Builder told to pay ₹12.78 lakh compensation to home buyer

Developers failed to hand over a villa in Padur on time

28/11/2019, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,CHENNAI

The Tamil Nadu Real Estate Regulatory Authority (TNRERA) has directed developers to pay a compensation of about ₹12.78 lakh and refund the advance and further amounts totalling about ₹1.42 crore along with interest to a home buyer for delay in delivery of the villa.

In his compliant, K. Srikar Reddy said in August, 2012, he had booked a villa in the project named ‘Pacifica Aurum Villas’ at Padur, Thiruporur in Kancheepuram district and paid an advance amount and made further payments.

The project was developed by Sylvanus Builders and Developers Limited and Pacifica (Chennai project) Infrastructure Co. Pvt. Ltd.

In March 2014, he entered into a sale and construction agreement with the developers and agreed for a purchase price was about ₹1.47 crore.

Mr. Reddy had availed of a home loan and paid ₹1.42 crore.

Promised in 2015

As per the agreement, the developers were supposed to handover the villa by June 2015, but they did not do so, he alleged in his complaint and sought refund of the amount he paid along with interest as well as compensation and other costs from the developers.

In March 2019, the developers informed the buyer that the villa was ready and asked the buyer to clear the remaining dues.

TNRERA noted that Section 18 of the RERA Act gives the right to home buyers to withdraw from the project and demand their money back with interest and compensation, if the promoter fails or is unable to give possession of the property on the date specified in the agreement.

Entitled to refund

The complainant is entitled to a refund of nearly ₹1.42 crore from the developers along with the interest of 10.15% per annum for the entire amount paid from the date of respective payment till repayment by the builder.

It also fixed 9% of the ₹1.42 crore as compensation and ₹25,000 towards litigation costs.

TAKE TEST IN TAMIL

JEE(M) to be in 11 languages from ’21

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:28.11.2019

Now engineering aspirants can have a shot at JEE in vernacular medium. The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Main) will be offered in 11 regional languages, including Tamil, from January 2021. The ministry of human resource development (MHRD) has directed the National Testing Agency (NTA) to prepare for conducting the test in at least 11 languages which include Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Odiya, Telugu and Urdu.

JEE (Main), the national level competitive test for admission to various undergraduate engineering and architecture courses mainly in National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Information Technology and other governmentfunded technical institutes (GFTIs), at present is offered in English, Hindi and Gujarati. This test is also the eligibility exam for JEE (Advanced), the admission test for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

Earlier conducted by CBSE, the computer-based test has now been passed on to NTA. Recently, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, while questioning the inclusion of Gujarati, demanded inclusion of other regional languages. NTA said it has been offering the test in Gujarati following a request from the state.

NTA to work on offering test in all the languages

While the department of higher education of West Bengal wrote to NTA for inclusion of Bengali in the JEE (Main) 2020 question paper, a senior MHRD official said that the test will be offered in all the 11languages from 2021.

According to the official, “In such a short time all the languages cannot be offered as the registration and all logistics have already been scheduled for the 2020 exams. Moreover, it takes time for translation as it is a major exam and no student should be at any disadvantage due to a hurried work. This will be implemented from the January 2021 exams.”

The ministry while asking NTA to work on offering the test in all the languages stated that this would help students continue their schooling in their mother tongue instead of shifting to English or Hindi medium. According MHRD sources, it has asked NTA to also explore possibilities to offer the competitive exams in as many languages as possible.

Convocation 2019 Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education (DU)

‘Include yoga & naturopathy in bill to create new regulator for Indian system of medicine’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:28.11.2019

A parliamentary committee has sought the inclusion of yoga and naturopathy in the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, stating these age-old practices with focus on holistic health are an integral part of Indian culture and the Ayushsystem.

The department-related parliamentary standing committee on health and family welfare, in its report submitted to the Rajya Sabha, said the absence of a central regulatory body at a time when yoga is being considered as a panacea for a meaningful life and living “may result in proliferation of poor standard institutes and unchecked practices by unqualified practitioners”.

The committee also suggested integration of Indian systems of medicine with modern treatment to provide accessible, affordable and quality primary health care. It also asked the state governments to implement measures to enhance the capacity of existing health care professionals, including Ayushpractitioners to address primary care issues and challenges.

Drafted on the lines of the National Medical Commission, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 seeks to create a new regulator, replacing the statutory body, Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), governing higher education in Indian systems of medicine.

The committee has also recommended that a Board of Yoga and Naturopathy be constituted under Clause 18 in the bill. The bill provides for conducting a common National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test and common counselling by the designated authority for admission to all the medical institutions offering Indian system of medicine so as to ensure quality and transparency in admissions.

In rare feat, LS & RS take up all listed questions during question hour

New Delhi:In a rare and coordinated feat, both Houses of Parliament took up all questions that were listed for oral answers by the government on Wednesday during question hour. In Lok Sabha, 20 questions were taken up, while in Rajya Sabha a total number of 15 questions were raised by members of the House.

As soon as question number 140 — the last one on the list of starred questions of the day — was announced, Lok Sabha erupted in table-thumping applause and laughter. Speaker Om Birla thanked the ministers as well as all members of the House for their assistance in letting all questions be answered without disruptions.

In Rajya Sabha too, all 15 starred questions listed for Wednesday were answered orally answered by concerned ministers. TNN

Melavalavu convicts must stay in Vellore: HC

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai:28.11.2019

The Madras high court on Wednesday directed the13 convicts in the Melavalavu massacre in Madurai district to stay in Vellore district till the petition challenging the GOs passed for their premature release is disposed of.

