Eluru illness: Unanswered questions abound

Eluru illness: Unanswered questions abound

U.Sudhakarreddy@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:  13.12.2020

Despite Friday’s meeting of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy with multiple national institutions confirmed the presence of lead, nickel and organophosphates in the blood samples of patients, the mystery illness in Eluru continues to baffle the authorities.

Though AIIMS New Delhi, Indian Institute of Chemical technology (IICT) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) have found and confirmed the presence of lead and nickel in the blood samples of residents, there is still no clarity as to how these metals have entered the human body.

Joint collector of West Godavari district Himanshu Shukla said the NIN has also found presence of organophosphate in the blood samples and sought more time to carry out the investigations. “AIIMS Delhi has tied up with other institutions to study the presence of organochlorine and organophosphates in blood,” Shukla said.

He, however, said that out of 40 urine samples sent to AIIMS Delhi, only two samples had shown the presence of lead and nickel.

He said NIN has found the presence of herbicides in vegetables. “But, the test results relating to vegetables, rice, fish, meat and soil are likely to be made available on Dec 16,” he said.

On the other hand, the TDP alleged that chlorine and bleaching powder were present in large quantities in the drinking water supplied by the government to some of the colonies. TDP president and former CM N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the authorities have not cleaned the drinking water sources for the last one-and-a-half years. “That is why people of Eluru have taken ill after consuming the contaminated water,” he said.

Reacting to social media posts linking him to the Eluru mystery illness, Kamalapuram MLA and CM’s uncle P Ravindranath Reddy refuted the speculations and called them baseless. “I have no connection to the supply of chlorine,” he said. He accused the TDP’s social media wing of spreading misinformation and said he had already lodged a complaint with the state intelligence wing on the posts.

Meanwhile, the authorities have maintained that the water supplied to various colonies in Eluru is treated and clean. They said even the APPCB had given a clean chit to the water samples it had collected and tested.

Officials said AIIMS Delhi and the IICT have not found anything adverse in the water samples and added that water was unlikely to be the source for the mystery illness. “The water supplied in Eluru is potable and fit for human consumption. The NIN is also analysing the water samples and has requested time till Dec 14,” an official said.

STILL A MYSTERY: Patients undergoing treatment at the Eluru district hospital

PhD scholar arrested for illegally manufacturing mephedrone

PhD scholar arrested for illegally manufacturing mephedrone

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: 13.12.2020

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) sleuths busted major interstate a mephedrone manufacturing racket and arrested a PhD holder in Chemistry for manufacturing the narcotic substance. The accused has been working for a Mumbai-based cartel for the past year and he has already supplied them with 100 kilos of contraband.

The arrested accused are Srinivasa Rao, 45, a Phd holder in Chemistry and Mohammed Ashraf, an associate of Mumbai-based drug supply gang. Srinivasa Rao has been operating a small drug manufacturing unit independently for the past year based on the directions of the Mumbai-based gang.

Acting on a tip-off, sleuths of DRI’s Hyderabad Zonal Unit raided at the manufacturing unit in Jeedimetla industrial area and arrested both Srinivasa Rao and Mohammed Ashraf on Friday. The DRI team seized 3.1 kilograms of mephedrone worth ₹63.1lakh from their possession. During the subsequent searches conducted at Srinivasa Rao’s house, DRI sleuths seized ₹12.4 lakh cash and 112 grams of mephedrone samples of different purities.

Apart from mephedrone, the law enforcement agency also seized 210.5 kilos of raw materials procured by Rao from the Mumbai gang to manufacture more mephedrone at Jeedimetla lab.

“From the raw material seized, the accused could have manufactured 15-20 kilos of mephedrone,” said a DRI official. During interrogation, Srinivasa Rao confessed that he has a PhD in Chemistry and worked in the pharma sector before ‘breaking bad’. Rao also told the DRI team that he supplied over 100 kilos of mephedrone in the past year.

The DRI believes the gang is exporting the drug, apart from selling some of it in Mumbai, Goa and Delhi. The accused were produced before the court and sent to judicial remand.

State govt not accountable to Union home minister: TMC

State govt not accountable to Union home minister: TMC

Kolkata:  13.12.2020

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmaker Kalyan Banerjee wrote to Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday, saying that West Bengal’s chief secretary and director-general of police (DGP) were summoned to Delhi over the attack on BJP chief JP Nadda’s convoy with “political motive”, asserting that law and order is a state subject.

Banerjee, chief whip of TMC in the Lok Sabha, alleged that the Centre was resorting to coercive means to intimidate the state administration, and the top officials were summoned at the instance of the Union home minister.

BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, however, said that everyone saw how Nadda’s convoy was attacked by alleged TMC workers on December 10 and Banerjee’s letter to Bhalla has “little merit”.

“We want to inform you that law and order is within the domain of the state under 7th Schedule of the State list.... How in respect of the law and order situation you can call both the officers for any sorts of discussion?” the MP wrote. He said that in respect of law and order, the state government is accountable to the legislative assembly “but not to you or to your home minister”. PTI

BJP worker killed, 7 hurt in political clash

A BJP booth committee president, Saikat Bhawal, was killed and at least seven others were injured in an alleged Trinamool-BJP clash during the latter’s Griha Samparka Abhiyan in Halishahahr, about 25 km from Barrackpore, on Saturday, reports Sanjib Chakraborty. Three of the injured are in critical state.

Court tells AI to give £13m to Irish co over non-payment of rent on 5 leased aircraft

Court tells AI to give £13m to Irish co over non-payment of rent on 5 leased aircraft

Naomi Canton

London: 13.12.2020

Air India was on Friday ordered to pay £13 million (Rs 130 crore) to an aircraft leasing company in Dublin for non-payment of rent and related charges on five Airbus A320-200 aircraft it had leased.

India’s national flag carrier has until January 11, 2021 to make the full payment to Aircraft Limited or else it could face enforcement action.

Simon Salzedo QC, sitting as a judge of the high court, entered summary judgment against the airline for the full debt that Aircraft Limited in Dublin is claiming — $17.6 million (£13.4 million). Salzedo criticised Air India for its “unsatisfactory and discourteous conduct” by failing to respond to the application for summary judgment until after the time the skeleton arguments were due to be filed. Air India did not contest the application for summary judgment.

