1. Panic Buying As Packaged Water Units Go On Strike
Homes and restaurants across the city are worried now that packaged drinking water units have gone on an indefinite strike. Around 1,800 units across the state went on strike Thursday evening, after the Madras High Court issued directions to shut down borewells from which some units were extracting water without requisite permission.
On Friday, people were seen hoarding up water cans, expecting prices to go up in the coming days. Chennai Hotels Association president, M Ravi said most of the hotel chains in the city have installed RO systems and do not depend on drinking water cans. It is the small food outlets that will face an issue.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
2. High Court Quashes Transfer of Govt Doctors
The Madras High Court on Friday made it clear that doctors have no right whatsoever to go on strike. Yet, it quashed charge memos and transfer orders issued to select government doctors who had spearheaded a strike last year and held that the government’s action smacked of mala fide intention of exhibiting its might over the employees.
Justice N Anand Venkatesh said that out of 18,000-odd government doctors, the Health Department had chosen to issue charge memos and transfer orders only to 135. Squarely blaming the government for not having handled the issue properly, the judge said the government should have given top priority to some of the demands, which included pay hike and taken a firm decision.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Two Arrested for Abetting Suicide of Family
Nine days after a family of four allegedly killed themselves, Tiruvallur police have arrested two men on Friday, on charges of abetting suicide. The duo were remanded to judicial custody. The arrested were identified as Siva (48), and his son Ajith (24) from Kokkupalayam village near Gummidipoondi. According to the police, Siva’s brother Ravi and his family had allegedly committed suicide on February 20 over a property dispute.
“The family recorded a video before committing suicide, stating that Siva and Ajith often threatened and caused them mental depression over the property, and that the duo would be responsible for their death,” said police.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
4. Kamal Haasan's MNM Goes Into Poll Mode
Moving into campaign mode for Assembly elections scheduled for 2021, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan on Friday announced the party’s vision, which includes financial compensation for housewives, support to create at least five lakh small entrepreneurs, and a crackdown on corruption that will generate additional finances to meet social goals.
Describing the philosophy as one of a “centrist enterprise economy”, the 65-year-old actor-turned-politician said this would eliminate “favouritism based on caste, religion and left/right ideologies”. Pursuing this would need leadership with integrity and clarity that went beyond “family politics,” which his party thought he could provide, and Tamil Nadu could aspire to be a “$1 trillion” economy, he proposed.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Untreated Sewage Released in Lake Near Residential Area
For the last six years, the residents of Sunnambu Kolathur have been at the receiving end of civic hassles. But the one that has haunted them for the longest period is the discharge of untreated sewage from the Kilkattalai sewage treatment plant into the Kilkattalai lake surplus canal. The neighbourhood has been a breeding ground for mosquitoes and diseases. The pleas of 1,500 families living here have remained unheard. Their struggle with stench is now fast leaking into their lives.
In 2005, the residents of Sunnambu Kolathur had petitioned the Madras High Court and warned against setting up of the pumping station near the Kilkattalai Lake. However, it was constructed at a cost of 75 crore and opened in 2014. Thus, began their problems.
(Source: The New Indian Express)