Tamil Nadu Elections: Work from home gives them will, time to go vote

Tamil Nadu Elections: Work from home gives them will, time to go vote

The pandemic, which put employees in their homes, has become an ‘enabler’ this time

Published: 07th April 2021 05:32 AM 

Kerala goes to poll today. 

By Aadhithya MS

Express News Service

TIRUCHY: Many a campaign has been held by the Election Commission to raise awareness among people, especially the youth, on exercising their franchise. However, not every time can one travel to their hometown to get inked, thanks to their hectic lifestyle. However, this time probably, the tables have turned. Call it the ‘pandemic effect’, the work from home option has enabled more youth to come forward and cast their votes this time.

“Usually, we are given a day off to vote. But to just come down for that day and return to our workplace on time is taxing. Sometimes, there is a job pending as well. Given all that, only if employees can manage a long weekend, they go for voting. Many of my colleagues, and even I had missed out on voting chances several times,” says Abul Hassan, an IT professional from Tiruchy. “This time, however, we had it easy. Our employer in Chennai hasn’t called us back yet, and we are continuing to work from home. So, most of us are in our hometowns,” he adds.

K Akil from Karur, who works at a multi-national company in Bengaluru, shares the same opinion. “If there was no work from home, I might not have come this time,” she says. “This time, I did not even take a half-day leave. I was at the polling station by 8 am, was guided to the booth, got inked and walked back home. It did not take over 30 minutes,” she adds.

Kamaal, a DMK functionary who oversees booth agents in the locality, says: “Many youth in this locality are employed ar MNCs in Chennai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi. I know a fair share of them who missed the 2019 Parliamentary elections and the previous Assembly polls. This time, however, the turnout was impressive.”

Tamil Nadu Elections: Alangudi NRI flies down from Singapore to vote

Tamil Nadu Elections: Alangudi NRI flies down from Singapore to vote

Taking this spirit of patriotism up a notch, 29-year-old Sathiyasheelan travelled all the way from Singapore to Senthankudi in Alangudi to exercise his franchise.

Published: 07th April 2021 05:36 AM 

By Sowmya Mani

Express News Service

PUDUKKOTTAI: It’s usually only in movies that we see NRIs flying down to their natives to cast their votes. Taking this spirit of patriotism up a notch, 29-year-old Sathiyasheelan travelled all the way from Singapore to Senthankudi in Alangudi to exercise his franchise.

Sathiyasheelan reached his village 20 days ago. Not only is he interested in voting, but also passionate about the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK). “I came early to garner votes for the party, and to ensure that we improve our performance in this election. I hope that the party gets double the votes it did in the 2019 elections,” he says.

An engineer by qualification, Sathiyasheelan works for building maintenance in Singapore. He says though it was difficult getting leave from work, he did it for the elections. “I’ve been interested in politics and the betterment of people’s lives since childhood. I got involved with the NTK in 2009, even before its inception. I love the Tamil culture, and want to help protect it,” he adds.

Sathiyasheelan hopes to have inspired others in his village to vote, and says he didn’t mind the Covid tests and quarantine as it was all for a cause. “If I can come all the way from Singapore, people can travel for a few kilometers to vote,” he says.

Fake doc held for third time

Fake doc held for third time

Rajkot:  07.04.2021 

A 55-year-old man was caught practising as a doctor without a legitimate degree from near Aji Dam chokdi in Rajkot city on Tuesday. This was the third time that Sanjay Sompura was caught by cops.

According to police, Sompura, a resident of Shri Ram Park, used to practice as an ayurvedic doctor without a degree. Police also seized medicines and injections from his clinic.

Police said Sompura used to work as a compounder at a hospital six years ago before he started his own clinic. He was arrested for the first time about two and a half years ago. Later, he was arrested for the offence in November last year.

“Sompura has been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Medical Practitioners’ Act-1963. After he was caught for the first time, Sompura changed the name of the clinic to Dr Lakkad’s clinic and started treating people,” police said. TNN

GU defers PG medical exams

GU defers PG medical exams

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:07.04.2021 

Gujarat University has decided to postpone the upcoming exams for postgraduate medical students.

The decision has been taken keeping in view the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in the state, especially given the role played by these postgraduate students who are part of the frontline medical workers.

