Saina Nehwal, HS Prannoy test positive for coronavirus: Reports
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/saina-nehwal-hs-prannoy-test-positive-coronavirus-reports-141306
BadmintonThe badminton players will be withdrawing from the Yonex Thailand Open, which starts on Tuesday.TNM Staff (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/tnm-staff)
Courtesy: Lenin CVMud pots painted white, red and green with a yellow manjal tied around their necks are a classic icon of the Pongal season in Tamil Nadu. The festival is incomplete without these colourful pots that are beautifully painted. However, while they are supposed to bring happiness to households, those who make the pots don’t have much to celebrate ahead of Pongal.
Senbaganathan, a potter from a village in Kallakurichi, works along with his wife to make earthen pots ahead of Pongal. As is the case with traditional potters in Tamil Nadu, Senbaganathan’s entire family is put to work in order to gain profits during this time. He says, “The business of pottery can only be carried out as a family. We start at 6 am every morning and work hard till 6 pm to produce the best output. We also make other earthen products like vessels and stoves for sale.”
Every day, Senbaganathan brings mud from the nearby pond and starts to grind it, to make the mud workable and bubble-free. Once the mud is wedged, Senbaganathan puts a ball of it on his manually-driven potter’s wheel. He then spins it until he gets a pot of the desired shape and size.
However, the number of pots that he and his family make each day differs as per the availability and texture of mud, as well as the seasons. Once the pots are made, the female head of the family dries them and paints them to indicate festive cheer.
"At the end of a hard day’s labour, we usually get a few hundred rupees, but the coronavirus and the unseasonal rains have brought down the demand for pots. The government also gave us assistance of Rs 1,000 during the lockdown, but that was not enough to run the family for the past eight months. So to survive we had to incur debt,” says Senbaganathan.
While during summer the potters make a pot a day, during the monsoon they are forced to spend 2-3 to dry the mud from the pond. “The unseasonal rain the past week has affected us in making the pots. We are unable to dry them and transport them to our wholesale customers. So we have a long way to go to revive our business and come out of these debt-ridden days,” he shares.
However, more than the pandemic, Senbaganathan worries that the past year saw a rise in plastic pot sales and a decline in that of earthen pots. He also worries that people view earthen pots as a luxury amid the pandemic, which deters people. “You could find the plastic and other pots in the market even during the pandemic, but there is no place for earthen pots. However, the buyers should understand that earthen pots are healthy for everyone. Buyers should support us and the environment by using them more,” Shenbaganathan urges.
In Chennai, the vendors who sell earthen pots also echo similar views. Pushparaj, a vendor says, “Last year IT and major companies were functioning, so all of them used to buy pots to celebrate Pongal; but now we do not have similar sales. Many people use thermocol pots to celebrate, which also has adverse efforts on the environment.”
“There was no business during the coronavirus pandemic and we restarted the sales only now. We are trying to sell our stock by painting the pots. We urge the public to come forward to help us,” Pushparaj shares.
As the industry vies for a boost in sales ahead of Pongal, earthen potters’ associations staged protests in various parts of the state, demanding the government for assistance. Somanarayanan, President of Manpanai Thozhilar Nala Sangam (Earthen pots workers’ association) says, “For the past eight months, the potters were leading their lives under distress. They suffered losses in their livelihood and their chance for revival is only during the Pongal season.’
Somanarayanan adds, “Since the purchasing power of people has reduced due to the pandemic-induced lockdown, we request the government to give pots along with Pongal gift hampers in the Public Distribution Shops.” The association also urged the public to buy pots to support the livelihood of the potters and to
He hit back at the suggestions made in court describing the opposition to the development of the highway as ‘anti-national. "We are doing our bit to save our environment. To call us 'anti-national' or 'anti-development' is wrong. We are here for the people of our country and we are here for the development of our country. As per the Constitution, we are trying to save our forests and they cannot brand us 'anti-national' for doing this," he added.
In this case, the Karnataka High Court had earlier issued a stay order in November 2019 on the widening works since NHAI did not have valid environmental approvals. NHAI was then asked by the court to produce documents of clearance related to the Environmental Protection Act, 1986.
NH 4A passes through the Western Ghats and cuts across dense forests including the reserved forest areas in the Kali Tiger Reserve. A massive environmental movement in Goa — Save Mollem — is also resisting the expansion of the highway which starts from Belagavi in Karnataka and ends in Panaji in Goa.
