Schools, colleges may reopen in July

Schools, colleges may reopen in July

Chief Minister says State will wait for Centre’s instructions

02/06/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Monday that the government would consider reopening of schools and educational institutions and resumption of campus life only in July.

The Centre said it would issue guidelines for the recommencement of campus education and allied academic activities after the first phase of the staggered lockdown relaxation ended on June 30. Kerala awaited the strictures, he said at his daily media briefing on the COVID-19 situation in the State. Mr. Vijayan said students who had missed the online classes on June 1 should not worry.

Repeat sessions

Teachers would repeat the sessions on the Victers channel and other online platforms. The government had put 1,20,000 laptops, 7,000 projectors and a large number of televisions to help educators take learning to children.

He said school and college teachers should ensure that online teaching benefited all sections of students. They could organise special classes for students with limited access to cable TV and online platforms of learning.

He said 99.92% of students appeared for the SSLC examination. The percentage of attendance for higher secondary and vocational higher Secondary examinations were 98.3 and 98.92 % respectively.

Low-interest loans

The Kerala State Financial Enterprises (KSFE) would set up neighbourhood study centres for children without access to smartphones, television sets, or the Internet. The KSFE would also give low-interest loans to members of the Kudumbashree Mission to purchase laptop computers. Only those women who were members of the KSFE micro-chit scheme would be eligible for the loan.

Mr. Vijayan encouraged philanthropists and businesses to sponsor remote learning centres for underprivileged children in tandem with the KSFE.

TRS government has many reasons to pat itself

TRS government has many reasons to pat itself

Sixth anniversary of Formation Day of Telangana State today

02/06/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,HYDERABAD

Telengana Martyr’s Memorial at Gun Park in Hyderabadfile photofile photo

Telangana State which celebrates its sixth State Formation Day on Tuesday has a reason to feel proud and satisfied as its major initiatives in key sectors to realise its ultimate goal of making the State a model to the country are on track and some of them as in the irrigation sector are closer to realising their grand objectives, according to the ruling party functionaries.

The State that came into existence with the slogan of ‘Neellu, Nidhulu and Udyogalu’ for the region and its people, turned around sectors like power, irrigation and provided a revived focus on health and education in public sector to make government educational institutions and hospitals and health care centres make a mark amidst domination by the private sector.

Under the stewardship of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who led the movement for a Statehood for Telangana, and achieved the goal of Statehood, TRS government conceived, conceptualised and executed several flagship programmes under irrigation, agriculture, health, infrastructure, industry and information technology, afforestation and greenery.

The State pioneered Rythu Bandhu investment assistance scheme, Rythu Bima which became model for the rest of the country and so also its Mission Bhagiratha drinking water scheme to every household, Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi programmes to focus on sanitation, hygiene and make the villages and urban areas as models.

The ambitious Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project to utilise Godavari waters, when completed, would bring 235 tmc ft of water for irrigation and irrigate 45 lakh acres. The government’s ultimate aim is to give irrigation facility to 1.25 crore acres by completing Kaleshwaram and several other irrigation projects to meet irrigation and drinking water requirements and make agriculture profitable for farmers.

The government sources said that in the united State, ₹94,000 crore were spent on irrigation sector for 23 districts in 10 years and in Telangana State, over ₹50,000 crore were spent on irrigation sector in four years.

The crisis in power sector was overcome within six months after formation of the State to put an end to power cuts. Telangana was the only State providing 24x7 power supply to agriculture sector from January 1, 2018 free of cost and 30% of power generated was being utilised for free supply. The power generation went up from 7,778 MW in 2014 to 15,980 MW now including 3,681 MW of solar power. In the next three years, another 10,000 MW would be generated to make Telangana a power surplus State. The distribution and transmission sectors were also being strengthened and construction of sub-stations and power transformers, distribution transformers and other power infrastructure was taken up at a cost of ₹27,770 crore.

In health sector, several innovative schemes were introduced and medical and health infrastructure was strengthened in public sector and achieved bringing down maternal and infant mortality rates. It set up 20 ICU units with 10 beds each to deal with emergencies in 25 district and area hospitals. It also set up diagnostic centres in district headquarters to conduct 58 types of tests. Under ‘Amma Vodi’ scheme, emergency 102 vehicles were introduced to bring pregnant women from their homes to the government hospitals. It pressed 104 vehicles into service to provide mobile medical services in rural areas.

In the education sector, the number of residential educational institutions increased to 959 as Telangana government so far set up 661 new residential schools for SC,ST, BC and minorities and it was extending overseas scholarships to SC, ST, BC, EBC and minorities students.

