HC: Things can be set right if one officer is sent to jail

DISREGARD FOR COURT ORDERS

HC: Things can be set right if one officer is sent to jail

BBMP Ordered To Raze Illegal Structure In Two Weeks

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:11.11.2021

Reiterating its strong disapproval of government officers’ tendency to take court orders lightly, the high court on Tuesday said the situation may improve if one officer is sent to jail for disobeying them, as a test case.

If one officer is sent to jail, everyone will fall in line, a division bench headed by chief justice Ritu Raj Awasthi orally observed after noticing gross delay and inaction on the part of BBMP in relation to demolition of an illegal structure in Sriramapura put up by a temple trust, despite a specific court order passed on February 5, 2020 to complete the task within six weeks.

The bench noted that the fourth respondent (Sri Ramachandra Swamy temple trust) has not moved any application for grant of time to undertake removal of the illegal construction and added it was the responsibility of BBMP to ensure the demolition.

“Counsel for BBMP informed us that a certain portion of the illegal construction has been removed. But some part hasn’t. We are surprised as to why the illegal construction has not been demolished. We direct BBMP to complete the demolition within two weeks, failing which its chief commissioner along with all authorities concerned shall be present before the court so that they may be proceeded against for deliberate noncompliance of the court order,” the bench observed.

On February 5, 2020, the court had recorded based on BBMP’s submission that the illegal structure consists of two parts — the first floor measuring 15.5 x 9.45 metre and sheet room which measures 4.7 x 7.4 metre. Though the Palike had claimed it needs to prepare an expenditure estimate and obtain sanction for demolition, the court had noted that since there is an order under sub-section (3) of Section 321 of Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, and another under Section 462 of the Act was passed on January 20, 2020, no further nod was required.

Docs remove 222 fibroids from 34-yr-old’s uterus

Docs remove 222 fibroids from 34-yr-old’s uterus

Woman Was Anaemic, Waited 1 Yr For Surgery

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:11.11.2021

A 34-year-old woman who suffered from acute pelvic pain for at least one year has got a new lease of life after doctors from the city removed 222 fibroids, totally weighing 2.2kg, from her uterus.

Media professional Ritika underwent a four-and-a-half-hour surgery on October 6, and doctors at Sakra World Hospital preserved her uterus. Ritika’s uterus was found to be enlarged (the size of an 8-month pregnant woman’s), causing a bulge in her lower abdomen.

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous, estrogen-dependent tumours, usually occurring at child-bearing age. They cause anaemia and in Ritika’s case, her haemoglobin level had fallen to 7 grams per decilitre as against the normal of 12 to 15.

Though she experienced typical symptoms of pain, excessive bleeding and abnormal menstrual cycles, she delayed consulting doctors due to Covid fear.

Dr Shantala Thuppanna, senior consultant, head of obstetrics and gynaecology, Sakra World Hospital, who operated on Ritika, said uterine fibroids are common in approximately 40-50% women. But only a few have symptoms. “In Ritika’s case, she was anaemic and faced heavy bleeding despite practising yoga daily and maintaining an active lifestyle. She had waited for about one year to undergo the surgery due to the pandemic,” said Dr Shantala.

During the operation, doctors found that the fibroids — of various sizes and shapes (one resembling a large cauliflower) — were located below the urinary bladder and were spread throughout the left side of her uterus. “The fibroids were near important structures in the abdomen, which made the surgery complicated as they appeared like bunches of grapes. We were able to remove all the fibroids in her uterus that appeared compressed in the MRI scan, without any complications,” explained Dr Shantala.

According to the doctor, uterine fibroids are made of muscle and fibrous tissue, and vary in size and shape. The symptoms include pelvic pain, abnormal menstrual cycles, and sometimes even abortion, premature delivery, bulge in tummy, and urine and motion disturbance.

“They sometimes go away on their own. However, when left untreated, these fibroids can grow in size and numbers, resulting in worsening of the symptoms and causing further complications, including anaemia and infertility,” she said, adding initial symptoms must not be ignored.

The media professional underwent a four-and-a-half-hour surgery on October 6, and doctors at Sakra World Hospital preserved her uterus. Though she experienced symptoms of pain, excessive bleeding and abnormal menstrual cycles, she delayed consulting doctors due to Covid fear

MP couple lose boy born after 12yrs in ICU fire

MP couple lose boy born after 12yrs in ICU fire

Jamal Ayub & Sudeept Mishra TNN

Bhopal:11.11.2021

A couple who waited 12 years for a child took the baby back home, dead, just a week after birth. A father of twins ran about in tears, seeking to know their fate, only to learn in the wee hours that one of them was dead and the other critical.

The grandmother and aunt of another newborn fainted on seeing his blackened body, with his plastic crib apparently melted on the skin .

Bhopal’s Kamala Nehru Hospital was torn by heartrending scenes a day after a fire in the paediatric ICU killed four babies.

‘Brought kids to hospital 2 hours before fire broke out’

Ankush Yadav staggered as he carried a cardboard box in his arms on Tuesday morning. It contained the remains of one of his twin daughters, born less than 12 hours before the fire broke out. At night, he was told the other twin had died too. They were the first-borns of Rachna and Ankush. “I brought them to Kamala Nehru Hospital in the evening, barely two hours before the fire broke out,” said Ankush, who runs a grocery shop.

Ankush switched two hospitals — one of them asked for Rs 10 lakh — before landing up at Kamala Nehru where the twins were admitted to the ICU. “On Monday night, a doctor asked me to bring an injection that costs Rs 8,000. I went back to verify the name of the injection when the fire erupted around 8.30pm,” Ankush said.