Read: In pictures: Midnight protest held in Goa over doubling of railway line to Karnataka
Activists said that as trees would be cut for the project, it would result in water scarcity in the area. With three successive drought years, most parts of northern Karnataka are reeling under a severe water crisis. Not only this region, but the trees are also responsible for monsoons which feed the Kali, Mahadayi, and Malaprabha rivers, activists said.
The stay order issued by the High Court in 2019 was later upheld by the Supreme Court in December 2020. The High Court case came up after many trees in Khanapur taluk of Belagavi were cut down for this project, leading to an outcry by environmental activists. Almost 1 lakh trees were removed according to estimates made by activists while NHAI authorities argued that the number of trees cut was around 22,000.
Karnataka HC slams NHAI for bizarre claim that ‘anti-national’ NGOs opposing road project
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/karnataka-hc-slams-nhai-bizarre-claim-anti-national-ngos-opposing-road-project-141313
Court"I have never seen such an obnoxious statement presented by a public sector undertaking before the court," Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka said.Prajwal Bhat (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/prajwal-bhat)
Courtesy: Lenin CVMud pots painted white, red and green with a yellow manjal tied around their necks are a classic icon of the Pongal season in Tamil Nadu. The festival is incomplete without these colourful pots that are beautifully painted. However, while they are supposed to bring happiness to households, those who make the pots don’t have much to celebrate ahead of Pongal.
Senbaganathan, a potter from a village in Kallakurichi, works along with his wife to make earthen pots ahead of Pongal. As is the case with traditional potters in Tamil Nadu, Senbaganathan’s entire family is put to work in order to gain profits during this time. He says, “The business of pottery can only be carried out as a family. We start at 6 am every morning and work hard till 6 pm to produce the best output. We also make other earthen products like vessels and stoves for sale.”
Every day, Senbaganathan brings mud from the nearby pond and starts to grind it, to make the mud workable and bubble-free. Once the mud is wedged, Senbaganathan puts a ball of it on his manually-driven potter’s wheel. He then spins it until he gets a pot of the desired shape and size.
However, the number of pots that he and his family make each day differs as per the availability and texture of mud, as well as the seasons. Once the pots are made, the female head of the family dries them and paints them to indicate festive cheer.
"At the end of a hard day’s labour, we usually get a few hundred rupees, but the coronavirus and the unseasonal rains have brought down the demand for pots. The government also gave us assistance of Rs 1,000 during the lockdown, but that was not enough to run the family for the past eight months. So to survive we had to incur debt,” says Senbaganathan.
While during summer the potters make a pot a day, during the monsoon they are forced to spend 2-3 to dry the mud from the pond. “The unseasonal rain the past week has affected us in making the pots. We are unable to dry them and transport them to our wholesale customers. So we have a long way to go to revive our business and come out of these debt-ridden days,” he shares.
However, more than the pandemic, Senbaganathan worries that the past year saw a rise in plastic pot sales and a decline in that of earthen pots. He also worries that people view earthen pots as a luxury amid the pandemic, which deters people. “You could find the plastic and other pots in the market even during the pandemic, but there is no place for earthen pots. However, the buyers should understand that earthen pots are healthy for everyone. Buyers should support us and the environment by using them more,” Shenbaganathan urges.
In Chennai, the vendors who sell earthen pots also echo similar views. Pushparaj, a vendor says, “Last year IT and major companies were functioning, so all of them used to buy pots to celebrate Pongal; but now we do not have similar sales. Many people use thermocol pots to celebrate, which also has adverse efforts on the environment.”
“There was no business during the coronavirus pandemic and we restarted the sales only now. We are trying to sell our stock by painting the pots. We urge the public to come forward to help us,” Pushparaj shares.
As the industry vies for a boost in sales ahead of Pongal, earthen potters’ associations staged protests in various parts of the state, demanding the government for assistance. Somanarayanan, President of Manpanai Thozhilar Nala Sangam (Earthen pots workers’ association) says, “For the past eight months, the potters were leading their lives under distress. They suffered losses in their livelihood and their chance for revival is only during the Pongal season.’
Somanarayanan adds, “Since the purchasing power of people has reduced due to the pandemic-induced lockdown, we request the government to give pots along with Pongal gift hampers in the Public Distribution Shops.” The association also urged the public to buy pots to support the livelihood of the potters and to
PTI/Representation PhotoKarnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that the list of seven new ministers, who will be inducted into the cabinet would be announced at 4 pm on Wednesday. BS Yediyurappa had met with BJP National President JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday to discuss the issue of cabinet expansion and the upcoming bye-polls in the state Assembly and the Belagavi Parliamentary bye-polls.