Welfare remained at the heart of governance apart from development programmes and spending close to ₹40,000 crore on various welfare schemes like Aasra pensions, Kalyana Lakshmi, food security among others.

Pension, salary deferment pleas posted to June 15

Pension, salary deferment pleas posted to June 15

02/06/2020, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT,HYDERABAD

Telangana High Court

The Telangana High Court on Monday posted a batch of PIL petitions challenging deferment of pensions by 25% to retired employees and salaries by 50% of serving employees by State government to June 15.

A bench of Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy heard the separate pleas filed by senior lawyer S. Satyam Reddy, lawyer Ravi Shankar Jandhyala and some retired government employees on these matters. Pensioners told the court that they are dependent on pension to meet all their expenses.

With the government deciding to defer 25% of their monthly pension, the pensioners are finding it difficult to meet their medical expenses in the lockdown period, their lawyer said.

Advocate General B.S. Prasad sought adjournment of the matters stating that government would be ready to present its arguments on the matters.

In another PIL petition, the bench said it cannot direct GHMC to take action against industrial units causing pollution since the civic body is occupied in tackling coronavirus pandemic.

The bench was hearing the plea seeking a direction to the civic body to close down industries damaging environment in Shastrinagar, Tatanagar, Katedan and other localities where some persons are operating industries without permission from the government.

The petitioners alleged that such factories, by releasing wastage into drains, are causing irreparable damage to the environment. The bench directed the GHMC authorities to file a detailed counter affidavit explaining how many industries were put on notice and closed for damaging the environment.

16-year-old boy kills grandmother for pension money

16-year-old boy kills grandmother for pension money

02/06/2020, STAFF REPORTER,HYDERABAD

A 16-year-old boy allegedly murdered his sexagenarian grandmother at Moinabad on Sunday night after she refused to give him money to meet his expenses. Police said that Kavali Venkatnamma (65) was smothered to death at her house in Sriramnagar.

Moinabad police said that the offence took place around 10 p.m. “Their neighbour’s saw the boy beating her grandmother with a belt for her pension money. They warned him too. Later, at night, he smothered her to death,” the investigators said.

His father passed away a few years back and his mother and two siblings went to a village.

Man succumbs to injuries

In a case of hit and run, a private employee suffered severe injuries and succumbed on Monday at KPHB Colony. The victim, Yalala Swamy Venkata Ramana, 36, from KPHB Colony, was hit by an unidentified auto-rickshaw at a foot over-bridge at Seventh Phase. The accident took place at around 8 p.m. on Sunday and soon he was rushed to Sankhya Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment on Monday evening.

Newly-married minor girl found dead

A 17-year-old girl, who got married two months ago, was found dead at her parents' house in Gumdal village in Doma mandal of Vikarabad district on Sunday night.

She committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan around 6.30 p.m. According to Doma Sub-Inspector G Suresh, the victim was depressed as her husband, Shiv Kumar Reddy (22) of the same village, was refusing to take her home.

“They were in love and got married three months ago with their parents' consent. They were living in Hyderabad, and before lockdown, she came to her parents home to appear for Class X board exams,” the officer said. Later, when the exams were postponed, she went back to Hyderabad, and again in the April first week, Mr. Reddy dropped his ‘minor’ wife at her parents' house. “Since then, he did not return to take her back and was avoiding her calls and messages,” Mr. Suresh said.

(Roshni - Suicide prevention helpline: 914066202000 and 6666 1117).

Students studying abroad are running out of time, money

Students studying abroad are running out of time, money

Classes are to start soon, but many struggling to book tickets

02/06/2020, TANU KULKARNI,BENGALURU

Several students studying in foreign universities, who had come to India for a short vacation, are now stuck in different cities. Classes are to commence soon, but the students are unable to book tickets and have been left in the lurch.

Many of them have visas expiring in the months of June and July and have to get back before that date as they are required to apply for visa extension at the immigration office in their respective countries.

Students studying in many European countries have their examinations in the third week of June. Some others are required to be present to defend their Master’s thesis. “Failure to reach in time will result in many of us losing an academic year while adding to our financial debts,” said a group of Indian students who study in Germany in a statement.

Many students also said interviews for internships and jobs have been put off or cancelled as they could not return in time. The students also said their savings were diminishing because of payment of rent, insurance, and loans, and the rates of Air India flights were not affordable.

