2 days to go but Twitter, FB, WA yet to comply with govt norms

2 days to go but Twitter, FB, WA yet to comply with govt norms

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:25.05.2021

The stage is set for another showdown between the government and social media giants over compliance with the new norms for platforms that have over 50 lakh users in the country.

With just two days to go to comply with the new norms for significant social media intermediaries, barring Koo, none of players including Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram have complied with the new regulations that require them to appoint a resident grievance officer, a chief compliance officer and a nodal contact person. The government had given the firms three months to comply fulfil the requirements with the deadline set to expire on Wednesday.

Although some of the platforms had sought six months, the government currently does not appear in any mood to relent. Their failure to comply with the norms opens the global giants to lose their status and protections as intermediaries and also makes them liable for criminal action, sources said. While Twitter declined to comment, Facebook did not respond to a query from TOI.

Sources argued the failure to comply with the notified rules is detrimental to the interests of those who suffer abuse on social media but do not know whom to approach for grievance redressal. The stipulations require the social media entities to furnish monthly reports on the complaints received and those that have been settled.

Nothing wrong in Delhi govt order putting all docs in one category:HC

Nothing wrong in Delhi govt order putting all docs in one category:HC

New Delhi:25.05.2021

Delhi High Court on Monday said there was nothing wrong in the decision of Delhi government directing all doctors and medical staff to function in a single category, irrespective of the differences in their seniority and specialisation, in treatment of Covid patients, saying there should not be any “ego issue”.

Justice Rekha Palli said that “prima facie” there was nothing wrong with the May 16 notification, which appeared to be dealing only with Covid management duties of doctors and they should not come to court with such pleas.

“What is the problem with this? What is your ego issue in this? I don’t see anything wrong in this. I am sorry a doctor is coming to court like this. Prima facie I see nothing wrong with the order. It is only with regard to Covid management,” Justice Palli said at the start of the hearing of the petition, which challenged the notification contending that it was arbitrary and issued without the approval of the LG.

The petitioner-doctor, represented by advocate Payal Bahl, was aggrieved by the notification as it put allopathic and non-allopathic doctors as well as junior and senior residents in one category for treating Covid patients, claiming that this could put patients’ lives at risk.

Delhi government, represented by additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal said he needs time to get proper clarification and the court listed the matter for hearing on May 27. PTI

Virtual counselling for speciality medical vacancies

Virtual counselling for speciality medical vacancies

25/05/2021

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI

Service Post Graduates (PG) will be posted to speciality vacancies in the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) and Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) institutions through virtual counselling. Both the authorities have published the vacancy list prior to counselling after several years, a move that a section of doctors say will go a long way in ensuring transparency in postings.

“This is the first time we will be holding a virtual counselling for posting service PGs. A total of 550 doctors will be appearing for the three-day counselling to be held from May 25. There are 1,200 posts,” R. Narayana Babu, DME, said.

30% calls made to Covid helpline 104 are irrelevant

30% calls made to Covid helpline 104 are irrelevant

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:25.05.2021

At least three out of 10 calls that reach the 104 hotline were irrelevant calls that clogged the line and could have kept a person in need of oxygen or ICU bed waiting. The 108 hotline for ambulances has also been facing similar problems, officials say.

The health department’s unified control room, or the war room, has received nearly 41,000 requests for beds between April 30 and May 22. Analysis of the telephonic triaging by doctors and paramedical staff show that only 35% of the callers required beds. “An equal number of people were advised home quarantine because they had good levels of oxygen saturation. They also had mild or no symptoms,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan. But what has upset officials is that nearly 30% of the calls the hotline received until April 21 – about 12,396 – were irrelevant calls. “Some of these calls can be a menace when health staff are fighting to identify beds in high occupancy districts,” he said.

Staff at the control room say they receive calls for non-emergency reasons such as to verify RTPCR test results, seek information about health insurance schemes or complain to them about bad health policies, hospital infrastructure. Callers are directed to call other helplines so the hotline can remain free for patients in need.

Officials say some callers insist on discussing current affairs or civic problems, some others remain silent on the call. Similar calls land in the state’s 108 ambulance hotline. “Silent calls are very scary because we don’t know if the caller is silent because he is sick or if he or she is playing a prank,” said state head of operations M Selvakumar. The staff, he says, are trained to find out. They quickly disconnect the line after telling callers not to call the hotline or to use other helplines for nonemergency services. “If there is a call repeatedly from one number, we block the number for some time,” he said.

(For need other than O2/ ICU beds call – O44-29510400, 044-29510500/944-434-0496/ 875-444-8477)

Middlemen at cemeteries, crematoriums under check

Middlemen at cemeteries, crematoriums under check

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:25.05.2021

Greater Chennai Corporation officials at the zonal level are now wary of brokers who pose as family members of deceased and book a slot at crematoriums and burial grounds for free while charging ₹15,000-₹20,000 from families.

