Even Cobra hatchlings are lethal, caution experts

Warning comes after video of a Malayalam actor holding a hatchling on her palm goes viral

04/05/2020, K.S. SUDHI ,KOCHI

The venom in a hatchling is of high concentration.

It doesn’t require an adult cobra to snuff the life out of you; even hatchlings are capable of it, warn herpetologists.

Snake specialists sounded caution on handling snakes after a video of a Malayalam actor holding the hatchling of a cobra on her palm went viral on social media. The hatchling, a few centimetres in length, could be seen holding its hood up in the video and launching itself forward as if to strike.

Oblivious of the risk, the actor continued speaking on video the about the compassion to be shown towards such small guests.

The actor was also seen introducing the snake to some children.

‘Enough venom’

“The young cobra has enough venom, fully developed fangs and a poison delivery system sufficient enough to kill an adult person or cause serious health risks. The cobra venom is neurotoxic. It was suicidal on the actor’s part to hold the snake on her palm and go for a video recording,” said Jose Louies, an IUCN specialist on snakes.

Cobra is one of the four venomous snakes that accounts for most of the snakebite deaths in the country. Russell’s viper, Saw-scaled viper and the Common krait are the other members of the lethal league.

The venom in the cobra hatchling would be of high concentration. The striking distance between the snake and the human body was a few centimetres in this case. With its agility, the young snake could strike at any angle with lightning speed, said Mr. Louies, also the founder of Indiansnakes, a website that tracks snakes and snakebites.

Snakes hatch towards the end of summer months and the chance of encountering them were higher during the monsoon period. Most cases of snakebite occurred during monsoon, he said. Ideally, one should stay away from snakes.

Steps to be taken

If confronted in an unavoidable situation, the movement of the snake could be restrained by covering it with a bucket and then waiting for snake rescuers to arrive.

In case of a hatchling, they should be removed from the area safely, Mr. Louies suggested.

With industries set to open, government issues guidelines

No employee from a containment zone should be allowed to work

04/05/2020,DENNIS S. JESUDASANCHENNAI

The State government on Sunday issued several sets of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to enable certain industries, including the construction sector, to resume partial operations in rural and specified urban areas outside the COVID-19 containment zones from Monday.

As per the SOP, notified a day after Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami announced a relaxation of the lockdown, no employee from a containment zone should be allowed to work. “One should understand [that] the intention of the government is to carefully restart operations of industries and not undo all the precautionary measures taken so far,” a senior official told The Hindu.

He made it clear that private firms other than those that fall under the sectors specifically mentioned in the G.O. issued by the Chief Secretary cannot resume operations. “If any more relaxation is necessary, the State government would take a call,” he added.

Industrial units engaging over 1,000 workers must tie-up with a nearby hospital for a daily visit by a doctor. In units with 201-1,000 workers, a part-time doctor must visit once in two days, and units with less than 200 employees must have a doctor “on call”.

Those aged above 55, persons with co-morbidities and parents of children below five years of age “shall be encouraged from home [sic]”. Such permission shall not be entertained in the construction industry.

Disinfecting industrial premises twice a day, thermal screening of employees before they enter the premises, wearing of masks and physical distancing at the workplace are among the mandatory provisions. “Ensure that only medically fit persons, without any co-morbid conditions and below 55 years of age, are called for work in the first phase,” said the G.O, which also officially extended the lockdown till May 17.

Companies should arrange for the transportation of their workers. The vehicles should only carry passengers at 50% capacity, and a provision should be made for disinfectants/sanitisers at the entry and exit points of buses. No pillion riding will be allowed on two-wheelers.

Not more than 2/4 (depending on the size of the facility) persons should be allowed to travel in lifts or hoists. Wearing face coverings is compulsory in all areas of the premises.

The G.O. also specified punishments to be imposed under various provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in case of were violations.

If any employee of a firm tested positive for COVID-19, it must be brought to the notice of the office of the Deputy Director of Medical Services of the district concerned or the 24-hour helpline immediately, the State government said on Sunday.

The person should be admitted to a designated COVID-19 hospital and close contacts must be tested and kept under home or facility quarantine, as per the standard protocols, a G.O said.

“Close proximity of the area in which the employee was working should be thoroughly disinfected for three days and can be put back into use. The whole of the campus should also be disinfected,” the G.O. stated.

Identification and isolation of potentially infectious individuals was a critical step in protecting people at a work site, it added.

1.26 lakh Tamils residing outside State register with govt. to return home

1.18 lakh people have expressed their intention to leave Tamil Nadu

04/05/2020,DENNIS S. JESUDASANCHENNAI

As of Sunday morning, over 1.26 lakh Tamils currently residing or stranded in other States and countries have registered themselves with the Tamil Nadu government, requesting the authorities to facilitate their return in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Separately, over 1.18 lakh people currently residing in T.N. have expressed their intention to leave for their native States.

As of 9 a.m. on Sunday, 45,505 requests were made for the return of 52,100 persons from various countries to Tamil Nadu, a senior official told The Hindu. Another 13,839 registrations were made for the return of 74,890 persons living or stranded in other States, an official source said.

As for natives of other States intending to leave Tamil Nadu, 25,302 registrations were made for 1,18,504 persons.

However, a senior official said the State government was hopeful that the number of people intending to leave Tamil Nadu would come down once industries resume operations. “We are not for the exchange of workers, since many of them want to leave only because they don’t have work here and are not earning. From Monday, many industries are set to commence operations and, hopefully, there will be a drop [in the number of people looking to return home],” the official said.

Another official pointed out that workers were crucial to kick-starting the economy. “What is the point of allowing industries [to operate] if there are no workers? Many migrant workers will naturally stay put if the industries resume operations,” he argued.

Officials also explained that the process of returning home from a State or a foreign country would be long. “It is not as if one can reach home after getting here by an aircraft or a train. A medical check-up and quarantine will follow soon after,” an official said. But the return of students, tourists and pilgrims was inevitable, he added.

The government has requested those abroad to register themselves on the portal nonresidenttamil.org if they intend to return to Tamil Nadu, so that estimates regarding medical check-ups and quarantine facilities could be made.

For persons hailing from other States who wish to leave Tamil Nadu, registrations can be made on the portal rtos.nonresidenttamil.org, the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday.

Natives of Tamil Nadu who are currently in other States and wish to return have also been asked to register themselves on the same portal. Those who intend to return or leave in their own vehicles can request passes while registering themselves.

