Had the opportunity to read the Drug-Free Tamil Nadu policy paper, published by @annamalai_k . The full paper can be accessed from the link below :
🔗https://t.co/N9cZs8X0Oq🔗
Encouraging to see healthcare and public policy discussed in a structured, evidence-based manner. As medical professionals, I believe we should contribute not only through patient care and research, but also by participating in policy discussions that improve public health.
Looking forward to seeing more evidence-driven health policy initiatives.
#HealthForAll #DrugfreeTN #drugsfreebharat
Gist from India today's article:
Barely a month into office, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s promise of clean governance is already visible in the state’s largest spending area - public works.
One of his earliest directives ended restricted or pre-fixed tenders, opening all civic contracts to competitive bidding. This move aims to eliminate cartelisation, rigged bids, and alleged commission-based awards, resulting in substantial savings for the exchequer.
Greater Chennai Contractors Association president Rama Rao noted that similar works, previously awarded at 10% above estimates (e.g., a ₹25 lakh tender executed for ₹27.5 lakh), are now being taken up for as low as ₹16 lakh.
Financial expert Venkateswara Rao Patakota praised the shift, saying Vijay is moving from a "40% commission culture" to zero bribes. He called it a potential model for India, noting: "Tamil Nadu is lucky. The state voted for Vijay without taking money, and they are getting the benefit."
@MacroMatrix1 It could become very ugly in the coming days. TVK destroyed the ADMK party. Also broke all the alliances of DMK. Both DMK and ADMK will go to any extent to topple govt.
It all depends upon the cinematic loyalty by the TVK MLAs and their backgrounds, which will be scrutinised.
The news that the death toll in the Ammonia gas tragedy in a pvt company in Thiruvallur has increased to 17 is deeply disturbing. All the deceased are women and were migrant guest workers from North India.
The TN government has given Compensation of Rs. 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. How is this sufficient & justified? Odisha government has given Rs. 10 Lakh as compensation to the victim. The Odisha government also facilitated the return of those migrant guest workers who were discharged after the treatment. While the State Govt arranged safe passage of the deceased, how did the State administration forget the plight of those who were discharged from hospitals, waiting to return home?
The tragic loss of lives in the Ammonia gas tragedy in the private export firm in Thiruvallur also raises a lot of questions;
1)The first & foremost being the absence of the implementation of the 1979 Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act. Principal employers of establishments that employ five or more inter-state migrant workers must be registered under the Act. However, this accident and many earlier incidents have only shown that this Act is not implemented in Tamil Nadu and that no registry is being maintained.
Whenever a crime happens that involves a migrant guest worker from North India, a bunch of innocent migrant guest workers from North India are rounded up for enquiry, as there are no ways and means for the Police Department to narrow it down due to lack of registry.
However, after we pointed it out recently, we understand that the TVK Govt has begun enforcing this Act, at least in parts, if not in full. We trust that the State Govt takes the recent accidents/incidents seriously and enforces the availability of the register of migrant guest workers across all districts. TN State Govt could draw inspiration from the Athidhi app developed by Kerala for registering migrant guest workers and to ensure their welfare.
Even in the Thiruvallur ammonia gas tragedy, it was learnt that there was difficulty in establishing the actual identity of one of the deceased women, who carried a forged Aadhaar card to secure employment. This shows the inefficiency of the functioning of the inter-state migrant workers portal launched by TN Govt in 2023.
2)The welfare board for migrant guest workers is basically non-existent and needs to be established, strengthened and should be used to address the concerns of the migrant guest workers.
Tamil Nadu has today fallen below the replacement level, with a fertility rate of 1.3. To build the State’s infrastructure and work in industrial & commercial establishments across the State, we depend on the hard work of our migrant guest workers. Hence, it is important that we focus on their state of living, as most of the migrant guest workers are compelled to live in appalling conditions and have no place to complain, and their voices are never heard.
3)It is not just the duty of the welfare board but also the duty of the Department of Industrial Safety & Health (DISH) of the state government of Tamil Nadu. Even after a catastrophe that led to the death of 17 workers due to an ammonia gas leak, there seems to be no accountability taken by this department. It is time for “Transparency”. DISH should have made public their most recent inspection of this factory and any observations they made.
The factory in which these migrant guest workers suffered had accommodations within the place of work, surrounded by hazardous pipelines. How was this even allowed?
I demand that appropriate compensation be disbursed to the victims, that the 1979 Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act be enforced in both letter & spirit, and that transparency be brought by the Ministry of Labour of the TN State Govt on the functioning of the DISH & they also be made accountable, including the owners of the establishment, for deliberately ignoring the hazardous living conditions of the migrant guest workers.
@CMOTamilnadu
@MacroMatrix1 It could become very ugly in the coming days. TVK destroyed the ADMK party. Also broke all the alliances of DMK. Both DMK and ADMK will go to any extent to topple govt.
It all depends upon the cinematic loyalty by the TVK MLAs and their backgrounds, which will be scrutinised.
அ.தி.மு.க மகளிர் அணியின் ஆலோசனை கூட்டதில் கலந்துகொண்டார் லீமா ரோஸ், வேடிக்கை என்னவென்றால் தவெகவுக்கு ஆதரவாக வாக்களித்த 25 அதிமுக சட்டமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களில் இவரும் ஒருவர்.
தனக்கு எதிராக போர்க்கொடி தூக்கியவர்களின் கட்சி பதவிகளை பறித்த எடப்பாடி பழனிசாமி , தவெகவுக்கு ஆதரவாக வாக்களித்த லீமா ரோஸின் கட்சிப் பதவியை மட்டும் இன்னும் பறிக்கவில்லை ஏன் கொடுத்த 300 கோடியை திரும்ப கேட்டுவிடுவார்கள் என்ற பயமா?
#ADMK #LeemaRose #KCPalanisamy #EdappadiPalanisamy #TNPolitics
தலைவர் ரஜினிகாந்தின் பெயரால்
எனது 93 வது இரத்த தானம் 🤘🤘🤘
🩸Donate Blood🩸
😍 Save Lives 😍
#Thalaivar Forever
#Appollo Hospital
#Madurai
Tq Krishna Ganesh Anna
@muthuhere3 Stop blaming all the people in the world for ADMK failure. Only one man is responsible.
If not TVK, DMK would have won and the lost ADMK leaders would have still jumped parties. 11 times failure is not enough for him. Have guts and throw him out, for the respect for MGR/JJ