There are other ways to earn money, Madras HC tells govt

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedFeb 8, 2019, 5:30 am IST

There are surely other ways of making revenues apart from selling liquor from its TASMAC shops, the court told the government.

Madras High Court


Madurai: Lamenting that liquor has destroyed an entire generation in Tamil Nadu, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has counseled the state government it is imperative at least now to protect future generations from the evil impact of booze.

There are surely other ways of making revenues apart from selling liquor from its TASMAC shops, the court told the government.

Hearing a Public Interest Litigation from Ramkumar Adhithan of Tiruchendur seeking revision of TASMAC timings, a division bench comprising Justices N Kirubakaran and S S Sundar raised several questions at the government in its handling of liquor sales to make money for the state exchequer - such as whether the rules regarding the sale of alcohol are being strictly followed and if CCTV cameras have been installed in the TASMAC shops and bars.

When liquor flowed out of the TASMAC shops and bars round-the-clock, there was no point discussing the revision of timings in these establishments, said the worried judges.

In his PIL, petitioner Ramkumar pointed out that TN government had earned Rs 31,244 crore from TASMAC sales last year and it was even setting targets for liquor sales, particularly during the festival times. Also, Tamil Nadu accounted for the most number of people consuming liquor, he said, adding that the TASMAC shops functioned from 12 pm to 10 pm with bar facilities for drinking and parking lots.

Sharing the petitioner's concerns, the court told the government there surely are better ways of raising revenues. Also the villagers at their gram sabha meetings could pass resolutions against setting up TASMAC shops in their locality, said the judges while asking the government to respond to the PIL by February 28, when the petition would be taken up next for hearing.

Tejas Express travel time cut by 30 minutes

Much to the excitement of the commuters, the Railway Board has decided to cut short the journey time of yet-to-be-introduced Madurai-Chennai Egmore Tejas Express by half-an-hour.

Published: 08th February 2019 04:25 AM 

Tejas Express (File | PTI)

By Vinodh Arulappan

Express News Service

MADURAI: Much to the excitement of the commuters, the Railway Board has decided to cut short the journey time of yet-to-be-introduced Madurai-Chennai Egmore Tejas Express by half-an-hour. The board, on Wednesday, issued a notification that the India’s first semi-high speed fully air-conditioned train would leave Egmore station at 6 am and would reach Madurai at 12.30 pm.

Further, the train will have two commercial stoppages at Tiruchirappalli and Kodaikanal Road junctions. The train will have two-minute stoppages at Tiruchy and Kodai Road junction. Meanwhile, the Chennai-bound Tejas Express will depart from Madurai junction at 3 pm and will reach Egmore junction at 9.30 pm. The train will stop at Kodai Road junction at 3.28 pm for two minutes. It will reach Tiruchy Junction at 4.50 pm and will leave by 4.52 pm.

The Board also announced that the Tejas Express will be operated six days in a week, except on Thursdays. The turn round train, Tejas Express’s primary maintenance and the Round trip Brake Power Certificate (RBPC) - (the trains run round the clock and come in for a short maintenance service of two hours) will be under the control of Chennai Egmore station.


The train comprising 15 coaches with exclusive amenities like CCTV, Wi-Fi facilities, modular toilets, luxurious seat will have 12 AC Chair Car coaches (LWCZAC), one First class Chair Car (LWFCZAC) and two Generator Varns (LWLRRM-02).

Earlier, it was announced Tejas Express would take around seven hours to reach the destination.

Can’t pay electricity bill online February 8-11

From February 8 to 11, online service to pay electricity bill, will not be in service for localities in the North zone, said a Tangedco release.

Published: 08th February 2019 05:08 AM 

Image used for representational purpose only.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: From February 8 to 11, online service to pay the electricity bill, will not be in service for localities in the North zone, said a Tangedco release. Also, offline centres present in the north zone of Chennai, will also be closed on February 9 but will be functional on the other two days.

Online and offline services pertaining to areas including Tondiarpet, Perambur, Vyasarpadi, Ponneri, T Nagar, Mylapore, Egmore and Anna Salai will be shut as maintenance works need to be carried out, said the release. Online services will not be functional from 4.30 pm on February 8 till 8am on February 11.

Convicts to operate petrol bunk soon

R. Rajaram

TIRUCHI, FEBRUARY 08, 2019 00:00 IST

24 convicts serving lengthy sentences in Tiruchi Central Prison have been chosen for the job.

G_GNANAVELMURUGAN

The outlet is being constructed a little away from Pudukottai District Jail

Convicts lodged at Tiruchi Central Prison who have been engaged in a slew of prison industrial units as a rehabilitation measure would now be involved in a new venture of operating a petrol bunk.

The Prison Department will soon start running a petrol bunk that is coming up on a piece of land belonging to it along a main thoroughfare in neighbouring Pudukottai. Construction of the fuel outlet which is located a little away from Pudukottai District Jail is in full swing.

