Hike medical scheme limit, HC tells TN

Hike medical scheme limit, HC tells TN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:01.06.2021

The Madras HC asked Tamil Nadu government to consider increasing the minimum income limit of ₹72,000 per annum for beneficiaries to access chief minister's comprehensive health insurance scheme.

The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy asserted that the eligibility limit is much lower than the minimum wage to be paid to an unskilled worker.

“Since this is a matter of policy, it is left to the state to consider whether the upward revision of the minimum threshold limit would be appropriate. However, the appeal appears to be reasonable and it is hoped that the minimum threshold level would be substantially increased to allow a larger number of families to avail of the benefit under the scheme,” the court said. The financial difficulties faced by ordinary citizens, particularly those who are not able to afford expensive treatment, should be looked into by the state, the court added.

The court passed the order on a PIL by D I Nathan to regulate fee charged by private hospitals for Covid-19 treatment in the state.

Anna varsity panel begins search for new vice-chancellor

Anna varsity panel begins search for new vice-chancellor

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:01.06.2021

After a delay of two months, Anna University vicechancellor search panel headed by Jawaharlal Nehru University vice-chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday invited applications for new V-C from distinguished academicians.

"The search panel invites applications for the post of vicechancellor of the university from distinguished academicians with high level of competence, integrity, moral and institutional commitment and possessing the educational and work experience notified by the Tamil Nadu government," the nodal officer to the committee said. As per the qualifications prescribed by the government, a candidate must have 20 years of experience in teaching and research in universities, PG colleges or research institutions. They should have a minimum 10-year experience as a professor in a university system.

Interested candidates can download the application form from www.annauniv.edu. The filled-in application should be sent to nodalofficer2021@annauniv.edu on or before June 30. The search committee needs to recommend a panel of three names to the governor for appointment of vice-chancellor within four months of its formation. Professors from the university urged the governor-chancellor to expedite the process of appointing a new vice-chancellor in view of the pandemic.

"It is very difficult to get the nod for each academic decision from the three member convener committee during the lockdown. The process of selecting new V-C should have been initiated much earlier so that new V-C could have taken charge immediately after the previous vice-chancellor M K Surappa completed his tenure on April11. Now, at least they should appoint the next vice-chancellor before the start of next academic year," a professor from the university said. The VC search panel has retired IAS officer Sheela Rani Chunkath (government nominee) and ex-VC of Madras University S P Thyagrajan (syndicate nominee) as other two members.

Vaccine as excuse, people crowd roads, police at sea

Vaccine as excuse, people crowd roads, police at sea

Poonamallee, Anna Salai Choked With Vehicles: Cops

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:01.06.2021

The complete lockdown has been extended till June 7, but motorists continue to hit the streets armed with excuses of going to a vaccination centre or hospital. With no clear instructions given, many field level police personnel are at loss too. The sector-wise checks at 348 places are not being carried out.

On Monday, places like Poonamallee, Anna Salai and Broadway were choked with vehicles, police said. Barricades have been erected at check points, but motorists simply fish out identity cards and are allowed to go. Even the e-registration procedure introduced to curb movement does not appear to be working. “With no mechanism to check if the reason is genuine or not, anyone can do e-registration and proceed. All one has to do is to give a mobile number and enter the OTP. He system accepts whatever documents are submitted,” said advocate V S Suresh.

Everyone has the provision to get e-registration and move anywhere in the city. “Police just let them go once the paper is shown, leading to people not taking lockdown seriously.”

After the government extended the lockdown to June 7, dos and don’ts, as per a May 29 order, were sent to all police personnel in the city. They were forwarded on all police WhatsApp groups.

“Most people travelling in the city either show their official identity card or an e-pass. This can be streamlined only if the institutions get e-passes on behalf of their staff through the Tamil Nadu eregistration website,” said police commissioner Shankar Jiwal.

