive case was reported in Tirunelveli district on Monday

21/04/2020,

 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,TIRUNELVELI

Not many turned up to the Sub-Registrar Office on the Collectorate campus in Tirunelveli on Monday.A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN

Even as no new COVID-19 positive case was reported in Tirunelveli district on Monday, 7 persons from the district, who were undergoing treatment for SARS – CoV – 2 virus, were discharged from Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital today.

Of these 7 persons, 5 patients are from Melapalayam and 2 persons are from Tirunelveli Town. Moreover, one more patient from Ayyanarooththu near Kayathar in Thoothukudi district, who was also undergoing treatment in TVMCH, was discharged on Monday.

“After these patients tested negative in the tests conducted within a gap of 48 hours, they have been discharged,” said TVMCH sources said.

While Tirunelveli district heaved a sigh of relief as no new case was reported Monday, Tenkasi district recorded 4 more new COVID – 19 positive patients taking its total tally to 26. And, Thoothukudi’s tally stood at 27 as one more case tested positive on Monday.

“The situation in Puliyangudi in Tenkasi district is really grim. After an old man from Puliyangudi tested positive for COVI D – 19, his two daughters and two more women from his street were infected. As the number of primary contacts with these patients swelled to 90, all of them are being tested. Since most of them are showing symptoms of COVID–19, our worst fears may become true in the days to come,” the TVMCH sources said.

Though the Sub-Registrars’ offices returned to business on Monday following eased out 1ockdown, response from the public coming for registration of documents was very poor as only one document was registered on Monday.

“We also received applications for 10 copy documents and 26 encumbrance certificates,” said sources in the Sub-Registrar Office on Tirunelveli Collectorate premises.

Officials attached to other Sub-Registrar’s Offices across the district said that they had registered only one or two documents due to COVID–19 scare.

13 from Dindigul district sent home

21/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,KARUR

Forty-eight patients, who had tested positive for COVID-19 virus, were discharged from the Karur Government Medical College Hospital after treatment on Monday.

Of them, 33 patients were from Namakkal district and 13 from Dindigul district.

Two patients were from Karur district. While a section of them had contracted the virus after attending a religious event in New Delhi, the remaining were their contacts.

The patients were given a rousing send off by the doctors, nurses and para medical staff members of the hospital when they left for their native places.

While medical personnel lined up to send them off, the visibly relieved patients too expressed their gratitude for the treatment extended to them over the past three weeks.

The patients were sent home in ambulances and cars. Rosy Vennila, Dean of the hospital, said that 101 Covid-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital so far.

They had undergone 14 days treatment at the hospital after testing positive for the virus.

They were discharged after testing negative for the virus in two consecutive tests.

Dr. Vennila said that 67 more patients, who had tested positive for COVID-19, were still in the isolation wards of the hospitals. All of them were stable and responding well to the treatment protocol, she said.

VC distributes face masks

21/04/2020, STAFF REPORTER,SIVAGANGA

Alagappa University Vice-Chancellor N. Rajendran inaugurated the distribution of 250 cotton face masks and ‘kabasura kudineer’ by the National Service Scheme volunteers of the university to the customers who visited the temporary vegetable market set up on Alagappa Model Higher Secondary School campus, here on Monday. 

He said that Alagappa Institute of Skill Development has been producing face masks with the help of 10 students and faculty from the Fashion Technology department. “Under the supervision of B. Dharmalingam, Director of Alagappa Institute of Skill Development, the students are preparing face masks while ensuring that personal distance is being followed,” he said.

Around 500 face masks were also given to the Tahsildar of Karaikudi for distribution to the public.

A 25-day journey from Gujarat to Assam

Robbed of cash and phone, Gogoi walked and hitch-hiked to cover 2,800 km

21/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,GUWAHATI

Tired feet: Jadav Gogoi, a labourer, started walking on March 27 from Vapi in Gujarat. Special Arrangement

A 45-year-old man reached his home district in central Assam on Sunday night after partly walking for 25 days from Vapi, an industrial town in Gujarat 2,800 km away.

Jadav Gogoi, a migrant labourer in Vapi, told his rescuers that he began walking on March 27 along the highway. He dodged the police in several districts along the route and hitch-hiked on trucks, sometimes for a fee, to reach a toll gate near his home at Gadharia village in Nagaon district.