It’s an uphill task to get e-pass

Huge flow of requests since e-portal opened, says Collector

04/05/2020, SANJANA GANESH,MADURAI

The State government’s move to relax norms regarding the functioning of industries from May 4 has brought a sigh of relief to entrepreneurs. However, tiny and small-scale entrepreneurs in Madurai say that the process of obtaining passes for their employees is among their biggest problems yet.

From 11 a.m. onwards, the portal- http://www.tnepass.tngea/- displayed an error message stating ‘the site cannot be reached.’ Convenor of Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association K. R. Gnanansambandham said the servers were slow. “Without proper systems in place, how can we even attempt getting passes?” he asked.

Many labourers from his company who attempted to obtain passes were unsuccessful. “When some members of my organisation tried to apply for a pass, they failed to get it. There was also no clear reason for the rejection,” he said.

Most importantly, he said that only five or six industries had been listed in the drop-down menu on the portal disallowing people who sell spare parts, oil, grease, paint and other commodities, which had been classified as ‘non-essential,’ to continue with their work.

Tamil Nadu Small and Tiny Industries Association president S. Anburajan said that since the district administration had strictly prevented entry of people into the Collector’s office seeking passes, many people were clueless about how to begin working on May 4. He added that when labourers went to e-sevai centres to apply, the slow servers caused very lengthy wait time.

The relaxation permits the Collector to decide on whether e-passes will be given to plumbers, electricians, AC mechanics, homecare providers and maids.

T. Dhirivayam, a plumber-cum-electrician, who resides in Anna Nagar, said that without any income for the last one-and-a-half months, he has had to survive on meagre savings.

“I've spent the money saved for my daughter’s wedding,” he said. With the relaxation being his only shot at earning a living after a 40-day interval, the e-pass issue proved to be a stumbling block, he said.

Collector T. G. Vinay said that there had been a huge flow of requests since the time the e-portal opened on Sunday morning. “The District Industries Centre head said that they are yet to reject applications and they still have 250 pending requests,” he said.

He added that they had been flooded with requests from people who already had government’s permission to function without a pass, including employees of medical shops and staff working at restaurants that permit take aways. “We are working on clearing applications,” he said.

Virudhunagar Collector to take a call on reopening industries

No positive cases for the ninth day

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,VIRUDHUNAGAR

After nil report in positive cases for the ninth consecutive day on Sunday, Virudhunagar district administration will now shift its focus to the issue of relaxation of curfew norms for industries.

Collector R. Kannan said the State Government had authorised Collectors to take the final call on opening industries based on the local situation.

Meeting planned

A series of meetings with officials and representatives of fireworks, printing and textile industries, among others, would be held to discuss the possibility of putting in place standard operating procedures to ensure social distancing and safety for employees.

Match industry and a section of printing units involved in printing textbooks for government schools were already operating with curtailed staff strength.

Meanwhile, 36 more persons, who attempted to enter Virudhunagar from other districts with or without e-passes, were detained and quarantined in hospital, he said.

The district had so far recorded 32 positive cases, with 13 active ones. The last positive case was reported on April 24.

Multiple options

Do you feel uncertain of a career option? Do you lack the freedom to choose a subject that you really want to pursue? Do you always feel low on self-confidence? Are you constantly doubting yourself? 

A Q&A column by Nandini Raman, practising counsellor and trainer, to assuage your doubts.

04/05/2020

I am pursuing my second year of post-graduation in Psychology (Clinical) from IGNOU Delhi, and I am preparing for the civil services too. I have also done my advance diploma in guidance and counselling with a bachelor’s degree from Punjab University. I am willing to earn and start my career but am unable to get any job as everyone wants an experienced candidate and, to be experienced, I need to work somewhere as a trainee. So, where can I get this experience? — Rashmi Singh

Dear Rashmi,

Yes, I understand the frustration this situation causes. Stay motivated and apply for internships and openings across schools, colleges, companies and hospitals. There are many forums and groups on social media (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Google groups, and so on) that post regular job openings and vacancies for counsellors on an on-going basis for freshers and experienced professionals.

Alternatively, identify a good psychiatrist and intern with him/her for the next three to six months, after which you can join his/her team, or start your own practice. Also, ask your faculty to provide you with some useful leads.

I am pursuing my fellowship in hospital administration, and want to do my PhD part-time in Hospital Administration and gain employment in the U.K. What are my options? — Perumal Sinnusamy

Dear Perumal,

Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru; All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi; and Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences (DMIMS), Wardha are some of the top colleges that offer PhD in Hospital Administration in India. You could enroll into the same course in the U.K., and then apply for a job there. https://www.phdportal.com/disciplines/229/health-management.html will provide you some more clarity. Good luck!

I am a class XII student aspiring to become a doctor. I am keen on getting through the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, but I do not know about the marks required to qualify for the interview and test. Could you please tell me about the admission procedure and the cutoff this year? — Isha Vasudev

Dear Isha,

AFMC MBBS 2020 application form will be available online in the second week of May. Admission will be offered based on NEET 2020 Scores. After qualifying in the NEET, shortlisted candidates will have to appear for ToELR — Test of English language, comprehension, logic and reasoning and a psychological test at AFMC, Pune. Further details are provided on the AFMC website. Do read through that as and when time permits.

Disclaimer: This column is not a substitute for long-term therapy. It is merely a guiding voice. Some issues may need medical intervention.

The writer is a practising counsellor and a trainer. She has worked extensively with students and young adults across a range of issues. She will answer questions sent to eduplus.thehindu@gmail.com. The subject line should be: ‘Off the edge’.

How to clean each item Processing it While on grocery runs Vegetable washes How to handle How to handle food deliveries food deliveries

04/05/2020

Getty images/istock

How to clean each item

Vegetables and fruits: Rinsing them with soap is not a good idea, as there’s the danger of ingesting soap, which can cause gastrointestinal distress leading to vomiting and diarrhoea when consumed in large quantities. Alcohol-based wipes have lab-made chemicals that are unsafe to ingest, and could have unknown long-term effects if used too often. If you’ve used it a couple of times in the past it won’t have done much damage. Simply run tap water on vegetables and fruits for about 20 seconds (the same duration you would wash hands for). Dumping veggies in a dishwasher is inadvisable.

“If you want to be doubly sure, lay out the vegetables in the sun for an hour or two before taking them into the house,” adds Dr Santhosham. There is no scientific proof that turmeric, rock salt vinegar or baking soda added to the water gets rid of a virus, but there is no harm doing it, since these are food items, so safe to ingest. Follow up by washing your hands with soap. Creating ‘dunk tanks’ where all vegetables are washed together in large quantities is also enough. “Potassium permanganate is an antiseptic and can be used, but there is no scientific backing to this,” says Dr Santosham.

Eggs: The best way to clean eggs is to rinse them with water thoroughly.