He said that he had suggested to the Tamil Nadu disaster management authority to direct people in places such as banks, telecom firms, petrol bunks, newspaper offices, private firms as well as state and central government offices to get the e-pass through their HR officials or managers. “This would restrict more people from hitting the road,” he said.

Moreover, the penalty amount levied on violators by the traffic police and the law and order wing differs. While those in the first wing collect ₹100 from the bikers for not wearing masks and ₹500 for venturing out, the law and order wing books people coming out without valid reasons and collects ₹200 from anyone not wearing masks.

NO ESCAPE: Police check motorists if they are carrying valid documents for travel during the lockdown on Poonamalee High Road near Pulla Avenue junction on Monday

22 ex-KV students lodge sexual abuse plaint against teacher

22 ex-KV students lodge sexual abuse plaint against teacher

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.06.2021

A total of 22 former students from Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV), CLRI campus, in Chennai have filed a complaint against a teacher for his sexually abusive and inappropriate behaviour. These instances span a timeframe of close to18 years.

Now, Kendriya Vidyalaya-CLRI has constituted a threemember committee to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the complaints against the teacher, who is yet to be suspended or face any other action.

Principal Y Rama Prasad said he was not the competent authority to act on the suspension of the accused teacher. An internal complains committee, which has two teachers and one external member (J Raghava Rao -- chief scientist at CLRI and KV CLRI management committee member), will submit a report after inquiry.

The second stage of inquiry will be conducted by the regional office and they will take a call on what action should be taken against the teacher and whether or not to send it to the commissioner for action, he added.

One of the complainants, a 28-year-old woman now, said he touched her inappropriately on several occasions and once in the middle of the class when she was distributing chocolates to her classmates on her birthday.

“In the light of several instances of sexual harassment, assault and abuse coming out from schools in Chennai, I decided to post my experience on social media – following which several students have reached out to me and my friends (also KV-CLRI alumni) about their own experiences of sexual abuse by the teacher," she said.

In the present complaint to the school principal, the former student said that on more than one instance, the teacher made her sit next to him during tuition classes and touched her on various parts of her body. He grabbed a student's waist while correcting her notebook. The student concerned was made to feel so uncomfortable that she decided to switch over to an alternative language subject, the complaint said.

Another complainant said: “As a young girl, I did not know what to do when this happened to me. I was not sure how my parents would react to this. But the traumatic events continue to haunt till date".

A survivor told TOI that she and others were concerned that he is still working there. “He might continue to misbehave with current students, who may be scared to speak out,” she said.

The complainants want the teacher to be booked and put to trial for committing offences punishable under the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, 2012.

Vax shortage sends suburban youth to city to get jabs

Vax shortage sends suburban youth to city to get jabs

Vaccinations Come To Halt In Avadi On Monday

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:01.06.2021

As suburban areas in Chennai are facing a huge vaccine shortage, people in the age group 18-45 flock to private hospitals in the city to get their jabs.

T Sadagopan, a residentactivist from Pattabiram, said, "My son, who was not able to find a single vaccination slot in and around Avadi, ended up travelling all the way to a private hospital in Anna Nagar to get his first shot. He spent ₹850 for the vaccine, another ₹1,000 for travelling all the way to the city".

Until last week, four to five vaccine centres in Avadi were vaccinating a small group of youngsters, who were keen on getting vaccinated. But it came to a halt from Monday at all centres including government Primary Health Centres (PHCs). Even the Heavy Vehicle Factory (HVF) Hospital has started to restrict vaccines only to its employees and their families, he said.

In response, a senior official from Avadi Corporation said that everyday, they are provided with roughly 2,500 vaccines and all of them were put to use at the end of the day.

"Just like Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), we too collaborate with residents' welfare associations to deliver vaccines at doorsteps of apartments. We are ready to continue vaccination at the same phase if the state provides more doses," he said, requesting anonymity.

