TN readies to purchase 12L vaccines from private sector

TN readies to purchase 12L vaccines from private sector

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:24.07.2021

The state health department is working out plans to purchase the 12 lakh doses of anti-covid vaccines allotted to the private sector in Tamil Nadu in the next eight days utilising CSR funds so people can be vaccinated free of cost, health minister Ma Subramanian said here on Friday.

The minister held a consultation meeting with doctors and hospital administrators from122 hospitals in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Vellore, Tirupathur and Ranipet to discuss the number of vaccines they can procure under CSR funds. Earlier in the week, the minister met doctors and hospital administrators in the Western districts. Senior officials from the directorate of public health were a part of the meeting.

Since June 21, the centre has decided that it will purchase 75% of the vaccines produced in the country and allot them to the state for the free vaccination programme. The remaining 25% of vaccines are purchased by private hospitals. For July, Tamil Nadu has been allotted 72 lakh doses of the vaccine of which 17 lakh is earmarked for private hospitals. “So far private hospitals have paid money for 5 lakh doses of which they have received 2.42 lakh doses. They are still left with12 lakh doses of vaccine, which should be purchased by the end of the month. We want to ensure that we use all the vaccines allotted to the state,” Subramanian said.

Although people are willing to take the vaccine, many cannot afford the vaccine at private hospitals— ₹750 for Covishield and ₹1,400 for Covaxin, he said. Since May 1, private hospitals in the state have purchased 18.7 lakh doses of the vaccine, of which 13.3 lakh have been used. The state, meanwhile, has administered 1.8crore doses taking the dosage tally to 2crore – 16%. For the 6crore adult population, the state has to administer 12 crore doses. “While people who want to pay for their vaccines will still have the options open, those who want free vaccines can also avail them from private hospitals,” he said.

Man jumps off Napier Bridge, rescued

Man jumps off Napier Bridge, rescued

Had Chronic Illness, Could Not Bear The Pain: Cops

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:24.07.2021

Police on Thursday afternoon rescued a 31-yearold who leaped into the Cooum river off the Napier Bridge to end his life, allegedly unable to come to terms with his chronic illness.

The man, later identified as Kamalakannan of Royapuram, was being sucked in by the sludge in the river when the law enforcers arrived. They dropped a rope near him and pulled him out.

Police said the incident came to light after a passerby saw Kamalakannan climbing over a wall of the bridge and jumping in around 1.30pm. He rushed to the police outpost at the southern end of the bridge and informed the personnel.

Saminathan, a policeman attached to the Anna Square station, was present there and informed his superiors. Triplicane assistant commissioner M S Baskar said the fire and rescue services personnel were busy battling the blaze at a five-storey commercial complex off Anna Salai. “We decided to respond ourselves. A team led by sub-inspector Thilagavathi and Sakthi Ganesh arrived at the spot in the next couple of minutes,” he said.

A 50-ft-long nylon rope was dropped near the man struggling in the river, with the police team members issuing instructions directing through a temporary public address system. He was asked to tie the rope around his waist and was slowly pulled out. Alerted earlier, an ambulance of the ‘108’ service was waiting and after paramedical staff had administered first aid, Kamalakkann was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

The police team then called the family members of Kamalakannan, a resident of Thambu Chetty Lane in Royapuram, and informed them. A police officer quoting, Kamalakannan said he had been suffering from stomach pain for a long time and that he had decided to end his life as he had lost hope of being cured of the illness. Further investigations are on.

Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.

Meat ban a basic rights issue, says U’khand HC

Meat ban a basic rights issue, says U’khand HC

Prashant.Jha@timesgroup.com

Nainital:24.07.2021

In a country where 70% of the population eats nonvegetarian food, the matter of banning meat is one that pertains to the fundamental rights of citizens and isn’t a majority versus minority issue, the Uttarakhand high court said on Friday while hearing two petitions against a ban on slaughterhouses in Haridwar.

The bench of Chief Justice R S Chauhan and justice Alok Kumar Verma said, “The issue is not minority versus majority. The issue is very simple. What are the fundamental rights of the citizens of India?”

The court has now asked the petitioners to amend their pleas in a week as none of them pleaded that such a ban violates the right to privacy of a citizen. The court remarked that the petitions have not been drafted with “whole-heartedness” that is required in challenging “seminal constitutional issues”.

The pleas filed by some residents of Haridwar had alleged that a ban on slaughterhouses in Haridwar discriminated against minorities as many areas in the district had a substantial Muslim population.