Civic body staff now ask personal details of the deceased like the names of immediate family members, date of death and the hospital the person died at, to ensure that brokers are weeded out. In addition, zonal officials also have started spreading word among residents that there is no fee for last rites, including transporting the dead to the crematorium or burial ground.

A sanitary inspector told TOI that recently they came across cases where brokers called and tried to book slots. In some cases, they found that the person had died many days ago; in other cases, they found that brokers hung up as soon as they were asked questions about the deceased’s immediate family members.

“We have all details of the deceased in our system. So nobody can cheat us,” the sanitary inspector said. In addition, officials have also started getting testimonials from family members that cremations were done for free at GCC run centres.

Corporation deputy commissioner (works) Meghanath Reddy said vigilance officials are also being asked to conduct regular checks at these centres to ensure those collecting bribes are nabbed. “All crematorium staff will be given a blue uniform with tags and also identity cards for public to differentiate them from brokers,” Reddy said. Another development, especially in central and south Chennai, has been that sanitary inspectors have been asked to bury or cremate only those who lived in that ward or zone.

For instance, the crematorium at Triplicane was overburdened till a fortnight ago with more than 20 bodies turning up at their gates everyday. “This was because government hospitals were sending it to use as we were the closest,” an official at the crematorium said.

After intervention by senior corporation officials and local MLAs to allow last rites of only local residents, the number has dropped to 10, the official added.

UNDER WATCH: A burial ground in the city

Restaurants in crisis as grocery stores, veggie shops shut

Restaurants in crisis as grocery stores, veggie shops shut

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai:25.05.2021

The closure of grocery and vegetable shops from Monday has put eateries and restaurants in a fix. Several eateries may run out of essential commodities in the coming days leading to a shutdown later this week and this could impact those depending on food from restaurants, particularly those under home quarantine.

Unlike leading restaurant chains and star hotels with facilities such as cold storage, most standalone restaurants buy commodities on a daily basis. Though many of them have bought a significant quantity of vegetables ahead of the full lockdown, some last a maximum of three days. Besides, the absence of adequate manpower could adversely hit the supply chain from kitchen to delivery of food.

Of the 8,500 eateries and restaurants in and around Chennai, less than 40% are operating now. A chunk of nonvegetarian eateries are unlikely to operate from Tuesday due to the non-availability of meat and fish. With grocery and vegetable shops closed, owners of small time eateries are worried about sourcing essential commodities.

Muthulakshmi, who runs an eatery at Tambaram, said vegetables were available for the next two days. “Later, we have to depend on those sold through mobile mini trucks. If vegetables cannot be sourced, we may have to close down briefly,” she said. The eatery offering breakfast and dinner serves 70-80 parcels daily.

M Ravi, president of The Chennai Hotels Association, said the absence of neighbourhood grocery shops will hit eateries hard. “How can you cook if oil is not available? Moreover, several workers in the hospitality sector have left the city to their hometowns,” he added. Such factors will lead to more number of eateries closing later this week, he said.

On Sunday, eateries and hotels made significant purchases of vegetables at the Koyambedu market where, from Monday, entry for all customers including hoteliers, retail and wholesale traders has been banned.

Villagers in Erode district bar entry for all outsiders

Villagers in Erode district bar entry for all outsiders

Senthil.Kumaran@timesgroup.com

Erode:25.05.2021 

Residents have closed the entry to Sathumugai and Chenni Moopanpudur villages near Sathyamangalam to remain free of Covid-19. It isn’t easy for even the local residents returning from other places to enter in. They will be first screened for symptoms of infection.

S Kishore, a resident of Sathumuga, said they had taken the measures in consultation with the village heads in view of the steady rise in the daily caseload in the district.

Both the villages house 300-400 families each and according to residents they haven’t reported any Covid-19 cases so far. “We are maintaining the government’s guidelines, including social distancing, very strictly. Health department officials had conducted fever camps. They did not find any positive cases,” Kishore said.

The residents have closed the entry to the villages with wood and bamboo logs. In addition, they take turns to guard the entries to prevent outsiders from sneaking in. “We don’t even allow others to pass through our village,” said T Muthuramalingam, a resident of Chenni Moopanpudur. Local residents returning from other states and districts would be allowed in only with an RT-PCR negative certificate. “

NO ENTRY: A notice outside a village near Salem asking outsiders not to step ahead

TN health experts on tenterhooks as vaccination drive slows down

TN health experts on tenterhooks as vaccination drive slows down

Don’t Have Vaccines; Have Written To Centre: TN

Pushpa.Narayan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:25.05.2021

The pace of vaccination against Covid-19 has slowed down drastically across the state over the last 15 days, worrying public health experts as a large population including those in the vulnerable category remain exposed. On Sunday, less than 30,000 people took the jab, compared to 99,529 on May 6. The highest ever single-day vaccinations were recorded on April 15 when more than 2.1 lakh people got it.

