1. TN’s Bus Fare Hike Not Steep: Davidar
Tamil Nadu’s State Transport Undertakings (STUs), once regarded as one of the better run entities in the country, are in the midst of a deep crisis. Unable to buy new vehicles to replace increasingly-growing number of aged ones, pay compensation to many victims of road accidents and fulfill commitments on terminal benefits to retired employees, the corporations present a pathetic plight. Days after transport workers went on a week-long strike, the government announced a steep hike in bus fares last week.
PWC Davidar, who is steering the affairs of the STUs as Additional Chief Secretary (Transport) for the last seven months, explained factors behind the fare hike and the government’s plans for overhaul of the STUs.
(Source: The Hindu)
2. Students Stage Protests Across Tamil Nadu Against Bus Fare Hike
Students across various districts of the state took to the streets on Monday to protest against the bus fare hike announced by the government. Monday’s protests against the bus fare hike were spontaneous and caught the police off guard.
In Chennai, students of the Government Fine Arts College held a human chain protest and blocked traffic on the Poonamallee High Road for some time. In Coimbatore, members of the Students’ Federation of CBM College held an agitation at Madukkarai Road, while students of the Government Arts College in Krishnagiri town staged a demonstration in front of the college.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Jaya Death Probe Panel Hears Arguments on Sasikala’s Plea
The Justice (Retd) A Arumughaswamy Commission of Inquiry, which is probing the hospitalisation and subsequent death of former chief minister Jayalalithaa, on Monday heard arguments from the counsel for VK Sasikala, the jailed aide of the late AIADMK supremo, seeking access to witness testimonies against her and the ‘evidences’ submitted by them.
On 5 January, Sasikala had requested access to witness testimonies and evidence against her. In the new application, her lawyers argued that their client be given access to documents once depositions are completed. He cited a Supreme Court order of 1989, that favoured incumbent Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi. Ms Bedi — then Delhi's DCP (North) — had refused to appear before a Commission looking into the Delhi Police’s action against lawyers, citing Section 8B of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. Industry Captains Meet CM, Hail Govt’s Initiative
After a long time, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday held a meeting with leading industry captains across various sectors to get feedback on the industrial climate in the state and to listen to their concerns. State Industries Minister MC Sampath and senior bureaucrats from the Industries Department were present at the meeting, which lasted over an hour.
Industrialists who attended the meeting described it as a welcome and positive move by the government. The meeting comes against the backdrop of concerns over the investment climate in the state.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Elderly Woman Dies After Losing Rs 90,000 to Online Fraud
A 71-year-old woman died of heart attack on Sunday two days after she lost Rs 90,000 to an imposter posing as a bank official.
R Jayalakshmi was living with her husband on 11th Main Road, Anna Nagar West. According to her relatives, she received a call on her mobile phone on Friday afternoon. The caller, identifying himself as an officer from SBI, said he had called her give a new Aadhaar card. Jayalakshmi shared all details about her account in Indian Bank. She never suspected the caller to be a fraudster, said a relative. She had also shared the one-time passwords and the imposter withdrew her money through four fraudulent transactions.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. Blackbuck Fawn Mauled to Death on IIT-Campus Chennai
A blackbuck fawn was found dead on the campus of IIT-Madras on Monday morning. Sources said that the fawn had been mauled by stray dogs.
An RTI plea filed by Antony Rubin, an animal rights activist and honorary welfare officer with the Animal Welfare Board of India, seeking details of animal deaths on the campus revealed that 220 deer and eight blackbucks died between 2014-2016 on the campus.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. Gold Worth Rs 90 Lakh Seized at Airport
The Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the Customs at Chennai airport detected six cases of gold smuggling in the past few days and recovered ornaments weighing 3 kg, worth over Rs 90 lakh.
On Sunday morning, Cheriya Parambath Ansar, 26, who arrived from Dubai by Emirates Airways flight no EK 544 was intercepted on suspicion. When his checked-in baggage was examined, the officers found gold foils of 24 carat purity weighing 829 g worth Rs 25 lakh. They were concealed between the layers of a magnetic dart board, photo frame and cardboard sheets. The passenger was arrested. On the same day, two women – Ummal Bajria, 69, and Halima Nachiya, 47 – who arrived from Dubai were found to have concealed ornaments worth Rs 28 lakh under their burkha.
(Source: The Hindu)
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