Packets and cardboard boxes: These can be wiped down with alcohol-based wipes since you will not be ingesting it.

Tins and water cans: “Before you remove the seal, wash the can with running tap water and use hand wash to clean the nooks and crannies. Use after allowing it to dry,” adds Dr Vinay D, Consultant and Head, Department of Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru.

Weekly grocery runs are now characterised by masks, alcohol-based sanitiser bottles, and a pair of gloves, as people around the globe try to adhere to the norms of physical distancing while shopping for essentials. What do you do with groceries thereafter? On social media, we have seen some put veggies in the dishwasher; some scrub them down with alcohol-based wipes; and some soak them in potassium permanganate.

But when does caution become paranoia? We asked experts what the right way to clean groceries was, whether we were bringing them in or a delivery was. First though, “Remember that it is a respiratory virus we are dealing with: that it has to be inhaled to cause infection; and not ingested. So, that is what we need to safeguard against,” says Dr Ravi Santosham, Chennai-based pulmonologist. However, maintaining this level of cleanliness and hygiene can reduce the possibility of contracting any aerosol or droplet-related infections, such as tuberculosis.

Processing it

Once you are back from your grocery run, head straight to the kitchen. Ideally, before leaving for the market, place all your cleaning implements near the sink. When you are back, dump your mask and gloves into the dustbin. Gloves should be removed in such a way that your bare fingers don’t touch them. Wash/sun all the produce and bottles. Clean down the kitchen sink and area surrounding it like you usually would, with the regular wash you would use for your utensils. Head to the bathroom and wash your clothes immediately with detergent. Have a bath using soap and shampoo.

While on grocery runs

Keep at least a three to six-metre distance from people around. “Wearing masks is mandatory; there are a lot of asymptomatic carriers who will be active and out and about. If everybody wears a mask, the safety is two-fold,” continues Dr Santosham.

While shopping for groceries, one inevitably ends up touching many surfaces. Does a pair of gloves help? “It’s not foolproof, though it has its advantages. When you have a pair of gloves (you can get them at a chemist) and a mask, the tendency to take your hand to your face reduces. You are instantly reminded that you should not be doing it,” continues Dr Santosham.

In the car, keep a hand sanitiser handy during grocery runs, so you sanitise as soon as you get back in, before you touch surfaces in the car. “Even if you use it to the point of being obsessive, there is no harm. Hand sanitisers are very important,” says Dr Vinay.

Vegetable washes

Vegetable washes that are now being pushed have sodium oleate (fat-solvent soaps), salts of carbonate, ethanol, citric acid and food grade perfumes. However, doctors feel that when there is an option to clean them using running water, it’s best not to use alternatives, the ingredients of which we are not sure of. “There is no need to use such things without any benefit when we can get the same result in a regular way,” says Dr Basant Mahadevappa, Consultant for Liver Transplant and Hepato Pancreo Biliary (HPB).

How to handle food deliveries

Opting for contact-less deliveries (an option which is now enabled by both Swiggy and Zomato), helps a great deal, as the packet is left at one’s doorstep, minimising contact with the delivery executive. According to Dr Santosham, once the item is taken in, immediately dispose of the extra packaging, including covers, bowls, and cardboard boxes, in a bin with a garbage bag. This can be taken outside and thrown into the main dump if accessible or left outside for the collection to take place. So try and plan deliveries for a time just before garbage collection happens. Transfer the cooked food to a clean container and heat the food before consumption.

Bijoy Ghosh

UAE books 3 more Indians on charges of spreading hate

Dubai monitoring posts that can inflame communal tensions

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The authorities in the UAE over the weekend booked three more Indians for spreading hate online. Diplomatic sources said this was part of the Gulf country’s campaign to monitor community activities by Indian expats as intense social media exchanges between Indian and Gulf commentators continue.

The latest to be booked are Rohit Rawat, a chef employed with a high-end Italian restaurant, Sachin Kinnigoli, a storekeeper, and an employee with the Transguard group who posted offensive messages in a Facebook page under a fictitious name, Vishal Thakur. All three have been terminated from their positions, and the administration of Dubai is acting against them under the law.

Sources from the UAE said the country was unlikely to tolerate online hate and was monitoring both online and offline activities by expats, especially comments that inflamed religious sentiments. An offender will get jail term and be fined heavily depending on the scale of the crime. Since early March, there have been at least 11 cases of Indian expats getting sacked and punished for such crimes.

Continued online hate speech and crackdown by the authorities have drawn the attention of Indian Ambassador Pavan Kapoor, who had intervened earlier reminding Indians that discrimination is against the rule of law and the “moral fabric” of India. Nevertheless, heated exchanges continued, prompting Princess Hend Al Qassemi of Sharjah to criticise dominant political trends in India.

It is learnt that the UAE has begun to watch out for signs of extremism among Hindus, including social and cultural figures, in a focused way after a prominent Indian priest was arrested in March 2019. After a brief detention, Mahant Sudhir Das Pujari was released and allowed to return home. The Mahant said the controversy was related to a dispute with his Arab business partner, and it had nothing to do with his religious activities.

No relaxation in Assam for the aged

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,GUWAHATI

The Assam government has announced the relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown for a slew of activities from Monday but people above 65 years and children below 12 years have been barred from venturing out of their homes except for medical reasons.

The relaxation is applicable in all districts marked green zones. Assam has no red zone and only four of the 33 districts are marked orange.

“All offices and businesses allowed to function will operate during the day hours with sufficient time for employees and proprietors to return home before a total curfew starts from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice,” Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.

Shops and offices will have to be closed by 5 p.m.

All public and private sector offices will, however, be allowed to operate with 50% employees, while women employees who have children below 5 years have been allowed to stay home. Construction activities have been permitted with 50% workers.

20 central teams to monitor hotspots

04/05/2020

Data from State Health Departments put the nationwide death toll at 1,389. The number of positive cases overall stood at 42,037, with 29, 965 active ones. Mumbai reported 441 new cases and 21 deaths, taking the total number of cases to 8,613 and fatalities to 343, an BMC official said.’

Fewer tests

India is one of 11 countries that have tested over one million samples, with the latest Health Ministry update reporting 74,000 tests a day. However, at just 758 tests per million of population, India ranks among countries that have tested the lowest fraction of their population.

In an interview to the Press Trust of India, NITI Aayog Member, V.K. Paul said extending India’s lockdown was part of a plan to curb infection transmission.

“...Real goal of lockdown was to suppress the chain of transmission of the virus. So, we will lose that if we abruptly end it,” Mr. Paul said.