Prison authorities told The Hindu on Thursday that a select group of 24 convicts serving lengthy sentences in Tiruchi Central Prison have been chosen to operate the fuel outlet since the District Jail at Pudukottai Town does not accommodate convicts.

A committee in the Central Prison has hand-picked the convicts after examining their physical condition as well as their conduct inside the prison.

The willingness of the convicts have been obtained and their good behaviour has been taken into account to engage them at the upcoming petrol bunk, a senior Prison officer said.

Necessary training had been imparted to the chosen convicts to operate the fuel outlet of the Indian Oil Corporation.

“The construction of the outlet is in an advanced stage of completion and is expected to be commissioned soon”, said the officer. The new activity would be on similar lines as that of the Prison Bazaar situated at the entrance of the Tiruchi Central Prison where a group of convicts have been engaged in the manufacture and sale of eateries, the officer added.

The convicts chosen for working at the fuel outlet would be under the direct supervision of a team of jail personnel who would be deployed there, the authorities said. The plan is to run the outlet in two shifts to begin with and the convicts would be accommodated in the erstwhile sub jail functioning within the premises of the District Jail at Pudukottai. Wages for the convicts would be deposited in the prisoners bank account and the money would be given to them, said the officer.

The selected convicts were lodged in the Central Prison for committing murders and serving lengthy incarceration.

The twin objective behind this move was to engage convicts in a productive vocation which would fetch them wages besides helping them in getting over a feeling of isolation and depression by mingling with the public, the officer added.

Bike taxi service launched

STAFF REPORTER

SALEM, FEBRUARY 08, 2019 00:00 IST

Bike taxis hit the road in Salem on Thursday.

E.Lakshmi NarayananE_LakshmiNarayanan

Bengaluru-based Rapido Bike has launched bike taxi service in Salem on Thursday.

The organisation has already launched the service in 25 cities in the country, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Madurai. It was flagged off by M. Nirmal Raj, senior expansion manager, Rapido, Manoj Ravi Kanti, expansion manager and Murugan, city head, Salem Rapido.

Mr. Nirmal Raj said that the aim was to provide economical, convenient and high-quality transport facilities for individual commuters, especially those who need to travel far or have to get somewhere quickly. He said that commuters could travel at an introductory rate of Rs. 15 up to 3 km.

According to him, commuters need to download the Rapido mobile app and book their ride. A rider, also known as a Rapido ‘Captain’, will pick up and drop the customer. The company also issues shower caps and helmets to all its Captains and customers, and puts great emphasis on road safety rules and regulations.

HC seeks report on vacancies in GHs

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, FEBRUARY 08, 2019 00:00 IST

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday sought a response from the State government on vacancies in key posts in government hospitals. It also sought information on basic facilities available at these hospitals.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S. S. Sundar passed the direction on a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to fill vacancies of doctors and improve basic facilities at Government Headquarters Hospital in Ramanathapuram.

The petitioner, G. Thirumurugan of Ramanathapuram, claimed that due to vacancies people of the region, who were dependent on the hospital for healthcare, suffered.

People from humble background visited the government hospitals and quality treatment could not be denied to them for lack of doctors. The State must take steps to ensure that the vacancies were filled. Also, adequate and latest infrastructure must be ensured at the GHs for the benefit of the public, he said.

High Court orders compensation of Rs. 3 lakh to woman

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, FEBRUARY 08, 2019 00:00 IST

Taking into account the plight of a young mother, cheated by her lover who reneged on marriage promise, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has ordered the man to pay a compensation of Rs. 3 lakh to the woman.

Justice J. Nisha Banu, invoking the power of the court under Section 357 (3) of the Code of Criminal procedure (Order to pay compensation), ordered that the compensation must be paid to the victim within four weeks. It must be deposited in a nationalised bank so that the Dalit woman and the child could take care of themselves, the court said.

The court observed that a young woman had fallen prey to the lust of a man under the garb of a love affair and she had become a mother. The child would face trauma and humiliation as a result of this. The conduct of the man could not be condoned by the court, the judge said and ordered the man to undergo one-year rigorous imprisonment as directed by a lower court.

The court was hearing the criminal appeal preferred by the man against a lower court order that had convicted him on the charges of cheating the woman. In his appeal, he contended that they were in a relationship by mutual consent and that he never promised to marry her.

The man is said to have pursued the woman from Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district and she had consented to a relationship on the promise that he would marry her. When the girl’s parents learnt that she was pregnant, they approached the man and asked her to marry her.

However, he is said to have asked them to talk to his uncle, the eldest in the family, about it.

But his uncle is said to have rejected the proposal outright. With the man not contesting the fact that the child was his and DNA test too proving the same, the court dismissed the criminal appeal preferred by him and directed the trial court to secure and commit him to undergo the remaining period of the sentence.