No Proper Response To The Queries By Court: Patna High Court Warns Contempt Action Against Union Home Ministry Officials

No Proper Response To The Queries By Court: Patna High Court Warns Contempt Action Against Union Home Ministry Officials: ' It is also made clear that the Court may initiate a contempt proceeding against those who would be found in not cooperating the court proceeding.'

1993-batch bureaucrat Gagandeep Singh Bedi appointed Chennai Corporation Commissioner

1993-batch bureaucrat Gagandeep Singh Bedi appointed Chennai Corporation Commissioner

Bedi is known for his contribution to ecology and environment and won the Green Award twice, in 2003 and 2004.

Published: 09th May 2021 04:22 PM 

Gagandeep Singh Bedi (File | EPS)

By Omjasvin MD

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Senior IAS officer from the 1993 batch, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, has been appointed as the Chennai Corporation Commissioner by the DMK government, as the city finds itself in a tough spot battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to a government order by Chief Secretary V Irani Anbu, Bedi, who was the Principal Secretary of the State Agricultural Department, will replace the outgoing Commissioner G Prakash, who held the post since 2019.

Though Bedi is a very senior officer for the role of Corporation Commissioner, it appears that he has been appointed due to the Covid-19 crisis, given his expertise in handling natural disasters like the Tsunami and Cuddalore floods in the past.

The order stated that the post of Principal Secretary/Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation will be equivalent in status and responsibilities to the cadre post of principal Secretary-cum-commissioner.

Who is Gagandeeph Singh Bedi?

Bedi was born in Hoshiarpur in Punjab in 1968 and has graduated in BE (Electronics and Electrical Communication) and later joined as a lecturer at Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology.

In 1993, he was selected for the Indian Engineering Services and got a posting in Indian Railways. Subsequently, in 1993, he was selected in the Indian Administrative Services and was allotted the Tamil Nadu cadre.

Since then, Bedi, who is known to be an honest and straightforward officer, held many prominent positions like the Additional Collector, Cuddalore; Commissioner of Corporation, Madurai; Collector of Kanyakumari District and Cuddalore District.

He was also the Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board and was Secretary for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department.

Bedi is known for his contribution to ecology and the environment and won the Green Award twice, in 2003 and 2004. As District Collector, he had promoted various Eco-Tourism projects and other environmental projects.

Bedi also received applause for his services in flood mitigation during the Cuddalore floods in 2015. He also spearheaded the district's fight against Tsunami and he was appreciated for handling the crisis efficiently.

He also received a national award in 2016 for implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme as Rural Development Department Secretary, from late Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Before taking over as the Chennai Corporation Commissioner, Bedi also served as the District Monitor Officer for Covid-19 in Cuddalore.

நிவாரண நிதிக்கு ஒரு நாள் ஊதியம்

நிவாரண நிதிக்கு ஒரு நாள் ஊதியம்

Added : மே 09, 2021 23:47

சென்னை: கொரோனா நிவாரணத்திற்காக, ஒரு நாள் ஊதியத்தை, முதல்வர் நிவாரண நிதிக்கு வழங்க, ஆரம்ப பள்ளி ஆசிரியர்கள் சங்கம் முடிவு செய்துள்ளது.

அரசு ஆரம்ப பள்ளி ஆசிரியர்கள் சங்க பொது செயலர் ஜான் வெஸ்லி வெளியிட்ட செய்திக்குறிப்பு:கொரோனா பாதிப்பால், அரசிற்கு ஏற்படும் நிதி நெருக்கடியை சமாளிக்க உதவும் வகையில், முதல்வர் நிவாரண நிதிக்கு, ஒரு நாள் ஊதியத்தை வழங்க முடிவு செய்துள்ளோம்.தொற்றால் பாதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள நோயாளிகளின், மருத்துவ சிகிச்சைக்கு உதவும், டாக்டர்கள், நர்சுகள் மற்றும் துாய்மை பணியாளர்களுக்கு உதவும் வகையிலும், நிவாரண நிதியை வழங்க, இந்த முடிவு எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.இவ்வாறு அவர் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

Not having valid licence costs teenager 10% accident payout

Not having valid licence costs teenager 10% accident payout

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  10.05.2021 

A teenager who got into an accident by driving a motorbike without a valid driving licence has been slapped 10% of ₹7.75 lakh compensation for contributory negligence by a city motor accident claims tribunal. The victim was a first year engineering student at the time of the accident and his bike was knocked down by a rashly driven truck near Poonamalee, resulting in grievous injuries.

T Karthikraj of Ponniammanmedu, in his petition stated that he was riding his motorbike on Thirunindravur Poonamalee Road when a rashly driven truck hit his vehicle. Karthikraj suffered 62% disability because of the accident and could not attend college for more than six months. The accident happened in October 2015.