He had set out with ₹4,000 but was robbed of the money, mobile phone and other belongings on the way and had to beg to survive.

“He could barely move about when he reached the toll gate, walking the last 1,000 km from Bihar. He called up members of his family from the phone of a local person who took pity on him. Our members took him to the nearest police station from where he was admitted to the civil hospital in [district headquarters] Nagaon,” said Dibyajit Hazarika of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad.

Doctors said Mr. Gogoi’s condition was stable but he would have to be under quarantine as he had arrived from outside the State. His swab sample has been sent for COVID-19 test.

Plea in SC seeks full refund for air fares

Aviation Ministry order covers only bookings made during lockdown, which has no logic: petitioner

21/04/2020, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

Wings clipped: Planes of different airlines parked at the airport in New Delhi on Monday.PTI

A petition was filed on Monday seeking directions that airline companies should fully refund tickets cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

The petition filed by the Pravasi Legal Cell has also challenged an April 16 office memorandum (OM) of the Civil Aviation Ministry which covers only the refund of tickets booked during the lockdown period. The OM leaves out the vast majority of passengers who booked tickets before the flights were banned due to the lockdown.

“There is no question of anyone booking a ticket during the lockdown period knowing the fact that schedule passenger flights were cancelled for period of travel. This makes the Office Memorandum of the Ministry of Civil Aviation ambiguous and devoid of any logic. The office memorandum is in clear violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution in so far as directing the airlines to provide full refund of ticket amount only if the ticket is booked during the lockdown period for travel during the lockdown, which amounts to treating equals unequally,” the petition contended.

Credit shell

It said the office memorandum indirectly approves the practice of airlines providing credit shell for booking effected before the lockdown, though the same clearly violates the refund rules of the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

“Airlines, instead of providing the full refund of the amount collected for the tickets due to cancellation, are providing a credit shell, valid up to one year, which is in clear violation of the Civil Aviation Requirement of May 2008 issued by the DGCA,” the petition said.

2008 order

It said the DGCA clearly required that “the option of holding the refund amount in credit shell by the airlines shall be the prerogative of the passenger and not a default practice of the airline.”

The May 2008 DGCA requirement mandates that refunds should be done within seven days from date of cancellation in case of credit card payments. In case of cash payment, the ticket refund should be made immediately.

‘Harsh on passengers’

On the other hand, the April 16 Memorandum allows airlines 30 days after receiving a passenger’s request for a refund.

“Airline companies, instead of showing humanitarian virtues, are rather seeing these challenging times as an opportunity to extract unlawful gains from the people who are already in misery due to uncertainties. That the present policy is extremely harsh on the ordinary passengers who booked tickets in advance for travelling,” the petition said.

Hostels decide to extend discounts

Inmates not to be charged for food and power at many facilities

21/04/2020, SANGEETHA KANDAVEL,CHENNAI

Many hostels in the city have decided not to charge inmates for food and electricity for April.

“Since most girls have left for their homes, we thought it would not be fair if we charge them for food and other expenses. So some hostels have decided on a waiver of ₹2,000 from the monthly rent while the others are deciding based on location,” said K.S. Manoharan, secretary, Chennai Hostel Owners Welfare Association. “There are 300-plus hostels under our association and we have requested members to follow this,” he added.

Nageswara Rao, secretary, South Chennai Paying Guest and Hostel Owners Association, said that members of his association were also waiving food and power charges from the monthly rent. “We have left it to the hostels to decide because a hostel in Taramani cannot extend the same cut as a hostel in Navalur. Rates vary from location to location,” he added.

Hostels have also indicated that the waiver would be extended in case the lockdown went beyond May 3. The owner of a hostel on Natesan Street in T. Nagar said that she had not decided on the quantum of the cut as some inmates were yet to pay for the month of March.

“After IT firms allowed staff to work from home, the girls went back to their native places. I'm struggling to pay the cooks, maintenance and security staff. If I don't pay them they will find other jobs,” she said

Decision misunderstood

Hostel owners have also expressed concerns that those residing in their premises have misunderstood the announcements regarding rent payments.

Ballpark estimates show that Chennai has over 4,000 hostels.

