PWD minister inspects major flyover works, sets deadlines for contractors

PWD minister inspects major flyover works, sets deadlines for contractors

The Velachery double-decker flyover is being constructed at a cost of Rs 108 crore and will have two levels linking Taramani-Velachery bypass road.

Published: 19th July 2021 02:58 AM |

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Public Works Department (PWD) Minister EV Velu on Sunday inspected the ongoing works for the Velachery and Medavakkam flyovers and told highways officials and contractors to complete both by December 31 this year.

The Velachery double-decker flyover is being constructed at a cost of Rs 108 crore and will have two levels linking Taramani-Velachery bypass road. Works for the Velachery-Tambaram lane of the three-lane Medavakkam flyover are over; the remaining works would be completed by the end of this year, according to the State government .

The minister also inspected the 980-metre-long Koyambedu four-lane flyover, being constructed at a cost of Rs 93.50 crore. The flyover, which will decongest traffic to the mofussil bus terminus and help vehicles avoid two signals at CMBT and Kaliamman Koil Street junction, is likely to be completed by August 31 this year. The flyover should have been completed by December last, but heavy rains in December and January put a brake on the works.

The minister also reviewed the works for the Tambaram footover bridge and the Chromepet subway and instructed officials to complete both by October 31 this year and March 31, 2022, respectively.

மத்திய பல்கலையில் நுழைவு தேர்வு இல்லை

மத்திய பல்கலையில் நுழைவு தேர்வு இல்லை

Added : ஜூலை 19, 2021 05:05

புதுடில்லி-'மத்திய பல்கலைக்கழகங்களில், இளநிலை படிப்புகளுக்கான பொது நுழைவுத் தேர்வு, நடப்பாண்டு நடத்தப்படாது' என, பல்கலைக்கழக மானிய குழு அறிவித்து உள்ளது.'நாட்டில் உள்ள மத்திய பல்கலைக்கழகங்கள் அனைத்திலும் இளநிலை பட்டப்படிப்பில் சேர, பொது நுழைவுத் தேர்வு நடத்தப்படும்' என, புதிய கல்விக் கொள்கையின் கீழ், மத்திய கல்வி அமைச்சகம் அறிவித்தது.இந்நிலையில், 'கொரோனா பெருந்தொற்று பரவல் காரணமாக, மத்திய பல்கலையின் 2021 - 22ம் கல்வியாண்டுக்கான இளநிலை பட்டப்படிப்பு மாணவர் சேர்க்கை, நுழைவுத் தேர்வு இன்றி, முந்தைய நடைமுறையின் கீழ் நடத்தப்படும். 2022 - 23ம் கல்வியாண்டில், நுழைவுத் தேர்வு நடத்தப்பட வாய்ப்புள்ளது' என, பல்கலை மானிய குழு நேற்று அறிவித்தது.

MTC resumes services that link suburbs to transit hubs

MTC resumes services that link suburbs to transit hubs

Buses Include Those From Nanganallur, Keelkatalai

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:19.07.2021 

After 10 years, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has resumed services along certain routes which connect prominent transit hubs with southern and western suburbs.

Services along these routes were stopped during the previous AIADMK government, alleged transport minister R S Rajakannappan.

For instance, there was not a single direct MTC bus from Nanganallur to transit points such as Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) in Koyambedu or the terminus in Broadway.

Buses, which ply along routes 52K (Nanganallur-Broadway), 70N (Nanganallur-CMBT) and M18C (Keelkatalai-T Nagar), were stopped citing poor patronage. MTC earlier claimed that operating these buses resulted in losses as less than less than 30-40 passengers travelled in these buses per hour.

From Saturday, services resumed on all these three routes. Similarly, in the western suburbs, services were resumed along these routes —166 (Iyyappanthangal-Tambaram), 88C (Thandalam-Broadway), 188C (Kundrathur-Broadway) and 566 (Kundrathur-Thiruporur).

Besides this, the MTC introduced these new routes — 576 (Mount Metro Station-T Nagar), 188A (Kundrathur-T Nagar) and 109T (Thiruvottiyur-Kovalam) — to help people from the suburbs reach the city easily, according to an official release.