“Seven new ministers will be inducted into the cabinet and the new list of ministers will be announced at 4 pm on Wednesday,” Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said. The new ministers are expected to take oath at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday, BJP sources said, as January 14 is Makara Sankranti and a government holiday.
Speculation is rife that MLCs MTB Nagaraju and Pendulum Shankar would be among the leaders who will be inducted into the cabinet. In addition, Rajarajeshwari Nagar legislator Munirathna Naidu and Hukkeri MLA Umesh Katti are also expected to get ministerial berths, as Yediyurappa had publicly promised the two MLAs ministerial portfolios.
BJP sources said that MLC CP Yogeeshwar is also likely to be inducted into the cabinet for his role as a mediator when the 17 Congress and JD(S) MLAs defected and joined the BJP in 2019, which led to the fall of the coalition government led by HD Kumaraswamy. In addition, MLA S Anagara’s name was also doing the rounds as a candidate who could bag a ministerial portfolio as the party’s high command intended to pick a legislator from Dakshina Kannada district, the BJP’s bastion.
Party sources in New Delhi said that two ministers are likely to be dropped from the cabinet including independent MLA and incumbent Excise Minister H Nagesh and Women and Child Welfare Minister Sasikala Jolle. Minister Sasikala Jolle is likely to be replaced by Hiriyur MLA K Poornima, BJP sources said. Other aspirants for the ministerial berths include Dharwad MLA Arvind Bellad, an industrialist, who has been responsible for mediating talks with companies to set up industrial clusters in Hubballi-Dharwad, Yadgiri and Koppal districts.
TwitterIPS Officer Hemanth Nimbalkar, who has been embroiled in a series of controversies, has once again been transferred. He will take charge as the Inspector General of Police, Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, with immediate effect, on January 11, until further notice. It was only on December 31, 2020, that Nimbalkar was transferred to the post of Inspector General of Police, Internal Security Division in Bengaluru.
In the wake of a raging controversy surrounding the Safe City Project for Bengaluru and the open rift between senior IPS officers D Roopa and Hemant Nimbalkar, the two were allocated new postings by the Karnataka Government. Roopa, the first woman Home Secretary in the state, was posted as the Managing Director of Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd, Bengaluru. According to the earlier transfer order, Nimbalkar, who was the Additional Commissioner (Administration), Bengaluru, was shifted to the Internal Security Department, Bengaluru.
Also Read: IPS officers D Roopa and Hemant Nimbalkar transferred by Karnataka govt after public row
The tendering process of the multi-crore Bengaluru Safe City Project had exposed rifts in the top IAS/IPS circle in Karnataka over alleged double standards in dealing with corruption charges. Roopa and Nimbalkar publicly exchanged allegations of misconduct regarding the project.
Read: IPS officers Roopa and Nimbalkar in war of words over tender process in Bengaluru Safe City project
Roopa suspected that Nimbalkar, being the chief of the tendering committee, was favouring a particular committee, thus violating norms. Nimbalkar, on the other hand, had alleged that Roopa, as the Home Secretary, was interfering with the process without any authority. However, Roopa maintained the stance that she was made part of the decision-making process by the Chief Secretary himself.
Also Read: IPS officer in Bengaluru under scrutiny for allegedly 'interfering' in safe city project
In a letter she wrote to Chief Secretary Vijaya Bhaskar, Roopa also alleged that while the Home Department had started a prompt inquiry against a “false and motivated” complaint against her, it hesitated to do the same against Nimbalkar in spite of CBI's sanction of the prosecution that they sought months ago. The letter mentions that the CBI sought sanction to prosecute five police officers, including Nimbalkar, in September 2020.
Read: Roopa IPS accuses Nimbalkar IPS of making ‘fake and motivated’ complaint against her
In 2009, IPS officer Hemanth Nimbalkar was also alleged to be a part of a small club of four IPS officers that was raided by the Lok Ayukta for possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. P Kempiah, Srikantappa and MC Narayana Gowda were the other three officers who were investigated.
Days after the Kerala High Court ordered a retrial in the sensational Walayar case, the LDF government on Monday decided to hand over to the CBI the probe into the death of two minor sisters after alleged sexual assault in 2017.
The decision was taken based on the request of the family of the children, a senior official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) told PTI.
Allowing appeals filed by the state government and the mother of the children, the high court had on January 6 ordered a retrial in the case, observing that there were serious lapses in the investigation and that there has been miscarriage of justice.