Between May 17 and 23, the average number of people receiving the vaccine daily came down to 48,566 compared to nearly 70,000 on May 15 and 69,574 on May 16. “We don’t have a choice,” said health minister Ma Subramanian. “We don’t have the vaccines. The vaccine centres allotted covers around 6.4% of our population (8.3 crore). We have written to the Centre seeking more vaccines. A preferential allocation was given to other states. Gujarat received vaccines to cover 16.4% of its 6.3 crore population,” he said.

Since January, Tamil Nadu received 80.3 lakh doses of Covaxin and Covishield from the Centre as part of the national wide drive to vaccinate healthcare providers, frontline workers, senior citizens and people above 45 years. “Of this, we received 1.9 lakh doses on Monday morning. So, of the 78.4 lakh doses we used 72.4 lakh doses until Sunday. We had around 1 lakh doses in regional and district vaccine stores when we rolled out the programme on Sunday morning after discounting wastage of close to 5 lakh doses in the first wave for various reasons.”

With increase in demand, vaccine wastage has dropped from nearly 13% in February to less than 5% now, he said. Ironically, when people came to the centres, there were no vaccines. As a result, the health department reduced vaccine sessions from around 3,000 earlier this month to 2,500 this week.

At a recent medical expert committee meeting, public health experts including WHO chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan asked the state to ramp up vaccination.

On Monday, the 1.9 lakh doses of Covishield received were disbursed to the district and regional vaccine centres. “We don’t stock vaccines at warehouses. They are distributed to the field so we can vaccinate as many people as possible quickly,” said joint director (immunisation) Dr K Vinay Kumar.

On Monday, many vaccine centres continued to offer Covaxin only as a second dose. Many who came for vaccinations in districts by late afternoon were turned back due to shortage. On Monday, the state vaccinated 92,614 people including 55,623 people in the 18 to 44 age group. On Sunday, around 8532 people in the same age group took their vaccines.

Mid-air wedding over Madurai: SpiceJet crew taken off roster

Mid-air wedding over Madurai: SpiceJet crew taken off roster

Saurabh.Sinha@timesgroup.com

New Delhi/Madurai:25.05.2021

A mid-air wedding — with close to 130 wedding guests on board, most of whom not following Covid protocol — has invited regulatory wrath.

The SpiceJet charter flight had taken off from Madurai on Sunday morning. The couple, Meenakshi Rajesh and Dhikshana, got married while the aircraft was airborne for about two hours. They completed the rituals as the plane circled over the Meenakshi Amman temple, before returning to Madurai.

However, the violation of Covid protocol has cost the airline and the wedding guests dear. A senior official of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said: “The pilots and cabin crew who operated this flight have been off-rostered (taken off duty). The airline has been directed to lodge complaints against those not following Covid-appropriate behaviour with relevant authorities. We have sought all details from the airline and will conduct a detailed inquiry. Action will be taken based on the outcome of the probe.”

NUPTIAL TURBULENCE: Meenakshi Rajesh and Dhikshana performed the rituals as the aircraft circled over the Meenakshi Amman temple

All guests briefed on Covid norms: SpiceJet

SpiceJet says its Boeing 737 was booked by a travel agent for a “post-wedding joy ride” and that all guests were briefed on the norms to be followed in these times both at the airport and onboard, and no permission was given for any activity on board. It said the group was advised to follow the protocols laid down by DGCA including restrictions on photography and videography. “Despite repeated requests and reminders, the passengers did not follow Covid guidelines and the airline is taking appropriate action as per rules,” said a SpiceJet spokesman.

Sources say the airline/ airport staff should have been able to sense the onboard wedding as people boarded the plane with garlands (varmala), with the bride and groom dressed in their trousseau. “On seeing all this, the wedding party should have been warned beforehand to follow all Covid protocol onboard. The violations could have been avoided,” said sources.

Madurai district administration has also served a notice to the airline and the family which hired the plane, seeking an explanation.

Full report on www.toi.in

JEE (M) April-May rounds may be held in July-August

JEE (M) April-May rounds may be held in July-August

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:25.05.2021

In the event of CBSE conducting Class XII board exams in 19 “major subjects” from August 1-20, which is being considered as one of the options amid the pandemic, the National Testing Agency (NTA) is likely to conduct the deferred April and May rounds of JEE (Main) in end of July and August. The agency is also looking at holding NEET-UG for admission to medical courses in pen-paper mode in September, for which registration may start from July 1, NTA sources said.