Right to decent burial is part of fundamental right to life, says HC

Judges issue warning to those objecting to disposal of bodies of COVID-19 patients; say trespassing into a burial ground is a punishable offence

21/04/2020, MOHAMED IMRANULLAH S.,CHENNAI

Observing that the fundamental right to life guaranteed under the Constitution includes the right to decent burial or cremation, the Madras High Court on Monday warned local residents against raising objections to the disposal of the bodies of those who had died due to COVID-19.

Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and M. Nirmal Kumar took up a suo motu public interest litigation petition, with the permission of Chief Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi, after a neurosurgeon’s body was not allowed to be buried in a cemetery at Kilpauk here on Sunday.

The judges said, according to news reports, local residents had opposed burial of the surgeon’s body at the Kilpauk cemetery. Consequently, the body was taken to a burial ground at Velangadu in New Avadi Road where again a mob attempted to prevent the burial.

In the process, some public servants had sustained injuries when they attempted to disperse the mob. The ambulance, in which the body was transported, was also damaged. Such acts were completely unacceptable and legally punishable, the judges pointed out.

“It prima facie appears that as a consequence of the above said alleged acts, a person who practised a noble profession as a doctor, and breathed his last, has been deprived of his right to have a burial in a cemetery earmarked for that purpose,” the Division Bench lamented.

The Bench pointed out that the Code of Criminal Procedure contains enough provisions to deal with maintenance of public order, discouraging unlawful assemblies, dispersal of such assemblies using civil force and immunity to police personnel involved in such action.

Authoring the interim order, Justice Sathyanarayanan also pointed out that Section 297 of the Indian Penal Code states it is a punishable offence to trespass into a burial ground or crematorium and cause indignity to the corpse or disturbance to performance of funeral rites.

Centre’s guidelines

People found guilty under the Section could be punished with imprisonment that could extend up to one year or with fine or both. The court also recalled that the Centre had already issued an advisory to the citizens and urged them to avoid social stigma associated with COVID-19.

Further, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had also issued guidelines on March 16 with respect to management of bodies of those who die due to COVID-19. Those guidelines require strict adherence to infection prevention control practices.

Those guidelines require the body to be secured in a body bag, the exterior of which should be decontaminated. “Environmental cleaning and disinfection of surfaces is to be done with one per cent Sodium Hypochlorite solution. Autopsy should be avoided and embalming should not be allowed.

“At the crematorium/burial ground, the staff should be sensitised that COVID-19 does not pose additional risk,” the Ministry’s guidelines read. Stating that these guidelines were available in the public domain, the judges said, people were expected to be aware of them.

The court also ordered notice to the State government and adjourned further hearing on the PIL petition to April 28.

Vijayakant offers land on college premises for burials

‘WHO has said virus cannot be spread through a dead person’

21/04/2020, STAFF REPORTER,CHENNAI

VijayakantK. Pichumani

After residents violently objected to the burial of the body of a neurosurgeon who had succumbed to COVID-19, DMDK founder Vijayakant on Monday offered a piece of land on the premises of his Andal Azhagar Engineering College in Mamandur for burying those who had died of the disease.

In a statement, Mr. Vijayakant said he was pained by reports of people objecting to such burials and even resorting to violence to prevent them. “We are all going to die one day. If doctors who attend to patients are treated like this, we have to think about the common people. When Tamils give dignified burials to animals, it is shocking to see them objecting to the burial of a doctor’s body,” he said.

Mr. Vijayakant said people were attacking ambulances and their drivers despite the World Health Organisation and the State government having clarified that the virus cannot be spread through a dead person. DMDK treasurer Premalatha Vijayakant urged people not to attack ambulances and those accompanying the bodies of the deceased

Govt. doctors’ association demands action against mob

‘Authorities should have provided security for burial’

21/04/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors’ Association (TNGDA) has condemned the actions of the “unruly mob” that prevented the burial of a neurosurgeon who had died of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a private hospital on Sunday.

In a statement, K. Senthil, State president of TNGDA, condoled the death of the doctor, Simon Hercules, who got infected after treating a patient. The association said the government should have provided adequate security for his burial, and demanded stern action against those who tried to prevent it.

