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Haryana

Absent for long, 161 Haryana govt doctors face axe

Posted at: Jun 29, 2018, 12:48 AM

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 28

As many as 161 government doctors who have been absenting themselves from duty for long face the axe.

Sources say the state government has decided to serve them notice through newspapers, asking them to rejoin duty within a specified time. If they fail to rejoin, the government will dismiss them from service.

Confirming the development, Health Minister Anil Vij said more than 150 doctors had been absent from duty for long, some of them for several years.

“We want to recruit new doctors to address the problem of shortage. We can recruit new people only against sanctioned posts. If more than 150 sanctioned posts are occupied by doctors who are not working, it is double jeopardy for us, as they neither working with us nor enabling us to fill those posts,” Vij said.

Asked whether or not the 161 doctors are those who executed a bond for serving the Haryana Government in lieu of pursuing their post-graduation, Vij replied in the negative. “They might have started private practice or joined service in other states without resigning from the Haryana Government,” he said.

Jasbir Singh Parmar, the president of the Haryana Civil Medical Services (HCMS), an organisation of government doctors in the state, claimed that poor service conditions in the state made the doctors to quit.

“The Delhi and Punjab Government give better salaries to their doctors. Besides, Delhi gives four assured career progressions (ACPs) in fourth, ninth, thirteenth and twentieth year of service, while Punjab gives three ACPs in fourth, ninth and fourteenth year, but Haryana gives three ACPs in fifth, tenth and fifteenth year of service,” Dr Parmar alleged.

Sources say the problem of shortage of doctors is of bigger proportions.

Sources said that of the 3,083 sanctioned posts of doctor (medical officer) in the Haryana Health Department, about 500 are lying vacant.

This does not mean that 2,583 doctors are actually working. Apart from 161 doctors who have been absent from duty, about 300 are on childcare leave on any given day and as many doctors are on paid study leave. And about 50 doctors are on deputation to Chandigarh.

To make matters worse, sources in the department say there is inequitable distribution of doctors across the state as doctors prefer postings in Panchkula and Gurugram.

“In all, 194 medical officers are posted in the Director of Health Services and other allied institutions in Panchkula, even when there is no post sanctioned for them. Besides, 18 doctors are working without a sanctioned post in Panchkula district,” the sources said.

Phone charger explodes

90-yr-old, daughter die after phone charger explodes in Chennai

DECCAN CHRONICLE. | P A JEBARAJ

PublishedJul 1, 2018, 5:54 am IST

A case has been registered with Tambaram police who will investigate the case.

 They have also issued a statement about harmful effects of overcharging a mobile phone to warn the public.

Chennai: Two people hailing from Ranganathapuram in Tambaram died in a fire caused by the explosion of a mobile phone on Saturday.

Habib Mohammed (90) and daughter Muharumisha (60) succumbed to injuries at the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital sustained after a second-hand mobile they had bought from the Pallavaram market exploded late at night.

The incident occurred after the duo, who are fruit sellers,  returned home, and went to sleep after plugging the phone to charge and burning a mosquito coil to ward off mosquitoes. The police initially assumed that the fire was caused by the mosquito coil. Her children, who live close by,  rushed to the scene and took them to the hospital.

Habib died early in the morning while Muharumisha was able to given a statement to the Tambaram police, before succumbing to her wounds at around 11 am on Saturday. She said that the fire was caused by the mobile phone and not by the mosquito coil burning next to it.

A case has been registered with Tambaram police who will investigate the case. They have also issued a statement about harmful effects of overcharging a mobile phone to warn the public.

Dental

Dental students seek abolition of ‘break system’

DECCAN CHRONICLE.

PublishedJul 1, 2018, 6:04 am IST

In a meeting held on Saturday, members of Doctors’ Association for Social Equality urged the state government to regulate the ‘break system’.

 Dental students who fail in the first year exams have wait as a ‘break’ for a period of six months before one appears for supplementary exam.

Chennai: The government dental students who need to follow ‘break system’ to appear for supplementary exams are demanding supplementary exam to be held as per the exam regulations for MBBS students.