Sources said the decision to roll out the Central Universities Common Entrance Test (CUCET) will depend on the fate of the Class XII board exams.

Various states are likely to submit their suggestions on conduct of Class XII board and other entrance exams on Tuesday to the ministry of education, and CBSE is likely to review the situation on June 1.

A government source said, “Everything rests on when the Class XII board exams are conducted and in what format. NTA is working on a number of combinations depending on different situations that may arise.”

In case CBSE goes for the second option to hold board exams in two phases, the deferred April round of JEE (Main) is either likely to be held in the second week of July (as the first phase of CBSE exam is likely to commence from July 15 or in the first week of August. “In that case, the May-round of the engineering entrance test may even be pushed to first or second week of September,” the source said.

Full report on www.toi.in

WhatsApp won’t withdraw privacy update

WhatsApp won’t withdraw privacy update

Pankaj.Doval@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:25.05.2021

Under pressure from the government to withdraw its privacy update in India, WhatsApp refused to comply, but issued a face saver, saying it will “not limit the functionality” of users at least till the country gets a data protection law.

The company has been under pressure from the government, fairplay regulator Competition Commission and the courts over its privacy update which it implemented from May

15. WhatsApp says if a user does not want to update to the new norms, the person’s app will not lose any functionality, though the user will surely be sent reminders to step up. “We will not limit the functionality of how WhatsApp works in the coming weeks… We will maintain this approach until at least the forthcoming personal data protection law comes into effect,” a company spokesperson said.

Vaccination of 18-44 years age group in Madurai from today

FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS

Vaccination of 18-44 years age group in Madurai from today

Devanathan.Veerappan@timesgroup.com

Madurai:25.05.2021

The Madurai Corporation is planning to vaccinate people in the 18-44 age group category from essential services sector and volunteers, who are considered to be a high risk group, on Tuesday onwards.

A health official from Madurai district said that vaccination for the high risk group will be carried out through camps. They have been talking with representatives from various sectors such as banking, insurance, TNSTC, medical shop employees and Chamber of Commerce to cover workers in essential industries, railways and vegetable and fruit markets. “We have received 57,000 doses purchased by the state exclusively for people above

18. These will not be given at the regular vaccinations centres since it will get mixed up with the vaccinations given by the centre for the 45 and above category people. Out of the 57,000 doses, 50,000 is Covishield while the rest is Covaxin,” he said.

Special camps for auto rickshaw drivers will be considered after providing jabs for people from other sectors as auto rickshaw operation is banned during the lockdown period, he added.

“We have not got any communication on vaccination for above 18 people from the state government. It might take off after the lockdown period as crowd control amid complete lockdown will be difficult if vaccination is started for them now,” the official added.

Some of the private hospitals in the city resumed vaccination for above 18 people on Monday. Although people were asked to visit the centre after prior booking, there was a huge crowd in hospitals like Apollo in Madurai. Youths stood in line for a long time before their turn. A large number of vehicles were found parked on both sides of the Lake View Road, where the hospital is located.

Stalin urges people to follow all lockdown norms strictly

Stalin urges people to follow all lockdown norms strictly

‘Stringent Lockdown Necessary’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:25.05.2021

Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Monday appealed to the people to comply with the stringent lockdown norms to break the chain of transmission of Corona virus and help the state return to normalcy.

Stalin called the intense lockdown, which came into effect on Monday, a “bitter medicine” and said people should take it in the best interest of the state.

The daily cases have crossed 35,000 and it remains scary. States smaller than Tamil Nadu witnessed more than 50,000 Covid cases per day, but the curve was flattening there, he said. Tamil Nadu is inching towards that, said Stalin in a video message. He emphasised the importance of complying with strict lockdown norms, taking vaccine and taking precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. People should not venture out of their houses except for medical emergencies, he said.

Reacting to criticisms that his government was not acting, Stalin said his government, despite being just two-weeks old, had implemented many welfare schemes and taken efforts to bail out the state from the grip of the pandemic.

He justified the decision to go for complete lockdown without relaxations and said a large section of people misused the lockdown that was enforced from May 10 to May 24 early morning.

“The lockdown with relaxations has resulted in a marginal dip in the number of fresh cases, but the pandemic is not under control. Hence, stringent lockdown is necessary,” he said and noted that if the lockdown norms are adhered to, the state can get back to normalcy and ensure industrial growth and development of infrastructure.

The lockdown with relaxations has resulted in a marginal dip in the number of fresh cases, but the pandemic is not under control. Hence, stringent lockdown is necessary

M K Stalin | CHIEF MINISTER

No licence? Court reduces accident relief from ₹8L to ₹50,000

No licence? Court reduces accident relief from ₹8L to ₹50,000

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:25.05.2021

Observing that negligence on the part of the driver must be established to avail compensation under Section 166 of Motor Vehicles Act, Madras high court reduced the compensation awarded to the family members of an accident victim from ₹8.02 lakh to ₹50,000. The case involvedthedeath of a woman after the two-wheeler on which she rode pillion with her husband skidded in Thanjavur district in August 2013.