The TNGDA said a body that was packed was least infective, and stern action should be taken against the “ignorant mob” opposing such burials.

“Already, the government sector is burdened with COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 emergencies as most private sector institutions have downed their shutters. At this juncture, such disheartening incidents will demotivate doctors and other healthcare providers. The TNGDA demands proper action against the perpetrators and protection during similar incidents in future. Is this (referring to the disturbance during the burial) the reward for our selfless commitment towards the fight against the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus?” the association said in the statement.

“Government doctors are risking their lives, using existing poor quality/inadequate protective gear in treating the patients. Recently, many doctors have tested positive in spite of wearing protective gear. TNGDA demands supply of proper specified protective gear immediately to all healthcare providers on COVID-19 duty,” the statement said.

Doctor’s funeral party comes under attack

Mob protests burial in Chennai; last rites done with police protection

21/04/2020, SERENA JOSEPHINE M.,CHENNAI

Police at a burial ground at Velangadu, where locals opposed to allow the last rites of Dr. Simon Hercules (inset), who died of COVID-19 , in the early hours of Monday.

In a shocking repeat of what happened when a doctor from Andhra Pradesh died of COVID-19 a week ago, a mob attacked a group of persons, including doctors, during the burial a neurosurgeon who died after he tested positive for COVID-19 in a private hospital on Sunday.

The body of Simon Hercules, the 55-year-old doctor who heads a private hospital on Poonamallee High Road, was shifted from the private hospital to Chennai Corporation’s burial ground near Kilpauk on Sunday night. However, residents quickly gathered and protested.

Drama at midnight

“The Chennai Corporation staff had made all arrangements, and accompanied us from the private hospital to the burial ground. However, on reaching the spot, we found that around 200 persons had gathered and started to protest. Police were at the spot. The Corporation officials said we should go to another burial ground in Anna Nagar (Velangadu). We reached the burial ground and an earthmover was engaged for digging the pit. As per norms, only a few of us, including doctors and family members, gathered for the burial,” Pradeep Kumar, a consultant arthroscopy surgeon, said.

“Suddenly, some 50 to 60 persons began to attack us. They started to hurl stones and sticks at us. There were about seven to eight Corporation staff at the spot. We had to flee the spot. Some of us were bleeding. The windshield of the hospital ambulance was damaged by the attackers. We drove back in the same vehicle,” Dr. Kumar said. At around 11.30 p.m., the ambulance reached Kilpauk and Dr. Kumar along with two ward boys of the hospital decided to go back. “I wore the personal protective equipment and drove back in the ambulance. Police personnel were at the spot. The earthmover operator had also fled. We buried the doctor and closed the pit on our own. Our ward boys and police helped,” he said.

Home alone, seniors struggle to fend for themselves

Priya.Menon@timesgroup.com

Chennai:21.04.2020

A few days into the national lockdown, Mahendren Ramalingam went through the “worst nightmare” as he calls it. The 63-year-old diabetic, who lives in Adyar on his own, found himself left without any food.

“A small caterer was supplying food, but after a week they stopped saying their delivery boys were finding it difficult to deliver food. The days that followed were the worst of my life. I had kanji for breakfast, and then survived for a couple of days on cucumber, tomato, onion and bread,” says Ramalingam, who in desperation, reached out to a friend who found someone down the road to give him meals till the catering service resumed operations.

While many people in the city are using the lockdown period to spend quality time bonding with their families, a few others, especially seniors living on their own, are struggling to fend for themselves. With no domestic help and total isolation, they struggle to maintain their physical and psychological health.

“I had a maid, a driver and was volunteering six days a week, teaching underprivileged children computers and English. Now I am at home and though I still consult for a realty firm, I miss having company,” says Ramalingam. “If I open the door, I may see the watchman or a neighbour. Also, the real challenge of being alone is that if any machine/ gadget doesn’t work – fridge, cell phone – I would not know what to do.”

Kamakshi Subramaniyan, 92, who lives in Besant Nagar, feels the same. “I thrive on company,” says Kamakshi, who is also dependent on a caterer for food. “I have a maid who comes one in two or three days. My friends call every morning and evening, and get me whatever I need. The corporation also keeps a check on me, a man comes every day to see if I am hale and hearty,” she says, adding that she watches more TV to while away time.