Bench cited surveys on food habits of Indians from 2018 and 2019

On Friday, the bench cited surveys on food habits of Indians from 2018 and 2019. “It’s very glaring data that in Uttarakhand 72.6% of the population is non-vegetarian. In totality, 70% of Indian population is non-vegetarian which busts the myth that the majority of the population is vegetarian,” the court said.

In its previous hearing, the bench had said that a ban like the one in Haridwar calls into question the extent to which the state can determine a citizen’s choices. “The issue is whether a citizen has the right to decide his own diet or will that be decided by the state,” it had said. The court had also said that a civilisation is judged only by how it treats its minorities. “Democracy does not only mean rule by majority but, most importantly, democracy means the protection of the minority,” it had said.

In March, Uttarakhand had declared all areas in Haridwar “slaughterhousefree” and cancelled no objection certificates issued to slaughterhouses. The two petitions in the high court challenged this on two grounds — a blanket ban on meat of any type is unconstitutional, as was the section the Uttarakhand government had inserted into the UP Municipalities Act, 237A, to give itself power to declare an area under a municipal corporation, council or nagar panchayat a “slaughterfree” zone. The court has also asked the petitioners to amend the plea to challenge the constitutional validity of the amendment made to the UP Municipal Corporation Act.

Boost for Chennai transport: MTC adds over 17 buses in 12 routes

Boost for Chennai transport: MTC adds over 17 buses in 12 routes

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation recently resumed and introduced over 17 buses in 12 routes in Porur, Nanganallur and suburban areas of the city.

Published: 23rd July 2021 03:51 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation recently resumed and introduced over 17 buses in 12 routes in Porur, Nanganallur and suburban areas of the city. The buses were recently flagged off by Transport Minister RS Raja Kannappan in presence of Rural Industries Minister TM Anbarasan.

Services on old routes, that had been stopped since last year, were resumed. The routes are 52K (Nanganallur-Broadway), 70N (Nanganallur-CMBT), M18C (Kilkattalai-T Nagar), 166 (Iyyapanthangal-Tambaram), 88C (Thandalam-Broadway), 188C (Kundrathur-Broadway) and 566 (Kundrathur-Thiruporur).

The newly introduced routes are 576 (Mount Metro-T Nagar), S40 (KavulBazar Indra Nagar-Pallavaram), S 165 ( Kovur EB-Pallavaram), S166 (Porur-Manimedu) and 188A (Kundrathur-T Nagar), said a statement from MTC.

Speaking to reporters, Kannappan said about 1.42 crore women travelled in women special ordinary buses between July 12 and 17 without paying ticket fare. “About 60 per cent of women travelled in ordinary services as against the projection of 40 per cent a day. As many as 1.1 lakh persons with disabilities and 17,500 transpersons also availed free travel.”

Govt seeks to tweak law on states’ OBC lists

Govt seeks to tweak law on states’ OBC lists

Subodh.Ghildiyal@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:

The Centre has moved a proposal to amend the 102nd constitutional amendment Act to overturn the May 5 Supreme Court judgment and restore the rights of states to identify the OBCs for the “state list” of castes eligible for Mandal reservations in education and employment under state governments.

Well placed sources said the social justice ministry has moved the Cabinet note. The swift move implies that the bill can be brought in the ongoing monsoon session itself. If so, it could be part of a strategy to break the blockade of Parliament proceedings by the opposition over the Pegasus snooping scandal.

Given the sensitivity of the issue and the rights of states involved, neither Congress nor regional parties can afford to block the bill. It may thus restore normalcy in the Parliament. However, the larger political aim of the Centre is to assure OBCs that their rights, as under state lists, were not being undermined. The move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed emphasis on the OBC representation in the recent Cabinet reshuffle along with women, SCs and STs.

It is learnt that the proposal has suggested specific changes to be made to the Act to clarify that state lists and central list of OBCs are separate and under the jurisdiction of respective governments — as had been the case before the SC judgment. The apex court also rejected a government appeal against the order earlier in July.

While upholding the said Act (102nd) in the Maratha reservation case, the SC held that its provisions implied that OBCs for states and Central lists both were to be identified by the President (Centre) on the recommendations of the national commission for backward classes.

ஓ.பி.சி., சான்றிதழை தாமதமின்றி வழங்க மாவட்ட கலெக்டர்களுக்கு அறிவுறுத்தல்

DINAMALAR

பொது செய்தி

தமிழ்நாடு

ஓ.பி.சி., சான்றிதழை தாமதமின்றி வழங்க மாவட்ட கலெக்டர்களுக்கு அறிவுறுத்தல்

Added : ஜூலை 21, 2021 22:22

சென்னை:இதர பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட வகுப்பினருக்கான ஜாதி சான்றிதழை காலதாமதமின்றி வழங்க, அதிகாரிகளுக்கு அறிவுரை வழங்கும்படி மாவட்ட கலெக்டர்களுக்கு அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.