A division bench of Justices A Hariprasad and M R Anitha had set aside a October 2019 order of POCSO (Special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court acquitting the five accused in the case for want of evidence.
The eldest of the siblings aged 13 was found hanging inside their hut in Walayar in Palakkad district on January 13, 2017 and the younger sister (9) on March 4 the same year.
Both were allegedly sexually assaulted.
The parents of the girls had earlier sought a CBI probe and had met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enquiry into the case. They submitted a petition to the CM’s office in the Government Secratariat in Thiruvananthapuram. In the petition, they alleged that though the Chief Minister had promised justice for their daughters, it was broken in 2019 when all the accused in the case were acquitted. It is also stated that if the police had inquired into the older child's death properly, the death of the second child could have been avoided.
Public outcry and protests had erupted in the state after the acquittal of the accused, seeking justice to the family of the girls.
The state government had on November 18, 2019 removed the Public Prosecutor who handled the case and later filed the appeal in the high court.
Vijay’s film Master, scheduled as a Pongal release this month, is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. It is an action-thriller produced by Xavier Britto under the banner XB Film Creators. The film stars Vijay as the protagonist while Vijay Sethupathi plays the antagonist. It also stars Malavika Mohanan in the lead. The soundtrack is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, while cinematography is by Sathyan Sooryan and editing is by Philomin Raj.
READ: Mohanlal to Manju Warrier, actors laud Kerala govt for relaxing tax on theatres
(With input from Digital Native)
WATCH: Master trailer
No grand celebration for ‘Master’ release, say Vijay fans' associations in Kerala
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/no-grand-celebration-master-release-say-vijay-fans-associations-kerala-141303
TheatreWith the uncertainty over the reopening of theatres lasting so long and the COVID-19 restrictions in place, Vijay fans’ associations haven’t made big plans.TNM Staff (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/tnm-staff)
The wait had been too much for fans of Tamil star Vijay, who are scattered across the districts of Kerala. The question of movie theatres in the state reopening in time for the release of Vijay’s latest movie Master hung in the air for days. On January 11, finally, there was some respite – the morning meetings of various film and theatre associations with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan turned fruitful. Theatres will open on Wednesday, with a number of restrictions, following COVID-19 protocol.
“Since there has been no confirmation until now, we haven’t really planned much for the release of Master. There’s also no permission to hold special shows for the fans like how it usually happens for Vijay movies. And there can’t be a crowd outside the theatre, since we are following COVID-19 protocol,” says Soumya, president of Vijay Idhayam Girls Association, a fans’ association based in Thiruvananthapuram.
On the first day of New Year, the Chief Minister had announced that the theatres may open on January 5, with a number of restrictions, including only 50% occupancy of the seats. This had not gone down well with the fans who are used to hogging the theatres from early morning for the ‘fan shows’ of Vijay movies.
READ: Kerala announces waiver on entertainment tax, electricity bills for theatres
“A theatre with a thousand seats will only allow 500 people inside and we have to sit maintaining some distance between us. But there are thousands of fans waiting for the release just in our area and many of them may not get to watch the premiere show,” says a disheartened Sanoop, president of Vijay Fans Club, Ernakulam district committee.
Respecting the pandemic situation, the Vijay fans in Kerala decided not to have grand celebrations when the much-awaited Master releases in theatres. They do not want to be responsible for a new spread of the disease, Sanoop says.
“We had, in fact, planned elaborate celebrations for April 9 last year, when the movie was originally supposed to release. There was a big cutout (of Vijay) and a chenda mela (percussion ensemble) was booked. But the release got pushed with the outbreak of the coronavirus. And with no clarity on whether the theatres will reopen in time for the release on January 13, we haven’t planned much, except a flex board,” Sanoop says.
The theatres in Kerala had closed down on March 11 last year, even before the country went into a lockdown. In June, the state government allowed movies to start shooting again. However, film crews took their time to begin shooting again due to several reasons.
Read: Movie shooting in Kerala has not resumed despite govt approval. Here’s why
Kerala was among the last states to allow the reopening of theatres, and when they did, the government made no mention of the recommendations made by theatre owners to reduce the various expenses — including taxes and electricity charges — incurred during the last 10 months when they were not open. This led to another standstill when theatre owners showed reluctance to opening theatres without having an assurance on the cutting down of these costs.
“Earlier, when we thought that Master will not release in Kerala, we planned to take tickets to Tamil Nadu and go watch the movie there,” says Soumya.