Similarly at Tambaram, Chitlapakkam and Selaiyur, people are asked to return home due to shortage. "It was put on hold for four days last week. But now it has resumed. After vaccinating 50 to 60 people, tokens are given to those in queue to get vaccinated the next day," said V Santhanam, Chrompet chapter of People's Awareness Association.

In Poonamallee and Porur, there was no update after online registration. Shankar Anand, a residentactivist from Maangadu said, "Even two days after registering at CoWIN portal with necessary details, there was no reply on slots available at nearby centres".

These localities in adjoining districts of Chennai — Chengalpattu, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram — together report more new cases compared to Chennai itself. However, the vaccination rate here is very low compared to Chennai.

While Chennai has received 20.4 lakh vaccinations so far, the three districts together have got only 7.02 lakh vaccination so far.

Thanjavur: Family of patient booked

Thanjavur: Family of patient booked

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:01.06.2021

Around 200 people who attended the funeral of a 69-year-old man in Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district were tested for Covid-19 on Saturday.

The deceased was found to have died of Covid-19 related complications later. Kumbakonam police booked the family members under Epidemic Act for hiding the Covid status of the patient and allowing a large gathering to participate in the funeral.

Ramasamy, 69 a retired Cooptex manager from Kapisthalam Vadakku Muthaliyar Street in Kumbakonam, was taken to a hospital in Thanjavur by his wife Pichaiammal, 61, for treatment a few days ago.

They both tested positive for Covid-19 and were undergoing treatment at the hospital. Ramasamy died last Friday due to Covid related complications. According to police, his wife Pichaiammal who was undergoing treatment took the body of her husband with the help of his son in an ambulance to their home.

Pichaiammal hid their Covid status from the relatives who attended the funeral, police said. Later, the relatives came to know about this from village administrative officer Sivaprakasam. After this, the family also disclosed their Covid status before the relatives.

A mass Covid-19 test was conducted and the results are expected to be out on Tuesday. The street has been declared out of bound for outsiders by the municipality after the incident.

The wife of the deceased patient hid the family’s Covid-positive status from their relatives who attended the funeral, police said

HC: Govt staff cannot seek legal refuge in DA cases

HC: Govt staff cannot seek legal refuge in DA cases

Kaushik.Kannan@timesgroup.com

Madurai:01.06.2021

The legal protection to a public servant, against prosecution for a deed done as part of his official duty, will not be available if he faces a case of disproportionate assets, the Madras high court has said.

Declining to come to the rescue of Dhandapani, who faced a case while working as assistant director in the rural development department in Trichy district and with an investigation pending against him, a division bench of Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice S Ananthi upheld a single judge’s order in this regard.

The judges held that the complaint is not with regard to discharge of Dhandapani’s official duties, but related to his disproportionate assets.

Govt permission not needed to prosecute in Dhandapani’s case

The judges said: “Therefore, Section 17(A) of Prevention of Corruption Act is not applicable to the appellant. The single judge has rightly observed this point. The appellant has to face the criminal case.”

Section 17 A of the Prevention of the Corruption Act insulates a public servant against prosecution, and says: “No police officer shall conduct any enquiry or inquiry or investigation into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant under this Act, where the alleged offence is relatable to any recommendation made or decision taken by such public servant in discharge of his official functions or duties, without the previous approval…”

It was Dhandapani’s case that he and his brother Kandasamy had a property dispute, due to which the latter’s friend P Karthik kept filing complaints against him before various authorities. Karthik had also moved the high court in 2019 seeking DVAC to probe into his complaints. While dismissing his petition, the court directed Karthik to submit a complaint before the director of rural development and panchayat raj at Chennai.

On receipt of the complaint, it was forwarded to district collector who appointed an inquiry officer. Subsequently, the DVAC also issued proceedings on March 9, 2020, directing Dhandapani to furnish certain particulars. Challenging the proceedings, Dhandapani filed a petition before the Madurai bench of the high court. The single judge had dismissed his petition. Challenging the order of the single judge, the appellant had filed this present writ appeal.