Doctors at Villupuram govt. hospital go on flash strike

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

VILLUPURAM, JUNE 28, 2019 00:00 IST

Decision follows an attack on postgraduate student

Doctors at the Villupuram Government Medical College and Hospital at Mundiyambakkam went on a flash strike on Thursday, following an attack on a postgraduate student at the surgical ward on Wednesday night. Police said the PG student was abused and manhandled by the attendant of a woman patient who was admitted in the surgery ward following an accident.

The accused identified as A. Ramamoorthy, who was in an inebriated state, assaulted the PG student following an argument over the treatment provided to his mother A. Ellammal. The PG student immediately alerted the security staff but Ramamoorthy fled the scene.

On information, house surgeons and doctors assembled at the main entrance of the hospital demanding immediate arrest of the accused. Deputy Superintendent of Police N. Thirumal and college dean Dr. G. Sankaranarayanan held talks with the doctors and pacified them following which they withdrew their protest.

Mr. Sankaranarayanan said the police had agreed to enhance security in the medical college following the incident. The police have launched a search for Ramamoorthy, who is at large.

Excess salary/pension could be recovered, says High Court

STAFF REPORTER

MADURAI, JUNE 28, 2019 00:00 IST

Hearing a large number of petitions challenging the recovery of excess salary/pension paid, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday observed that wherever it was legally permissible, the recovery of excessive payment could be made.

However, in the case of last grade and retired employees, the excess payment should be recovered from officials responsible for it.

Justice S.M. Subramaniam observed that the competent authorities of the State government are the custodians of tax payers’ money and they are trustees. Thus, in the event of any lapse, negligence or dereliction of duty in the matter of payment of excess salary/pension to employees, the officials concerned must be responsible and liable for the financial loss.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Subburaj of Madurai, a retired headmaster. The petitioner challenged the recovery of excess pension amount paid to him after audit objections were raised over fixation of pay.

It was said that no show cause notice or reasonable opportunity was provided to the petitioner.

Retired employees were not entitled to receive excess pension or pension benefits, which were all paid from tax collected from the public. The principle of law, as already settled, enumerates that excess payment, if any, made from the taxpayers’ money should be recovered and deposited in the State Treasury.

The court said that the Supreme Court in State of Punjab and Others vs Rafiq Masih (White Washer) case had held that the last grade and retired employees were to be exempted from the recovery, considering the hardship that could be caused to them. In subsequent Supreme Court direction, it was held that only in the event of an administrative error, the exemption could be granted.

However, the court said that excess monetary benefits paid must be recovered from the officials who committed the negligence. The court directed the Chief Secretary to issue a consolidated circular stating that officials accountable for excess payment would have to compensate the financial loss occurred to the State exchequer.

Salem Collector among 7 IAS officers shifted out

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, JUNE 28, 2019 00:00 IST

Posted in T.N. Music & Fine Arts varsity

In a surprise move, Salem Collector Rohini R. Bhajibhakare, who had executed several projects in Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s native district, was transferred and posted as Registrar of Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University in Chennai.

She had served as Salem Collector since August 2017.

IAS officer S.A. Raman is the new Salem Collector. He was earlier the District Collector in Vellore. While Ariyalur Collector M. Vijayalakshmi was transferred and posted as Dindigul Collector, T.G. Vinay, who was holding that post, was transferred and posted as Ariyalur Collector.

Tamil Nadu State Election Commission Secretary T.S. Rajasekar was transferred and posted as Madurai Collector, a position earlier held by DRO S. Santhakumar as additional charge. R. Seethalakshmi, who was earlier the Registrar at Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University, was transferred and posted as Chennai Collector, and A. Shanmugasundaram, holding the latter post, was shifted and posted as Vellore Collector.



She had executed several projects in

Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s native district

MCI extends date for EWS quota application

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI, JUNE 28, 2019 00:00 IST

State’s position unclear; self-financing colleges not keen

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has extended the deadline till Friday to apply for the 10% economically weaker section quota. .

This is the third time the MCI has extended the deadline since the first announcement was made on April 18.

The last date to submit applications was June 11.

On Tuesday, the MCI again issued a circular revising the last date to June 28.

The council has sought intimation on the reservation percentage of the State for all categories, along with the proposal.