Full report on www.toi.in

Housewife’s road death ‘loss of future prospects’, kin to get ₹17L

Housewife’s road death ‘loss of future prospects’, kin to get ₹17L

Rebecca.Samervel@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  13.12.2020

Ruling that compensation for “loss of future prospects” can also be granted in the case of a housewife’s death, a Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) last week ordered the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to pay around Rs 17 lakh to the husband and two minor children of a 33-year-old woman who was killed after a bus rammed into their bike at Mankhurd in 2014. “Loss of future prospects” is among the heads covered while awarding compensations in motor accident cases.

The tribunal fixed the deceased housewife’s notional salary at Rs 5,000 per month. A possible future increase in this notional monthly income was pegged at 40%, bringing the loss of future prospects to Rs 7,000 per month.

The tribunal cited a recent Supreme Court judgment and said, “The housewife who contributes for the welfare of the family and upbringing for the children must be given future prospects in as much as with the passage of time, the utility of her services increases in the family.” It stated that a housewife’s services to the family are invaluable. “The housewife renders very important duty. She looks after her husband and children passionately round the clock and creates the comfort zone in the house. In the absence of her in a house for a single day realises her importance (sic) to the other family members,” the tribunal said.

The tribunal refuted the defence that only when the housewife renders skilled services to the family does the question of future prospects come. It said that judgement does not make any distinction between a skilled and unskilled housewife. “In fact housewife is a housewife and with the passage of time her skill in tackling and handling household affairs increases,” the tribunal said, quoting the Supreme Court judgement.

While the victim’s husband and older son will each receive 30% of the compensation amount, the younger son will receive the remaining 40%.It however rejected Archana’s parentsin-law as claimants.

The motor claims tribunal fixed the housewife’s notional salary at Rs 5,000 per month. A future increase in this income was pegged at 40%, bringing the loss of future prospects to Rs 7,000 per month

In laptop age, these writers still love longhand

In laptop age, these writers still love longhand

Did you know that Obama drafted his 700-page-plus memoir with pen and paper? And he’s not the only author who feels that when words matter, machines don’t cut it

Ketaki.Desai@timesgroup.com

13.12.2020

Handwritten manuscripts hold many secrets and insights. Take Marcel Proust’s lined notebooks that contained absent-minded doodles, surrealist artworks and his dogged revisions. Or the notebooks in which Virginia Woolf drafted Mrs Dalloway, writing on the margins an affirmation of sorts: “A delicious idea comes to me that I will write anything I want to write”. Ernest Hemingway’s handwriting was described as boyish, reflecting a disdain for punctuation and capital letters, with his sentences often ending with an X.

In an age where keyboards are mightier than the pen, literary texts written in longhand might seem like relics of the past but many writers still swear by the process. Barack Obama’s The Promised Land — all 751 pages — was written entirely in longhand because as he says, “a computer gives even my roughest drafts too smooth a gloss and lends half-baked thoughts the mark of tidiness.” Many Indian writers have also cultivated this habit, not because they’re Luddites, but because they prefer it.

Novelist Anita Nair says her thoughts flow better in longhand. “I write using a fountain pen, so my standard process is that I fill the ink in the morning and I write until it dries out,” says Nair, who has written all of her novels, as well as poetry and non-fiction works in longhand. “It’s more fluid and I think that has to do with the action itself. When you’re keying it in or even using a touchscreen, there’s a staccato motion, which is jerky,” she says, adding that writing with pen and paper takes away the ability to just erase the words one typed, and fosters careful thought.

This aspect of greater deliberation is also important for poet and author Jerry Pinto, whose habit of writing in longhand soon became a conscious choice. “In the beginning it was because I would get ideas at inopportune places and times like bus-rides, and late at night. At that time, one would then have to type them up with carbon copies and hand the stories in. It was almost as much labour to type as to handwrite,” he says. “When the computer came along I was frightened at the speed at which I could type. I felt this was not a good thing because I was using unnecessary words and long sentences. So I started working with paper and pen.” Pinto calls it his version of the Slow Cooking movement — “I want my thoughts simmered; I want my ideas marinated.”

Oral historian and author Aanchal Malhotra only began to write in longhand in 2017 when she began working on her first novel. At first, it was a way to differentiate her fiction from her non-fiction, yet now much of her writing is being shaped in her Moleskine notebooks. “I find it a lot more comfortable writing things down, like it’s closer to my brain somehow,” says the 30-year-old Delhi-based author.

Writer Anil Dharker never learnt to type. “My first job in journalism was as an editor. Before that, I was doing various things like engineering and heading the National Film Development Corporation where I always had a secretary to type for me,” he says. The ritual persists — Dharker writes down the novel or column and his assistant types it in. Editing takes place on a computer when a deadline looms, or he prints out the typed version and makes revisions by hand. This process, including the choice of pen used, is shared by Jeffrey Archer whom Dharker was recently in conversation with at the Tata Lit Live litfest.

Meanwhile, Amit Chaudhuri writes his novels and poems in a generic student’s notebook which he has used for years because the spacing and density of words on the page are just right. “I write it down longhand and after I’ve written down a paragraph, I return to it. For me, the basic unit of writing isn’t even a sentence, it’s a paragraph. I have to take out sentences, maybe add something until I find this paragraph is working and has come to some kind of life.” It’s only after this that the author and poet keys it in on a computer. When writing poems, however, he has the unusual habit of starting with the last page “as if it’s an afterthought”.

Dharkar doesn’t like the impersonality of a keyboard. “This laptop may belong to you but this keyboard is the same as every other keyboard,” he says. “With pen and paper, it is your own very individual handwriting that is not replicable. There is something so personal about it.”

Oral historian and author Aanchal Malhotra has written her upcoming novel in longhand. She feels that it’s more personal “like it’s closer to my brain somehow”

I write using a fountain pen, so my standard process is that I fill the ink in the morning and I write until it dries out

— ANITA NAIR

Novelist

‘No one can speed up vaccine trials, and their evaluation’

INTERVIEW

13.12.2020

‘No one can speed up vaccine trials, and their evaluation’

As the founder of Shantha Biotechnics, one of the first Indian companies to develop vaccines indigenously and the only one to develop a vaccine independently, K I Varaprasad Reddy has a unique insight into the ongoing global race to launch a Covid-19 vaccine. In an interview with Swati Bharadwaj, the Padma Bhushan awardee talks about the challenges ahead

It takes years to develop a vaccine but now the process is being fast-tracked. Are you worried that safety is being compromised?