Selvam and his wife Pushpalatha were travelling on the bike near Poonayiruppu village when a cow crossed the road. When he applied brakes, the vehicle skidded and they fell. While both of them sustained injuries, Pushpalatha died at the hospital on the same day. Selvam and his daughters moved the Thanjavur motor accidents claims tribunal seeking compensation. The tribunal passed an order in 2015 directing the insurance company to pay ₹8.02lakh compensation holding that there was no negligence on the part of Selvam who rode the two-wheeler. Challenging the order, the insurance company filed the present civil miscellaneous appeal before the Madurai bench of the high court.

Justice K Murali Shankar observed that in a claim under Section 166 of the Act, it is compulsory to show that someone is guilty of negligent driving and then only, the owner of the offending vehicle can be made liable. In the case on hand, there is no evidence to show that the negligent driving of the offending vehicle was responsible for the accident. The insurance company had submitted that Selvam did not have a driving licence and paid a fine for the same before the trial court.

The judge observed as to what more evidence or material are necessary to show that the insurance policy condition has been violated. The judge observed the claimants are only entitled to get compensation under Section 140 of the Act, which is ₹50,000.

2,000 tonnes of veggies unsold on Day 1 of intense lockdown

2,000 tonnes of veggies unsold on Day 1 of intense lockdown

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:25/05/2021 

A day after brisk sale, around 2,000 tonnes of vegetables remained unsold at the Koyambedu wholesale market on Monday. Thousands had thronged the facility on Sunday to stock up ahead of the week-long total lockdown that began on Monday. Vegetables were sold only to vendors on minitrucks authorised by Greater Chennai Corporation on Monday and these trucks will be the only source for residents to buy vegetables till the lockdown ends on May 31.

The Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex (KWMC) received around 3,000 tonnes of vegetables on Monday, 2,000 tonnes less than Sunday’s arrivals. While around 1,000 tonnes of vegetables were sold through the 2,600 designated minitrucks on city streets, the rest remained unsold as customers and retail, wholesale traders denied entry to the facility, which was overseen by Greater Chennai Corporation officials directly.

S Chandran, secretary of Federation of Wholesale Vegetable Market Associations, said Koyambedu will receive around 300 supply trucks bringing in around 3,000 tonnes of vegetables on Tuesday too. “We do not see any drop in supply of vegetables to the city,” he added.

S S Muthukumar, president of the Koyambedu Semi Wholesale Vegetable Traders Association, said the city is unlikely to face any shortage of vegetables till Thursday as people who shopped on Sunday have stocked up enough. “There was substantial sale, both wholesale and retail, on Sunday. So there is no chance of shortage in the coming days,” he said. Demand for vegetables will go up again from Thursday, he said, adding that storing excess vegetables in Koyambedu until then would be an issue.

Univs to hold online exams from June 14

Univs to hold online exams from June 14

Chennai:25.05.2021

Tamil Nadu state universities will conduct online exams for all students starting June 14. The re-exam for students who wrote an online exam in February and regular exam for engineering students studying in even semesters will be conducted from June14 to July 30.

“All universities except Anna University will conduct semester and arrear exams from June 15 to July 15. The exam results will be released before July 30,” a release from the state government said on Monday.

The registration for re-exam for students who didn’t appear for the February exams started on Monday and will be open till June 3. Online exams for first year engineering students are likely to be held in August. TNN

Cops crack down on bikers out for flimsy reasons

Cops crack down on bikers out for flimsy reasons

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:25.05.2021

Police on Monday cracked down on bike riders and others stepping out of homes for non-essential reasons, registering cases against 1,350 people until 6pm. Separately, 1,250 cases were registered against people not wearing face masks and 150 cases registered for not maintaining social distancing.

Two-wheeler riders with genuine reasons were allowed to go after thorough checks. The numbers for the day are expected to go up, as cases will be registered until midnight.

Following instructions from commissioner Shankar Jiwal, the 138 police stations have been divided into 348 ‘sectors’. Roads have been barricaded, with movement allowed only on a handful of stretches to enable police to verify and allow only frontline workers and those with e-passes out on essential purposes.

While e-passes had been issued until May 24 through https://eregister.tnega.org/, a senior officer said that from tomorrow (May 25), new applications have to be filed for passes to ply through the city. “Modifications have been made on the website, and only people with fourwheelers can apply. Entries for two-wheelers will not be entertained,” he said.