Welcoming this, V Rama Rao of Chennai-based Traffic and Transportation Forum, an NGO, said that without direct buses, Nanganallur residents had to pay ₹40-₹50 every morning to reach the main road for MTC buses. “The MTC should consider reviving small bus services in suburbs too. Instead of operating them parallel to regular buses, small buses can be operated along interior roads connecting areas such as Voltas Colony and Lakshmi Nagar with the main bus stand,” he added.

In response, MTC said that small bus services were started along new routes — S40 (Cowl Bazaar-Pallavaram), S165 (Kovur EB-Pallavaram) and S166 (Porur-Manimedu) — from Saturday. They will soon be expanded to interior areas depending on the response.

Regular bus users complain about the frequency of buses too. “There is no direct bus from CMBT to Tiruvallur (153A) in the evening peak hours (between 5.25pm and 8.25pm). Even late in the evening, there is only one bus for every 20-25 minutes,” said K Baskar, a resident-activist from Tiruvallur.

A senior MTC official agreed to look into it. “Generally, bus schedules are evenly spaced, but heavy traffic results in bus bunching,” he said. Bus bunching is the urban transit phenomenon in which two or more buses arrive at the same time instead of equal intervals.

State board Class XII results today

State board Class XII results today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  19.07.2021 

The Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE) will declare the Class XII results for 8 lakh students studying in the state board at 11 am on Monday.

Students can know their results by registering their date of birth and roll number on the following websites: www.tnresults.nic.in, www.dge1.tn.nic.in, www.dge2.tn.nic.in, www.dge.tn.gov.in. Students will also receive their marks through SMS on their registered mobile numbers.

Students can download their marksheets from the websites www.dge.tn.gov.inand www.dge.tn.nic.in from 11am on July 22. They have to register their date of birth and roll number to download their marksheets.

The state government cancelled the Class XII board exams due to the Covid-19 pandemic. An expert committee suggested awarding marks based on Class X and XI board exams and Class XII practical exams and internal assessment. The Class X marks will carry a weightage of 50%, Class XI will carry 20% and Class XII will carry 30% while computing the marks.

Thunderstorm likely for next two days

Thunderstorm likely for next two days

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:19.07.2021

The city is likely to experience a thunderstorm with light to moderate rain on Monday and Tuesday.

A Met department forecast said: “The sky condition is likely to be generally cloudy. Thunderstorms with light to moderate rain are likely to occur in some areas.”

Many parts of the city including Kolathur, Vyasarpadi, Korattur, Kilpauk, Anna Nagar, Aminjikarai, Koyambedu, Nungambakkam, Egmore and Saidapet, and the suburbs, received rain on Sunday night.

While the sky was cloudy until late evening, the showers began around 7pm. The rain was intense, touching above 2cm in many parts of the city from Saturday night to Sunday evening. Nungambakkam recorded the highest with 7.7cm. Maduranthagam and Puzhal saw intense rain and recorded 5cm while Anna University got 4cm, Marina, Marakkanam and Sriperumbudur recorded 3 cm and Taramani and Kelambakkam recorded 2cm.

The heavy rain has pushed the rain surplus figures further high for the season since June1. A Met official said the weekend rain was due to the impact of the southwest monsoon.

A forecast for the rest of the state said thunderstorm with heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Theni and Salem districts. Thunderstorm with light to moderate rain is likely in isolated places over the Western Ghats, Erode, Tiruppur, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Vellore, Tirupattur, Ranipet and Tiruvallur districts.

MGM buys Le Meridien, may turn it into hospital

MGM buys Le Meridien, may turn it into hospital

D.Govardan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:19.07.2021 

M K Rajagopalan, chairman and managing director of MGM Healthcare Private Limited (MHPL), has acquired Appu Hotels Limited — which owns five star hotels under the brand Le Meridien in Chennai and Coimbatore — for ₹423 crore. The development comes after the NCLT Chennai’s Division Bench – I overruled the objections raised by original promoters led by Palani G Periasamy on valuation of the properties and passed a final order on Friday, July 15, 2021.

The bench also dismissed a petition filed by the promoters under Section 12A of the IBC which permits the adjudicating authority to allow withdrawal of application with 90% voting approval by creditors. MGM is likely to convert Le Meridien hotel located in Guindy into a healthcare facility and may retain the Coimbatore property as a hotel.