Everyone knows that no vaccine was ever developed this fast. TB vaccine took 28 years, Ebola took 5.5 years. AIDS, though known for 40 years, does not have a vaccine as yet. Yes, technological advancement in virology and experiments with repurposed vaccines speeded up the development of this vaccine but no one can speed up clinical trials and their evaluation. A car can be designed to go at 300 km/hr speed. Still we fix a 100/120 speed limit on Indian roads because our road tests say so. Similarly, tests alone can testify to the safety of this vaccine. Also, risks involved will be different for each vaccine and will be known once mass vaccination starts.

Vaccine makers are facing tremendous public and political pressure to deliver a vaccine. Are basic aspects of vaccine development being ignored in this haste?

Pressure from governments is obvious. A scientist does not compromise on quality or ignore basic aspects of development of vaccine but he cannot be sure of the efficacy and immunogenicity of his invention unless it is analysed and observed on a reasonable time basis and peer-reviewed. But governments are eager to put the stamp of approval under the head ‘Emergency Authorisation of Use’, even without this essential process. I am afraid vaccine makers are running the risk in these circumstances as their image is at stake.

Do you think there is enough scientific data on Covid-19 vaccine candidates?

We get only press reports. Data is revealed only to a committee of experts in the regulatory authority’s office. They are neither crosschecked nor peer-reviewed nor published in international scientific journals as much as they should be.

The world is looking to India and vaccine capital Hyderabad to churn out Covid vaccines. What challenges do Indian vaccine makers face?

Let us be clear on one point. India has not produced any original vaccine so far, except for cholera by Shantha Biotechnics. What we have here is robust infrastructure to manufacture vaccines in bulk. If someone hands us over a good vaccine, we can produce them in large quantities at an affordable cost so that even third world countries can buy it. The challenge Indian vaccine makers face is how to keep producing other ongoing vaccines with the same infrastructure, while trying to produce billions of doses of Covid vaccines in a short span of time.

Once Covid-19 vaccines are approved for use, what is the way forward?

As of now, we are far from having a viable vaccine, whatever it means. Normally, after a vaccine has been approved, we manufacture five consistent batches of vaccine and send them for testing to the National Testing Laboratory for sterility, potency tests, etc and start mass production only after getting clearance. In the case of the Covid vaccine, large-scale manufacturing started even before third-stage clinical trials were concluded. In these circumstances, every step poses a challenge, right from determining shelf-life to the period it takes for developing immunogenicity in the body. The biggest challenge is to see that the public does not lose faith in the whole process of vaccination, in case there are any adverse effects.

How prepared are we for the mammoth task of vaccinating 1.3 billion Indians?

Delivery system poses a number of problems especially since our primary health centres (PHCs) are in poor condition. Government should use this as an opportunity to develop logistics to strengthen the healthcare system.

Many developed nations have already cornered a chunk of Covid-19 vaccines? What are its implications for developing nations?

Here production capacity does not matter. What matters is who funded the research and had modern technology. Successive Indian governments did not encourage R&D in the country and, now, we are depending upon others’ innovations. Developed nations paid huge amounts to block the production for them. India did no such thing and we cannot grumble. Indian government allowed 100% FDI in the healthcare industry. So even socially conscious entrepreneurs like me are hand-tied to do our bit in this matter.

CBI: Inquiry under way in ‘missing’ TN gold case

GONE FROM VAULT

CBI: Inquiry under way in ‘missing’ TN gold case

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  13.12.2020

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday said an internal inquiry is being conducted into the matter of 100kg of gold in its custody in Chennai going missing.

“It is clarified that CBI in case number RC-24/2012 had searched the building of Surana Corporation limited, NSC Bose Road, Chennai, and prepared a search list. The search list mentioned that 400.47 kg gold had been inventorised and was kept in safe and vaults of Surana, sealed in presence of independent witnesses and the MD of Surana corporation and its officials,” the agency spokesperson said.

According to CBI, the vaults were opened and inspected, according to the directions of the Madras high court, in the presence of official liquidator, officials belonging to six banks and independent witnesses from February 27 to 29 this year to hand over the gold to the lender

banks of Surana Corporation.

“The seals affixed on the vaults were found intact. However, gold weighed only 296.66 kg. The agency promptly ordered an internal inquiry by a senior officer to look into the role of its officials, if any,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said the inventorised gold was not kept in the agency’s ‘malkhana’ but on the premises of Surana under CBI’s seal. While the inquiry was on, a petition was filed in the Madras high court, which pronounced an order on December 11.

“CBI’s internal inquiry continues and if any adverse role of any agency officials surfaces, strict action will be taken against them,” the agency said.

Regarding the investigation of the case being assigned to state police, the agency said the high court had observed that CBI under the DSPE Act did not have authority to register a theft case which falls within the domain of local police. “The case will be registered by the CB-CID of state and investigation will be conducted by an officer of the rank of SP in CB-CID,” it said.

Lalu’s kidney functioning at 25%: Doctor

Lalu’s kidney functioning at 25%: Doctor

13.12.2020

The physician of jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Dr Umesh Prasad on Saturday said that the latter's kidney is functioning at 25 per cent and the situation can deteriorate at any time in future. Dr Prasad has updated the authorities of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), where Yadav is admitted, in writing about this situation.

Patients since childhood, they are all set to become doctors

Patients since childhood, they are all set to become doctors

Three Students With Cerebral Palsy Get Place In MBBS Course

Bharat.Yagnik@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad:  13.12.2020

Doctors had warned Digvijay Rathwa’s parents that he may face mental disability when he grows up. Digvijay was dssiagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP), a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture due to abnormal brain development, often before birth.

Seventeen years later, Digvijay has all the doctors wrong and is set to become a doctor himself. He has secured admission in Vadodara’s government medical college.

Digvijay’s father, Sureshbhai Rathwa, a police sub-inspector posted near Savli town, told TOI, “My son had spinal cord disability due to which he could not stand on his legs as a child. It took extensive physiotherapy to make him use his legs. He still faces difficulty in sitting for a long period of time. For all the time we spent with doctors, we are ecstatic Digvijay will be a doctor himself.”

Interestingly, Digvijay has a classmate from Nadiad who can understand his battle against CP and the Herculean effort it may have taken him to secure a coveted seat in medical college. Nadiaid’s Sakshi Solanki, also suffers from CP and walks on her heels due the condition. She also faces immense difficulty in writing for long.

