பத்மஸ்ரீ' விருதுக்கு தேர்வானவர் மருத்துவ சிகிச்சைக்கு பணமின்றி தவிப்பு

பத்மஸ்ரீ' விருதுக்கு தேர்வானவர் மருத்துவ சிகிச்சைக்கு பணமின்றி தவிப்பு

Added : பிப் 21, 2021 00:38

அயோத்தியா:உ.பி.,யில், ஜனாதிபதியின் 'பத்மஸ்ரீ' விருதுக்கு தேர்வானவர், மருத்துவ சிகிச்சைக்கு பணமின்றி படுக்கையில் கிடக்கும் அவல நிலை, காண்போர் கண்களை குளமாக்குவதாக உள்ளது.

உத்தர பிரதேசத்தில், முதல்வர், யோகி ஆதித்யநாத் தலைமையில், பா.ஜ., ஆட்சி நடக்கிறது. இங்கு, பைசாபாத் நகரைச் சேர்ந்த, முகமது ஷெரீப், 83, கடந்த, 25 ஆண்டுகளாக, 25 ஆயிரத்திற்கும் மேற்பட்ட அனாதை பிணங்களின் இறுதிச் சடங்குகளை செய்துள்ளார். இவரின் சேவையை பாராட்டும் வகையில், 2020, ஜனவரியில், இவருக்கு, ஜனாதிபதியின் 'பத்மஸ்ரீ' விருது அறிவிக்கப்பட்டது.

இந்நிலையில், சில மாதங்களாக முகமது ஷெரீப், நோய்வாய்ப்பட்டு, படுத்த படுக்கையில் உள்ளார். அவரின் மருத்துவ சிகிச்சைக்கு செலவு செய்யக் கூட, பணமில்லாத நிலையில் குடும்பத்தார் உள்ளனர். இது குறித்து, வாடகை வாகன ஓட்டுனரான, முகமது ஷெரீப் மகன் ஷகீர் கூறியதாவது:தந்தையின் மருத்துவ சிகிச்சைக்கு, மாதம், 4,000 ரூபாய் செலவாகிறது. நான், 7,000 ரூபாய் சம்பாதிக்கிறேன்.

பத்மஸ்ரீ விருது கிடைத்தால், மாதந்தோறும் கவுரவத் தொகை வழங்கப்படும் என்றார்கள். ஆனால், விருதும் வழங்கப்படவில்லை. பணமும் கிடைக்கவில்லை. இது குறித்து, விருதுக்கு சிபாரிசு செய்த, எம்.பி., லாலு சிங்கிடம் கேட்டதற்கு, 'இன்னுமா வழங்கவில்லை?' என ஆச்சரியத்துடன் கேட்டு, ஆவன செய்வதாக கூறியுள்ளார்.

உள்ளூர் டாக்டர் ஒருவர், தந்தைக்கு மருத்துவ சிகிச்சை அளித்து வந்தார். தற்போது, அவருக்கு கூட, பணம் தர முடியாத நிலையில் குடும்பம் உள்ளது. இவ்வாறு, அவர் கூறினார்.ஜனாதிபதி விருதுக்கு தேர்வான ஒருவர், பணம் இல்லாமல், இறப்பை எதிர்நோக்கி இருப்பது, அவர் குடும்பத்தினரை பெரும் சோகத்தில் ஆழ்த்தியுள்ளது.

FASTags drive toll collections to 1-day record of ₹102 crore

FASTags drive toll collections to 1-day record of ₹102 crore

Dipak.Dash@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:21.02.2021 

The toll fee collections through FASTag across the National Highway network have jumped by 23% in the past four days and the amount touched ₹102 crore on Friday, the highest ever toll collection in NHAI’s history.

Sources said the total toll collection through FASTag was around ₹85 crore before NHAI designated all toll lanes as FASTag lanes. Officials said while cash transactions have fallen below 10% during this week, another reason for good revenue is plugging of leakages.

“It takes a couple of days to collate all details of cash transactions. We are hopeful of record collection of user fee as now there is no avenue for anyone to under report the actual toll collection,” said an official. Sources said the government has also stepped up monitoring of toll plazas to see that commuters are not caught in queue even after having FASTags.