On April 25, Mr. Paul, who also heads a key government empowered committee on medical management, presented a study to suggest that the lockdown had slowed the rate of transmission and increased the doubling time to about 10 days. He also presented an analysis showing that new cases would cease by May 16, though — as The Hindu had reported — this was a guesstimate and questioned by experts.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday that the rate of growth in new cases in India was steadying. “As per data today, for the past three days, the doubling rate is 12; for seven days 11.7 and for 14 days its 10.4. We need to adhere to strict physical distancing and hand hygiene to take lockdown 3.0 to a logical end,” a release quoted the Minister as saying.

Scramble for funds as Centre tightens purse strings

By neither releasing GST dues nor raising the borrowing limit, the Union government has squeezed Kerala’s options

04/05/2020, N.J. NAIR,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

The health and economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the fiscal woes of the Kerala government, which is battling a grave resource crunch and a hostile political dispensation at the Centre.

An alarming dip in the State’s own tax revenue, coupled with a delay and cut in Central transfers, have pushed the State to the edge of a financial precipice.

A comparison of receipts in April 2019 and April 2020 reveals the intensity of the crisis. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection was ₹1,950.71 crore in April 2019. It dipped to ₹153.26 crore in April 2020. Land revenue has come down from ₹19.65 crore to ₹2.7 crore, State excise duty from ₹193.08 crore to ₹22.83 crore and motor vehicle tax from ₹298.42 crore to a mere ₹3.52 crore.

The Centre has not yet heeded the State’s demand for the release of GST compensation arrears of ₹5,000 crore. The demand for raising the annual borrowing limit from 3% to 5% also remains a cry in the wilderness. The same applies to the demand for enhancing the allocation for the National Health Mission to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.

The State has pointed out that supply chain breaks due to the lockdown would result in a shortage of medicines and other essentials that reach Kerala from the neighbouring States.

The government has only ₹2,000 crore in its coffers at present. Other than debt servicing and similar commitments, the recurring expenditure for disbursing salary and servicing pensions amounts to ₹3,850 crore. A tranche of ₹1,276 crore provided by the Centre as revenue deficit grant was perhaps the only major revenue inflow into the treasury this month.

The government’s decision to effect a six-day cut in the salary of employees and teachers for five months to cushion the impact of the pandemic’s impact ended in a legal tangle, with the High Court staying the decision for two months. The State government was forced to promulgate an ordinance to get legal sanction for the decision. However, the deduction would earn the exchequer only ₹500 crore a month and ₹2,500 crore in six months. Moreover, the government will have to return the amount once the crisis blows over.

Healthcare costs

Despite its exemplary efforts so far to contain the CODIV-19 pandemic with minimum loss of life, the threat is far from over. The government will have to bolster quarantine and testing facilities once the lakhs of Non-Resident Keralites and those residing in other States return after lockdown curbs are eased.

The Kerala State Electricity Board, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, the micro, small and medium enterprises, traditional industries and a host of other sectors are desperate for financial assistance to limp back to normalcy.

Turning to the market

The only option left before the government is open market borrowing. Out of the sanctioned limit of ₹24,500 crore for the current financial year, the State has already availed itself of ₹6,000 crore and is now gearing to up to borrow ₹1,000 crore to meet the committed expenditure for the month.

The Reserve Bank of India has, however, cautioned the State against drawing huge sums from the market at exorbitant rates. Which also means that the government would have to tread cautiously while approaching the market.

The State is now looking forward for a substantial assistance from the Centre and also a relaxation in borrowing curbs as a way forward.

It was in this context that Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac took the lead in initiating consultations with Finance Ministers of non-BJP ruled States to form a pressure group to force the Centre accept the demand for more funds.

Dr. Isaac is hopeful of bringing in Telangana and other Congress-ruled States to the fold and pressing the Centre to accept demands.

Whether the Centre will yield to such demands remains to be seen. Or else, the administrative machinery may grind to a halt for want of financial fuel.

Pinarayi defends staff salary deferment

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Pinarayi Vijayan

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday attacked Congress-led service organisations for criticising the government’s decision to defer the remittance of 30 days’ salary over five months to steady the State’s finances.

In his weekly television programme, Nam Munnottu, Mr. Vijayan said teachers who had burnt the government order had become objects of public ridicule. The students of their schools had set an example for them by contributing their mite to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF).

On the teachers who torched the order, he said, “Their perverse mindset will never change.”

He said the COVID-19 lockdown had choked the government’s conventional revenue streams. Kerala had protected its employees from arbitrary wage and dearness allowance cuts resorted to by the Central government. The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party had done the same in the States ruled by them.

Mr. Vijayan defended his action to hire highly paid lawyers to argue for the government and said his special advisers bore minimal cost to the public exchequer.

He also justified the government’s decision to hire a helicopter for a “high monthly rental” by stating that the State would deploy it during natural disasters.

Kerala Congress chief Mullappally Ramachandran said the Chief Minister’s sense of insecurity had caused him to splurge on helicopters, bulletproof vehicles and expensive escort cars.

New cases leave Telangana, Karnataka and A.P. in the red

Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh adds 30 cases; relief in Kerala as it stays clear

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,HYDERABAD

Andhra Pradesh reported 58 new COVID-19 positive cases, and Telangana 21 new cases on Sunday. No fresh cases were recorded in Kerala but after several days of low case numbers, Karnataka had 34 cases.

The tally in Andhra Pradesh rose to 1,583, but no deaths were reported. Most of the new cases reported on Sunday were from the red zone districts of Kurnool, Guntur and Krishna. Kurnool alone had 30 fresh cases while Guntur and Krishna reported 11 and eight cases respectively. Anantapur had seven and Chittoor and Nellore two fresh cases each.

Also on the same day, 47 persons were discharged from hospital following recovery. The data on those discharged were: Guntur 18; Chittoor 13; Kurnool 11; East Godavari 3; and Krishna 2. So far, 488 patients, or 31% of total positive cases recovered and 33 patients (2% of the total cases) died.

Cumulative data for the State were: Kurnool 466 cases, Guntur and Krishna 319 and 266 cases, Nellore (91), Kadapa (83), Chittoor (81), Anantapur (78), Prakasam (61), West Godavari (59), East Godavari (45), Visakhapatnam (29) and Srikakulam (5).

Kurnool, inching closer to the 500 mark reported nearly 30% of the State’s positive cases. The State had so far tested 1,14,937 samples.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Telangana rose to 1,082. While 20 cases were from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation area, one was from Jagtial. Of the people in isolation wards, 46 were discharged after recovery. Of the total, 508 were active cases, 545 were discharged, and 29 people died.