‘Assets worth ₹1,600 crore approved to be sold for ₹423cr’

While Rajagopalan declined to comment, Periasamy did not respond to calls from TOI on Sunday.

“The NCLT order allows Appu Hotels to appeal in 30 days. It will appeal soon,” a source said.

“It is a fact that Rajagopalan offered ₹423 crore and NCLT Chennai approved it. But we have raised objection to the valuation under Section12A. How can properties worth ₹1,600 crore be valued so low,” Periasamy had told TOI a few weeks ago.

Rajagopalan is chairman of Sri Balaji Educational & Charitable Public Trust and Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth Trust, which run Mahatma Gandhi Medical College & Research Centre (MGMCRI), established in Puducherry in 2001, and Sathya Sai Medical College in Kancheepuram district in 2007. Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth reported a revenue of ₹636 crore with a surplus of ₹345 crore in FY20, according to a CARE Ratings Limited analysis.

Tourism Finance Corporation of India initiated Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) under Section 7 of IBC, 2016, against Appu Hotels for pending debts and orders were passed by NCLT in May 2020. Secured and unsecured creditors then put up claims of around ₹389 crore.

The interim resolution professional (IRP) appointed registered valuers arrived at a fair value of ₹730.9 crore and liquidation value of ₹569.3 crore. Rajagopalan, Madhav Dhir and Kotak Special Situations submitted bids, but only Rajagopalan stayed on course with a final resolution plan offering ₹423 crore, approved by a 87.39% majority in the ninth meeting of the Committee of Creditors on January 22.

Estimating the property at ₹1,600 crore, promoters led by Periasamy objected to the resolution plan citing procedural lacunae and misinformation in the conduct of the CIRP. Counsel for the promoter said the fair value and liquidation value were at least 30% lower than another valuation undertaken in September 2019. Even taking into account the Covid-19 pandemic situation and the resultant market shock caused, a 70% fall in valuation of the corporate debtor is “untenable and incredulous”, counsel said.

AYUSH training for medical interns worries doctors

AYUSH training for medical interns worries doctors

Differences in scientific basis between streams are among major worries for academicians

c-Jagriti.kumari@timesgroup.com

19.07.2021 

The latest guideline of the National Medical Commission (NMC) suggests that as part of 12-months compulsory rotating internship after passing the final MBBS examination, medical graduates need to undertake a week-long training in Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM). As part of the training, candidates may choose any elective, provided the discipline is available in the same college or institution where internship is being done.

Candidates can choose from Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy and Sowa Rigpa. However, the decision has triggered an intense debate among medical practioners. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has come to the fore opposing the decision. In its letter written to the National Medical Commission (NMC) opposing AYUSH training for medical students, IMA has termed the idea 'not prudent'.

Dr Rajesh Nachiappa Ganesh, professor, Department of Pathology, JIPMER, Puducherry, does not question the NMC’s intention.

However, he is worried about its implementation and execution.

“Absence of AYUSH courses, differences in fundamental scientific basis between various streams and lack of AYUSH experts in medical colleges will be a big hurdle in implementing the one-week training for medical students across the country,” says Dr Rajesh.

As part of the internship, medical graduates need to undergo mandatory training in community medicine (two months), general medicine

(1.5 months), psychiatry (two weeks), paediatrics (one month),general surgery (1.5) months, anaesthesiology and critical care (two-weeks), obstetrics and gynaecology including family welfare and planning (1.5 months), orthopaedics including physical medicine and rehabilitation-PM &R (two weeks), emergency/trauma/casualty (two weeks), forensic medicine and toxicology (one week), dermatology venereology & leprology (one week), otorhinolaryngology (two weeks), ophthalmology (two weeks), laboratory sciences and hospital support sciences (two weeks).

Dr Abhinav Arun Sonkar, head of surgery, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, says the purpose behind the inclusion of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy and Sowa Rigpa as an elective in internship is not yet clear. “Among all electives, Yoga is the one which is practised by many of us to stay healthy and fit. Interns might see this as an opportunity to know basics of Yoga and follow it in their lives while other subjects are completely new to graduates,” says Dr Sonkar.