“I have cut down on watching news as it gets depressing, and watch some religious programmes for solace, though actually I love watching humorous movies,” say Kamakshi. Known to campaign for civic issues, she continues policing the neighbourhood from her balcony. “When I see people jumping into the corporation playground opposite my house, I ask them to leave,” she says.

Checking out the stock market five days a week and reading is what helps D Radhakrishnan, 92, keep up his spirits. “I live with my daughter but she is away in Paris as her daughter had a surgery. My neighbours give me food, a maid comes once in 10 days to clean the apartment. Both of us wear masks as a precautionary measure. I only have a few vessels to clean and have enough clothes for two weeks, after which I use the washing machine,” he says.

He misses spending time with his friends and worries about his daughter and granddaughter. ”But, in life, you have to accept situations. Once you do that, you will find ways to keep yourself occupied and busy,” he says

Airlines refuse refunds despite Centre’s advisory

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.04.2020

Airlines seem to have ignored an advisory issued by the ministry of civil aviation urging them to issue refunds for tickets on flights cancelled during the shutdown. Its been three days since the advisory was issued following several complaints from passengers that all domestic airlines are refusing refunds and have put the money into a credit shell for people to reclaim within a year.

Though the shutdown from March 25 to April 14 was sudden, the airlines continued to book tickets for travel from April 15 without instructions from the DGCA or ministry that flights can be resumed. But, the shutdown was extended and these tickets too have now been converted into credit shell.

Many passengers have now taken to Twitter asking airlines for refunds citing the ministry's guidelines. In response, airlines have said they are still "reviewing" the directives by DGCA and has not clarified whether money will be returned.

In some cases, the airlines are also refusing refunds for tickets saying that the tickets were booked before March 25. For example, a passenger has tweeted that “My flight cancelled due to Covid-19 which was scheduled on April 22 and

27. As per guidelines from DGCA, I want full refund in bank account. But IndiGo has responded saying "As your reservation was made before March 25, a credit shell has been made for the complete amount valid for a year and can be utilised by the same passengers."

Similar responses which do not commit refunds are given by SpiceJet, GoAir Vistara and Air India.

Air Passengers Association of India (APAI) national president D Sudhakara Reddy said, “The ministry and the DGCA should have issued a strong order telling airlines to refund tickets. This is a guideline. That is a problem. Airlines have taken law into their hands and are holding back people’s money.”

Airlines continued to accepting booking for flights after April 15 and also for flights after May 4 though the ministry has not made it clear that flights will resume.

Minister of civil aviation Hardeep Singh Puri has also tweeted that airlines did not “heed advisory opened bookings & started collecting money from flyers, a directive was issued to them on 19th April restraining them from doing so.” Following this some of the airlines have not stopped taking bookings but continue to refuse refunds.

Three days ago, the the ministry of civil aviation issued an advisory urging airlines to issue refunds for tickets cancelled during the shutdown

Sub-registrar offices open amid poor attendance

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai:21.04.2020

Sub-registrar offices were on Monday reopened across the state amid poor staff attendance, boycott by document writers and some offices being shifted out of containment zones.

The government has brought the registration department under the category of essential services. On Monday, offices wore a deserted look as people did not visit them due to the lockdown.

Official sources said nearly 600 property registrations were recorded on the first day with less than 10% was registered in Chennai. Madurai and Vellore zones led the list of land registrations. “Some offices had nil registrations,” an official said. Hardly 40% of the total staff reported for duty. “Several staff residing in Chennai could not commute to offices in the fringes because these are located in neighbouring districts and movement between districts has been restricted,” a subregistrar said.

A total of 25 offices across Tamil Nadu were shifted out of containment zones to the nearest registration offices, of which four are in the city and suburbs. The government reopened all the 575 subregistrar office, after a break of 23 days, on Monday based on an order of the department of revenue administration and disaster management on April 15 that allowed operations of government offices with minimal staff.

Industries secretary N Muruganandam, who is incharge of registration department, told TOI that sub registrar offices fell under the bracket of essential services. Denying charges that registration offices were reopened with a lone focus on generating revenue, he said, “They will continue to operate as usual though the government has extended the lockdown period till May 3 as sub-registrar offices were essential services.”