The medical colleges affiliated with Gujarat University including B J Medical College and Civil Hospital, GMERS Medical College and Hospital (Sola), NHL Municipal Medical College and GMERS Medical College, Gandhinagar.

Given the rise in the number of cases at the 100-bed hospital at Civil Hospital, the hospital superintendent had written to the dean of B J Medical College that more hands were needed to handle the situation. The letter also mentioned that as students are finding it hard to cope with studies while attending Covid-19 duty, the college authorities should consider postponing the exams slated to begin from May 1.

Parents run from pillar to post to get birth certificate for boy born mid-air

Parents run from pillar to post to get birth certificate for boy born mid-air

Yeshika.Budhwar@timesgroup.com

07.04.2021 

Jaipur:

Parents of the baby boy who was born in the Bengaluru-Jaipur flight last month have been running from pillar to post to get a birth certificate for their child who is now 20 days old.

The couple had boarded the flight around 5:45am from Bengaluru and landed in Jaipur airport around 8am on March 17 with their newborn baby. As per the rule, the birth certificate must be issued within 21 days of the birth.

Bhairu Singh, father of baby, told TOI, “After the delivery in the flight we were taken to a private hospital in Jaipur but I did not get my wife and child admitted as it was very expensive … so after initial check-up, we straight away came to my village Jaliya Rupabas in Beawar district.”

After reaching the village, Bhairu started the process to get his son’s birth certificate. “I went to the sarpanch who told me to go to the government hospital from where I was sent to another hospital. Both the hospital officials seemed confused as soon as I mentioned that my son was born in mid-air. They told me to go to the gram panchayat,” Bhairu told TOI.

The gram panchayat initially declined to issue the certificate citing jurisdiction. “Although the certificate should be issued in Jaipur, we will start the process from here to help out Bhairu Singh as now there is no other option left,” Dileep Singh, sarpanch, said.

The family is being tossed from one government body to another with no official having any clarity about issuing the certificate as the child was born mid-air.

When TOI contacted the district administration, the officials again assured that the birth certificate would be issued at the earliest but Bhairu claimed that he will believe it only when he gets the document.

Lalita with her baby Lakshit

25 nursing students in college in Davanagere found infected

25 nursing students in college in Davanagere found infected

07.04.2021 

Davanagere:

Twenty-five girls studying in a private nursing college in Davanagere tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday. All of them were admitted to a private hospital. The girls were staying in the college hostel with 109 other students besides 15 cooking staff. Swab samples from all inmates have been collected for testing, said Dr GD Raghavan, district surveillance officer. All of them are from Kerala and arrived at the hostel two months ago when the college reopened. They had furnished Covid negative reports on arrival. The hostel has been declared a containment zone. TNN

No food delivery as eateries remain shut in Madurai

TAKING A DAY OFF

No food delivery as eateries remain shut in Madurai

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Madurai:  07.04.2021 

As eateries and hotels in Madurai city and the suburbs remained shut on polling day, delivery was also stopped causing trouble to people dependent the service on Tuesday. The eateries and hotels were closed to help the employees exercise their franchise.

The online delivery firms also did not deliver food on Tuesday afternoon, much to the inconvenience of bachelors and people, who had decided to eat out after voting.

However, some hotels were open for dinner service later in the evening.

There were small shops that doubled up as eateries that made some quick money on election day this year, selling water bottles, soft drinks, vadas and bhaji. Beeman of Sakkimangalam said that there was not enough water at the polling booth in their region and he had made some arrangements through his contacts.

A one liter bottle of water, which would sell at Rs 15 normally, was being sold for Rs 20 or more in many of the villages in Madurai, while tender coconut and watermelon sellers also made decent money on the day.

As there was delay in food supply to election officials in a polling location in Valayankulam village in Thirumangalam-Madurai airport road, party men offered them food and refreshments. Street vendors selling fruits like watermelon and sugarcane juice saw good sale on polling day. “We have been seeing good sales since summer began. But, we had better sales on Tuesday as people came to vote in huge numbers to the polling booth, which is located nearby,” said N Muthulakshmi, who runs a sugarcane juice stall with her husband on Kamarajar Salai.

The online delivery firms also did not deliver food on Tuesday afternoon, much to the inconvenience of bachelors and people who had decided to eat out after voting