தமிழ்நாடு பிற்படுத்தப்பட்டோர், மிக பிற்படுத்தப்பட்டோர் மற்றும் சிறுபான்மையினர் நலத்துறை முதன்மை செயலர் கார்த்திக், வருவாய் துறை கூடுதல் தலைமைச் செயலர் மற்றும் மாவட்ட கலெக்டர்களுக்கு அனுப்பி உள்ள கடிதம்:மத்திய அரசு பணி நியமனம்; மத்திய அரசு கல்வி நிறுவன மாணவர்கள் சேர்க்கையில், இதர பிற்படுத்தப்பட்டோருக்கு, 27 சதவீத இட ஒதுக்கீடு வழங்கப்படுகிறது.

இதன்படி, தமிழகத்திற்கான இதர பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட வகுப்பினர் பட்டியல், மத்திய அரசால் வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ளது.கடந்த, 1993ல் நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்ட பெற்றோரின் ஆண்டு வருமான வரம்பு, 1 லட்சம் ரூபாயில் இருந்து, படிப்படியாக அதிகரிக்கப்பட்டு, 2017ல் 8 லட்சம் ரூபாயாக நிர்ணயிக்கப்பட்டு நடைமுறையில் உள்ளது.

இவர்களுக்கான வருமான வரம்பை கணக்கிடும்போது, ஊதியம் மற்றும் வேளாண் வருமானத்தை சேர்க்கக் கூடாது என்ற வழிகாட்டு நெறிமுறைகளை பின்பற்றி, இதர பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட வகுப்பினருக்கு, ஜாதி சான்றிதழ் வழங்க வேண்டும். இருப்பினும், இதர பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட வகுப்பு ஜாதி சான்றிதழ் பெறுவதில் சிரமம் இருப்பதாக, அரசின் கவனத்திற்கு எடுத்து வரப்பட்டுள்ளது.

இதனால், மத்திய அரசின் 27 சதவீதம் இட ஒதுக்கீட்டின் கீழ் பயன்பெற இயலாத சூழ்நிலை ஏற்படுகிறது.எனவே, மத்திய அரசின் வழிமுறைகளை பின்பற்றி, இதர பிற்படுத்தப்பட்ட வகுப்பினர் ஜாதி சான்றுகளை, காலதாமதமின்றி வழங்கும்படி, ஜாதி சான்று வழங்கும் அலுவலர்களுக்கு, மாவட்ட கலெக்டர்கள் தகுந்த அறிவுரைகள் வழங்க வேண்டும்.இவ்வாறு அதில் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.

Madurai: Biriyani offer misfires, crowd gets out of hand

Madurai: Biriyani offer misfires, crowd gets out of hand

What was planned to encourage numismatics ended up in chaos as scores of biriyani lovers thronged a restaurant at Sellur, violating Covid protocols on Wednesday.

Published: 22nd July 2021 04:38 AM |

By Lalitha Ranjani

Express News Service

MADURAI: What was planned to encourage numismatics ended up in chaos as scores of biriyani lovers thronged a restaurant at Sellur, violating Covid protocols on Wednesday. As an inaugural offer, Akshaya Prabhu (25), the owner of Suganya’s Biryani, had announced to give biriyani packs to everyone in exchange for 5 paise coin.

Prabhu, a numismatic and a antique collector, herself and an antique collector, said that she zeroed in on the '5 paise biriyani offer’ for the launch of the restaurant’s second branch at Sellur to cheer up coin collectors, especially at the time when artifacts are being unearthed from Keezhadi and the like.

She told TNIE that she thought not too many would possess the old 5 paisa coin and that not many would be willing to part with their collection even if they had. “We expected only about 50 persons to turn up with the coins. But, much to our surprise, due to overwhelming response, 120 parcels of biryani were sold in just 10 minutes. And the crowd grew bigger during the peak lunch hours. We had to turn many away, despite they coming with the old coins,” she added.

Sources said that flouting Covid protocols and physical distancing norms, scores of the people thronged the shop. “As the crowd began to swell, police had to be deployed to disperse the crowd and the shop was shut soon after,” they said.

A police official from Sellur station said that the hotel management had informed them about the inauguration one day prior and a policeman was deployed on the spot. “The rest of the team was diverted to mosque premises on account of Bakrid. The shop owners had drawn circles for social distancing but the unexpected crowd went out of control,” he added.