While there was uncertainty, there were reports that Antony Perumbavoor, president of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK), said it was unfair to reopen theatres in Kerala for the Tamil film Master. The statement had irked Vijay fans, some of whom announced that they would boycott the Mohanlal-starrer Marakkar: Arabikkadalinte Simham, which is produced by Antony Perumbavoor.
However, Soumya said that it was not a decision taken by members of any Vijay fans association. “Some fans posted about it on social media. But none of the associations has officially said anything about a boycott,” she says.
Image for representation/PTIIndia is gearing up to begin its first wave of COVID-19 vaccination programme for priority groups, in which nearly 30 crore persons will receive the vaccine, including one crore healthcare workers, two crore frontline workers, and 27 crore elderly individuals. In the first phase of the immunisation drive, the three crore recipients — the healthcare workers and frontline workers — will receive the vaccine for free, with the cost borne by the Union government.
According to NITI Aayog member Dr VK Paul, the healthcare and frontline workers, however, will not have a choice between the two COVID-19 vaccines authorised for use in India — Serum Institute of India's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin. A decision about the following phases — whether it will be free and which vaccine will be administered — is yet to be finalised, he added. It must be noted that many state governments including Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, had announced that COVID-19 vaccine will be made free of cost.
Read: All you need to know about COVID-19 vaccination in India
Read: Experts flag approval to Covaxin, govt defends move amid row
Dr VK Paul, who is also the Chairman of National Expert Group On Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC), told India Today on Monday that the decision on which vaccine goes where will be taken by the Ministry of Health and communicated to the state government. "Now, the population, which is offered vaccine A, has the choice to take it. If they do not voluntarily take it, I suppose it is their choice. But we believe the healthcare workers, who know the health issues more than others, will overwhelmingly accept the decision. And they will have faith in the decision taken by our regulator.”
Although Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has been given approval for emergency use, many are still apprehensive as the vaccine is still in its phase-three clinical trial.
Read: ‘We don’t deserve such backlash’: Bharat Biotech MD
Read: Amid safety concerns, vaccine hesitancy may prove a challenge in Kerala
Recipients are, therefore, allowed to opt out of being vaccinated altogether. However, the decision on which state receives which of the two vaccines will be decided by the Union Ministry of Health, according to VK Paul.
“No vaccine is compulsory, it is voluntary. We have emergency use authorisation for two vaccines, and our vaccines have shown great immunogenicity, including T-cell immunogenicity, and show great safety over thousands of individuals,” Dr Paul said.
Read: After mudslinging, Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech declare truce
Read: ‘I'll take first shot of COVID-19 vaccine’: Telangana Health Min Eatala Rajender
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Saturday said that one crore healthcare workers and two crore frontline workers would be given free vaccine in the first phase of the inoculation drive, adding that the details of how the remaining 27 crore priority beneficiaries will be vaccinated till July is getting finalised.
WATCH: What Dr VK Paul says
In a fresh development in the Sandalwood drugs case, actor Vivek Oberoi’s brother-in-law Aditya Alva was arrested by officials of the Bengaluru crime branch from Chennai on Monday night. Aditya, who is the son of late Janata Party leader Jeevaraj Alva, is accused number six in the Sandalwood drug case and had been absconding for months.
“Aditya Alva, who was absconding for over four months was arrested on Monday night. We were involved in a continuous operation to arrest him. We received a tip that he was in Chennai after which a team arrested him,” Joint Commission of Police (Crime-1), Sandeep Patil told TNM. Aditya Alva was arrested from a resort located between Chennai and Mahabalipuram. CCB sources said that the investigators were tracking mobile phone locations of persons close to Aditya Alva and that they had compiled a list of people, who he was in contact with regularly. Sources said CCB Inspector Puneet received information of his whereabout after which an operation to arrest him was planned and carried out.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths have brought Aditya Alva to Bengaluru and he is currently being questioned at the CCB’s office in Chamarajpet in Bengaluru. Police sources said that he would be produced before the special court for NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases later in the day.
Aditya has been accused of hosting parties at his farmhouse in the outskirts of Bengaluru, and police suspect that banned and narcotic drugs were supplied and consumed during the parties. The police had been looking for Aditya for over four months now.
CCB sources had earlier revealed that Aditya Alva and one of the prime accused in the case, party organiser Viren Khanna, had allegedly hosted parties together. While Aditya is accused of providing space for the parties at his resort House of Life in Hebbal, the CCB claimed that Viren Khanna was involved in organising and driving high-profile persons to these parties. The CCB had earlier in September conducted a search operation at House of Life and seized several documents.