Turning ambidextrous to overcome pain

In fact, Sakshi Solanki became ambidextrous to overcome her pain on writing with one hand. “She cultivated the habit of writing with both hands to overcome fatigue,” said father Hasmukhbhai, a mill worker in Nadiad. He says Sakshi always dreamed of donning the white coat.

The third student with CP to have secured admission in MBBS is Surat’s Saloni Waghani. Like Digvijay and Sakshi, she too has a disability adjudged more than 40%. She too has difficulty in walking and her hands become stiff when she writes for long.

B J Medical College’s dean Pranay Shah said it was heartwarming to see children with CP securing admission in MBBS.

“Very few students with this disorder have medical courses as they face multiple challenges. The rise of these students is overwhelming,” said Dr Shah.

Short of funds, Pondy univ urges students to donate caution deposit

Short of funds, Pondy univ urges students to donate caution deposit

‘Fund Crunch Due To Lavish Spending’

Bosco.Dominique@timesgroup.com

Puducherry: 13.12.2020

Pondicherry Central University, which faces financial crunch has appealed to the students who have completed their programmes to donate their caution deposit to the university.

University director (studies and educational innovation and rural reconstruction) S Balakrishnan appealed to all deans, heads of the schools, departments and centres in this regard. Balakrishnan said the university faces resource crunch to carry out academic activities as the funds received from the University Grants' Commission cover only a part of the expenditure incurred by the university.

"To augment its resources, the university requests the passed out students to donate their caution deposit to the Pondicherry University funds. This donation to the alma mater will help in resources mobilization for improving academic activities. The deans and heads of the schools, departments and centres are requested to advise the students in this regard," he appealed. The students, who still wish to get their caution deposit refunded can fill the requisite form and submit to their respective heads of the schools, departments and centres.

The varsity's appeal seeking donations from the students was strongly condemned by the various students' forums. The students' representatives argued that the financial crisis was an outcome of the 'incompetency' of the administration. "It is not the first time the administration has passed the burden of their incompetency and mismanagement on the student community," said a statement released by the Students' Federation of India (SFI), Pondicherry University unit. The representatives came down heavily on the administration pointing out that it spends funds lavishly to construct compound walls within the university premises, against the guidelines of the Centre.

TN seeks six-month extension for chief secy

TN seeks six-month extension for chief secy

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 13.12.2020

The Tamil Nadu government has moved the Centre recently seeking extension of the term of chief secretary K Shanmugam for six months, according to sources. His service was extended twice and the present term will end on January 31.

The state government has cited his key role in Covid management while seeking extension of service for the third time. The 1985 batch IAS officer was due to retire on July 31.

“The state government requested for one-year extension in its first letter to the Centre, but could get only three months. Subsequently, another request was made in August for oneyear extension, but once again, three months were granted. Now, the third letter has gone seeking six months extension,” said a source.

As of now, there are 30 IAS officers in Tamil Nadu cadre in the additional chief secretary rank. Four of them are secretaries at the Centre.

Bharathidasan university VC search committee

 

Court asks if med body can add MBBS quota seats in govt colleges

Court asks if med body can add MBBS quota seats in govt colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 13.12.2020

The Madras high court has directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) to ascertain as to whether additional seats can be created in 24 government medical colleges in Tamil Nadu to accommodate waitlist students under the 7.5% reservation for government school students.

These students were constrained to opt for waitlist during admission, as they could not afford to pay the government quota fees in self-financing medical colleges. Tamil Nadu government’s announcement to pay the fee came a day after their counselling got over. “By taking this positive step, it will not put any extra burden on the government colleges in terms of infrastructure and manpower. Creation of additional seats is not something new and such additional seats have always been created whenever the situation demands,” Justice N Anand Venkatesh said.

The judge passed the interim order on a batch of pleas moved by waitlisted students under the 7.5% reservation as they could not afford the fee of self-financing colleges allotted to them. Had the government’s announcement to pay their fees come a day earlier, they would have joined the colleges.

When the pleas came up for hearing, advocate-generalVijay Narayan submittedthattill now nearly 160 seats have reverted back to the state government quota. He added that a clearer picture will evolve in a couple of days andby the nextdateof hearing, the total number of seats that can be accommodated with students falling under the 7.5% quota, can be almost frozen.

Wondering how the state is going to deal with students who could not be accommodated within the vacant seats that reverted back to the state quota, the court made the suggestion of creation of additional seats.

திருப்பூர்ஆடை உற்பத்தி நிறுவனங்கள், ரஜினி உருவப்படம் பொறித்து, 'அதிசயம், அற்புதம்', 'ஆன்மிக அரசியல்'; 'இப்போ இல்லைனா எப்பவும் இல்லை', 'மாத்துவோம்.... எல்லாத்தையும் மாத்துவோம்', என்கிற பஞச் டயலாக்களை பிரின்டிங் செய்துள்ளனர்.

DINAMALAR

திருப்பூர்: ரஜினியின் அரசியல் பிரவேசத்தை முன்னிட்டு, திருப்பூர் ஆடை உற்பத்தி நிறுவனங்கள், அவரின் 'பஞ்ச்' டயலாக் பொறித்த 'டி-சர்ட்' அதிகளவில் தயாரித்து வருகின்றன.

நடிகர் ரஜினி, புதிய கட்சி துவக்குவதாகவும், தேர்தலில் போட்டியிட உள்ளதாகவும் அறிவித்துள்ளார். அவரது இந்த அறிவிப்பு, ஒட்டுமொத்த ரசிகர் பட்டாளத்தையும் உற்சாகப்படுத்தியுள்ளது. 'இப்போ இல்லைனா எப்பவும் இல்லை', மாத்துவோம், 'எல்லாத்தையும் மாத்துவோம்' என்கிற வாசகங்களை, பேட்டியின் போது கூறினார். இவை, சமூக வலைதளங்களில் வைரலாகி வருகின்றன.

இதனால், திருப்பூர்ஆடை உற்பத்தி நிறுவனங்கள், ரஜினி உருவப்படம் பொறித்து, 'அதிசயம், அற்புதம்', 'ஆன்மிக அரசியல்'; 'இப்போ இல்லைனா எப்பவும் இல்லை', 'மாத்துவோம்.... எல்லாத்தையும் மாத்துவோம்', என்கிற பஞச் டயலாக்களை பிரின்டிங் செய்துள்ளனர். இன்று, ரஜினி பிறந்தநாள். இதனால், இந்த 'டி-சர்ட்'டுகளை வாங்கி அணிய, ரஜினி ரசிகர்கள் மிகுந்த ஆர்வம் காட்டி வருகின்றனர்.