The notification issued by the road transport ministry on May 7, 2018 specifies, “If a vehicle user with a valid, functional FASTag or any such device with sufficient balance in the linked account crossing a fee plaza installed with electronic toll collection infrastructure, is not able to pay user fee through FASTag or any such device owing to malfunctioning of electronic toll collection infrastructure, the vehicle user shall be permitted to pass the fee plaza without payment of any user fee. An appropriate zero transaction receipt shall be issued mandatorily for all such transactions.”

A NEW RECORD

Close shave as AI Express plane hits lamp post

Close shave as AI Express plane hits lamp post

Vijayawada:21.02.2021 

Passengers of an Air India Express flight from Doha (Qatar) had a providential escape after the aircraft’s right wing hit a high mast lamp post adjacent to the runway of Vijayawada international airport on Saturday. The incident happened around 5pm, reports Venu Lanka.

The Doha-Tiruchirapalli flight (IX-1676) via Vijayawada was taxiing towards the arrival area after landing when its right wing hit the lamp post. There were 64 passengers onboard. No one was injured. Officials said19 of the 64 passengers alighted in Vijayawada, while the remaining passengers were bound for Tiruchirapalli.

The pilot responded quickly and switched off the engine after the wing hit the lamp post. Airport authorities, including emergency and technical teams, rushed to the spot immediately. Vijayawada airport director Madhusudan Rao told TOI the mishap was a “very minor one” and all passengers were safe.

Pregnant woman kills husband for insisting on sex

Pregnant woman kills husband for insisting on sex

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Erode:21.02.2021 

A 21-year-old pregnant woman surrendered before Andhiyur village administrative officer (VAO) here on Friday evening saying that she had killed her husband by giving food laced with insecticides. The VAO Muruganandham later handed her over to the police. Police said A Mythily of Periyamolapalayam village, had married N Nandha Kumar, 33, of Kaliannan Thottam near Andhiyur eight months ago. “Mythily became pregnant five months ago. However, Nandha Kumar allegedly compelled her to have sex with him and tortured her. So Mythily decided to kill him and gave him insecticide-laced food on January 28,” S Ravi, inspector attached with the Andhiyur police station, said after questioning Mythily.

Nandha Kumar developed some health complications and was admitted to a private hospital in Andhiyur on January 31. “He died without responding to treatment at the hospital on February 15,” the inspector added. After the death, the hospital management alerted the police, who registered a case and initiated an inquiry.

Meanwhile, Mythily surrendered to the VAO and confessed to her crime. Based on her statements, the police arrested Mythily and lodged her at the district prison in Gobichettipalayam under judicial custody for 15 days.

Cases in Chennai, Chengalpet, Coimbatore plateau over 2 wks

SHOT OF HOPE

Cases in Chennai, Chengalpet, Coimbatore plateau over 2 wks

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.02.2021 

The surge in cases in the districts of Chennai, Coimbatore and Chengalpet has almost plateaued over the past two weeks although several districts across the state are reporting fewer cases.

On Saturday, Tamil Nadu added 438 cases and six deaths to the state Covid-19 registry. After 459 discharges, there were 4,120 people still under treatment for the viral infection.

In 2021, the state has added 29,809 fresh cases including 9,483 in the last 20 days. Since January, Chennai has added 8684 cases, Coimbatore 3079 and Chengalpet 2377. All other districts have reported below 1,500 cases in the last eight  weeks. “We have fewer cases and deaths from across the state. But isolated clusters reported from birthday parties, luncheons, weddings and funerals in cities like Chennai and Coimbatore are not helping us push the curve further down. Some districts like Chengalpet have similar issues,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.

Between February 14 and February 20, Chennai reported 992 new cases, Coimbatore reported 305 and Chengalpet added 281. “During contact tracing, we found many people are ignoring masks and social distancing. Even people who have taken the vaccine cannot avoid these,” he said.

