QChennai: VAT Adds to Fuel Price Hike Woes; TN on Nipah Alert
Here is your roundup of the top stories from Chennai.
advertisement
1. Even as Fuel Prices Go Through Roof, Minister Says No Cut in VAT
Even as the fuel price hit a new high across the country with a litre of petrol costing Rs 79.47 and diesel Rs 71.59 in Tamil Nadu, the state government has refused to lower the value added tax on fuel. Fisheries Minister and AIADMK spokesperson D Jayakumar said it was only through fuel and liquor that the government earned a major share of its tax revenue and slashing it was not on the cards. If VAT on fuel was reduced, the government would find it difficult to identify resources for spending on welfare schemes and paying salaries, amounting to Rs 77,000 crore annually.
About 70 percent of the expenditure is just on salary of government employees, he said. Opposition parties have criticised the Centre and state governments for the ever increasing fuel prices and have demanded slashing taxes for bringing down fuel prices.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Tamil Nadu Sounds Alert on Nipah Virus
In the wake of neighbouring state Kerala reporting several deaths due to Nipah virus in Kozhikode district, the Tamil Nadu health department sounded an alert for bordering districts of Kerala intensifying monitoring of fever cases in Kanyakumari, Coimbatore, Nilgiris and Tirunelveli.
The state health department alerted the deputy directors of public health and collectors of the bordering districts to ensure that there is no epidemic outbreak in Tamil Nadu. State Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said the Tamil Nadu health department is in constant touch with the Kerala health department on the incidence of the Nipah virus.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
3. Oh Deer! Social Media Kills Dozen a Day
Fake and insensitive media reports coupled with thoughtless action from the state forest department have resulted in the death of over 10 spotted deer in the past two months ever since they were ‘rescued’ by the foresters from Taramani, where trees were felled recently for construction activities.
It all started with netizens posting Facebook comment screaming “Deer eating plastic and drinking sewer, then these posts were picked by mainstream media carrying reports on these deer. That’s how the rescue programme of stray deer in Chennai started,” recalls an informed forest officer.
Initially, the department was resistant to shifting of about 30 deer, as the move would completely wipe out the specie from the Velachery-Taramani landscape. However the department relocated the deer resulting in the frequent deaths of deer, the source said.
(Source: Deccan Chronicle)
4. 33 Government Schools in Tamil Nadu Without Students to Be Shut
The Tamil Nadu government is planning to either close or merge several schools, citing poor or no enrolment figures, while the Right to Education Act, 2009, emphasises on strengthening of neighbourhood schools.
Nearly 33 government-funded schools in the state have no students and are to be shut down, a highly-placed source in the school education department told. Teachers in these institutions have been deputed to nearby schools depending on the vacancy position. "Besides, nearly 800 schools which have less than 10 students each on their rolls are to be merged with the nearest government-funded school," the source added.
There was, however, no clarity on what would happen to the school buildings after the merger. At present, the source said, there were plans to convert them into libraries.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Movie Producer Files Complaint Against Financier
Murugan, the producer of Aravind Samy-starrer Bascar Oru Rascal, filed a complaint against financier Sanjay Lalwani for allegedly demanding exorbitant interest, on Monday. Murugan filed the complaint at city police commissionerate and levelled usury, extortion and criminal intimidation charges against the financier.
According to the complaint, Murugan had received Rs 1.4 crore from financier Sanjay Lalwani at different stages of the film’s production by pledging satellite and theatrical rights of Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu versions of the movie and satellite rights for the Hindi version. The monthly interest of Rs 5.6 lakh was paid to the tune of Rs 73 lakh.
(Source: The Times of India)
6. Transport Corporations Poorer by Rs 9 Cr a Day After Fuel Price Hike
The recent hike in fuel prices has added more salt to the injuries of the state transport corporations (STC). With the government temporarily scrapping the diesel subsidy, the corporations are forced to bear the additional financial burden of Rs 1 crore a day, said a transport department official. “As a result, the daily losses have crossed the Rs 9 crore mark,” the official added.
To compensate the losses, the corporations have started to cut down services along routes where the daily ticket collection is below par. Operations have been altered in 4,000 routes and completely stopped in 2,000 odd routes, say sources in the state transport department. Until last year, nearly 9,000 government buses were operated along 21,000 routes. The corporations incurred a daily loss of Rs 8 crore a day due to various reasons. To overcome this, the ticket fare was increased.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. AICTE Adds over 4,000 Engineering Seats in TN
This academic year, a total of 4,145 seats have been added to engineering programmes in Tamil Nadu, according to data provided by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). As many as 42 institutes have been given approval to increase the intake from 2,425 seats last year to 6,570 seats in UG courses, giving a fillip to engineering education. Overall, seats have been increased in 69 institutions, which include some diploma and post-graduate programmes.
Across various institutions, seats in pharmacy and management education have been increased, both at the UG and PG levels. For diploma programmes in management or pharmacy, no seats have been increased. Likewise, there is no increase in the number of seats in architecture or in hotel management and catering technology programmes either. The increase in the number of seats is nothing to cheer about, say teachers.
(Source: The Hindu)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)