திருப்பூர் எக்ஸ்போர்ட் நிட் பிரின்டர்ஸ் அசோசியேஷன் (டெக்பா) தலைவர் ஸ்ரீகாந்த் கூறுகையில், '' திருப்பூரில் உள்ள ஆடை உற்பத்தி நிறுவனங்கள், ரஜினி படம் மற்றும் பஞ்ச் டயலாக் பொறித்த டீ சர்ட்டுகளை தயாரிக்க, பிரின்டிங் நிறுவனங்களுக்கு ஆர்டர் வழங்கி வருகின்றன. ''கட்சி அறிவிப்பு வெளியாகும்போது, ரசிகர் மன்றங்களில் இருந்து நேரடியாக அதிகளவு ஆர்டர்கள் திருப்பூருக்கு கிடைக்க வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது,'' என்றார்.

துணைவேந்தர்கள்- நிதி அலுவலர்கள் 'கூட்டணி' பல்கலைகளில் அதிகரிக்கும் தணிக்கை தடைகளால் ஆபத்து

துணைவேந்தர்கள்- நிதி அலுவலர்கள் 'கூட்டணி' பல்கலைகளில் அதிகரிக்கும் தணிக்கை தடைகளால் ஆபத்து

DINAMALAR

12.12.2020

தமிழக பல்கலைகளில் துணைவேந்தர் - நிதி அலுவலர் 'கூட்டணியால்' அதிகரித்து வரும் தணிக்கை தடைகள் பல்வேறு நிதி மோசடிகளுக்கு வழிவகுக்கின்றன.

மாணவர் சமுதாயத்திற்கு உயர்கல்வி அளிப்பதற்கும் மக்களுக்கும் பயன்படக்கூடிய ஆராய்ச்சிகளை மேற்கொண்டு அதன் பயன்களை அரசுகளுக்கு அளித்து சமுதாய வளர்ச்சிக்கு உதவுவது பல்கலைகளின் நோக்கம்.ஆனால் பல்கலைகளில் நிலவும் குழப்பங்கள், ஊழல் ஆகியவற்றுக்கு நிதி ஒழுக்கம், சட்டப்பூர்வ நிதி மேலாண்மையை கடைபிடிக்க வேண்டிய முக்கிய பொறுப்பில் உள்ள நிதி அலுவலர்கள் கடமை தவறுகின்றனர்.

துணைவேந்தரின் 'கைப்பாவை'

இவர்கள் பல்கலை விதிகளை கடைபிடிக்காமலும் ஆட்சிக் குழு, நிதிக் குழு, ஆட்சிப் பேரவை ஆகிவற்றிற்கு நிதிநிலைமை குறித்த குறிப்புகளை சரிவர சமர்ப்பிக்காமலும், துணைவேந்தர்களை சரியான வழியில் நெறிப்படுத்தாமலும் முறைகேடுகளுக்கு துணைபுரிகின்றனர்.பல்கலைகளில் பல்வேறு பதவிகளில் பேராசிரியர் நிலையில் உள்ளவர்கள் பொறுப்பு வகிக்கின்றனர்.

ஆனால் நிதி அலுவலர் பதவிக்கு உள்ளாட்சி நிதித்தணிக்கை துறை உயர்நிலை அதிகாரிகளே நியமிக்கப்படுகின்றனர்.அதற்கு காரணம் நிதிகளை முறையாக பயன்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்பதே. ஆனால் நடப்பதோ வேறு. சட்ட விதிகளை முறையாக பின்பற்றாமல் அவர்கள் துணைவேந்தர்களின் கைப்பாவையாக இருந்து, ஊழல், நிதி மோசடிகளுக்கு காரணமாகின்றனர்.

'விசித்திர' தணிக்கை

இவர்களால் அனுமதிக்கப்படும் செலவினங்கள், ஆசிரியர், அலுவலர் பதவி உயர்வு, சம்பள நிர்ணயம், பல்கலை நிதி சம்மந்தப்பட்ட கோப்புக்களை இவர்களின் துறையின் கீழ் உள்ள அதிகாரிகளே தவறு என்று தணிக்கைக்கு உட்படுத்துவது விசித்திரமாக உள்ளது.மேலும் நிதிஅலுவலர் அனுமதித்த செலவினங்களை, முறையற்றது எனக் கூறி உள்ளாட்சி நிதி தணிக்கை துறையினரே தணிக்கை தடை ஏற்படுத்துவதும் முரண்பாடாக உள்ளது.

இதில் பல்கலை நிதி அலுவலர் செயல் சரியானதா. அல்லது இவர் சார்ந்த துறையினர் இவர் அனுமதித்த செலவினங்களுக்கு தணிக்கை தடை ஏற்படுத்துவது சரியானதா என புரியவில்லை.நிதி அலுவலர்கள் பணி ஓய்வுக்கு பிறகும் அந்த பல்கலையிலேயே பணியாற்ற வாய்ப்பு கிடைக்கிறது. இதனால் பல்கலை நிதி சம்மந்தமான விவகாரங்களில் ஊழல் பெருக்கெடுத்து ஓடுகிறது. எனவே ஓய்வு பெற்றவர்கள் நிதி ஆலோசகராக தொடர்வதை தடை செய்ய வேண்டும்.

தனி இயக்குனரகம் தேவை

தணிக்கை தடைகளுக்கு நிதி அலுவலரே காரணம் என்பதால் அதனால் ஏற்படும் நிதி இழப்பிற்கு அவரே பொறுப்பேற்க வேண்டும். தவறு செய்தவர்களை சஸ்பெண்ட் செய்து விசாரணைக்கு உட்படுத்த வேண்டும்.கூட்டுறவு, அறநிலைத் துறைக்கு தனியாக தணிக்கை துறை இருப்பது போல் பல்கலைகளுக்கும் தனி இயக்குனரகம் ஏற்படுத்தினால் முறைகேடுகள் குறையும்.

