villupuram l thursday l august 22, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Long-Delayed census exercise to begin next month, says report The Centre is likely to start the long-delayed census exercise from September, Reuters reported quoting two government sources Representational Image final nod from PM’s office awaited Likely to be first digital census Once it starts, the exercise will take about 18 months to be completed and the government is planning to release the data by March 2026, the report said. The last population census was conducted in 2011. The next one was supposed to be completed in 2021 but was delayed due to Covid-19. Sources told Reuters that the final approval from the Prime Minister’s Office is awaited ■ ■ The delay in conducting the once-in-a-decade exercise has attracted criticism with economists warning that it will affect the quality of all statistical surveys, including inflation and unemployment data Technology will play a big role in the exercise with mobile apps and a census portal likely to be used for the collection and management of data Seven times census exercises have been conducted since 1951 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Hasty appointment of Ghosh as National Medical College head cancelled RG Kar gets CISF cover; govt tries damage control Chief Minister Stalin receiving a memento from Sembcorp South Asia CEO Vipul Tuli at the TN Investment Conclave held in Chennai on Wednesday | p jawahar TN got `9 lakh cr investments, 31L jobs in 3 yrs: CM e x p r e s s n e w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai Tamil Nadu has attracted investments worth over `9 lakh crore in the last three years and generated 31 lakh new jobs, Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Wednesday . Speaking at the Tamil Nadu Investment Conclave held in Chennai, Stalin inaugurated 19 new projects worth `17,616 crore and laid the foundation for 28 projects valued at `51,157 crore with an employment potential of 1.06 lakh jobs. “The fact that more than 130 Fortune 500 companies have chosen Tamil Nadu for investment stands testimony to the state’s ability to attract investments,” the CM said. He exhorted the industrialists who participated in the event to become ambassadors of the state to attract more investors to Tamil Nadu. “This is a very important day in the industrial and development history of Tamil Nadu. It is a day that showcases our economic prowess to the world, and a day to realise that Tamil Nadu has a bright future,” Stalin said. Industries Minister T R B Rajaa said that Tamil Nadu is the number one destination for investors who come to India. “Global investors who come to India look for a safe working place for women, infrastructure, and a proper governance model and government in place. Tamil Nadu offers them all,” Rajaa said. The biggest investment that was realised after the signing of the memoranda of understanding (MoU) at the recent Global Investors Meet is the `36,238-crore green hydrogen project of Singapore-based Sembcorp planned in Thoothukudi for which the foundation stone was laid by the CM on Wednesday The project will result in the production . of India’s first green hydrogen molecule at the plant to be set up on 160 acres of land belonging to VOC Port in Thoothukudi. P5 `17k-crore projects launched During the TN Investment Conclave held in Chennai on Wednesday, Stalin flagged off 19 new projects worth `17K crore and laid foundation for 28 projects valued at `51,157 crore with an employment potential of 1.06 lakh jobs 130 Fortune 500 companies have chosen TN for investment. This stands testimony to the state’s ability to attract foreign funding, CM Stalin said 2,00,000 tonnes of Green h2 About 2,00,000 metric tonnes of green hydrogen per annum will be exported to Japan as green ammonia, produced at the `36,000-crore green hydrogen plant to be established in Thoothukudi by Singaporebased Sembcorp, an official said kalvarayan tribals HC asks TN to give aadhaar, ration cards The Madras HC has ordered the state government to conduct special camps in Kalvarayan hills, spread over Kallakurichi and Salem districts, to issue Aadhaar and ration cards to the tribal residents within four weeks | P2 Singh told reporters, “we have come here for some assignA day after the Supreme Court ment. Let us finish our work, ordered CISF protection for the then senior officers will brief RG Kar Medical College and you. I am doing my job.” Hospital in Kolkata where a Nivedita Sarkar, a student of trainee doctor was recently RG Kar, said, “If we feel safe afraped and murdered, the para- ter the CISF taking charge of military force with 150 person- the hospital security we would , nel was deployed there, while request the Central governprotests against the horrific ment to retain it on the campus crime continued across the city for a few months more.” on Wednesday . The SC on Tuesday Stung by the Suhad pulled up the state preme Court questiongovernment and quesing the haste with tioned the Kolkata Powhich RG Kar’s prinlice’s response when a cipal