Junior officer signed appointment orders of new chief secy, principal advisor to CM

PUBLIC EYE

Junior officer signed appointment orders of new chief secy, principal advisor to CM

PRAFULLA MARPAKWAR

06.07.2020

Both newly appointed chief secretary Sanjay Kumar and his predecessor Ajoy Mehta, who has been appointed principal advisor to the CM, were taken aback to see their appointment orders had been signed by the junior-most officer in Mantralaya. Transfer and posting orders of secretary rank bureaucrats are usually signed by additional chief secretary (services); in this case, Sitaram Kunte. But the orders were signed by a deputy secretary in the general administration department.

When Mehta was due to retire on June 30, several possibilities were discussed in the corridors of power—an extension of tenure for Mehta or appointment of Sanjay Kumar. The third alternative was selecting either Kunte or

former BMC commissioner Praveen Pardeshi for the job. Ultimately, Uddhav Thackeray chose to appoint Sanjay Kumar. As per procedure, the file was submitted to Kunte’s office, but he had already left Mantralaya for the day. Since the CM’s office insisted both Sanjay Kumar and Mehta’s orders must be issued on the same day, Kunte asked a deputy secretary to issue the orders. A top bureaucrat said it was unfortunate that the junior-most officer had signed the orders.

A lesson from Tawde’s book

The kerfuffle over the decision to buy a car worth Rs 23 lakh for school education minister Varsha Gaikwad notwithstanding the worstever resource crunch has led to a rather interesting discovery. During his tenure as education minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government, Vinod Tawde never used an official car.

When Tawde, a senior BJP leader, was appointed leader of opposition in 2012, the legislature secretariat asked him about his choice of car, but he said he would use his personal car. On being appointed education minister, his choice of car was sought once again, but Tawde opted to use his own car. So long as he held a government post, Tawde says, he had decided not to use an official vehicle.

10 govt docs, 70 pvt nurses have quit in T over safety, hosp infra

10 govt docs, 70 pvt nurses have quit in T over safety, hosp infra

Amrita.Didyala@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad: 06.07.2020

At least 10 senior resident doctors deputed on Covid-19 duty at government hospitals and 70 nurses in private facilities have quit their jobs, with most citing poor protective gear to combat the virus as a reason.

While the senior residents said they were dejected with the poor state-of-affairs at hospitals and the looming threat of contracting the infection, some individual doctors and nurses took a break from the profession, until the pandemic, gets over. These doctors are from the Osmania Medical College (OMC) and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) hospital Warangal among other government hospitals.

So far, 300 doctors and other medical personnel in the government sector alone have contracted the virus, with worries of sub-standard protective gear and long working hours, forcing doctors to even go on strike.

Some senior resident doctors deputed from the OMC to the Chest Hospital never reported for duty, while others served for one or two months before putting in their papers.

“The problem is not just that there was a threat of infection and we didn’t get proper personal protection equipment (PPE) kits, it seemed like a waste of effort. Even if a patient was dying in front of me, I could do nothing at all,” said one of the senior resident doctor who had resigned from the OMC .

“We didn’t have staff, we didn’t have the infrastructure, we didn’t have proper PPE kits or any other provision required. It seemed like a futile effort,” he said.

Despite the guilt of having resigned in the middle of an ongoing pandemic, the doctors said that their presence or absence hardly made any difference to the situation.

Authorities ignored repeated complaints

It was like there is everything wrong, but no one was there to take responsibility. I felt bad about resigning but after over a month of working and making repeated requests for additional doctors and nurses, there was no difference. It was just a blame game,” another doctor told TOI.

From the medicine department at Osmania General Hospital (OGH), six senior residents have resigned, while few others have resigned at the MGM hospital, said Dr Mahesh Kumar, president, Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA).

“At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a lot of issues with PPE kits and infrastructure and despite repeated representations they were not sorted out. Most of the residents resigned in the first two months of the pandemic, discouraged by the situation and fearing for their personal safety,” he added.

Apart from doctors, 70 nurses who are at the frontline have gone missing from work too.

“A least 30 of these nurses went missing from a single corporate hospital. Currently, there is a huge shortage of nurses as most are reluctant to do Covid-19 duties,” said Laxman Rudavath, president, Nursing Officers Association of Telangana.

State med students stranded in Russia

State med students stranded in Russia

Petlee.Peter@timesgroup.com

06.07.2020

Bengaluru: More than 100 students from Karnataka, who are pursuing medical courses, are stranded in different parts of Russia which is severely hit by Covid-19. These students are unable to return home as the government hasn’t commissioned a single direct Vande Bharat Mission flight from Moscow to anywhere in Karnataka.

Many students from other parts of the country have returned home and Air India flights are scheduled to ferry some of them to Chennai and Kochi on Friday and Saturday respectively. Hundreds from India are studying medicine in Russia, which now is the third most severely Covid-19 affected country.