In a meeting held on Saturday, members of Doctors’ Association for Social Equality urged the state government to regulate the ‘break system’.

Dental students who fail in the first year exams have wait as a ‘break’ for a period of six months before one appears for supplementary exam. However, for MBBS students, supplementary exam is held within a month. The system is similar for MBBS systems till last year of their course.“State government authorities should look into the ‘break system’ of supplementary exams for dental students in first year. We want that ‘break system’ should be dissolved and supplementary exam should be held within a month for BDS students also,” said Dr Raveendranath, secretary, Doctors’ Association for Social Equality. “Though medical colleges charge six months of tuition fees, if you have not passed any of the first year of dentistry in the first year, the break is a state of ‘disqualification’ for six months before re-examination. This system has been cancelled for MBBS students, and should be cancelled for BDS students also,” said a BDS student at Government Dental College. Members of Interns and Postgraduates Association of
Tamil Nadu also demanded an increase in stipend provided by the state government to the medical interns and postgraduate students. Postgraduate students say that the stipend paid to the medical students in other states of the country is more than what is paid to the medical interns and postgraduate students of Tamil Nadu and should be increased.

Man fined

Man fined Rs 30,000 for stealthily milking neighbour’s cow for 3 years

A man from Kesturu village has indeed loved his neighbour like he loves himself, and in the process helped himself to his neighbour’s assets.

Published: 02nd July 2018 04:23 AM  |   Last Updated: 02nd July 2018 04:23 AM  | 

Manjulamma and her mother-in-law Siddamma with their cow | Express

By Devaraj B Hirehalli

Express News Service

TUMAKURU: A man from Kesturu village has indeed loved his neighbour like he loves himself, and in the process helped himself to his neighbour’s assets. Over three years, Rajanna stealthily milked cows that belonged to Narasimharaju till he was caught in the act recently.

An owner of a cow himself, Rajanna, a native of the village near Tumakuru, went on to confess that he envied his neighbours, who owned four cows.

Manjulamma would milk her cows at 5.30 am every day. As he was aware of this routine, Rajanna would beat her to it and milk a cow of his neighbours as early as 3.30 am. He would draw about 5 litres and sell it saying it came from his cow.

A worried Manjulamma consulted a veterinarian asking him to diagnose the reason for the decreased quantity of milk yielded by her cows. The vet clarified that there was nothing wrong with her cows.
The woman then suspected her husband, who, she thought, was making an extra buck to feed his addiction, which was alcohol. When she confronted Narasimharaju with the accusation, he wanted to get to the bottom of things. In a bid to clear his name, he began keeping a close eye on their cows.  

After many a sleepless night, he one day caught his neighbour “robbing” milk from one of their cows “as early as 3.30 in the morning.” “When I heard some sounds coming from our cow shed, I went out there and held a torch in the man’s face who was milking our cow and thus making the noise that attracted me. It was Rajanna, but he escaped,” the man narrated his experience to the police. The police booked Rajanna under the ‘non-cognizable offence’.

Meanwhile, the issue had circulated in the village following which the heads of the village held a meeting to settle the matter. They instructed Rajanna to pay ` 30,000 as a penalty to Narasimharaju, which he has promised to settle soon.

Loan repayment: Tamil Nadu Co-operative Bank refuses to return 131 grams of gold over Rs 1?

According to the customer, he returned Rs 14,590 on March 28, 2011 and paid the entire balance amount, with interest, but the bank received only Rs 1,37,761 and kept Rs 1 as a pending balance.

Published: 01st July 2018 05:10 AM  |   Last Updated: 01st July 2018 05:10 AM  |  

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A difference of Rs 1 in remittance to settle a loan has allegedly resulted in a bank’s refusal to return 131 grams of gold pledged by a man.

According to his advocate M Sathyan, C Kumar had pledged 131 grams of jewellery and availed a loan of Rs 1.23 lakh on April 6, 2010 from Pallavaram branch of Kancheepuram Central Co-operative Bank Limited. He returned Rs 14,590 on March 28, 2011 and paid the entire balance amount, with interest, but the bank received only Rs 1,37,761 and kept Rs 1 as a pending balance, Sathyan told the Madras High court.