Travel booster: 96 countries to sign vax cert pact with India

Travel booster: 96 countries to sign vax cert pact with India

UK, EU Nations In Long List; Talks On With More

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:11.11.2021

In a big boost to international travel, 96 countries — including US, UK, many European and Middle East nations — have agreed to mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccination certificates with India, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.

The government continues to be in communication with more countries so that beneficiaries of the world’s “largest Covid vaccination programme are accepted and recognised”, thereby easing travel for education, business and tourism purposes, Mandaviya said in a statement.

The move will ease travel for those vaccinated with Indian-manufactured Covishield and Covaxin. The countries include Canada, Turkey and Australia as well. Canada has sought an application from Covaxin to approve it, even as WHO’s emergency use approval has boosted the vaccine’s international acceptability.

“At present, 96 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of vaccination certificates and also those [countries] who recognise Indian vaccination certificates of travellers fully vaccinated with Covishield/WHO approved/ nationally approved Covid vaccines,” the government statement said.

Consecutively, persons travelling from these countries are provided certain relaxations as enunciated in the health ministry’s guidelines on international arrivals issued on October 20, 2021, the ministry said. For those who wish to travel abroad, the international travel vaccination certificate can also be downloaded from the CoWIN portal.

A couple reunite at Newark airport on Monday after US relaxed curbs

No vax shot, no entry at Ajanta caves

The district disaster management authority (DDMA) for Aurangabad has decided to aggressively assist the endeavour to push up vaccination coverage in the district by making it mandatory for visitors to tourist places, like the Ajanta-Ellora caves, to have taken at least one Covid vaccine dose.

MEA in touch with all countries: Min

Many countries from Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean islands have agreed to recognize Covid-19 certificates with India.

“The ministry of health along with the ministry of external affairs is in continuous communication with all countries for mutual recognition of vaccine certificates, and WHO and nationally approved vaccines to facilitate hassle-free international travel across countries,” the minister said. “The government’s commitment to accelerate the pace and expandthe scope of Covid-19 vaccination across the country has resulted in crossing the 100 crore milestone in administration of doses on October 21, 2021,” he stated.

Red alert for Chennai, coastal dists; 2-day leave for schools and colleges

Red alert for Chennai, coastal dists; 2-day leave for schools and colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.11.2021

The low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal may soon concentrate into a depression and bring widespread rainfall across Tamil Nadu for the next few days, the Meteorological department said on Tuesday, issuing red alert for Chennai and other coastal districts of the state.

The department has sounded red alert for Chennai on Thursday, and for one more day for the other coastal districts.

The government has declared holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpet, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, and Mayiladuthurai districts on Wednesday and Thursday.

While Nungambakkam received 11.1mm rainfall, airport recorded 1.9mm rain on Tuesday.

The weather system is likely to bring extremely heavy rainfall on Wednesday at isolated places over delta districts, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Puducherry and Karaikal. On Thursday, extremely heavy rain may be recorded in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengelpettu, Villupuram and Tiruvannamalai. “Rainfall will be mostly in the night. After November 11, rain will reduce significantly,” said IMD area cyclone warning centre director N Puviarasan. Many interior and western districts may also receive heavy to very heavy spells for two days.

Revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran on Tuesday said five people died in rain-related incidents in Theni, Trichy, Madurai and Chennai districts. At least 64 cattle deaths were reported across the state, and 538 huts and 129 houses were damaged.

In Chennai, 1,723 people have been moved to 22 relief centres and 147 more centres have been kept ready. More than 11.49 lakh food packets have been given away to people across the city.

Poondi, Puzhal, Cholavaram, and Chembarambakkam lakes have almost reached their full capacity.

“Steps have been taken to release surplus water taking into consideration the inflow and the safety of dams,” water resources minister Duraimurugan said.

Balagurusamy to head MKU V-C search panel

NEWS DIGEST

Balagurusamy to head MKU V-C search panel

11.011.2021

Anna University former vice-chancellor E Balagurusamy has been appointed as convenor of Madurai Kamaraj University vicechancellor search committee. Former vice-chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University P Maruthamuthu and former vice-chancellor of Tamil University M Rajendran will be other members of the search committee. The university VC's post has been lying vacant after previous vicechancellor M Krishnan was appointed as vice-chancellor of Central University of Tamil Nadu in August. The search panel will recommend three names to governor R N Ravi.

‘COVID-19 victims entitled to a minimum of ₹50,000’

‘COVID-19 victims entitled to a minimum of ₹50,000’

HC says individual governments can also pay more than the minimum amount

10/11/2021

Legal Correspondent CHENNAI

The Madras High Court on Monday said the governments in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are obligated, as per Supreme Court orders, to pay a minimum of ₹50,000 each to the familes of over 36,000 people who had died so far due to COVID-19 in the State as well as the Union Territory.

Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu said the minimum amount was fixed by the Supreme Court under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The individual governments, however, would be free to pay much more than the minimum amount.

The judges granted a week's time for the governments to disclose the amount of money, over and above ₹50,000, that they would be willing to pay from the State Disaster Relief Fund.

The court also wanted a mechanism to be in place o redress the grievances of the claimants quickly.

The interim orders were passed on a couple of public interest litigation petitions seeking adequate compensation to the victims. Counsel for one of the petitioners, Kabilan Manoharan, insisted that the legal heirs or the next of the kin of every person who had succumbed to COVID-19 must be paid ₹4 lakh.