--நமது சிறப்பு நிருபர்--

பொங்கல் பஸ் முன்பதிவுக்கு கூடுதல் இணையதளங்கள்

DINAMALAR

பொங்கல் பஸ் முன்பதிவுக்கு கூடுதல் இணையதளங்கள்

Added : டிச 11, 2020 23:14

சென்னை:பொங்கல் பஸ் டிக்கெட்முன்பதிவுக்கு,

 கூடுதல்இணையதளங்கள் சேவையில் ஈடுபடுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன.

இது குறித்து, தமிழக அரசு போக்குவரத்து கழக அதிகாரிகள் கூறியதாவது:அடுத்த மாதம், 14, 15, 16ம் தேதிகளில், பொங்கல் பண்டிகை கொண்டாடப்பட உள்ளது. இதற்காக சொந்த ஊர் செல்வோர் வசதிக்காக, அரசு போக்குவரத்து கழக பஸ்களுக்கான முன்பதிவு துவங்கி உள்ளது.ஏற்கனவே, அரசு போக்குவரத்து கழக இணையதளமான, www.tnstc.in மற்றும் tnstc என்ற, மொபைல் போன் செயலி வாயிலாக, டிக்கெட் முன்பதிவு செய்யும் வசதி உள்ளது. தற்போது, தனியார் டிக்கெட் முன்பதிவு இணையதளங்களான, www.redbus.in, www.paytm.com, www.busindia.com போன்றவற்றிலும், டிக்கெட் முன்பதிவு வசதி ஏற்படுத்தப்பட்டு உள்ளது.

சென்னை கோயம்பேடு பஸ் நிலையம் உட்பட, அனைத்து மாவட்ட விரைவு போக்குவரத்து கழக அலுவலகங்களில் செயல்படும் முன்பதிவு மையங்களிலும், டிக்கெட்டுகளை முன்பதிவு செய்யலாம்.இவ்வாறு, அவர்கள் கூறினர்.

பாஸ்போர்ட் விண்ணப்பதாரரிடம் காணொலி வாயிலாக விசாரணை

DINAMALAR

பாஸ்போர்ட் விண்ணப்பதாரரிடம் காணொலி வாயிலாக விசாரணை

Added : டிச 11, 2020 23:12

சென்னை:சென்னை மண்டல பாஸ்போர்ட் அலுவலகத்தில், பாஸ்போர்ட் பெற விண்ணப்பித்தோருக்கு, காணொலி வாயிலாக விசாரணை நடத்தப்படுகிறது.

இதுதொடர்பாக, சென்னை மண்டல பாஸ்போர்ட் அலுவலகம் வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிக்கை: கொரோனா பரவல் நிலையை கட்டுப்படுத்தும் வகையில், கூட்ட நெரிசலை குறைத்து, நிலுவையில் உள்ள பாஸ்போர்ட் விண்ணப்பங்களை பரிசீலிக்க, சென்னை மண்டல பாஸ்போர்ட் அலுவலகத்தில், காணொலி வாயிலாக விசாரணை நடத்தப்படுகிறது.

இதன்படி, 'ஸ்கைப், கூகுள் டியோ' வழியாக, நவ., 23ல் இருந்து, வேலை நாட்களில், காலை, 10:00 முதல், பகல், 12:30 மணி வரை, இந்த காணொலி விசாரணை நடக்கிறது.'ஸ்கைப்'பில், 'Rpo chennai என்ற, 'லிங்க்' வழியே, live:.cid.1a27fe4d2074be7a என்ற இணைப்பிலும்; கூகுள் டியோவில், rpochennaipublic@@gmail.com என்ற இணைப்பு வழியாகவும் விசாரணைக்கு இணையலாம். விண்ணப்பதாரர்கள் மட்டுமே, காணொலி அழைப்பில் பங்கேற்க முடியும்.

மேலும் விபரங்களுக்கு, 1800 258 1800 என்ற, இலவச தொலைபேசி எண்ணில் பேசலாம்; rpo.chennai@mea.gov.in என்ற, மின்னஞ்சலிலும் தொடர்பு கொள்ளலாம்.இவ்வாறு, அதில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Nurse held for filming colleagues while bathing

Nurse held for filming colleagues while bathing

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:12.12.2020

A 25-year-old staff nurse of a prestigious hospital, who allegedly filmed her colleagues when they were bathing, has been arrested.

The suspect is Ashwini, a staff nurse who lives in the hospital’s women’s hostel in Whitefield. She used to send the footage to her boyfriend, said police, who have summoned him for questioning to find out what he was doing with the videos.

According to police, the incident came to light on December 5 when security staff noticed a mobile phone capturing the video of a nurse in a bathroom. The hostel management approached police on Tuesday and filed a complaint against the suspect.

According to the complaint filed by the hostel incharge, Ashwini works in the hospital’s emergency wing. “Our security staff noticed a mobile phone kept on a window capturing a video of one of our colleagues while she was bathing around 6.45pm on December 5. We found the video when we checked the phone’s photo gallery. We were shocked to find several videos of many of our colleagues,” the complainant stated.

The hostel authorities found the phone belonged to Ashwini as it had her sim card and contact list. She was booked under IPC section 354C (voyeurism).

HC grants status quo on govt order for recruiting Indian medicine practitioners

HC grants status quo on govt order for recruiting Indian medicine practitioners

Madurai:  12.12.2020

Granting status quo on the GO passed for recruiting Indian medicine practitioners through a manpower agency, the Madras high court on Friday sought a response from the government on the reasons for passing such a GO.

A division bench of justices N Kirubakaran and B Pugalendhi passed the order on a PIL filed by G V Vairam Santhosh, an advocate from Madurai district. The additional government pleader submitted these practitioners are appointed on contract basis for one year.

The petitioner said while hospitals are flooded with Covid-19 patients, it is the duty of the government to provide quality treatment with qualified doctors, adding the authorities have put the lives of people at risk for want of qualified medical practitioners.

TNPCB orders closure of Chitlapakkam incinerator

TNPCB orders closure of Chitlapakkam incinerator

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai: 12/12/2020

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has directed the Chitlapakkam town panchayat to cease operations of the incinerator set up by the local body on the fringes of Chitlapakkam lake.

The panchayat comes under Chengalpet and consists of 18 wards. The local body has not obtained the necessary permissions from the pollution control board and other agencies to begin operation of the plant.

According to TNPCB, the local body had requested for an NoC from the district environmental engineer (DEE) in September 2020 without furnishing any required details.

Meanwhile, NGT too took suo motu cognizance of news reports about waste management in the local body and asked a joint committee to submit a report.