On Saturday, with 139 new cases Chennai continued to top the case table followed by 47 in Coimbatore and 41 in Chengalpet. While Tiruvallur reported 31 cases, all other districts reported less than 25 cases. While Karur, Perambalur and Villupuram reported no new cases, 24 districts reported a single digit increase.

Besides cases, the number of deaths has marginally increased in Chennai. In the week between February 14 and February 20, Chennai reported double the number of deaths

(16) compared to 8 deaths between February 7 and 13. On Saturday, Chennai reported three deaths, while Chengalpet,Thanjavur andVillupuram reported one each. The sevenday average in daily cases has dropped from 499 in the first week of February to 453 this week, but during the same period the average number of deaths reported every day has increased from four to six. While 98% of people have been cured, the death rate is stable at 1.5% since September 2020.

However, epidemiologists say overall, the state has been faring well. The test positivity rate in the state is stable at 0.9 for the past four weeks. In the last one week, the positivity rate in Chennai (1.3), Coimbatore (1.5_ and Chengalpet (1.4) have been higher than the state average, along with Erode(1.1), Salem (1.2) and Tiruvallur (1.3). The doubling period for cases – time it takes for the cases to double- in the state has now increased to 1294 compared to 530 days on January 1.With 25 new cases since January, Perambalur reported the lowest number of cases followed by Ariyalur, which added 88 new cases to its registry this year. Tamil Nadu vaccinated 20563 people including 5414 people who came for the second dose of the vaccine at 677 vaccination centres across the state. With this the recipient tally in the state reached 3,70,612. With this, 2,96,155 healthcare providers, 43,876 frontline workers and 30,581 policemen have taken the vaccine in the state.

Second wave unlikely in TN: Health min

Health minister Dr C Vijayabaskar said the chances of a second wave of Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu were very remote. He was speaking to reporters at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital after taking his second shot of Covaxin here on Saturday. “. The doctors and nurses have become experts in handling Covid-19 patients, be they aged or with comorbid conditions. We have brought down the death rate drastically. Initially, it was challenging and we panicked, but we are relaxed now because of the steps taken by the chief minister,” the minister said. TNN

Over 8K vaccinated in Pondy so far

In all, 777 healthcare workers and 20 frontline workers were vaccinated on Saturday in Puducherry. So far, 8,051 healthcare workers and 407 frontline workers have got the vaccine.The Union territory reported 29 fresh cases even as 18 patients recovered taking the total number of active cases to 188 on Saturday. Of the 188 cases, 93 are under home isolation and treatment. Puducherry headquarters has the maximum active cases 124 followed by Mahe with 44 and Karaikal with 20. Yanam is infection-free. The territory did not report any Covid-19 death and the death toll stood at 662. TNN

Man held for duping woman of ₹10L

Man held for duping woman of ₹10L

Chennai:21.02.2021 

Police arrested a 45-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh for cheating a 40-year-old divorcee in the city of ₹10 lakh on the promise of marriage. The woman, who lived in Saidapet, met the accused, Manoharan, on a popular matrimonial site. The two got along well and she accepted his marriage proposal, even gifting him a mobile phone and other valuables.

A few days later, he told the woman that he had met with an accident and urgently required ₹10 lakh. The victim transferred the money following which he was unreachable. The woman approached police, who traced him to Chittoor. Investigations revealed that Manoharan had cheated several single women in a similar fashion. A court sent him to jail on Saturday. TNN

AU likely to start MTech admission next week

AU likely to start MTech admission next week

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:21.02.2021 

Anna University is likely to start the admission process for two MTech courses next week following a Madras high court order directing the university to conduct admission for the current academic year in line with the Centre’s 49.5% reservation policy.

“After getting the official order from the court, we will inform the department of biotechnology (DBT) and proceed with the admissions,” university sources said. The university also needs permission from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for the delayed admissions.

Anna University suspended admissions to MTech in Biotechnology and MTech in Computational Biology following the confusion over the reservation policy. While the Centre insisted on the 49.5% quota, the state wanted the university to follow its 69% reservation. One of the GAT-B (Graduate Aptitude Test-Biotechnology) toppers moved the court against the varsity’s decision to scrap admission.