On Sunday, police had registered cases against 38 people for violating lockdown norms, and impounded about 78 vehicles including six autorickshaws for violating rules. Police also slapped 2,137 cases against face mask violations and 273 for not maintaining social distancing norms. At Thiruvottiyur in north Chennai, however, several bike riders launched a flash protest on Saturday and Sunday, demanding that police release their seized bikes. The agitators gathered in front of the Thiruvottiyur police station and stayed there for a long time before senior officers intervened and dispersed the crowd.

STRICT MONITORING: Vehicles being stopped on Poonamallee High Road on Monday for checks of violations

Chennaiites lock themselves indoors day after creating chaos to stock up

Chennaiites lock themselves indoors day after creating chaos to stock up

Only Govt Staff, Those Exempted Are Allowed

TIMES-NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:25.05.2021 

Residents seemed to have finally learned to stay indoors. Most arterial roads in the city and its surrounding areas wore a deserted look for a major part of Monday, in contrast to the chaos on Sunday as people crowded shops to stock up for a week.

Vehicular traffic was witnessed on some roads up to 10am with government staff and those working in other fields exempted from the complete lockdown going to work.

As the day progressed, vehicle movement fell and Anna Salai, Poonamalee High Road, GST Road, GNT Road, Kamarajar Salai, Koyambedu flyover were empty.

On Sunday, Covid-19 response teams of the government were seen in all neighbourhoods warning public that even walkers would be fined. So, on Monday, most residents were holed up in their homes as no shops barring pharmacies and restaurants were kept open in the city. Banks worked with one third of employees.

“There were minor incidents in some neighbourhoods where public moved about casually on interior streets in Royapettah, Mannady, Velachery, to name a few. Our personnel told them politely to stay inside their homes and they obliged,” a police official said.

Apart from law enforcement, civic body teams, food delivery agents and sanitary workers, only a few vehicles were seen on Chennai city roads. Police set up check points along arterial roads like the Anna Salai, Kamarajar Salai to verify if motorists had valid credentials. “The e-registration mechanism should be even more stringent as every other motorist we detained seemed to have availed one. Except for really essential requirements, public should not be allowed epass,” a police official said.

Police warned that those travelling without e-registration or without valid reasons would be fined and their vehicles would be seized. To cater to the needs of public, the civic body has also arranged for mobile vegetable carts. E-commerce firms such as Big Basket, Sunny Bee, Reliance, and Pazhamudir could deliver from 8am to 6pm, the Chennai Corporation said.

STREETS LIE SILENT: A view of Poonamalee High Road near Anna Arch and GST Road near Chromepet on Monday

Pvt hospitals refuse cashless treatment

Pvt hospitals refuse cashless treatment

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:25.05.2021 

Several private hospitals in Tamil Nadu don’t accept Covid-19 patients opting for cashless treatment, complain card holders under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS).

Instead, they are admitted on condition that they reimburse the amount from insurers after discharge. This reimbursement amount is no way near the total claim presented, they say.

S A Vetrirajan, a retired commercial taxes department official, said a private hospital in Perambur denied admission to his 65-year-old ex-colleague claiming he was not empanelled under CMCHIS. But official documents suggested he was empanelled 10 years ago. They initially made him pay ₹1 lakh and only after pressure from various quarters allowed the expenditure to be covered under government insurance.

V Devan, vice-president of TN Retired Officials Association, said private hospitals rejecting CMCHIS card holders existed even in pre-Covid times.

The government recently fixed tariff for Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals, with ₹35,000 the daily rate for treating a patient in ICU on ventilator-supported beds. “But almost all major hospitals in Chennai charge at least ₹70,000 a day for this. Even after paying monthly premiums all our lives, we end up paying money from our own pockets to settle hospital bills,” said Devan.

Devan with help from Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association (TNEGA) tried to help a friend who paid ₹1.2 lakh to an Alwarpet hospital despite being eligible for a health cover of up to ₹4 lakh under CMCHIS.

Health minister Ma Subramanian said 890 private hospitals have been authorised to provide treatment for Covid patients under CMCHIS and treatment rates released. “If any hospital violates this, action will be initiated (under Clinical Establishment Act) through appropriate enforcement agency (Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Service.”

CMCHIS is meant for government employees and pensioners whose annual family income is less than ₹72,000.

Banks will function from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Banks will function from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

24/05/2021

Special Correspondent CHENNAI

The State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC)-Tamil Nadu has said that business hours of banks will continue to be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., from May 24 to 30, and the branches will function with one-third staff strength, on rotation basis, following the government’s announcement to enforce an intense lockdown in the State.

Working hours of branches will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Administrative/zonal/regional/back offices will function as per normal working hours, it said in a communication to banks.

Bank branches will provide basic essential services — cash transaction (accepting deposits and cash withdrawals), remittances, NEFT, RTGS and government business and clearing of cheques, among other things, it said.

