1. Madras HC to Hear Plea of Disqualified MLAs Today
The Madras High Court will on 20 September hear a batch of petitions challenging the disqualification of 18 dissident AIADMK MLAs by Tamil Nadu Speaker P Dhanapal for having withdrawn support to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.
On 19 September, Justice M Duraiswamy accepted a request made by senior counsel PR Raman, representing some of the disqualified MLAs, to hear the matter immediately in view of the urgency of the issue.
(Source: The Hindu)
Also Read: Madras HC allows plea of 18 AIADMK MLAs
2. Infant Stolen from Rajiv Gandhi Govt Hospital Rescued
In a joint operation by special teams from Chennai and Salem cities, police personnel rescued an infant stolen from the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai on 19 September.
Police sources said that a baby girl born to Manimekalai in the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital about a fortnight ago was stolen by some unidentified persons on Monday. A nursing assistant of the hospital was said to have helped in stealing the baby.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. State Asks Corporation to Help Ritchie Street Residents
Following representations from families living in the Ritchie Street Home for Homeless Cooperative Housing Society to help repay their debts to Hudco, the Joint Secretary to the Government had written to the Greater Chennai Corporation to find out if there were any provisions to help them.
However, in the letter dated September 11, the Deputy Commissioner (Health), Greater Chennai Corporation, had stated that the shelter and the NGO referred in the letter did not come under the purview of the NULM-Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) run by the Corporation.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. DMKs Hopes Shattered
The disqualification of 18 dissident AIADMK MLAs by Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal has not only offered a new lease of life to the government led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, but also dashed the DMK’s hopes for an early election.
The DMK has been demanding a floor test ever since 18 AIADMK MLAs threw their weight behind TTV Dhinakaran and submitted individual letters to Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, conveying their disapproval of Mr Palaniswami’s leadership.
(Source: The Hindu)
Also Read: As EPS and OPS scramble to please Modi, AIADMK question looms
5. Saving the Pulicat by Fighting Its Silting
Setting the ball rolling for the construction of training walls for the Pulicat lake’s estuary, the Fisheries Department has obtained coastal regulation zone clearance from the district-level committee. The walls will help prevent the silting up of the lake, which is the second largest brackish water lake in India, and help save it and the rich biodiversity.
The next step would be to obtain State-level and national-level clearances for the Rs 27 crore project, explained sources in the Fisheries Department that has taken the initiative to construct the walls on either side of the estuary to prevent it from closing up.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. Chidambaram Flays Speaker’s Decision
Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on 19 September described as “blatantly partisan” the decision of State Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal to disqualify 18 dissident AIADMK MLAs.
“Speaker’s decision to disqualify MLAs blatantly partisan and to help minority Tamil Nadu government. Nothing can save a sinking ship,” he tweeted. He argued that if the Speaker was correct, no elected leader of a legislative party could be replaced by dissenting MLAs.
(Source: The Hindu)
Also Read: Don’t harass Karti, question me instead, Chidambaram tells CBI
7. Remove Creamy Layer in OBC Reservation: PMK
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss on 19 September demanded that the creamy layer concept in OBC reservation be removed, arguing that it goes against the principle of social justice.
In a statement, he said that a recent judgment of the Madras High Court was proof of the poor implementation of the 27 percent reservation for OBCs while recruiting candidates for Central government jobs.
(Source: The Hindu)
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