PIL plea on NEET frisking disposed of 

Staff Reporter 
 
MADURAI, April 29, 2019 00:00 IST

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Saturday was informed by the Central and the State governments that separate frisking enclosures were provided to check female NEET candidates. The submissions were made after a public interest litigation petition sought separate enclosures to frisk male and female candidates.

The court was informed that sufficient booths were set up to frisk candidates and those preferring to wear traditional outfits must have indicated their intention in their NEET application forms. Such candidates must reach the examination centres one hour before the reporting time for frisking. Candidates should wear light clothes, it was submitted.

Recording the submissions, a Division Bench of Justices P.N. Prakash and B. Pugalendhi disposed of the petition filed by advocate B. Ramkumar Adityan from Thoothukudi.

Cots donated to VHS hospital 

Special Correspondent 
 
CHENNAI, April 29, 2019 00:00 IST


 
Cricketer Murali Vijay, second from left, Suresh Jain, CEO, Solokrafts Industries and Abhishek Jain, MD, Surgical Avenue, with Dr. H. Yuvraj Gupta, Director, andDr. J. Balasubramanian of VHS Hospital.M. VedhanM. Vedhan

Over 300 persons donate blood in a drive held on the occasion

Two voluntary organisations — Round Table 123 and Rotary Club of Madras — together donated 101 cots to the Voluntary Health Services hospital here.

At a function on Sunday, Surgical Avenue’s director Abhishek Jain said the health sector lagged in infrastructure and organisations pitched in to support them. “We have previously helped numerous hospitals with infrastructure through our CSR activities and are looking forward to helping more in the future,” he said.

The multi-specialty beds are designed to make bedridden patients self-reliant. They come with a commode, a flush and a basin.

Surgical Avenue had earlier donated such beds to the Cancer Institute, Adyar. In the aftermath of the 2015 floods, the company had supplied medicines and oxygen free of cost in the State.

Cricketer Murali Vijay, who participated in the function, launched a blood donation drive in which over 300 persons donated blood.

Registration a must, but several hostels yet to apply 

Sangeetha Kandavel 
 
Chennai, April 29, 2019 00:00 IST

Raids to be conducted once code of conduct ends

Despite several alerts, only 1,046 hostels have applied for registration with the Chennai Collectorate.

Chennai Collector A. Shanmuga Sundaram, on Friday said, “We received 1,046 applications. We have given licence to seven of them. Over 48 of them have been given provisional licence. The other cases are under scrutiny,” he said.

Ball park estimates show that Chennai could have over 4,000 hostels and paying guest accommodations.

“There are so many hostels which are yet to apply for licence. Once the model code of conduct ends, raids will be conducted and stern action will be taken against those hostels functioning without even applying for licence,” the collector said.

According to the Tamil Nadu Hostels and Home for Women and Children (Regulation) Act, 2015, all women and children’s hostels must be registered with the respective district collectorate.

In December 2018, Chennai Collector had mandated that all hostels must be registered, failing which they cannot continue operations.

Mr. Shanmuga Sundaram said they would soon start tracking all unregistered hostels across the city. Since this is an unorganized industry, it was difficult to get details, he said. All applications received will be reviewed thoroughly before giving away the licence. A handful of men’s hostels have also applied for licence. The collector also made it clear that if any violation is found, a showcause notice would be issued to the authorities running the hostels.

‘Unaware of process’

One of the hostel owners in Chennai, said, “Many small hostel owners are still unaware about the registration process. Maybe after elections more people will come forward and register,” he added.

The hostel business, which is highly unorganized, has an estimated turnover of over Rs. 1,000 crore per annum. On an average, hostels in Chennai charge anywhere between Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 15,000 per month.

Cyclone Fani won’t hit State’s coast: IMD 

Staff Reporter 
 
CHENNAI, April 29, 2019 00:00 IST

‘However, north T.N. might get mild rain’

Cyclone Fani will not hit the Tamil Nadu coast, said officials of the India Meteorological Department on Sunday.

S. Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology of the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), said, “The cyclone will not make landfall in Tamil Nadu. We will not have any direct impact because of this. But we may get some moderate rainfall in northern parts of the State when it nears the coast of northern Tamil Nadu.”

Minor respite from heat

As far as Chennai is concerned, the residents may get minor respite from the heat as there could be some mild showers for a day or two this week, he said.

The sky will remain partly cloudy.

While the maximum will be around 36 degree Celsius, the minimum temperature is likely to be 28 degree Celsius. The storm now lies about 910 km off the coast and it is likely to bring in only moderate rains to some parts of northern Tamil Nadu.

Change of direction

The cyclone may get as close as 300 km off the Tamil Nadu coast on April 30 and after that, there may occur a change of direction too, officials said.

Cyclone Fani is likely to turn into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’.

This may develop into an ‘extremely severe cyclone storm’ on Wednesday.

Fishermen told not to enter sea

Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from April 29 to May 1. Also, fishermen in deep sea have been asked to return at the earliest.

Chennai may get some mild showers for a day or two this week

Met officials

Government servant not eligible to make will of family pension, says Chhattisgarh HC

TNN | Apr 29, 2019, 01.26 PM ISTRAIPUR:

The Chhattisgarh high court has held that a government servant is not eligible to make a will of his or her family pension since it has to be disbursed as per the pension rules.

Allowing a revision petition filed by one Samunda Bai, first wife of late Vijay Kumar Kaushik - who was working as a head constable in Janjgir-Champa - the bench of Justice Sanjay K Agrawal said in his order that the family pension do not form part of the estate of the deceased. The deceased had no right to make testamentary disposition with regard to family pension in favour of any family member. Samunda Bai along with her son Sudhir Kumar Kaushik had moved the high court after challenging an order passed by the lower courts, rejecting their application for grant of succession certificate in their favour.

Stating the brief facts of the case, the high court, in its order, mentioned that the petitioners Samunda Bai and her son and the private respondents of the case including Kanti Bai - the second wife of the deceased - and her three sons, have claimed amount of dues including provident fund, gratuity, leave encashment, pension, family benefit fund, ex gratia amount and police welfare amount for which the competent authority directed them to produce succession certificate.

The petitioners stated that Samunda Bai, being the first and legally wedded wife of deceased Vijay Kumar, is entitled for all pension benefits and it cannot be bequeathed by way of will, the order said.

Referring to the guiding principles and judgements made by the Supreme Court, the high court, in its order, said that the grant of family pension in the instant case is governed by Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1976, which provides that the grant of family pension is restricted only to the family of the deceased and further, no nomination for grant of family pension can be made.

Government Servant Is Not Eligible To Make Will Of Family Pension: Chhattisgarh HC [Read Judgment]

Government Servant Is Not Eligible To Make Will Of Family Pension: Chhattisgarh HC [Read Judgment]: However, Will of Provident Fund, Gratuity, Leave Encashment, Group Insurance Scheme and Family Benefit Fund can be made.

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