Banks need to ensure that all alternate delivery channels like bank ATMs/cash deposit machines/cash recyclers and banking correspondent services are kept fully functional.

All other COVID-19 norms shall be strictly adhered to, it added.

Panic Buying Leads To Crowded Markets, Congested Streets

CHAOS IN MARKETS

Madness on lockdown eve; protocols go for a six

Panic Buying Leads To Crowded Markets, Congested Streets

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

24.05.2021

Traffic on city roads and crowds at shopping hubs on Sunday resembled a festival-eve experience. While panic shopping drove people in huge numbers to grocery stores and markets a day before another week-long complete lockdown kicked in, it also showed that the newly elected government did not learn from the previous government’s mistakes as far as pandemic management is concerned.

Chaos prevailed in crowded market areas such as Kothaval Chavadi, Ambattur, Thiruvanmiyur, Zam Bazaar, and Koyambedu in Chennai where narrow roads and the population density does not allow for Covid appropriate behaviour.

“The efforts of frontline workers all these days are being negated because of policy decisions like this. To blame everything on public indiscipline is also unfair as the authorities gave only one-and-a-half days for people and naturally panic mode creeps in. The decision makers should have thought better,” said S Srinivasan, a resident of Velachery.

Police personnel and mobile teams of Greater Chennai Corporation made efforts to regulate the crowds at various places, but in vain. Meat and fish stalls, neighbourhood grocery stores, supermarkets and bakeries were all crowded since morning and by early evening, most stores had run out of stocks as people bought in bulk.

It also highlighted the digital divide among the population. “I have never ordered provisions online. So, when the government announces a complete lockdown, is it not natural to stock up on essentials?” said K Santhammal, a resident of Madipakkam.

At shopping hubs and other places, physical distancing went for a toss despite warnings that hefty monetary fines would be slapped on violators. Traditionally crowded places like Ranganathan Street in T Nagar, NSC Bose Road in Parry’s and some of the vegetable markets were packed more than usual.

Traders said that most of those flocking to their outlets were not regular shoppers but owners of retail outlets to buy stocks. “We cannot possibly turn away our customers. We try our level best to ensure physical distancing in and around the premises of our shop, but since the roads are narrow, they get crowded,” said a wholesaler at Kothaval Chavadi.

The trader pointed out that though the complete lockdown will be in place for a week, eateries and restaurants will be functioning and retailers need their supply.

Many residents continued to blame the government. “The whole thing could have been avoided. The government could have either announced the total lockdown a week ago or continued with limited restrictions and announced a complete lockdown from the beginning of June,” said M Damodaran, a resident of Royapettah.

Baghel shifts collector who slapped youth

Baghel shifts collector who slapped youth

Rashmi.Drolia@timesgroup.com

Raipur:24.05.2021

Day after a video of Surajpur district collector Ranbir Sharma slapping a youth for violating lockdown protocol went viral, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel ordered his removal.

Sharma has been shifted to the secretariat as joint secretary while Gaurav Kumar Singh, a 2013 batch IAS officer, replaced him as Surajpur collector. While ordering Sharma’s removal, CM Baghel tweeted: “Such conduct is not acceptable in public life by any officer. I am upset with this incident. I apologize to the young man and his family.”

During Saturday’s lockdown Sharma encountered a youth, Aman Mittal, 23, who was out to get medicines for his grandmother and book a blood test for his brother. Mittal was stopped by cops, and the video showed Sharma slapping him while accusing him of recording the event. The collector threw his mobile phone on the ground and ordered cops to beat him.

Full report on www.toi.in

Couple tie the knot on board flight to Madurai

Couple tie the knot on board flight to Madurai

Padmini.Sivarajah@timesgroup.com

Madurai:24.05.2021

Pompous weddings have become a thing of the past and lockdown weddings lacklustre events, but Meenakshi Rakesh and Dhikshana decided not to let the virus play spoilsport on their special day. On Sunday, they tied the knot on a flight from Bengaluru to Madurai with their relatives on board.

Sources said the entire contingent had cleared the RT-PCR test before boarding. In the video clip doing the rounds, the two are seen tying the knot inside the aircraft as nadaswaram plays in the background. The couple and their entourage later had q small reception at a hotel in the city.

Meanwhile, Sunday also saw several weddings advanced from the auspicious days of May 24 and 28 thanks to the relaxation allowed by the government ahead of the week-long total lockdown. They included the marriage of two doctors whose wedding was planned as a grand ceremony on Monday in Madurai. As the Covid second wave started, they started thinking of a low key affair.

“I did not print cards as it would have been a waste of money, designed one and sent by WhatsApp to relatives and friends,’’ said K Karthikeyan, father of the groom.