Aditya’s sister Priyanka had also earlier been summoned by the police in connection with Aditya’s location. However, Priyanka failed to acknowledge the summons and did not appear before the CCB.
Aditya was among the 17 people who are booked in the case in which actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani have been arrested.
Three weeks ago, the Supreme Court denied Aditya Alva’s plea to quash the FIR registered against him at the Cottonpet Police Station in connection with the drug case. The apex court also denied Alva’s plea to procure anticipatory bail. Aditya’s legal counsel Nishanth Patil had earlier filed an anticipatory bail plea in the Karnataka High Court, which was also denied.
The Kannada film industry has been under the scanner of the police for drug-related offences after the police and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) nabbed an international drug trafficking racket in multi-city raids in August 2020.
Image for representation/PTISchools across Tamil Nadu will reopen for students of classes 10 and 12 on January 19, the government of Tamil Nadu announced on Tuesday. The hostels for these students have also been permitted to reopen on January 19.
According to a press statement issued by the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, the decision was taken after consultation with all stakeholders including parents. The state government had ordered the schools to conduct consultation sessions with parents between January 6 and 8 regarding reopening schools for Classes 10 and 12, ahead of their board exams. “95% of the schools have submitted reports that most parents have consented to reopening the schools for these students,” the statement said. It added that keeping in mind the educational welfare of the students, the government has given permission for schools to reopen for these students on January 19. “Each class to have only upto 25 students and the schools shall follow the Standard Operating Procedures issued by the state government,” the statement added.
The schools in Tamil Nadu have remained shut since the last week of March 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only the board exams were conducted for students and all other students were announced automatically promoted to the next class. The government had deliberated opening the schools after Deepavali, however, the move received widespread criticism from various quarters as the COVID-19 situation was still not under control in the state. Following this, the state government rolled back its announcement.
Tamil Nadu, on Monday, reported 682 new cases of COVID-19. The state has 6,971 persons currently being treated for COVID-19 including at their own homes. Tamil Nadu also reported the deaths of six persons due to COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total death toll to 12,228. 869 persons were reported ‘recovered’ from the infection on Monday and the total number of patients recovered from COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu as on Monday is 8,07,744.
Image for representationThe Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce has announced that the theatres in Kerala will reopen on January 13, with Tamil movie ‘Master’, starring actor Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi and Malavika Mohanan. Kerala theatres had been closed for over nine months and were set to reopen on January 5.
The decision to reopen the theatres was taken at a meeting of the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce officials in Kochi after the state government decided to address the KFCC's main demands and concerns. On Monday, the Kerala government had announced that it will waive entertainment tax for cinemas from January to March 2021 along with 50% reduction in the fixed charges on electricity during the lockdown period since March last year, to help the film industry in the state recuperate.
Kerala Film Chamber officials said the state government has addressed all their concerns and they were grateful to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the special interest he took in the matter.
Giving its nod to reopen cinemas, the government, on January 1, had said theatres could reopen on January 5, with 50% occupancy and adhering to strict COVID- 19 guidelines. Only 50% of the seats should be occupied or only half the tickets should be sold, the government had said, adding that the Health Department's COVID-19 protocol should be strictly followed. But the theatre owners had refused to reopen theatres, demanding support from the government, including fee waivers by the state government.
After Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced tax waiver, many Malayalam actors, including Manju Warrier, Mohanlal, Mammootty and Dulquer Salmaan, had hailed the CM and the state government for the boost given to the film industry.
KFCC Vice President Anil Thomas told TNM that the state government has made it possible for theatre owners to resume operations without incurring major losses. The entertainment tax up to 8.5% from the sale of movie tickets, was levied on theatres in 2019 to compensate for the loss of revenue incurred by the state due to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Read: Mohanlal to Manju Warrier, actors laud Kerala govt for relaxing tax on theatres
Watch video: Trailer of 'Master'
Traditional potters in TN counting on Pongal to revive their business
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/traditional-potters-tn-counting-pongal-revive-their-business-141308
PongalThe rise in the number of plastic and non-eco-friendly pots are also becoming an increasing concern for the potters and earthenware sellers.Bharathi SP (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/bharathi-sp)
"Hence, the Act has been passed by Parliament not only for protection of the environment but also at the instance of foreign powers. And many NGOs are filing such writ petitions at the instance of foreign powers. Foreign entities such as Amnesty International and People's Union for Civil Liberties have filed writ petitions," reads the statement of objections filed by RB Pekam, a deputy general manager in the regional office of the NHAI in Bengaluru.