When Russia locked down on March 28, several Indian students flew to cities like Chennai, Nagpur, Kochi, Kannur, Mumbai, Delhi and Patna on Vande Bharat flights. But the mission didn’t feature a single direct flight to Bengaluru, much to the disappointment of over 110 Karnataka students, who now have no money for food or pay for their accommodation.

“Our classes have ended and summer vacations are now on till August. Most of our country-mates have left for India on Vande Bharat Mission flights, but we are stranded here,” said Manjunatha (name changed), a second year medical student in Perm, Russia. The student is from Mandya.

Karnataka students from different parts of Russia have banded together on a WhatsApp group and have made numerous representations to Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, MPs to help them fly out.

One student now stranded in Tver, who preferred to be identified only as Umesh, said state politicians should take note and help. “All we ask is just one direct flight to Bengaluru so that all of us can come home,” Umesh said. “While we have no grudge against anyone, it is hard to take when governments of other states come to the aid of their students. All of us are ready to pay the airfare. All we are asking of authorities is to arrange one flight us,” lamented the medical student who is from Bengaluru.

The Karnataka students have contacted Indian authorities in Russia multiple times through emails and hotlines demanding citizen assist, but there has been no favourable response till now. In their desperate bid to return home, a section of students have also requested for a chartered flight to Bengaluru to be sanctioned even though the tickets could turn out to be expensive, sources said.

The Vande Bharat mission didn’t feature a single direct flight to Bengaluru, much to the disappointment of K’taka students

Kuwait’s bill on workers rings alarm bells in India

Kuwait’s bill on workers rings alarm bells in India

7-8 Lakh Indians May Have To Leave Gulf Nation If Law Is Passed

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  06.07.2020

A draft bill to reduce the number of foreign workers in Kuwait has been deemed constitutional by the legal and legislative committee of the Gulf nation’s National Assembly. While the bill still has to be vetted by another committee, as Kuwait chalks out a more comprehensive plan to cut down on foreign workers, it has led to fears in India that as many as 7-8 lakh Indians could be forced out of Kuwait if the bill is enacted into law.

The bill proposes that the number of Indians, who form the largest expatriate community in Kuwait, be reduced to 15% of the country’s 4.8 million population. Indians number about 1.4 million in the country and 15% quota would mean their presence reducing to around 6.5-7 lakh.

The bill, however, proposes similar quotas for other nationalities too. It calls for reducing the number of Egyptians, who form the second largest expatriate community, to 10% of Kuwait's total population.

Kuwait is also a top source of remittances for India. In 2018, India received close to $4.8 billion from Kuwait as remittances.

With its own citizens turning into a minority, Kuwait has been working to reduce its dependence on foreign workers. The bill is seen as a manifestation of the fact that Kuwait no longer wants to remain an expat-majority nation. Covid-19 and the slump in oil prices have also been contributing factors.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Gulf News reported last week, there has been a spike in anti-expat rhetoric as lawmakers and governmental officials call for reducing the number of foreigners in Kuwait. In the middle of this, Kuwait’s PM Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah proposed reduction in the number of expats from 70% to 30% of the total population.

Official sources said the Indian embassy was closely following developments related to the proposed legislation. India has so far not made any statement on the issue.

India has often in the past played up the role of Indian community in Kuwait as an important factor in bilateral ties. As the MEA says, Indians are present in all segments of society in Kuwait and are largely considered disciplined, hardworking and law-abiding.

The Indian embassy in 2009 had set up an Indian Workers’ Welfare Centre which provides a labour complaint redressal mechanism and accommodation for domestic workers in distress, a work contract attestation system, a toll free 24x7 telephone helpline, a free legal advice clinic and also a helpdesk to guide Indian nationals on problems faced by them.

The bill proposes that the number of Indians, who form the largest expatriate community in Kuwait, be reduced to 15% of the country’s 4.8 million population. About 1.4 million Indians reside in Kuwait

HC dismisses plea of ‘widow’ for pension after ‘karewa’ marriage

HC dismisses plea of ‘widow’ for pension after ‘karewa’ marriage

But Also Sets Aside Order Seeking Recovery Of Pension From Petitioner

Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh:  06.07.2020

The Punjab and Haryana high court has made it clear that a woman, who had undergone “karewa” marriage with her brother-in-law on demise of her husband, would not be entitled to social security pension given to her as a widow.HC has passed these orders while dismissing the argument of a woman from Haryana who wanted continuation of widow pension arguing that a “karewa” marriage “does not translate to remarriage”.

“The petitioner is not eligible to draw pension under the Haryana Pension to Widows and Destitute Women Scheme Rules, 1988-1989 having solemnised ‘karewa’ marriage with her brotherin-law. Argument raised by the counsel for the petitioner that ‘karewa’ marriage is, in fact, not a marriage, is noticed only to be rejected,” HC has held.

HC, however, has set-aside the order of Haryana government seeking recovery of widow pension drawn by the petitioner even after “karewa” marriage.