For the first time the number of people discharged was higher than active cases. State Health Minister Eatala Rajender said hospital authorities were acting on issues related to medical services pointed out by those who recovered.

One COVID-19 patient who recovered was a 68-year-old man with diabetes. The patient was admitted with bilateral pneumonia, and respiratory problems. The Health Minister’s office said the patient in intensive care unit was administered Hydroxychloroquine, Liponavir, Ritonavir. He was discharged after recovery. The number of districts with zero cases in 14 days increased to 17.

95 under treatment

No fresh COVID-19 cases were reported in Kerala on Sunday. The Health department said in a statement that one patient - a Kasaragod native, undergoing treatment in Kannur, was reported as having recovered from the disease.

Kerala had a total of 499 cases, of which 401 had recovered, while 95 were undergoing treatment in various hospitals.

The government said 21,720 persons were under surveillance in different districts. Of these, 21,332 were under observation in their own homes, while 388 were admitted in isolation wards in hospitals. The number of fresh hospital admissions on Sunday was 63.

Four new places in the State were declared as hotspots today - one each in Wayanad and Idukki district, and two in Ernakulam district. There were 84 hotspots in Kerala.

After several days of reporting low case numbers, Karnataka recorded 34 COVID-19 positive cases on Sunday. Davangere district was in focus, as 21 of the cases were from there. Davangere Deputy Commissioner Mahantesh Beelagi told the media that the district administration had sent 330 throat swabs in the last three days. Of these 37 high risk (A category) samples were tested and 21 were found to be positive. With this, the number of active cases had gone up to 28 in the district, he said.

Among the other cases, six were from Kalaburagi, four from Bengaluru Urban and three from Bagalkote, the media bulletin by the Department of Health and Family Welfare said. Out of these thirteen cases, four patients had Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI), while the contact investigation for one case was on. All the remaining eight tested positive after coming in contact with a patient who was tested positive.

Meanwhile, the case tally in Karnataka stood at 635. A total of 293 patients were discharged, 21 being discharged on Sunday.

(With inputs from Vijayawada, Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru)

MHA asks States to create a second line of defence

Order comes amid reports of policemen getting infected

04/05/2020, S. VIJAY KUMAR,CHENNAI

Amid reports of policemen getting infected with the novel coronavirus, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the States and the Union Territories to prepare a second line of defence to sustain the control strategy.

In a note to all Chief Secretaries and Director-Generals of Police, the MHA said police forces need to prepare an effective second line of defence to make up for the personnel rendered ineffective by infection.

While a majority of policemen are deployed for COVID-19-related work and other policing duties, the Head of Police Forces (HoPFs) may consider the option of ‘work from home’ for personnel not deployed on front-line duties whereever it is feasible, the communication said.

Home Guards, Civil Defence personnel, NCC cadets, Scouts & Guides and Student Police Cadets could be utilised in areas where there were no imminent law and order problem, the MHA said. “They can especially be of help in maintaining order at the relief centres and in facilitating the maintenance of supply chain and coordinating other essential services.”

The MHA said that while performing COVID-19-related duties, police/security personnel should help the public and deal with them with empathy and compassion, especially the weaker sections. They should monitor religious and social congregations during festivals to ensure physical distancing. The police should also be watchful of migrant labourers and slum areas to contain any unexpected and undesirable mass movement.

The Centre’s instructions come after States reported infection among police and security personnel deployed as frontline workers to implement the lockdown orders and the guidelines to check the spread of the virus.

In Tamil Nadu, the DGP had recently issued instructions that at least 25% of the 1.25 lakh police force could stay at home so as to keep a healthy reserve to meet any exigency.

The MHA said Police Control Rooms might be expanded, resourced and designed to incorporate special cells to handle all issues arising out of the pandemic. The staff manning the cells should be trained in elementary modules of the epidemic and appropriate responses to handle issues and scenarios they are likely to face. Such cells should be equipped with men and material, including drones.

Petrol, diesel prices hiked in Tamil Nadu

A sequel to changes made by the State govt. in tax structure

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The changes have been made in anticipation of a reduction in retail prices to be carried out by the Central authorities.

The prices of petrol and diesel in the State are set to go up by ₹3.25 and ₹2.50 per litre. The hike is a sequel to changes made by the State government in the tax structure for petroleum products that would come into effect from the midnight of Sunday, according to a notification issued by the State government.

The structure of State-level Value Added Tax (VAT) for the petroleum products has been changed from a pure ad valorem tax rate to a combination of quantum and the absolute figure of the tax rates.

In respect of petrol, the structure has been changed from 34% to a sum of 15% and ₹13.02 per litre. Likewise, in the case of diesel, it is the aggregate of 11% and ₹9.62 per litre from 25%.

The changes have been made in anticipation of reduction in retail selling prices to be carried out by the Central authorities in the days to come.

The continuance in the existing rate structure in the event of the reduction would lead to a “steep fall” in the revenue of the State government.

Before the Centre announces the decrease, the State government has tweaked the rate structure so that it can protect its revenue, explained senior officials of the State government, which hopes to get an additional revenue of ₹250 crore a month.

The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran, in a series of tweets, condemned the decision, which, he said, would hit the poor and the middle class at a time when the prices of essential commodities were on the rise. He has urged the government to roll back the hike.

Does the virus affect the liver?

04/05/2020

There have been few predecessor viruses for this one, which share similarities in structure and in the way it inflicts damage to human body. Viruses self-mutate periodically, change its structure and form and take new avatars. The current avatar inducing COVID-19 spreads rapidly and has more death rate than previous generations. All previous coronaviruses were respiratory pathogens.

Liver impairment has been reported in up to 60% of patients with the preceding coronavirus — SARS-CoV. Given the fact that this novel corona (SARS-CoV-2) has 80% genetic similarity to the preceding strain of the virus (SARS-CoV), does it act similarly with reference to the liver?

Let us look at information from China. Liver damage in mild cases of COVID-19 is often temporary and the organ can return to normal without any special treatment. This could be due to the state of direct infection of liver cells or could as well be due to liver cells getting caught up in the immune war between body’s immune system and the virus with chemicals produced by our body, namely cytokines. More patients with severe disease had abnormal liver function tests than did non-severe patients with COVID. Those who tested positive for the virus (sub-clinical phase, identified by contact tracing), but did not develop symptoms had much less involvement of the liver. In short, liver injury depends on severity of COVID-19.

Cases of acute liver failure have not been reported yet from China or from other countries.

What about people who already have liver disease? People with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or its more severe form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), often have cardiovascular risk factors, including metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes, raising the risk for severe COVID-19 complications.

Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) is common in China and other Asian countries, studies so far have not reported whether HBV-related liver disease influences COVID-19 outcomes. All these liver diseases without advanced scarring or cirrhosis would not have more chance to get the virus infection though.

That is not the case with cirrhosis of liver — cirrhosis per se may be considered an immune dysfunctional state; those under medical management and those in whom a liver transplant is planned and waiting for organ allocation should also be considered at more risk.

Pre-existing disease

Those who have pre-existing liver disease, should they undergo check-up and LFTs to see if coronavirus has entered the liver? The answer is an emphatic NO. What has been mentioned here is abnormality of LFT in those patients who already developed COVID-19. COVID is a respiratory illness and will have symptoms pertaining to lung. Severe cases who are hospitalised alone may develop jaundice. Liver injury will not occur in the absence of respiratory illness and hence no screening tests/ LFT are indicated in patients with liver disease.

Are liver transplant recipients at higher risk for COVID-19?

Certainly. Those who have undergone liver transplant and are on immunosuppression medicines (anti-rejection medicines) are certainly at higher risk of getting this infection and logically, can end up with severe disease.

People with a weakened immune system may be unable to fight off the virus. So transplant patients have more chance of getting the virus, but paradoxically transplant recipients may not exhibit symptoms — fever, breathlessness — to begin with. Apart from the routine measures of frequent hand washing, hand sanitising, cough etiquette and avoiding putting hands to mouth, they should try to avoid crowds and non-essential travel.

Anna Salai to be free of police barricades from today

All lockdown restrictions will be enforced, say police

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

Free from traffic: A stretch of the deserted Anna Salai on Sunday. M. VEDHANM_VEDHAN

The arterial Anna Salai will be opened for vehicular traffic as part of the State's relaxation of lockdown restrictions in the city.

A major stretch of Anna Salai was closed for traffic since April 23. The decision to seal key junctions on Anna Salai by placing barricades, including at Little Mount Junction, Nandanam signal, Anna Flyover and Spencer Plaza was taken after the number of vehicles entering the road increased manifold despite the lockdown in place.

Vehicles to be checked

A senior police officer said, “We will open Anna Salai for traffic. All barricades on the road will be removed. However, policemen will continue to intercept vehicles and check whether the movement of vehicle is for genuine reason. If there is any violation, we will book case against the violator.”

Those commuting by cars should note that only two persons, other than the driver, are permitted to travel in the vehicle. Only one person is allowed to ride a two-wheeler.

Police officers clarified that all other restrictions in the containment zone would continue and there would be no relaxation.

Central health teams to monitor 20 districts with heavy case load

Nationwide virus tally crosses 40,000; 83 new deaths take toll to 1,306

04/05/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,NEW DELHI

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India crossed 40,000 on Sunday, making it one among 16 countries that have crossed that figure. With 83 more deaths since Saturday, a single-day high, the death toll nationwide has gone up to 1,306.

India currently has 28,070 active cases and 10,886 patients have recovered, according to the latest numbers available on the Health Ministry website. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi led with the maximum number of cases.

The Centre has announced the formation of Central Public Health teams to investigate 20 districts in 10 States which have registered the maximum cases. These districts and cities include Mumbai, Pune and Thane in Maharashtra; Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara in Gujarat; Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh; Chennai in Tamil Nadu; Hyderabad in Telangana; Kolkata in West Bengal; Kurnool, Guntur, and Krishna in Andhra Pradesh and South East and Central Delhi .

These teams, comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), AIIMS, JIPMER and the All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health among others, will submit reports to the State health authorities with recommendations.

In terms of total cases, three other countries are comparable to India — the Netherlands, Peru and Belgium, with confirmed infections from 40,000-49,900.

`எப்படி இறந்தார் சென்னைப் பயிற்சி டாக்டர் பிரதீபா?' - அதிர்ச்சி கொடுத்த பிரேதப் பரிசோதனை ஆய்வு

எஸ்.மகேஷ்

பயிற்சி டாக்டர் பிரதீபா

சென்னை கீழ்ப்பாக்கம் மருத்துவக்கல்லூரி மாணவியும் பயிற்சி டாக்டரும் பிரதீபாவின் உடல், பிரேதப் பரிசோதனை செய்யப்பட்டது. அதில் அவர் தற்கொலை செய்து கொள்ளவில்லை என்ற தகவல் வெளியாகியுள்ளது.

சென்னை கீழ்ப்பாக்கம் அரசு மருத்துவக்கல்லூரியில் இறுதியாண்டு படித்து வந்தவர் பிரதீபா (22). இவர், வேலூர் மாவட்டம், சத்துவாச்சாரி, சி.எம்.சி காலனியைச் சேர்ந்தவர். இவரின் அப்பா ரமேஷ், பிளாஸ்டிக் கம்பெனி நடத்திவருகிறார். இந்தநிலையில் நேற்று கீழப்பாக்கம் அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் பணி முடிந்து விடுதி திரும்பிய பிரதீபா, சடலமாக விடுதி அறையிலிருந்து மீட்கப்பட்டார்.

அப்பாவுடன் பிரதீபா

அவரின் மரணம் குறித்து கீழ்ப்பாக்கம் போலீஸார் விசாரித்துவருகின்றனர். கொரோனாவால் பயிற்சி டாக்டர் பிரதீபா மரணமடைந்திருக்கலாம் என்ற சந்தேகம் எழுந்தது. உடனடியாக அவருக்கு கொரோனா பரிசோதனை செய்யப்பட்டதில் பிரதீபாவுக்கு கொரோனா தொற்று இல்லை எனத் தெரிந்தது. இதையடுத்து பிரதீபாவின் உடல், பிரேதப் பரிசோதனை செய்யப்பட்டது.

பூட்டிய அறைக்குள் சடலமாக மீட்கப்பட்ட பிரதீபா எப்படி இறந்தார் என்ற கேள்விக்கு பிரேதப் பரிசோதனையில் முடிவு கிடைக்கும் என எதிர்பார்க்கப்பட்டது. இதற்கிடையில் பிரதீபா தங்கியிருந்த அறை மற்றும் அவரின் செல்போன்களை போலீஸார் ஆய்வு செய்தும் எந்தவித தகவலும் கிடைக்கவில்லை. இந்தச் சமயத்தில் பிரேத பரிசோதனை முடிந்து பிரதீபாவின் சடலம் அவரின் பெற்றோரிடம் ஒப்படைக்கப்பட்டது. சடலத்தை ஆம்புலன்ஸ் மூலம் வேலூருக்கு பிரதீபாவின் குடும்பத்தினர் கொண்டு சென்றனர்.

