Traffic hit on key road in Perambur

Traffic hit on key road in Perambur

Chennai:11.11.2021

Traffic was disrupted on Perambur Barracks Road as the road cut near Vani Vasanthi theatre left motorists at high risk with many vehicles stuck in potholes and trenches dug up to drain the rainwater.

Rainwater remained stagnated on Demellows Road, Decastor Road restricting movement of bikes and light motor vehicles. This road connecting Pulianthope and Basin Bridge-Washermenpet. Waterlogged Pattalam road also prevented smaller vehicles to ply through. Some residents have dug up across the road near the Conran Smith Road-Perambur Barracks Road junction. TNN

It’s 2015 all over again for folks in Pattalam

It’s 2015 all over again for folks in Pattalam

Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com

At Demellows Road in Pattalam, one of 250-odd streets in an area housing more than 50,000 residents, the scenes on Wednesday brought back memories of the 2015 floods boats ferrying people to safety, some wading through knee-deep water to buy essentials, others moving out with their belongings. On Pulianthope High Road, a few km away, similar scenes played out as the civic body has been unable to drain out water after more than 72 hours. The situation was same at Subramania Nagar in Kodambakkam, Bazullah Road in T Nagar, Seethammal Colony in Alwarpet, parts of Madipakkam, Kolathur and Rajaji Nagar in Villivakkam.

In Pattalam, Perambur and Pulianthope, storm water drains constructed 30 years ago haven’t been repaired, replaced or de-silted for decades. “It is not just lack of funds. These areas are densely populated and to take up a project on a large scale, it requires a lot of time and road traffic blocks,” said an official.

At Bazullah Road and surrounding areas, the culprit is the Mambalam canal.

S Janakarajan, former professor of the Madras Institute of Development Studies, said design doesn’t mean just connecting drains with canals. “They should be designed to carry the water run-off from a 500sqm area.”

BAD MEMORIES: Pattalam has been under water for three days

Chennai reels under heavy rain, depression to cross coast today

Chennai reels under heavy rain, depression to cross coast today

Landfall Likely Near North Of Puducherry

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:`11.11.2021

Heavy rain that started battering the city and its suburbs late on Wednesday may continue on Thursday as the depression that has intensified over the Bay of Bengal is likely to cross the coast close to north of Puducherry and south of Andhra on Thursday evening. As of late Wednesday, the depression was around 430km east-southeast of Chennai and 420km east-southeast of Puducherry.

Several areas in Chennai continued to be inundated by rain water on Wednesday.

N Puviarasan, director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, IMD, said the system is likely to bring thunderstorms with very to very heavy rain in a few places and isolated extremely heavy rain in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Chengalpet. “There will be more rain than wind. Surface winds on land close to the coast will be at 30kmph and there won’t be much wind in the interior areas. After it crosses the coast, it will weaken,” Puviarasan said.

The official said the intensity of rainfall in the interior districts of Tamil Nadu may be less and alerts issued for Puducherry, Cuddalore and delta districts have been withdrawn as chances of heavy rainfall in these districts are low. “Unlike cyclones, which have a centre, a depression doesn’t have one. The location of its crossing changes according to cloud formation,” he added. As on Wednesday, around 30 locations remained flooded, and the civic body has sanctioned ₹20 lakh for all 200 wards to buy food for people and arrange machinery for flood relief.

At 97, WWII veteran wins battle for disability pension

At 97, WWII veteran wins battle for disability pension

Yeshika.Budhwar@timesgroup.com

Jaipur: 11.11.2021 

Sepoy Balwant Singh, a 97-year-old World War II veteran from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, won a long personal battle on Tuesday when a military tribunal allowed him the government’s war disability pension that was denied to him for the past five decades. He lost his left leg in a landmine blast while fighting with the Indian contingent for the Allied forces in Italy on December 15, 1944, and was discharged two years later on a basic pension reserved for soldiers invalided out of service for war wounds.

Singh, enlisted in 3/1 Punjab Regiment in1943 and transferred to Rajputana Rifles following his return from WWII, had applied for a pension that the government introduced in 1972, guaranteeing “100% of the last salary drawn” to Indian soldiers discharged from service because of wounds in various wars since Independence. However, soldiers who lost their limbs or were maimed for life fighting in the two World Wars were excluded from this retirement scheme. More than 2.5 million Indians fought in WWII alone.

A New Delhi bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal — taking over the case from its Jaipur unit that was hearing it since 2010 — ruled in favour of the nonagenarian soldier on Tuesday. An administrative member from Chennai said Singh would get 100% pension from 2008 along with arrears, which is prior to three years before he filed the case.