Accordingly, three weeks ago, a TNPCB official had visited the premises. The incinerator, which handles 5 tonnes a day is provided with air pollution control measures such as venture tank arrangements, quencher and wet scrubber attached to the stack.

However, since the incineratior is set up on the fringes of the lake maintained by the PWD, an NoC from the PWD is yet to be submitted to the pollution control board.

“The local body has installed the facility for handling the solid waste without obtaiining the authorization of the board under the provisions of solid waste management rules, 2016,” said a letter from TNPCB chairman and directed the local body to stop the operation of incineration facility.

MBBS: 149 government seats left

MBBS: 149 government seats left

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  12.12.2020

After allotting 328 MBBS seats on Friday, there were 90 seats (SCA/ST) left in government medical colleges and 59 government quota seats (SC/SCA/ST) in self-financing medical colleges. In the dental category, there were 38 BDS seats, including three in Madras Dental College, left for students who will walk in for counselling on Saturday.

Selection committee secretary Dr G Selvarajan said the scheduled counselling sessions at 11am and 2pm on Saturday have been cancelled as these seats are likely to be exhausted in the morning session. “Therefore candidates called for counselling at 11am and 2pm for SC category will be automatically waitlisted,” he said.

On Thursday, 452 aspirants were called for counselling of whom 436 turned up. While 185 people were allotted seats in government medical colleges, 143 of them were allotted seats in selffinancing colleges. In addition, 13 students were allotted seats in government dental colleges. While noneof thestudentsopted out, 85 of them were waitlisted.

Medicos who did online internship may face action

Medicos who did online internship may face action

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  12.12.2020

At least 20 students from medical schools in China, who applied to the Tamil Nadu State Medical Council for registration after doing their MBBS internship or medical courses and exams online, have been asked to explain why legal action should not be initiated against them for not telling the council that they did their course/internship online.

Registration with the state medicalcouncilis mandatory to practice medicine or do internship in Tamil Nadu. “But medical education cannot be done online. Internships have to be hands-on,” said Tamil Nadu state Medical Council president Dr K Senthil.

Between March and May, many foreign medical students left campuses during the Covid-19 pandemic. While some returned to their colleges, some universities, particularly in China, let final year students to complete the last leg of the course and examinations online. Students who were doing internships were allowed to do it online. “We did not have a choice. My daughter has cleared the foreign medical graduate examination andhascompleted her internship online. Many of her classmates from other states have got their permanent registration,” said Sharadha S, whose daughter has studied at a medical college in China.

But the council has said foreign medical graduates, who have completed an MBBS degree or internship online, are not eligible for applying for provisional or final registration. A notice published by the council on the official website said: “If candidates apply, hiding the fact of an online course … it will be considered as misconduct and appropriate action will be taken.” Show-cause notices have been issued seeking explanation for this. “We are aware this is an extraordinary situation. So we have decided to give provisional registration to students who have not completed their internships so that they can do it at both government and private medical colleges here. We will not permit online internships,” Dr Senthil said.

103kg gold kept in CBI custody goes ‘missing’ in city

103kg gold kept in CBI custody goes ‘missing’ in city

Court Orders CBCID Probe

Sureshkumar.K@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  12.12.2020

More than 103kg gold worth at least ₹45 crore seized in a raid by the CBI and kept in its ‘safe custody’ has gone missing. This came to public knowledge on Friday when the Madras high court ordered a probe by Tamil Nadu’s CB-CID.

The missing gold is part of 400.5kg in bullion and ornaments seized by the CBI in 2012 when it raided the office of Surana Corporation Ltd in Chennai. The gold was kept in the safes and vaults of Surana under the CBI’s lock and seal. The central agency said it had handed over the 72 keys of the safes and vaults to the Chennai principal special court for CBI cases.

The CBI claimed that during the seizure the gold bars were weighed all-together but while handing over to the liquidator, appointed for a settlement of debts between Surana and SBI, it was weighed individually and that was the reason for the discrepancy.

Refusing to accept the submission, Justice Prakash directed a CB-CID probe by an officer in the rank of superintendent of police to be completed in six months.

The CBI told Justice Prakash that its prestige would “go down” if the investigation is done by local police. To which Justice Prakash said: “…law does not sanction such an inference. All policemen must be trusted, and it does not lie in the mouth of one to say that CBI have special horns, whereas, local police have only a tail.”

While prosecuting the case, the CBI accused officials of Minerals & Metals Trading Corporation of India (MMTC) of showing undue favour to Surana in importing gold and silver. Subsequently, the CBI came to the conclusion that the gold did not have a bearing on a corruption case, and that it had, however, been imported in violation of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP). Therefore, a separate case was registered in 2013, and the seized gold was transferred to the file of the new case.

Gold missing was noticed in December last year

Later, the CBI concluded the probe and filed a closure report, holding that the accused had not committed any offence, but, by issuing the nominated agency certificate to Surana, had violated certain circulars, for which departmental action was recommended against some officials.

The agency also requested the special court to transfer the gold to the office of the director-general of foreign trade (DGFT) as the ownership of the gold is subject to the outcome of the departmental inquiry. Aggrieved, Surana challenged the transfer of gold to DGFT.

Meanwhile, insolvency proceedings were initiated by SBI against Surana for pending dues of ₹1,160 crore. SBI moved the court asking for the gold. On December 12, 2017, SBI and Surana filed a compromise memo in court and sought a direction to handover the gold to SBI, which was opposed by the CBI.

On July 16, 2019, the court directed the parties to approach the NCLT before which the insolvency proceedings are pending to decide ownership of the gold. However, CBI was directed to hand over the possession of the gold to SBI.

On December 27, 2019, the NCLT ordered handing over of the gold to the official liquidator in the presence of SBI. To the shock and surprise of all, the total gold that was found weighed only 296.606kg. There was a shortage of 103.864kg, which the CBI was not able to properly account for. The liquidator then moved the high court, which passed the order on Friday.

State govt gives its staff formal dress code now

State govt gives its staff formal dress code now

Sujit.Mahamulkar@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  12.12.2020

They can do a policy flip-flop, but wearing them to work is a no-no.

The state government has issued a dress code banning informal wear for its staff. The code, aimed at encouraging good conduct and discipline, will apply to officers and employees, both men and women, in all government establishments.