The dean of a college said as per the MCI procedure colleges could individually email the council and also the government requesting additional seats. This could increase the number of MBBS/BDS seats substantially in the State.

Director of Medical Education A. Edwin Joe said the colleges had forwarded to him the applications which he had forwarded to the government.

The official said, “The State government is the owner of the colleges and we have to get its concurrence. We have 3,350 seats of which we should get around 335 seats if the quota is implemented,” he said.

Health Secretary Beela Rajesh said, “It is still a policy decision that the government has to take.”

Self-financing medical colleges in the State have also not attempted to apply for the EWS quota.

The principal of a self-financing college said he had discouraged his management from applying. The colleges will have to parallelly improve the infrastructure and increase the faculty strength. The fee structure for these students is low whereas the faculty salary would be high, the official pointed out.

On Wednesday, the Medical Counselling Committee of the Director General of Health Services extended the deadline for choice locking for the all-India quota seats.

MCC revises schedule

On Thursday, it announced the revised schedule: the seat allotment process will be done till June 30 and the results of the first round would be available on July 1.

Candidates will get time to join colleges till July 6. The second round of counselling will begin on July 9.

The DME is expected to release merit list for State quota on July 2.

‘Yelantha pazham’ fame actor Vijaya Nirmala dies at 73

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad/Chennai:28.06.2019

Veteran actor and director Vijaya Nirmala, who had been ailing for a while, passed away in a Hyderabad hospital on Wednesday night. She was 73.

Nirmala was a southern star in every sense, leaving her mark not just in Telugu, but in Tamil and Malayalam as well, having acted in over 200 movies. As a director of 44 films, she also held the Guinness World Record for a women director. Nirmala married veteran actor Krishna and is survived by him and son, actor Naresh. She is the stepmother of Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu, who is the son of Krishna’s first wife Indira. The actress’ last rites will be performed at the family’s farmhouse at Chilkur on Friday.

Born in Chennai, she was introduced to the silver screen in 1950 at the age of seven in the Tamil film Mrithyu Rekha. Her first film in Telugu was Panduranga Mahathyam at the age of 12, but she was introduced as a heroine in Rangularaatnam. She became an instant hit in Malayalam, starring in the 1964 movie Bhargavi Nilayamopposite Prem Nazir.

Her first film as a director was Meenain 1971and she also directed her husband Krishna’s movies. Her role in Alluri Sitaramaraju essayed with Krishna in the lead got rave reviews. Some of her famous works include Pandanti Kapuram, Mosagallaku Mosagadu, Marina Manishi, Kurukshetramand Thathamanavadu.

A polyglot that she was, Nirmala dubbed for her roles in Tamil. From a petite girl in Chitthi, she grew up to become one of the finest women directors. She is remembered in Tamil Nadu especially for her performances in Neelagiri Express, Soappu Seeppu Kananadiand Enga Veetu Penn.

CM K Chandrasekhar Rao also visited the family on Thursday. AP CM Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and ex-CM Chandrababu Naidu also expressed their condolences.

Reminiscing about her time in Tamil films, veteran director, producer and actor Chithra Lakshmanan said: “When actor Krishna was shooting for Jamadagni directed by P Bharathiraja in 1988 in Ooty, Nirmala was a perfect wife accompanying him for shoots. She not only looked after him, but also hosted lunches for Bharathiraja and me. You cannot find a better host than her.”

Among the sari-clad heroines of the 1960s, Nirmala never shied away from wearing modern clothes. “She was ahead of her times,” says Lakshmanan.

“In Panama Pasama, though the story revolved around the conflict between Gemini Ganesan and S Varalakshmi, Vijaya Nirmala’s performance stole the show. People thronged theatres to watch the ‘yelantha pazham’ song in which she was elegance personified,” he said.

Odisha nurses sent on leave for TikTok videos

Koraput:28.06.2019

The four nurses who had recorded TikTok videos inside the district headquarters hospital’s sick newborn care unit (SNCU) were sent on compulsory leave on Thursday.

“The nurses were asked to show cause for their conduct within 24 hours. They have replied to the show-cause notice. They have been sent on compulsory leave till investigation is over. Necessary action will be taken once we receive the inquiry report,” Manish Agarwal, Malkangiri district collector, said. TNN

NEET UG 2019