கீழ்ப்பாக்கம் அரசு மருத்துவக்கல்லூரி

கீழ்ப்பாக்கம் அரசு மருத்துவமனை மருத்துவர்களிடம் கேட்டதற்கு, பொதுவாக பிரேத பரிசோதனை செய்யும்போதே இறப்புக்கான காரணம் தெரிந்துவிடும். ஆனால், பிரதீபாவின் பிரேதப் பரிசோதனையில் அவர் தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டதற்கான அறிகுறிகள் தெரியவில்லை. அவரின் சடலத்திலும் எந்தவித காயங்களும் இல்லை. இருப்பினும் அவரின் உடல் பாகங்களின் மாதிரிகள் ஆய்வுக்கு அனுப்பி வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. அங்கிருந்து வரும் முடிவுக்குப்பிறகே பிரதீபாவின் இறப்புக்கான உண்மையான காரணம் தெரியவரும்"என்றனர்.

இதுகுறித்து கீழ்ப்பாக்கம் போலீஸாரிடம் கேட்டதற்கு, ``பயிற்சி டாக்டர் பிரதீபா, பூட்டிய அறைக்குள் இறந்துகிடந்தார். அதனால் அவர் தற்கொலை செய்திருக்கலாம் என்ற கோணத்தில் விசாரணையை நடத்தினோம். ஆனால் அதற்கான தடயங்கள் எதுவும் கிடைக்கவில்லை. அடுத்து பிரதீபாவின் பெற்றோரிடம் விசாரணை நடத்தினோம். அப்போது அவர்கள், பிரதீபாவுக்கு உடல் ரீதியாகவும் மனரீதியாகவும் எந்தவித பிரச்னையும் இல்லை என்றே தெரிவித்தனர்.

பிரதீபா தொடர்பான பதிவு

மேலும், பிரதீபா தூங்கச் செல்வதற்கு முன்புகூட செல்போனில் பேசியுள்ளார். அப்போது வேலை தொடர்பாக சில தகவல்களை மட்டுமே கூறியுள்ளார். மற்றப்படி வழக்கம் போல அவர் பேசியுள்ளார். இதனால்தான் பிரதீபாவின் மரணத்துக்கு என்ன காரணம் என்பது தெரியவில்லை.

பிரதீபாவின் தோழிகளிடமும் விசாரித்தபோதும் அவர்கள் கூறிய தகவலின் அடிப்படையில் மரணத்துக்கான காரணத்தை கண்டறியமுடியவில்லை. அதனால் பிரேதப் பரிசோதனையின் அறிக்கைக்காகக் காத்திருக்கிறோம். இதுவரை அவர் தற்கொலை செய்து கொள்ளவில்லை என்பது மட்டும் முதற்கட்ட விசாரணையில் தெரியவந்துள்ளது" என்றனர்.

இதுகுறித்து போலீஸ் உயரதிகாரி ஒருவரிடம் கேட்டதற்கு, ``பிரதீபாவின் குடும்பத்தினர் சோகத்தில் இருந்ததால் அவர்களிடம் முழுமையாக விசாரணை நடத்த முடியவில்லை. பிரதீபாவின் இறுதி அஞ்சலி முடிந்த பிறகு குடும்பத்தினரிடம் விசாரணை நடத்த முடிவு செய்துள்ளோம். தற்போது பிரதீபாவின் மரணத்துக்கு என்ன காரணம் என்பதை உறுதியாகச் சொல்ல முடியவில்லை. ஏனெனில் தோழிகளிடம், குட் நைட் என்று கூறிவிட்டு தனியறையில் தூங்கச் சென்ற பிரதீபா, காலையில் சடலமாக மீட்கப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

கீழ்ப்பாக்கம் போலீஸ் நிலையம்

அவரின் மரணத்தில் காவல்துறையினருக்கு பல்வேறு சந்தேகங்கள் எழுந்தாலும், பிரேத பரிசோதனை அறிக்கையில் காரணம் தெரிந்துவிடும். பிரதீபாவின் சடலத்தை பிரேத பரிசோதனை செய்த டாக்டர்கள் கூறிய தகவலின்படி அவர் தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டதற்கான அறிகுறிகள் இல்லை என்று தெரிவித்துள்ளனர். அதே நேரத்தில் முழுமையான பிரேதப் பரிசோதனை அறிக்கையில் இறப்புக்கான காரணம் தெரிந்துவிடும்" என்றார்.

களமாடிய அதிகாரிகள்... காணாமல்போன கொரோனா!

நவீன் இளங்கோவன்சதீஸ் ராமசாமிக .தனசேகரன்

நீலகிரி

நம்பிக்கையூட்டும் நீலகிரி, ஈரோடு, கரூர்

சென்னையில் கொரோனா தொற்றைக் கட்டுப்படுத்த முடியாமல் அதிகாரிகள் திணறும் நிலையில், கொரோனாவைத் துரத்தியடித்து பெரும்நம்பிக்கை அளித்திருக்கிறார்கள் நீலகிரி, ஈரோடு, கரூர் மாவட்ட அதிகாரிகள்.

மத்திய அரசால் முதன்முதலில் ரெட் அலர்ட் கொடுக்கப்பட்ட மாவட்டம் ஈரோடு. தாய்லாந்து நாட்டினருடன் ஏற்பட்ட தொடர்பால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட 70 நபர்களில் ஒருவர் மட்டும் உயிரிழக்க, மீதம் இருந்த 69 பேரும் பூரண குணமாகி வீடு திரும்பியிருக்கின்றனர். ஏப்ரல் 16-ம் தேதியிலிருந்து புதிதாக ஒரு கொரோனா பாசிட்டிவ் கேஸ்கூட ரிப்போர்ட் ஆகவில்லை.

சவுண்டம்மாள் - கதிரவன் - இன்னசென்ட் திவ்யா

கலெக்டர், சுகாதாரத் துறை இணை இயக்குநர், எஸ்.பி, மாநகராட்சி கமிஷனர் ஆகியோர் தலைமையில் வருவாய்த் துறை, காவல் துறை, சுகாதாரத் துறை மற்றும் உள்ளாட்சித் துறை என இரவுபகல் பாராமல் களத்தில் நின்ற பலருக்கும் இந்த பாசிட்டிவ் எனர்ஜி உண்டானதில் பெரும் பங்கிருக்கிறது.