In a series of allegations in the statement of objections, the highways authority attacked non-governmental organisations describing those who receive foreign funding and oppose highway projects as ‘anti-national’. “There are many organisations in India calling themselves environmental action groups and human rights groups such as Amnesty International etc, which are actively involved in attacking development projects and challenging government policies and notifications and doing anti-national activities,” read the statement. It raised allegations about the sources of funding for these organisations and suggested that they receive funds by “hawala means which go undetected”.
The NHAI also argued that over 20 lakh people had encroached upon reserve forests in India and stated that “these encroachers are the real cause of denudation of large tracts of forests and not on account of widening of any highway constructed by NHAI.” It further added that most encroachments are “illegally protected under the Forest Rights Act on grounds that the encroachers are tribal people.”
In response, a furious Chief Justice Abhay Oka directed the NHAI to constitute an inquiry into the statement of objections filed in court. "We are shocked to know the approach of agencies and instrumentality of the state. They want the court to believe that the entire exercise of framing the Environment Protection Act is undertaken at the instance of foreign powers," Abhay Oka said as per Livelaw. He further stated, "I have been a judge of the High Court for 17 and half years. I have never seen such an obnoxious statement presented by a public sector undertaking before the court."
Following this, the counsel representing NHAI sought to withdraw the statement of objections but Chief Justice Abhay Oka asked a senior official in NHAI to constitute an enquiry into the statement filed in court and review the procedures in place to finalise the objections. He asked the highway authority to submit a report by January 31, before the case came up for further hearing on February 2.
The petitioner in the case is the United Conservation Movement, represented by environmentalist Joseph Hoover. The petition had cited a few books written by foreign authors, which included research by authors Duniway and Herrick in 2011, which discussed the impact of road networks and the need for a holistic approach and by author Sidle in 2006, which discussed landslides.
In response to this, the statement of objections filed by NHAI bizarrely stated, “The petitioner has relied on foreign authors and their books as material for targeting the respondents. It is well known that India is rising in the world economically having achieved the status of having the fifth largest economy...certain western powers and India's enemy neighbours are envious of and want to hit development projects of the Union and state government."
Speaking to TNM, petitioner Joseph Hoover backed the court’s stance on the issue. “If every environmentalist is branded as receiving money from abroad and is questioned about it, this is absolutely wrong. We are a relatively young NGO. We don't have Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act funds. For that matter we don't even have exemption under Section 80G (of the Income Tax Act). They (NHAI) can have a look at our sources of funds,” he said.
Traditional potters in TN counting on Pongal to revive their business
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/traditional-potters-tn-counting-pongal-revive-their-business-141308
PongalThe rise in the number of plastic and non-eco-friendly pots are also becoming an increasing concern for the potters and earthenware sellers.Bharathi SP (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/bharathi-sp)
New Karnataka cabinet ministers to be announced on Jan 13
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/new-karnataka-cabinet-ministers-be-announced-jan-13-141310
PoliticsBS Yediyurappa had met Amit Shah and JP Nadda on Sunday to discuss the issue of cabinet expansion.TNM Staff (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/tnm-staff)
IPS officer Nimbalkar transferred again amid Bengaluru’s Safe City Project row
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/ips-officer-nimbalkar-transferred-again-amid-bengaluru-s-safe-city-project-row-141304
ControversyHemanth Nimbalkar received the second transfer order in a row since his public row with IPS Officer D Roopa over Safe City Project in Bengaluru. TNM Staff (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/tnm-staff)
Walayar sisters' death: Kerala to hand over probe to CBI
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/walayar-sisters-death-kerala-hand-over-probe-cbi-141305
Police The move comes days after the Kerala HC orders a retrial in the case.PTI (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/pti)
The wait had been too much for fans of Tamil star Vijay, who are scattered across the districts of Kerala. The question of movie theatres in the state reopening in time for the release of Vijay’s latest movie Master hung in the air for days. On January 11, finally, there was some respite – the morning meetings of various film and theatre associations with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan turned fruitful. Theatres will open on Wednesday, with a number of restrictions, following COVID-19 protocol.
“Since there has been no confirmation until now, we haven’t really planned much for the release of Master. There’s also no permission to hold special shows for the fans like how it usually happens for Vijay movies. And there can’t be a crowd outside the theatre, since we are following COVID-19 protocol,” says Soumya, president of Vijay Idhayam Girls Association, a fans’ association based in Thiruvananthapuram.
