QChennai: Makeover for Bus Services, Row over TN House Renaming

Here is your roundup of the top stories from Chennai.

1. Bus Services Likely to Get a Tech Upgrade

In the aftermath of the bus fare hike, the State Transport department is considering a few plans for improving services. Among the proposals are a common card system, introduction of electronic ticketing machines and work on projects to provide real-time information on bus timings.

An official said the department was planning to develop a common card system for the benefit of those travelling by Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses and the Metro Rail.

(Source: The Hindu)

2. ‘Renaming Guest House an Onslaught on Tamil Pride’

The State government’s decision to rename the Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi has triggered a political controversy with DMK leader MK Stalin and Tamizhaga Vazhvurimai Katchi founder T Velmurugan slamming the move on Sunday.

In a statement issued, Stalin, who is also the Leader of Opposition, alleged that with the renaming of the Tamil Nadu House as ‘Vaigai – Tamil Nadu Illam’ and ‘Pothigai – Tamil Nadu Illam’, the Hindutva rulers at the Centre had fulfilled their burning desire to stamp out the values and identity of the Tamil nation steeped in history. He questioned the need for changing the name of Tamil Nadu House, while other States continued to retain their original name for the Houses in Delhi.

(Source: The Hindu)

3. Seven Heritage Sites to Get Disabled-Friendly Facilities

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will develop disabled-friendly facilities at seven sites in Tamil Nadu, including the Sri Kailasanathar temple in Kancheepuram, Sithanavasal caves, Moovar Koil in Kodambalur near Pudukottai, and the Vellore and Gingee forts.

The facilities to be created include ramps, Braille boards with information about the sights, and signage and tactile flooring, as well as disabled-friendly restrooms. All necessary tourist facilities, including wi-fi, security, signage, encroachment-free areas, interpretation centres showing short films about the importance of the monuments, and signboards of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan were to be installed at these monuments. Later, 75 more monuments were added to the list.

(Source: The Hindu)

4. Union Budget Silent on State’s Plea on Dalit Scholarship Scheme

The Tamil Nadu government’s request for changing the cost-sharing pattern of the post-matric scholarship scheme for Dalit students has been ignored by the Union Budget. The State government has been complaining that in the last three years, arrears in Central assistance under the scholarship scheme has accumulated to around Rs 1,547 crore. It has argued that the Centre should follow the pattern of 60:40 cost-sharing, which is the norm adopted generally for Central schemes.

However, last week’s Budget was silent on this issue. At present, the Union government provides its assistance to States only when the expenditure goes over and above what has been committed by the latter. By nature, the assistance comes in the form of reimbursement. Since 2015, the State is contending that the actual amount of Central assistance is short by at least Rs 500 crore every year.

(Source: The Hindu)

5. Government to Tie up with Corporates to Give Schools a Makeover

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Tamil Nadu government have set up a joint task force on ‘School Education System.’ Over the next five years, the task force, along with companies that are members of the CII, will identify government schools which require attention and transform them.

“The idea to set up the task force came during a conclave [regarding education] in Coimbatore. When we proposed the idea, School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan and other officials agreed to it,” said an official.

(Source: The Hindu)

6. ‘Time to Shift Shops Away from Madurai Meenakshi Temple’

In the wake of the fire that broke out at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple on Friday night, Sahitya Akademi Award winner Su Venkatesan and archaeologist C Santhalingam have called for relocating the shops operating on the temple premises.

Venkatesan, who chronicled nearly 600 years of Madurai’s history in his award-winning novel Kaaval Kottam, said, “There was a justification [in the past] for keeping the shops in Pudumandapam and other areas [in the temple’s vicinity], as the temple was surrounded by thatched houses [back then]. Now, concrete buildings have replaced the old houses, and there is no need to keep the shops inside the temple.”

(Source: The Hindu)

7. Clinical Establishments Act to Be Amended

The Health Department is taking steps to amend the Clinical Establishments Act and its rules to cover government and private health sectors. The proposed amendment and rules were likely to be placed before the Assembly in the next session, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said.

“We had the Tamil Nadu Private Clinical Establishments Act without rules. Now, we want to bring in major amendments to cover both the government and the private sector. The Chief Minister is keen that this should be brought in the coming Assembly session. We are working on the rules,” he said.

(Source: The Hindu)