In response, the insurer of the truck contended that the accident happened due to Karthikraj’s negligence.

After perusing the submissions and documents including FIR and accident report, the tribunal held that the accident occurred due to the rash and negligent driving of the truck driver. However, during the cross examination, the tribunal noted that the victim did not produce his original driving licence and held that he owed10% of the compensation awarded towards contributory negligence. Of the ₹7.75 lakh compensation amount calculated, the tribunal deducted ₹77,000 (10%) and asked the insurer to pay ₹6.97 lakh to the victim.

TN orders audit of all deaths

TN orders audit of all deaths

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.05.2021

State health minister Ma Subramanian has ordered an audit of deaths occrring due to Covid-19. The order will deal with reconciliation of deaths, active cases and discharges from the registry to ensure that policy makers get the right picture to make strategic decisions for prevention and management of the pandemic.

During a meeting with senior officials from the health and municipal administration, the health minister recalled chief minister M K Stalin’s directions that there should not be any fudging of numbers of fresh cases, deaths and discharges.

While Ma Subramanian could not be contacted, DMK spokesperson T K S Elangovan told TOI those directions have been issued for reconciliation.

“Yes, we are forming this committee. A data audit needs to be done so that people are aware of the seriousness of the issue. Already the chief minister had asked the officials to ensure the records are clean. To check the previous data, this team will be put in place a study and reconcile the data,” he said.

Guest workers protest after authorities stop jam-packed bus

Guest workers protest after authorities stop jam-packed bus

Coimbatore:10.05.2021

Hundreds of guest workers staged a protest at the Omni Bus Stand at Gandhipuram on Sunday afternoon, demanding buses to their hometowns.

Many private bus operators accommodated as many as 150 guest workers in a bus and charged ₹4,000 for a trip to Bihar from Coimbatore, regional transport office sources said.

“We seized six omni buses for failing to pay taxes till Saturday. Four buses were seized for the violation on Sunday. Most of them have Puducherry registration. Some guest workers functioning as agents had brought the buses to Coimbatore. The operators have to get permits and pay tax to the Tamil Nadu government,” said an official. “ We found 160 guest workers in an omni bus, which was stopped near the women’s polytechnic on Saturday night. As per rules, an omni bus can carry maximum 40 passengers. The bus was seized and the guest workers were sent to their workplaces here. On Sunday around1pm, an omni bus was found with more than 100 guest workers. The bus operator instigated the guest workers, who were assembled at the omni bus stand, to demand transport arrangements to their hometowns,” the official said.

RTO officials, revenue department officials and police pacified the workers. TNN

DEMAND FOR SERVICE

City colleges plan to conduct online exams during lockdown

City colleges plan to conduct online exams during lockdown

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:10.05.2021

While some city colleges are planning to go ahead with their online semester exams during the lockdown, state universities like Madras University and Anna University are likely to conduct their exams only after the lockdown is over.

Due to the assembly elections in the state, many colleges had scheduled their online exams from May 3. The Tamil Nadu government announced lockdown from May 10 to 24.

The directorate of collegiate education on Sunday asked the particulars from colleges including the number exams completed so far and number of days needed to complete the remaining exams to take a call on online exams.

Loyola College has completed four exams and three exams are scheduled till May 15. "Students and faculty members want to complete the remaining online exams as per the schedule. Since the exam is conducted online, students need not come out of their houses to write the exam. The staff members can also invigilate the exams from their houses. So, we would like to continue with the exams," said Thomas Amirtham, principal of the college.

Students will write the exams in pen and paper mode and scan the answer sheets and send it to colleges online. The 90-minute exams will be monitored online by faculty members.

Guru Nanak College asked the faculty members to prepare to conduct and monitor exams from their houses. "Unless the government says no to conducting online exams, we will continue with our exams as per the schedule," said M G Ragunathan, principal of the college. As per the schedule, the exams will be conducted till June 5.

However, some colleges like DG Vaishnav College postponed their online semester exams to June. "We planned to conduct online exams from May 17. But, all students may not have internet connections at their houses. So, we have decided to postpone it," said S Santhosh Baboo, principal of DG Vaishnav College.

Meanwhile, colleges like Madras Christian College and Women's Christian College have completed their exams.

Madras University also planned to start the online semester exams for affiliated colleges from May 17. However, exams were delayed due to setting question papers and non-payment of exam fees by students. "We will start the online exams only after the lockdown for affiliated college students," an official from the university said.

Anna University announced a retest for students who could not appear for exams due to technical glitches from May 17 for students studying in its four campuses. "The university has not taken any decision on the retest so far," sources in the university said. For affiliated colleges, the university is yet to schedule exams for BE, BTech students due to the confusion over the delay in deciding the mode of exams. The exams are likely to be scheduled only after the lockdown.

NEW REALITIES: Loyola College has completed four exams and three exams are scheduled till May 15