The order spells out the details of what construes “appropriate” clothing by urging staff to wear “formal” shirts and trousers or churidaar kurtas. Clearly, critics said, there’s no room for government staff to sport a ‘smart casual’ or ‘semi-formal look’.

However, G D Kulthe, chief convenor of Maharashtra State Gazetted Officers Federation, said the union will not oppose the move.

‘Dress code gives a feeling of responsibility’

Kulthe said, “We are okay with the decision. We will not raise any objection.”

The general administration department has issued a government resolution (GR) explaining the rationale for the move. It said many employees do not wear suitable attire to work and that this affects government’s image in general.

To promote the use of khadi, every employee, including IAS officers, is expected to wear khadi clothes at least on Friday.

Principal secretary Shrikant Deshpande, who issued the GR, told TOI that many staffers are often seen dressed in inappropriate attire, especially the newly recruited ones and those doing outsourced work. “Though it has nothing to do with the work directly, it does have a psychological effect. The dress code gives you a sense of work and feeling of responsibility,” said Deshpande. He said those who fail to comply with the guidelines will be issued a warning initially.

However, a senior HR professional, Bindu Vyankatesh, said such diktats do not necessarily work. “I don’t think government should mandate any kind of dress code, it has nothing to do with the official nature of their work,” said Vyankatesh. “Shouldn’t they (government employees) be friendly and accessible? When we go to the government or municipal office to pay bills or other work, we want them to look like ourselves.”

But another official, while reacting to the decision, said government should have gone a step ahead and imposed a uniform on employees. “Many can be seen roaming around during working hours on the pretext of having a tea break or going out after lunch. In such cases, they would be identified by their dress,” he said.

I-T case against Karti, wife over non-disclosure premature: HC

I-T case against Karti, wife over non-disclosure premature: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  12.12.2020

In a reprieve to Sivaganga MP Karti Chidambaram, the Madras high court quashed the criminal prosecution initiated by the income tax department against him and his wife for alleged non-disclosure of income saying it is not maintainable and premature.

However, Justice N Sathish Kumar granted liberty to the department to initiate penal action as per the law, if it chooses to. The issue pertains to criminal prosecution initiated by the department for alleged non-disclosure of income by Karti and his wife Srinidhi to the tune of 7.73 crore in the financial year 2015-16.

Opposing the same, the duo contended that the prosecution is liable to be quashed for procedural lapse.

They argued that the prosecution has been initiated for filing of false return which amounts to offence of giving false evidence before a court under the IPC. Concurring with the arguments, the court declared the prosecution as non-maintainable.

Allopathy and ayurveda: A brief study in difference

Allopathy and ayurveda: A brief study in difference

Rema.Nagarajan@timesgroup.com

12.12.2020

Ayurveda practitioners are seeking equivalence with allopathic doctors in doing certain surgeries, but there seems to be a vast difference in the amount of training received in the systems. Everything from minimum number of beds in teaching hospitals to bed occupancy and the outpatient attendance required in a medical college to be allowed to do undergraduate and postgraduate training is much less for ayurveda colleges than for allopathic ones.

Barely a quarter of the 414 ayurveda colleges have 100 seats. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of UG ayurveda seats are in colleges with 60 seats or less, which need to have just a 60-bedded teaching hospital with 40% occupancy, or about 24 beds occupied. Of the 60 beds, beds that must be kept aside for shalakya tantra and shalya tantra (surgeries) are just 25.

In comparison, almost all MBBS colleges have at least 100 MBBS seats and for that they need a 500-bed teaching hospital with 75% occupancy (375 beds) and 120 beds kept aside for general surgery. Thus students who join for postgraduation in surgical specialties in ayurveda would have seen fewer patients and would have had much fewer opportunities to be trained in surgery.

Postgraduation in the surgical disciplines of shalya tantra and shalakya tantra are taught in the same colleges with stipulation of just marginal augmentation of beds, patients, faculty and support staff. If a college has more than ten PG seats in clinical subjects, additional beds in the student-bed ratio of 1:4 will have to provided, unlike at UG level when the ratio is 1:1. Also, the college will have to show 50% bed occupancy the previous . But colleges which have less than ten PG seats can make do with the same facilities as stipulated for undergraduate teaching. Thus clinical material is less in ayurvedic colleges than in allopathic ones.

The outlay required to start an ayurveda college is much less than that for an allopathy college for which the facilities and training mandated are much higher.

Full report on www.toi.in

Prior Environmental Clearance Not Required For Notifying Acquisition Of Land For National Highway: Supreme Court

Prior Environmental Clearance Not Required For Notifying Acquisition Of Land For National Highway: Supreme Court: 'Prior EC is required to be taken before commencement of the 'actual construction or building work''

Supreme Court Upholds Land Acquisition Notifications For Chennai-Salem 8 Lane Expressway

Supreme Court Upholds Land Acquisition Notifications For Chennai-Salem 8 Lane Expressway: The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the notifications issued for acquiring land for the Chennai-Salem eight-lane greenfield expressway project.Partly allowing the appeals of the Union of India and the...

SC gives go-ahead to acquire land for Chennai-Salem NH

SC gives go-ahead to acquire land for Chennai-Salem NH

The court rejected the challenge made to the notifications under Section 2(2) (declaration of land as NH) and 3A (issuance of notification intimating intent to acquire land) of the NH Act, 1956. 

Published: 09th December 2020 04:48 AM |

Image for representational purpose only. ( File | EPS)

By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave a green signal to the Central Government to carry forward the land acquisition process for the Rs 10,000-crore eight-lane Chennai-Salem Green Field Corridor project. The top court also dismissed the appeal of land owners against the acquisition.

The apex court’s verdict came on a batch of appeals filed by the Centre and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and a few land owners and others, including PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss.

“The Centre is not required to obtain ‘prior environmental or forest clearance’ under the laws before declaring a stretch as national highway and expressing its intention to acquire the land for building, maintenance or operating such roads,” the apex court held.

Justices AM Khanwilkar, B R Gavai and Krishna Murari, partly allowed the appeals by the Centre and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) against a 2019 Madras High Court judgment which set aside the land acquisition process.

The court rejected the challenge made to the notifications under Section 2(2) (declaration of land as NH) and 3A (issuance of notification intimating intent to acquire land) of the NH Act, 1956. 

The project

The eight-lane corridor is part of the Centre’s Bharatmala Pariyojana project, and aims to cut the travel time between Chennai and Salem by half, to about two hours and 15 minutes