சிறப்பான சிகிச்சை, கவனிப்பால் 69 பேரையும் தொற்றிலிருந்து மீட்கப் போராடினார் ஈரோடு மாவட்ட சுகாதாரப் பணிகள் துணை இயக்குநா் சவுண்டம்மாள். மூன்று ஏக்கரில் நெரிசலாக இருந்த மார்க்கெட்டை, 15 ஏக்கர் பரப்பளவில் உள்ள பஸ் ஸ்டாண்டுக்கு மாற்றினார் மாநகராட்சி கமிஷனர் இளங்கோவன். மாவட்டத்தில் இருந்த 13 செக்போஸ்ட்டுகளை 135 ஆக அதிகப்படுத்தி, ஊரடங்கை மிகக் கடுமையாக அமல்படுத்த நடவடிக்கை எடுத்தார் ஈரோடு மாவட்ட காவல் கண்காணிப்பாளர் சக்தி கணேசன். சிகிச்சைக்கு மருத்துவமனைக்கே வர மாட்டேன் என்று சொன்ன பலரிடம் பேசி வரவழைத்து, சிகிச்சை முடியும் வரை அவர்களுக்கு நம்பிக்கையூட்டி, குணமானதும் பழக்கூடையுடன் அனுப்பி நெகிழ வைத்திருக்கிறார் கலெக்டர் கதிரவன்.

உவகைகொள்ளும் உதகை!

சர்வதேச சுற்றுலா நகரம், கேரளா, கர்நாடக மாநில எல்லைகளை உள்ளடக்கிய மாவட்டம் என நீலகிரிக்கு கொரோனா தொற்று வருவதற்கான வழிகள் நிறைய இருந்தன. அப்படியெல்லாம் உள்ளே வராத கொரோனா, டெல்லி சென்று திரும்பிய எட்டு நபர்களில் நால்வர் மூலமாக என்ட்ரி ஆனது. அடுத்த சில நாள்களில் மேலும் ஐந்து பேருக்கு தொற்று உறுதிசெய்யப்பட்டது. பாதிக்கப்பட்ட ஒன்பது பேரும் ஆண்கள்.

இந்த ஒன்பது நபர்களுடன் நேரடி தொடர்பில் இருந்த 30 பேரை தனிமையில் கண்காணித்து வந்தனர். இத்துடன் வெளிநாடு சென்று திரும்பிய 1,471 நபர்களின் வீடுகளுக்கு சீல் வைத்து கண்காணித்துவந்தனர். ஏப்ரல் 27-ம் தேதி மாலை கடைசி நபரும் நலமாகி வீடு திரும்ப, கொரோனா தொற்றிலிருந்து மீண்ட தமிழகத்தின் முதல் மாவட்டமாக நீலகிரி பெயர்பெற்றது.

நீலகிரி மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர் இன்னசென்ட் திவ்யா நம்மிடம், ‘‘இந்த மகிழ்ச்சியைத் தக்கவைக்க தொடர்ந்து மக்கள் ஒத்துழைத்து விழிப்புடன் இருக்க வேண்டுகிறோம்’’ என்றார்.

கரூர் மருத்துவக் கல்லூரி மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சைப் பெற்று வந்த கடைசி கொரோனா தொற்று பாதித்த நோயாளியும் குணமாகி டிஸ்சார்ஜ் ஆகியுள்ளதால், கரூர் ஜீரோ கொரோனா மாவட்டமாக மாறியிருக்கிறது.

அனைத்து அதிகாரிகளுக்கும், ஒத்துழைப்பு நல்கிக்கொண்டிருக்கும் பொதுமக்களுக்கும் ஒரு ராயல் சல்யூட்!

ஓய்வு ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு பணி நீட்டிப்பு நிறுத்தம் பல கோடி ரூபாய் மிச்சப்படுத்த ஆலோசனை

Added : மே 01, 2020 22:56

சென்னை : பள்ளி, கல்லுாரிகள் செயல்படாத நிலையில், ஓய்வுபெறும் ஆசிரியர்கள் மற்றும் பேராசிரியர்களுக்கு, மே மாதம் வரை பணி நீட்டிப்பு வழங்குவது, நிறுத்தி வைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

தமிழகத்தில் ஒரு மாதத்துக்கும் மேலாக, பள்ளி, கல்லுாரிகள் செயல்படவில்லை. அடுத்த கல்வி ஆண்டில் தான், பள்ளி, கல்லுாரிகள் திறக்கப்பட உள்ளன. அதுவரை, ஆசிரியர்கள் மற்றும் பேராசிரியர்களில் ஒரு பிரிவினருக்கு பணிகள் இல்லை.அதாவது, 10ம் வகுப்பு பாடம் எடுக்கும் பட்டதாரி மற்றும் மேல்நிலை வகுப்பு நடத்தும் முதுநிலை பட்டதாரி ஆசிரியர்களுக்கு மட்டும், விடைத்தாள் திருத்தும் பணிகள் உள்ளன. மற்ற ஆசிரியர்களுக்கும், பேராசிரியர்களுக்கும், புதிய கல்வி ஆண்டு வரை பணிகள் இல்லை.

இந்நிலையில், மார்ச்சில் ஓய்வு பெற்ற ஆசிரியர்கள் மற்றும் பேராசிரியர்களுக்கு, இந்த கல்வி ஆண்டு முடியும் காலமான, மே மாதம் வரை பணி நீட்டிப்பு வழங்க வேண்டும் என, கல்வி அலுவலகங்களுக்கு கடிதங்கள் வந்துள்ளன.ஒவ்வொரு ஆண்டும், பள்ளி, கல்லுாரிகள் செயல்படும் போது, ஓய்வு காலத்தை கடந்தாலும், அந்த கல்வி ஆண்டு முடியும் மே மாதம் வரை பணி நீட்டிப்பு வழங்கப்படும். ஆனால், இந்த ஆண்டு பள்ளி, கல்லுாரிகள் செயல்படாததால், பணி நீட்டிப்பு வழங்க வேண்டாம் என்ற முடிவுக்கு, பள்ளி மற்றும் கல்லுாரி கல்வித்துறை வந்துள்ளது.

எனவே, விடை திருத்த பணிகள் உள்ள ஆசிரியர்களை தவிர, தொடக்க பள்ளி ஆசிரியர்கள் மற்றும் கல்லுாரி பேராசிரியர்களுக்கு, பணி நீட்டிப்பு உத்தரவை நிறுத்தி வைக்க, மாவட்ட மற்றும் மண்டல அலுவலகங்கள் அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன.பணி நீட்டிப்பு வழங்காவிட்டால், மே மாத சம்பளம் வழங்கப்படாது; ஓய்வூதியம் மட்டுமே வழங்கப்படும். இதனால், அரசுக்கு பல கோடி ரூபாய் மிச்சமாகும் என, அரசுக்கு சில அதிகாரிகள் ஆலோசனை தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.