With the announcement of total relaxation for the weekend coming on Saturday afternoon, phone calls were hurriedly made urging all those who could make it to come for the wedding.

Decorators who had booked natural flowers for decorations were asked to do what they could with artificial ones. R Senthilkumar of Helo Events said the uncertainty had made four of his clients prepone their weddings planned for May 24, 28 and July 6 to Sunday. “However, 80% of the couples could not get the garlands or flowers of their choice, and had to manage with what was available,’’ he said. Many weddings were held outside closed temples including Sri Meenakashi temple.

A Ravichandran, a priest who conducts weddings, said many elderly priests are wary of attending weddings. Hence, some younger priests who did not have any bookings were enlisted at the last moment for the rituals. “They came double masked with turmeric applied on their hands because marriages have become a risky affair,’’ he said. The demand for flowers in the Matuthavani flower market also went up with jasmine selling for ₹500 a kilogram.

SKY HIGH: Meenakshi Rakesh and Dhikshana tied the knot on a flight from Bengaluru to Madurai with their relatives on board

‘Make sure lockdown rules are fully followed’

‘Make sure lockdown rules are fully followed’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

24.05.2021

As Tamil Nadu geared up for a weeklong intense lockdown, chief minister M K Stalin held a virtual meeting with district collectors on Sunday and asked them to achieve the lockdown’s objective of controlling the Covid-19 spread in their respective districts.

Stalin told the collectors to ensure adequate supply of essentials like vegetables, fruits, milk, drinking water to all and healthy food for Covid patients undergoing treatment in hospitals during the lockdown. “Lockdown rules should be fully followed, but at the same time make sure transportation of agriculture products are not affected,” he told the collectors. Keep a check on the availability of oxygen and life-saving drugs in hospitals and make sure that they are optimally used, he told them urging to spread awareness on Covid prevention and ensure the Covid chain is broken. “Unless the chain is broken, Covid cannot be controlled. This lockdown is aimed at breaking the chain. Explain this to people, that the lockdown was only for a safer society,’’ he urged them.

Work with the goal of bringing down Covid in your respective districts, he told them.

“Tamil Nadu is facing twin challenges of financial crunch and health crisis at the same time. Hence it is imperative to put an end to Covid as early as possible,’’ he said.

Stalin asked the collectors to adopt a multi-pronged approach to make the lockdown yield the desired results. They should take on board local administration and agriculture department to ensure vegetables and fruits was available to every household.

Families Exit City On Bikes, Autos; Buses Packed

Thousands leave city with belongings

Families Exit City On Bikes, Autos; Buses Packed

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:24.05.2021

Thousands left Chennai for their native places on Sunday ahead of the extended total lockdown till May 31 in Tamil Nadu. With a limited number of buses operated, families of three or four were seen exiting the city on two-wheelers, while a few left in autorickshaws and minitrucks with their belongings.

According to official data from the transport department, more than 65,746 passengers left in 1,331 government buses from Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) and Tambaram on Saturday and Sunday (until 6pm). In other parts of the state, around 5.94 lakh passengers travelled in 3,662 special buses during the weekend.

There was no mad rush at CMBT as seen ahead of the total lockdown in May 2020. However, almost all the buses ran packed. “But no passenger was allowed to travel standing,” said C Samayamoorthy, state transport secretary.

The exodus was smaller than last year as many left for their natives places on May 9, when restrictions increased as the state entered its14-day lockdown from May10-24.

The government’s decision to operate 1,500 buses from Chennai to other districts, however, has attracted criticism from various quarters as this could spread disease to rural areas and places where the infection rate is less compared to Chennai.

At Perungalathur bus stand, wait time for buses was long and private vans, cabs were seen offering ride-sharing services at exorbitant rates. “We have been waiting for more than two hours. All buses reaching Perungalathur are packed. We have no option but to pay what the van operators demand to reach our destinations before the curfew begins,” said Divakaran, who paid ₹1,500 to reach Madurai.

Mini-trucks and share autos were also in great demand as many left the city with all their belongings including furniture and electronics, anticipating the stay at their native place would get longer. Movement of such vans and three or four of a family riding a twowheeler was a common sight at the Chengalpet toll plaza, where the district police checked e-registration receipts.

In Coimbatore, Madurai and Salem, which act as transit points to tier-II cities, smaller towns and villages, passengers complained of shortage of buses. In Tirupur, people resorted to protests.

Speaking to reporters from Madurai, transport minister S Rajakanappan said, “Roughly 40% buses are being operated as there was not much crowd. However, additional buses  (400) are available in case demand increases late in the evening”. Despite his warning, private omni buses charged ₹1,500 or more for inter-district bus commute from TN.

TAKING ANY WAY OUT: A family of four leaving the city seen on a two-wheeler at the Chengalpet toll plaza on Sunday