1. Three Years On, Stoves Go Cold at Amma Canteens in the City
Amma Canteens, launched in 2013 by the then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to cater to the urban poor, have recorded a steady decline in patronage in many city neighbourhoods. This in turn has had a cascading effect on the women self-help groups that run these canteens.
The scheme, which aimed to provide wholesome food at very low rates to the urban poor, was a huge hit initially and has been replicated successfully elsewhere in the country. However, after Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016, while the Amma Canteens — run by the Health Department of the Chennai Corporation — continue to function with the allocation for them being doubled, customers say the quality of the food has declined, leading to a fall in patronage.
(Source: The Hindu)
2. Bail Denied to Scribe in Sexual Abuse Case
The Madras High Court has denied anticipatory bail to journalist Prakash M Swamy who apprehended arrest in connection with a case of alleged sexual abuse. The complainant, a Chennai-based actor, had accused him of sexually abusing her in 2018.
According to prosecution, the petitioner offered to redress some issue in the complainant son’s passport on June 30, 2018. In the pretext of assisting her, it was alleged he sexually abused the complainant. Hearing her scream, her daughter went to her rescue. Immediately, she filed a criminal complaint.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
3. Film Institute Functioning Without Principal for a Decade
The MGR Film and Television Training Institute in Adyar here, one of the well-known institutions in the country offering courses on film-making, has been functioning without a regular principal for around a decade, raising concerns over inefficiencies and irregularities in the administration.
The last regular principal was N Ramesh, whose appointment was set aside by the Madras High Court in 2008 and subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court in 2009. The courts said that Ramesh, who had obtained a postgraduate degree through distance education without having completed any undergraduate degree, cannot be considered to have the necessary qualification for the post.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. 20 Yrs On, Rs 20 Lakh for Boy Transfused With HIV+ Blood
A trial court has directed the dean of the Institute of Child Health and Hospital in Egmore to pay Rs 20 lakh as compensation for transfusing HIV positive blood to a boy in 1998. The boy has now completed his diploma and is working for a private firm. The boy’s parents approached the court first in 2009. Counsel P Uma, representing the family, submitted that the boy was 10 months old when he was admitted to the said hospital with diarrhoea and vomiting on February 26, 1999.
Doctors said his small and large intestines were found intertwined, treatment of which required surgery. Blood transfusion was done during the surgery. Within two days of the operation, the boy again fell ill, and was admitted to the same hospital. He was discharged on March 18, 1999. Within a few days, he developed a swelling on the neck accompanied by symptoms of flu. Based on the advise of a doctor at the Egmore hospital, he was taken to Tambaram Sanatorium Hospital. Tests confirmed the boy had contracted HIV.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
5. Pilferage a New Problem at Metro Stations
Most commuters are in a hurry to reach their destinations but there are some taking the Chennai Metro who seem to have other ideas. CMRL authorities say some commuters have been purloining stuff from stations around the city. Toilet paper, nozzles of fire extinguishers, copper wires and even dustbins have not been spared.
Officials of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) said: “Initially, we noticed that toilet paper rolls and soap dispensers were missing; after that, nozzles in fire extinguishers were being stolen. Recently, someone even stole dustbins. This is not a problem in one particular station. We have stepped up vigil.”
(Source: The Hindu)