Sandip Ghosh rampaging mob vanwas appointed as head dalised the hospital of another instituearly August 15. tion, the West Bengal Earlier in the day, gover nment on junior doctors and Wednesday cancelled medical students took it to limit damage. It out a march to I have listened to had appointment him both the parents. I Swasthya Bhavan principal of the Calasking why the govwill be writing to cutta National Medi- the chief minister in ernment failed to take a closed envelope. cal College and Hospia ny s t e p a g a i n s t They told me tal hours after he had Ghosh despite serious certain things, put in his papers. allegations of corrupconfidential now The state governtion against him. ment had appointed Governor Ananda Bose Opposition parties Dr Suhrita Pal as the too hit the streets. new principal of RG The Congress held a Kar in place of Ghosh. But she march to Lalbazzar, the police was working from the Swasthya headquarters, seeking to know Bhavan, the health depart- why the personnel in khaki ment’s headquarters, instead tried to pass off the murder as of coming to the college. Her suicide and seeking speedy jusa p p o i n t m e n t , t o o , w a s tice for the victim. Some Concancelled. gress leaders were arrested and Besides, RG Kar superintend- later released. Led by Bengal ent Bulbul Mukhopadhyay and BJP president Sukanta Majumthe head of the department of dar, BJP leaders held a sit-in in the hospital’s chest medicine Shyambazar, demanding jusdepartment, Arunava Dutta tice of the victim and the resigChoudhury were removed. , nation of Chief Minister Senior CISF officer K Pratap Mamata Banerjee. E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Kolkata Akhtar Ali: Had blown whistle on Ghosh Former RG Kar deputy superintendent Akhtar Ali claimed he had written to the state vigilance department two years ago flagging serious cases of corruption by then principal Sandip Ghosh. Ali said he was threatened by senior officials and pressured to withdraw his complaint SIT to probe sexual assault of schoolgirls at ‘ncc camp’ express news service @ Chennai/Krishnagiri Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday ordered the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) headed by Inspector General of Police K Bhavaneeswari to conduct a thorough probe into the sexual assault of schoolgirls during a fake NCC camp held at a private school at Kandikuppam near Bargur in Krishnagiri district last week. The CM directed that all case proceedings be completed within 15 days and the chargesheet be filed within 60 days to ensure severe punishment for the accused. An official release said that the CM has also ordered the constitution of a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) headed by Social Welfare Secretary Jayashree Muralidharan to hold Suo motu cognisance The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and has sought a report from police, state government in three days consultations with the affected schoolgirls and their parents to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. The team will examine the circumstances that led to the crime and make recommendations for appropriate preventive measures. State Social Security Commissioner Johny Tom Verghese, School Education Director Latha, District Child Protection Officer Arvindh, psychiatrists Poorna Chandrika and Satya Raj, police inspector Latha, and child rights activist Vidya Reddy will be members of the MDT. P5 Amazon hurting small retailers: Goyal Reactor blast at D IPA K MON D A L @ New Delhi UNION commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday hit out at US e-commerce giant Amazon for its predatory pricing practices that hurt Indian retailers. Speaking in an event, Goyal said Amazon’s billion-dollar investment in India is no cause for celebration as the company is only making good for the losses it made by indulging in predatory pricing. “They made a billion-dollar loss in their balance sheet... They have to fill in that loss,” he said. In FY23, Amazon India’s marketplace business Amazon Seller Services reported net Yeshi Seli @ New Delhi Geetanjali Barua, principal of a college in Dhaka, tied to a tree | Special Arrangement trying to go to France. As for Hindu teachers, nearly 70 of them have allegedly been forced to resign, according to a source. These include Geetanjali Barua, principal of Azimpur Government Girls School Doctors raise slogans during a protest rally over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Kolkata on Wednesday. (Inset) CISF Inpector General Shikhar Sahai, left, after a meeting at RG Kar | PTI rescue ops on losses of `4,854 crore, up from `3,649 crore a year ago. Amazon has pledged $15 billion additional investment in India by 2030, taking its total investments in the country to $26 billion. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy made this announcement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit in 2023. Unimpressed by this, Goyal When Amazon invests a billion dollars, it is not for great service or investment to support the Indian economy Union minister Piyush Goyal B’desh journos hounded, Hindu teachers sacked While the interim government in Bangladesh claims that the current situation there is close to normal, well places sources in the country said journalists considered close to the erstwhile Sheikh Hasina regime are being viewed as criminals and hounded out or and arrested. Hindu teachers, too, are losing their jobs. Sources also said students have set up vigilante groups and are sermonising citizens on how to conduct themselves. Shakil Ahmed, former editor of a private channel, and his wife (also a journalist) Farzana Rupa, were arrested at Dhaka airport along with their daughter on Wednesday. They were RG Kar’s new principal chucked out and College in Dhaka. Students tied her to a tree with a rope. The army had to rescue her. Similarly, Sonali Rani Das was forced to resign. She was an assistant professor of Holy Red Crescent Nursing College. “In a real sense, normalcy hasn’t returned. There is tension although people are slowly returning to their earlier routine,’’ Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kallilmullah, a political commentator, told this newspaper. Student vigilante groups are are pulling up smokers and asking them to abstain, with a warning. They are also telling businessmen not to take more than 5 taka as profit on their sale, which is in sync with the radical Islam. “There are many names circulating for replacing Sheikh Hasina as president of her Awami League. Elections will not be announced for a long time and there are talks of even banning the Awami League,’’ source said. said the company paid thousands of crores to professionals. “I don’t know who these professionals are. I am a chartered accountant, and I have done law; I would love to know which chartered accountants, professionals, lawyers get `1,000 crore unless you are paying all the top lawyers to block them so that nobody can fight a case against you,” he said. Goyal was probably referring to claims made by the Confederation of All India Traders in 2021 that Amazon paid $1.2 billion (`8,456 crore) towards legal expenses during FY19 and FY20. However, Amazon had clarified that its total legal and professional expenses in FY20 stood at `1,967 crore. An Amazon spokesperson said the company has no comments on Goyal’s charges. According to Goyal, half of India’s market could become part of the e-commerce network by the next decade, which is a matter of concern. He said the growth of e-commerce is at the cost of local businesses and employment, particularly in pharmacies and mobile phone repair shops. He urged the business community and experts to evaluate the impact of e-commerce in context of the needs of the country in a detailed and scientific manner. Dupatta stuck in conveyor, Aavin worker decapitated e x p r e s s n e w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai A 30-year-old woman working at an Aavin plant in Tiruvallur died on the spot after her dupatta, which she had wrapped around her neck, got stuck to a conveyor belt and her head got severed in the impact on Tuesday night. According to Aavin, the victim, K Umarani, was a contract worker of Sasi Enterprises, a firm responsible for packing of milk products. She is survived by her husband and three children. The Tiruvallur taluk police arrested Varun Kumar, supervisor of the Kakkalur dairy unit, on Wednesday under the charge of causing death due to negligence. K Umarani Ajith Kumar, deputy general manager of the unit, has also been suspended. Departmental action has also been initiated against officials of the company’s engineering department and two other staff members, Aavin said in a statement. P5 Andhra pharma factory kills 17 U s h a P e r i @ Visakhapatnam In a major industrial mishap, 17 workers were killed and more than 30 others injured after a major fire broke out following a reactor blast at the Escientia Advanced Sciences Pvt Ltd factory in Atchutapuram SEZ in Rambilli Mandal of Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalle district, on Wednesday afternoon. Officials said the casualty count could go up further as rescue operations are still underway. Rescue workers including NDRF and SDRF teams are trying to remove the debris with heavy machines as the slab of the first floor of the three-storeyed building caved in with the impact of the blast. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ordered a high-level probe into the incident. Four of the deceased have been identified as Y Chinna Rao, 32, Challapalli Harika, 22, and Mohan Durga Prasad, 20, who died on the spot while another worker, Ram Reddy, 47 died while undergoing treatment at King George Hospital, Visakhapatnam. According to a government release, the fire was triggered by a reactor blast at the factory at 2.15 pm on Wednesday. As it was lunchtime there were fewer employees inside the factory . “We saw individuals with severe burns, some completely burned, being thrown out of the building due to the force of the explosion,” an eyewitness said.
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