Justice Lisa Gill passed these orders while dismissing a petition filed by Suman, a resident of Kaithal district. The petitioner, who claimed to be poor, sought pension under the Widow Pension Scheme — one of the social security schemes of Haryana. Her husband, who was a labourer by profession, died in April 2007. Later, she performed ‘karewa’ with her brother-in-law and even has a daughter now.

According to the petitioner, her father-in-law had some dispute with a villager, who complained to the authorities about illegal withdrawal of pension by her. Soon after, her pension was stopped and she was directed to deposit around Rs 1.82 lakh taken by her in the form of widow pension.

Challenging the recovery orders, she approached the HC. Her counsel argued that there is no bar in the scheme for release of pension to a widow who remarries subsequently and in any case, a ‘karewa’ marriage does not translate to remarriage.

Contesting her plea, the Haryana government counsel submitted that the scheme is meant to help a widow to tide over the difficult circumstances that may arise on the death of her husband and help her sustain herself from her own resources. She, however, disqualified to get pension after re-marriage, the state had argued.

After hearing the parties, HC dismissed her petition but restrained state government from making any recovery from her.

Haryana government submitted that the scheme is meant to help widows to tide over the difficult circumstances, but the petitioner is disqualified to get pension after re-marriage

வங்கிகள் இன்று முதல் வழக்கம் போல செயல்படும்

வங்கிகள் இன்று முதல் வழக்கம் போல செயல்படும்

Updated : ஜூலை 06, 2020 04:22 

சென்னை:சென்னைகாஞ்சிபுரம் திருவள்ளூர் செங்கல்பட்டு மாவட்டங்களில் முழு ஊரடங்கு முடிந்ததால் இன்று முதல் மாலை 4:00 மணி வரை வங்கிகள் வழக்கம் போல செயல்படும்.இந்த மாவட்டங்களில் உள்ள வங்கிகள் 4ம் தேதி வரை 33 சதவீத ஊழியர்களுடன் காலை 10:00 முதல் பகல் 2:00 மணி வரை இயங்கின.

பெட்ரோல் நிலையங்கள் காஸ் ஏஜன்சி போன்ற அத்தியாவசிய சேவைகள் வழங்கக் கூடிய வினியோகஸ்தர்கள் மற்றும் டீலர்களிடம் ரொக்கப் பரிவர்த்தனை மட்டுமே மேற்கொள்ள அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டது. பொது மக்களுக்கு நேரடி வங்கி சேவை வழங்கப்படவில்லை.

இந்நிலையில் இன்று முதல் வங்கிகள் வழக்கம் போல செயல்பட உள்ளன.வங்கி அதிகாரிகள் கூறுகையில் ''மதுரை மற்றும் அதை சுற்றியுள்ள பகுதிகளில் 12ம் தேதி வரை முழு ஊரடங்கு நீட்டிக்கப்பட்டு உள்ளதால் அந்தப் பகுதிகளில் வங்கிகள் செயல்படும் நேரம் குறித்து மாநில வங்கியாளர்கள் கூட்டமைப்பின் ஒருங்கிணைப்பாளர் வங்கி முடிவு செய்யும் என்றனர்.

மூத்த குடிமக்கள் அரசுக்கு வேண்டுகோள்

மூத்த குடிமக்கள் அரசுக்கு வேண்டுகோள்

 Added : ஜூலை 05, 2020  23:08

சென்னை; -'வயதான பெற்றோரை பார்க்க விண்ணப்பிக்கும் பிள்ளைகளுக்கு, 'இ- - பாஸ்' வழங்க தயங்க கூடாது' என, அரசுக்கு, மூத்த குடிமக்கள் அமைப்பு வேண்டுகோள் விடுத்துள்ளது.

மூத்த குடிமக்கள் அமைப்பின் உதவி தலைவர், ராமாராவ் கூறியதாவது:திருமணம், மரணம், அவசர மருத்துவ சிகிச்சைக்கு மட்டுமே, தற்போது இ- - பாஸ் வழங்கப்படுகிறது. ஏராளமான மூத்த தம்பதியர் தனியாக வசித்து வருகின்றனர். அவர்களின் பிள்ளைகள், பல மாவட்டங்களிலும், மாநிலங்களிலும் வசித்து வருகின்றனர்.நான்கு மாதங்களாக, தனியாக தவித்து வரும் பெற்றோரை பார்க்க, பிள்ளைகளுக்கு இ- - பாஸ் வழங்கப்படுவதில்லை.

இதனால், மூத்த குடிமக்கள், உடல் அளவிலும், மனதளவிலும் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.மயிலாடுதுறை மாவட்டத்தை சேர்ந்த, மூத்த தம்பதியரான அருள்சாமி, பாக்கியவதி ஆகியோர், பிள்ளைகளை பார்க்க முடியாமல், தற்கொலை செய்து கொண்டது, ஒரு உதாரணம்.எனவே, 60 வயதிற்கு மேற்பட்ட மூத்த குடிமக்களை பார்க்க அனுமதி கோரும், பிள்ளைகளின் விண்ணப்பங்களை, உதாசீனப்படுத்தாமல் அனுமதிக்க வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.