A division bench of Justice S Vaidyanathan and Justice N Anand Venkatesh passed the interim order while hearing the PIL filed by advocate P Rathinam, appearing as partyin-person in the plea challenging the GOs. The case involves the massacre of six dalits at Melavalavu on June 30,1997, by members of another caste following the election of a dalit as the village council president. The state government released all the convicts earlier this month citing good conduct.

The judges noted that they were not inclined to grant any stay since it will virtually amount to granting final relief in the petition. However, due to the sensitivity of the issue and to avoid law and order problems at the village, certain interim directions had to be given till the petition is disposed of. The convicts have been asked to report before the Vellore district probation officer on the second and fourth Sundays and the Vellore superintendent of police on the first and third Sundays. They should not move out of Vellore district without getting the court’s permission. Neither the petitioner nor any other organisation shall take up the issue of the release of the convicts through print media or social media.

No meetings or gatherings are to be allowed regarding the issue till the disposal of the petitions and law and order is to be ensured at Melavalavu village. The judges further directed the secretary of home department, IG prisons and Madurai central prison superintendant to file a counter before January 2 and posted the case for final hearing on January 6.

Meanwhile, the state government stated in the status report that the secretary of home department had submitted that the inspector general of prisons and the state-level committee constituted considered the cases of the prisoners who are eligible for premature release as per the eligibility criteria in GO dated February 1, 2018. However, the bench observed that an earlier bench had come to a conclusion that the act of the accused persons was not a murder but to terrorize the scheduled caste community.

“This observation made by the earlier bench in criminal appeals clearly shows that this case cannot be looked from the angle of a regular murder case and this case clearly has an impact on the persons belonging to the downtrodden section of the society and the society at large. A reading of the status report prima facie shows that this case has not been strictly scrutinized from this angle,” observed the judges.

The convicts have been asked to report before the Vellore district probation officer on the second and fourth Sundays and the Vellore superintendent of police on the first and third Sundays

Centre’s nod for 3 more medical colleges in TN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:28.11.2019

The Centre on Tuesday cleared new medical colleges in Tamil Nadu at Krishnagiri, Nagapattinam and Tiruvallur in addition to the six cleared last month. Each will have 150 MBBS seats.

The six colleges are at Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, the Nilgiris, Dindigul, Namakkal and Tirupur. These nine colleges will not just increase MBBS seats in the state but will also create 9,000 jobs for doctors, nurses, paramedics and other allied health workers.

“At one stroke we will be able to added 6,750 tertiary care beds in the state, where treatment including for complex conditions including organ failure is done free of cost. This means people don’t have to travel from these districts to cities like Chennai, Madurai or Coimbatore for healthcare. Every medical college and hospital will have at least 300 doctors,” said health minister C Vijaya Baskar.

Vijayabaskar said the availability of abundant land parcels in the proximity of the district headquarter hospitals in Krishnagiri, Nagapattinam and Tiruvallur, helped the state get the sanction in no time.

Vijayabaskar and health secretary Beela Rajesh met Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday and thanked him for sanctioning three more colleges. “It is a dream of Amma (former CM J Jayalalithaa) to have colleges in each district. We are close to achieving. In the last six years of the AIADMK government, we have increased MBBS seats by 1,350. Nine more colleges will add another 1,350 seats,” the minister told TOI.

Vijayabaskar said the health department was also planning to take over Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital in Chidambaram, on the lines of medical colleges of ESIC, and IRT medical college in Erode.

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government for sanctioning the colleges. “I requested PM to sanction three colleges and funding for the same. The proposals were sent within a short span of time and land for the colleges was allotted immediately. On my request, the Centre has sanctioned. It is a historic achievement to obtain permission for nine colleges in a year,” the CM said.

TOI REPORT ON NOV 19

Now, students also must register with TN med council

Rule In Place After Reports Of Fake Med Degrees

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:28.11.2019

In an attempt to check those trying to register themselves as doctors with fake MBBS certificates ‘secured’ from universities, the Tamil Nadu Medical Council has now made it mandatory for all medical students to register with the council. Student registration numbers will be converted into doctors’ licence after completion of the degree.

The council resolved to introduce the rule after it found that many were applying for doctors’ licences armed with fake medical degrees and certificates.

Now, after completion of the course, medicos will be eligible to apply for a licence and practise only after they submit the student registration number to the medical council using their degree certificates. They will not be able to register themselves directly as doctors.

Each year, 8,580 students join the MBBS course from the 49 medical colleges in Tamil Nadu and nine colleges in Puducherry.

“At least three times in the last two years, we have caught people submitting fake registration certificates in undergraduate courses. Sometimes students with post graduate degrees from colleges and courses not recogonised by the Medical Council of India also submit applications. We have been seeing so many scams including impersonation in NEET 2019. We wanted to be careful,” said Tamil Nadu State Medical Council president Dr K Senthil. Earlier, the council had even registered doctors with unrecognised postgraduate degrees such as emergency medicine, he said.

“They were cancelled after we were alerted by MCI,” he said.

Now, names of students along with documents including NEET scores, Class XII mark sheets and thumb imprints should be sent to the council by the respective deans of medical colleges as soon as they join the course. The names, batch details along with the college name will be listed on the webpage and moved into the medical register after they get their medical degrees.

The medical council plans to hold a meeting with the directorate of medical education and deans soon, said a senior official.

The council will upgrade its webpage to make it more user friendly. In the new site, which is likely to be launched in December, it will also give the names of doctors who have been suspended or removed from the medical rolls.

Now, users will have to type the doctor’s names or their registration number to check on their status. “Some don’t even have photographs. In the updated version, doctors will be allowed to give their contact details and practice address,” said a senior official, who is working on the new website.

Doctors can log into the council webpage to apply/renew licence, upgrade educational status or intimate change of address online. While renewal once in five years is mandatory to continue practising, as a pre-requisite, doctors should have completed at least 30 hours of continuing medical education in the five years, said the senior official.