Costly affair

Amrutha Varshini, an M.Sc. student from Berlin, Germany, said she had come to Bengaluru on March 12 and had scheduled a return flight on April 15, but it was cancelled because of the lockdown. “A one-way ticket costs around ₹90,000 and it is very difficult for students to shell out so much money on tickets.” She said that she was supposed to intern in July and was pressed for time to return to Germany.

Another student, from Brussels in Belgium, said she has written multiple letters to the Ministry of External Affairs and Air India as her flight scheduled in March was cancelled. “I had booked a flight from New Delhi to Paris, but later had to cancel it because in Europe you can enter another country only if there is no direct flight to your country. After I booked the ticket to Paris, I saw a flight to Brussels. So I had booked that flight, but have still not got any refund or update on my cancelled flight to Paris,” she said.

Dental treatments may have to wait longer

Dental treatments may have to wait longer

Most dentists are still concerned after one of them tested positive for COVID-19

02/06/2020, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

sebastian francis

Your toothache may have to wait longer before your dentist fixes it. Though a few dentists have restarted their practice, they are only offering out patient services and not conducting procedures. However, a majority of dentists are still concerned over the spread of COVID-19 and are yet to return to work.

Even those who had opened their clinics are now contemplating shutting them again after a dentist who had restarted her practice in HSR Layout tested positive for COVID-19 three days ago.

“The dentist contracting the infection has set in a fear psychosis in the community. We are scared to restart our practices,” said Sudarshan Sajjan, hon. secretary, Indian Dental Association, Bengaluru Branch. “With respiratory and saliva droplets being one of the main sources for the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, our work poses the great risk of contracting the infection. There is no way we can escape coming in contact with saliva droplets. Social distancing has no meaning in a dental clinic,” he said.

The few who have restarted their practice are also a worried lot today. A. Yeshwanth, a dentist with a chain of dental clinics in the city, said while they were not doing any procedures that involved the usage of aerosols — an air and water hose used in dental procedures — as it spreads droplets, they were taking utmost precautions otherwise. “All the dentists and their assistants wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suits while seeing the patients. Use of disinfectants to sanitise the patient’s body, especially mouths, thermal guns to check temperatures and a detailed medical history are some of the other measures in place,” he explained.

The Dental Council of India issued a detailed advisory on May 7, which has categorised dental issues as emergency, urgent and has advised against performing any procedures that involves use of aerosols. This essentially rules out root canals, implants and most other surgical procedures, leaving many patients disappointed. “I had the first few sittings for a root canal in March, but before the procedure was completed, lockdown began. The dentist asked me to wait till things settle down, which doesn’t seem to have happened even two months later,” said Meera C., a resident of Malleshpalya.

Dr. Sajjan hasn’t restarted his practice yet. “I have put up my contact number on the doors of my clinic. Anyone can call me. I have opened the clinic twice during lockdown to conduct emergency procedures. But for that, I have been prescribing medicines online or over phone. Most patients tell they are in extreme pain and claim their case is an emergency. But we are scared to conduct any procedure. Some dentists have also asked for COVID-19 test reports before treating patients,” he said.

The Indian Dental Association, Bengaluru Branch, has distributed over 5,000 PPE kits to dentists. “Of the nearly 1,500 dentists in the city, I think less than 20% of them have opened shop,” he said.

IDA, Bengaluru Branch, has also approached the Department of Health and Family Welfare seeking a relief package that includes subsidy on PPE kits, dental equipment, tax waivers and a minimum income support scheme. “Dental clinics are essentially small businesses and over two months of lockdown has pushed most of them to the brink. We need to pay salaries and rents, which many are not able to manage,” Dr. Sajjan said.

RTC staff to get May salary in instalments

RTC staff to get May salary in instalments

With drop in demand, RTCs incurring losses even by plying buses

02/06/2020, STAFF REPORTER,BENGALURU

There are nearly 1.25 lakh workers in the four road transport corporations in the State. Sampath Kumar G.P.Sampath Kumar G.P.

Workers of the four road transport corporations (RTCs) in the State will get only half of their salary for May in the coming week, while the State government and the corporations chalk out a road map to mobilise resources to pay the second instalment. A couple of RTCs are even planning to deploy their workforce on rotation as per demand.

There are nearly 1.25 lakh workers employed in the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NEKRTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC).

With most bus operations hit, the corporations are dependent on the government to pay salaries, senior officials in the RTCs told The Hindu. All the four corporations paid full salaries in one instalment for April as the government released money towards it. However, problem has risen for payment of salaries for May as the government has sanctioned only half the salary bill presently. The salary bill of the four corporations comes up to around ₹366 crore a month, sources said.