Singh’s counsel Col (retired) S B Singh said the WWII veteran and his family were delighted with the news. “Balwant Singh’s disability is100% as he lost his left leg. We are happy that he got at least some of the dues denied to him.”

Singh served in the pre-Independence Indian Army for three years, two months and 16 days before he was retired prematurely for having lost a leg. His son Subhash Singh said he was happy with the tribunal’s decision, but the family could have done better had the state come forward to help it. “We live in a village and knew nothing about the pension for the battle-wounded. We came to know of it only after the Kargil War (summer 1999),” he said.

Sepoy Balwant Singh had lost his left leg in a landmine blast while fighting with the Indian contingent for the Allied forces in Italy in 1944, and was discharged two years later on a basic pension reserved for soldiers invalided out of service for war wounds

MEA denies permission to Kerala babus for UAE visit

MEA denies permission to Kerala babus for UAE visit

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram:11.11.2021

The Centre has denied political clearance for Kerala principal secretary (industries) K ellangovan and the department’s director S Harikishore to travel to the UAE for supervision of Kerala’s preparations to set up a pavilion at the Dubai World Expo.

The state had sought clearance from the ministry of external affairs for the officials to visit the expo venue from November 10 to 12 to supervise the state’s preparations. The ministry informed the state that the officials could visit the venue in the first week of December, if required.

Industries minister P Rajeeve protested against the Centre’s decision to deny travel clearance for an event in which Kerala wants to put its best foot forward.

The Kerala pavilion at Dubai World Expo will be open from December 24 to January 6, showcasing its industrial and tourism potential. The expo began on October 1 and will continue till March 31 next year, giving every participating country a chance to portray its best attributes. India's pavilion is being overseen by the ministry of external affairs and the ministry of industries and commerce.

‘Dependent parents no excuse to not pay wife maintenance’

‘Dependent parents no excuse to not pay wife maintenance’

High Court Orders Petitioner To Pay Wife ₹20,000 Every Month

Ajay.Sura@timesgroup.com

Chandigarh:11.11.2021

The Punjab and Haryana high court has made it clear that a person cannot be absolved of the liability to maintain his estranged wife and minor children on the ground that he is responsible for his parents who are entirely dependent on him.

“Even if the parents of the petitioner are dependent upon him, it will not absolve him of his liability to maintain his wife and the minor children. The wife and minor children are entitled to reasonable standards of living which are commensurate with the income and status of the petitioner,” Justice Vivek Puri held while dismissing a petition filed by a resident of Haryana’s Kaithal district, who is presently serving as a constable in the Border Security Force (BSF).

The petitioner had challenged the legality and validity of the order dated September 21, 2021, passed by the principal judge, family court, Hisar, through which he was ordered to pay Rs 20,000 every month as maintenance to his estranged wife and their two minor children.

The family court had passed the orders after allowing the application filed by the wife under Section 125 of CrPC seeking maintenance allowance. The wife had argued that she does not have any independent source of income. It was stated that the petitioner is an employee of BSF and earns Rs 47,332 per month. According to the wife, she also has the responsibility of two minor daughters.

The couple in this case was married for a long time and had two daughters. A matrimonial dispute had cropped up between them and both were residing separately.

Aggrieved from the family court orders, the petitioner had approached the HC. His main argument was that his parents are dependent upon him and the interim maintenance awarded by the family court in favour of the wife was on the higher side. He also argued that his wife is a skilled lady having qualifications from ITI.

After hearing the petition, the high court dismissed the husband’s plea observing that the order of the family court cannot be termed to be excessive or not commensurate with the income of the petitioner and does not warrant any interference by this court. With this, the petitioner has to pay Rs 20,000 per month to the wife as per the family court orders.

HP to get 2nd state university, panel to work out modalities

HP to get 2nd state university, panel to work out modalities

Shimla: 11.11.2021

Himachal Pradesh is going to have its second state university with the cabinet on Monday deciding to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of chief secretary to work out the modalities to set up a state university at Mandi. Himachal Pradesh University at Shimla was established on July 22, 1970, and after a wait of 51 years now, the government has decided to have another state university that will directly benefit the students of Mandi, Kullu, Kangra, Hamirpur, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba districts as students of these districts will not have to travel much distance for higher education. Having two state universities will also increase postgraduation seats and students will be able to take admission easily as they will not have to go to private universities. At the same time, thousands of students of Himachal Pradesh will not have to go to other states for the higher education.

Geographically, Mandi is situated in the middle of Himachal Pradesh. Students from tribal areas will be benefited the most with the opening of second university of the state in here. Students from the districts like Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti, which lie on the other end of Shimla, will make find it easier to pursue higher education. TNN