“Even though the petitioner was willing to pay the Rs 1, the bank rejected the offer and refused to return the jewels,” Sathyan alleged.

The Madras High Court directed the government advocate to obtain instructions on a writ plea from a member of the bank. Justice T Raja gave the direction while admitting a writ plea from Kumar last week.

Medical, dental counselling a mess on day one Names of students with disabilities that figured on rank list not found on shortlist prepared by the selection committee.

CHENNAI: Counselling for MBBS and BDS admissions, which began at the Government Multi Super-Speciality Hospital in the Omandurar Estate on Sunday, was marked by confusion and arguments. 

Under the special category quota covering sportspersons, the students with disabilities and wards of ex-servicemen, out of 101 candidates called for, 63 attended the counselling. On day one, 38 MBBS seats in government medical colleges and two BDS seats in government dental colleges were filled up, 14 candidates opted out and eight were wait-listed.

Though the government has increased the number of MBBS seats under the sports quota from three to seven this year, a sportperson, who couldn’t get seat, said the State was not doing justice to sportspersons by not increasing the percentage of seats for them.  K Priya, a basket ball player from Coimbatore, couldn’t get seat as more students scored high marks this year.”My sports achievement mark last year was 490, and this year 360. It has dropped because I couldn’t participate in a national tournament in Punjab because the NEET-UG was scheduled for the same day. So, this year too I lost MBBS seat”.

“The government should increase the percentage of seats allotted under the sports quota. It has now increased it from 0.09 per cent to 0.25 per cent, but in Kerala it is 0.58 per cent and even in Puducherry it is 1 per cent,” said  S Krishnamoorthy, father of Priya.Meanwhile, there was confusion when the disabled candidates whose names had figured in the rank list ,but were not found in the shortlist prepared by the selection committee. After arguments, the candidates were sent for evaluation. 

After doctors certified that the candidates are above 50 per cent disabled, they were allowed for the counselling. A few others were sent back as they are not eligible. Among the students with disabilities, who secured seats after evaluation, were R Dhanalakshmi from Chennai and Vinoth Kumar from Thanjavur.Counselling for the general category will begin at 9 am on July 2 at the same venue.

Confusion on listing 
There was confusion when the students with disabilities, whose names had figured on the rank list, were not found on the shortlist. After arguments, the candidates were sent for evaluation. After doctors certified that the candidates are above 50 per cent disabled, they were allowed for the counselling. A few others were sent back as they were not eligible. 

New Train proposal

Tambaram-Nagercoil: New express train proposal sent for approval

The Southern Railway has proposed to introduce a tri-weekly express train between Tambaram and Nagercoi

Published: 02nd July 2018 03:34 AM  |   Last Updated: 02nd July 2018 03:34 AM  | 

By B Anbuselvan

Express News Service

CHENNAI : In what appears to be a move to pacify the Nagercoil rail users who have been vehemently demanding merger of their railway lines with the Madurai division on account of the alleged step-motherly treatment meted out by the Thiruvananthapuram division to them, the Southern Railway has proposed to introduce a tri-weekly express train between Tambaram and Nagercoil.

“A proposal to operate a new train via Villupuram, Tiruchy, Madurai and Tirunelveli has been sent to the Railway Board for approval. An official announcement is expected in the time-table scheduled to be released on August 15,” said top officials of the Southern Railway.Residents of Nagercoil located about 750 km from the state capital fully rely on the train services to reach Chennai. 

Presently, the Kanniyakumari Express runs packed throughout the year. Another weekly express operated from Central-Nagercoil could not meet increasing passenger demand. “It’s impossible to get sleeper tickets in Kanniyakumari Express on weekends. For a population of 30 lakh, we are left with only one daily express train to Chennai,” said Kanniyakumari Rail Users Association general secretary P Edward Jeni. 

A Senior official said works on construction of pit lines and stabling lines at Nagercoil station had already begun. 

Proposed new trains in the new timetable 
Chennai Egmore-Sengottai biweekly Silambu Express may become a triweekly express (One rake)
Tambaram-Kollam bi/triweekly Express (one rake)
Tambaram-Nagercoil triweekly Express (one rake)