On the first day of New Year, the Chief Minister had announced that the theatres may open on January 5, with a number of restrictions, including only 50% occupancy of the seats. This had not gone down well with the fans who are used to hogging the theatres from early morning for the ‘fan shows’ of Vijay movies.
READ: Kerala announces waiver on entertainment tax, electricity bills for theatres
“A theatre with a thousand seats will only allow 500 people inside and we have to sit maintaining some distance between us. But there are thousands of fans waiting for the release just in our area and many of them may not get to watch the premiere show,” says a disheartened Sanoop, president of Vijay Fans Club, Ernakulam district committee.
Respecting the pandemic situation, the Vijay fans in Kerala decided not to have grand celebrations when the much-awaited Master releases in theatres. They do not want to be responsible for a new spread of the disease, Sanoop says.
“We had, in fact, planned elaborate celebrations for April 9 last year, when the movie was originally supposed to release. There was a big cutout (of Vijay) and a chenda mela (percussion ensemble) was booked. But the release got pushed with the outbreak of the coronavirus. And with no clarity on whether the theatres will reopen in time for the release on January 13, we haven’t planned much, except a flex board,” Sanoop says.
The theatres in Kerala had closed down on March 11 last year, even before the country went into a lockdown. In June, the state government allowed movies to start shooting again. However, film crews took their time to begin shooting again due to several reasons.
Read: Movie shooting in Kerala has not resumed despite govt approval. Here’s why
Kerala was among the last states to allow the reopening of theatres, and when they did, the government made no mention of the recommendations made by theatre owners to reduce the various expenses — including taxes and electricity charges — incurred during the last 10 months when they were not open. This led to another standstill when theatre owners showed reluctance to opening theatres without having an assurance on the cutting down of these costs.
“Earlier, when we thought that Master will not release in Kerala, we planned to take tickets to Tamil Nadu and go watch the movie there,” says Soumya.
While there was uncertainty, there were reports that Antony Perumbavoor, president of the Film Exhibitors United Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK), said it was unfair to reopen theatres in Kerala for the Tamil film Master. The statement had irked Vijay fans, some of whom announced that they would boycott the Mohanlal-starrer Marakkar: Arabikkadalinte Simham, which is produced by Antony Perumbavoor.
However, Soumya said that it was not a decision taken by members of any Vijay fans association. “Some fans posted about it on social media. But none of the associations has officially said anything about a boycott,” she says.
Vijay’s film Master, scheduled as a Pongal release this month, is directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. It is an action-thriller produced by Xavier Britto under the banner XB Film Creators. The film stars Vijay as the protagonist while Vijay Sethupathi plays the antagonist. It also stars Malavika Mohanan in the lead. The soundtrack is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, while cinematography is by Sathyan Sooryan and editing is by Philomin Raj.
READ: Mohanlal to Manju Warrier, actors laud Kerala govt for relaxing tax on theatres
(With input from Digital Native)
WATCH: Master trailer
No grand celebration for ‘Master’ release, say Vijay fans' associations in Kerala
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/no-grand-celebration-master-release-say-vijay-fans-associations-kerala-141303
TheatreWith the uncertainty over the reopening of theatres lasting so long and the COVID-19 restrictions in place, Vijay fans’ associations haven’t made big plans.TNM Staff (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/tnm-staff)
Health Ministry will decide which vaccine goes to each state: NITI Aayog
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/health-ministry-will-decide-which-vaccine-goes-each-state-niti-aayog-141302
COVID-19 VaccineRecipients of the vaccine can opt out of the programme, but states will receive the vaccine as decided by the Union govt, an official said. TNM Staff (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/tnm-staff)
Vivek Oberoi’s brother-in-law Aditya Alva arrested in Sandalwood drugs case
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/vivek-oberoi-s-brother-law-aditya-alva-arrested-sandalwood-drugs-case-141301
CrimeAditya Alva had been absconding ever since he was booked by the Bengaluru police as a prime accused in the Sandalwood drugs case.TNM Staff (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/tnm-staff)
TN schools to reopen for class 10 and 12 on January 19
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tn-schools-reopen-class-10-and-12-january-19-141298
EducationThe schools were closed in March 2020 as a precautionary measure amid the COVID-19 pandemic.TNM Staff (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/tnm-staff)
Kerala theatres to reopen on January 13 with Vijay’s ‘Master’
https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kerala-theatres-reopen-january-13-vijay-s-master-141295
TheatreThe decision was taken by Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce after the state government decided to address its demands and concerns.PTI (https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-names/pti)
