writingonblog uncensored: Spicejet launches direct flight from Guwahati to D...

writingonblog uncensored: Spicejet launches direct flight from Guwahati to D...: Guwahati: SpiceJet launched its 50th destination – Dibrugarh by introducing daily flight services on the Guwahati – Dibrugarh route. SpiceJ...

Spicejet launches direct flight from Guwahati to Dibrugarh

Guwahati:
SpiceJet launched its 50th destination – Dibrugarh by introducing daily flight services on the Guwahati – Dibrugarh route. SpiceJet is the first airline to offer daily direct air connectivity between Guwahati and Dibrugarh. The traditional flag-off and lamp-lighting ceremonies were held at the Dibrugarh airport. The new flight will further connect Dibrugarh with Silchar via Guwahati.

With the launch of the new service, SpiceJet will put Dibrugarh on the pan India aviation map through seamless onward connections on its network. This is in perfect sync with the airline’s agenda to connect smaller cities and it further strengthens SpiceJet’s focus on North-East India. SpiceJet will be operating its Bombardier Q400 aircrafts on the said routes.

writingonblog uncensored: 19,000 cases pending against TN departments in HC;...

writingonblog uncensored: 19,000 cases pending against TN departments in HC;...: CHENNAI: The Court Case Monitoring System (CCMS), an IT-based application, to monitor cases pending against the state government department...

19,000 cases pending against TN departments in HC; Counter yet to be filed in 13,000 cases

CHENNAI:

The Court Case Monitoring System (CCMS), an IT-based application, to monitor cases pending against the state government department or officials have revealed that a total of nearly 19,000 court cases are still pending in High Court.

The CCMS, which was created after after more than 20,000 contempt of court petitions were pending against Tamil Nadu government officials in Madras High Court and Madurai Bench between the year 2010 to February 16, 2014, reveals that of the 19,000 cases, the counters have yet to be filed in 13,000 cases.

School education department and transport department have the maximum number of pending cases under CCMS. The school department has around 2,957 pending cases of which counter has yet to be filed in 1,590 cases. Similarly, transport department has a total of 2,292 pending cases of which counter application has not been filed by the department in 2,146 cases.

However, CCMS did not take into record the backdated cases that were pending prior to the petition filed by K K Ramesh, managing trustee of Madurai-based Tamil Nadu Centre for Public Interest Litigation, said sources.

The Housing Department and Urban Development department has only 751 pending cases of which no counter has been filed in 175 cases. This despite the fact that Madras High Court rapped Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, which also comes under the housing department, for the huge backlog of cases that are pending in the courts.

According to a recent audit report, more than 8,000 cases pertaining to CMDA are pending in various courts, including Madras High Court from the year 2000 onwards. Most of the cases pertain to service matters, unauthorised constructions, land acquisitions, CMDA project related cases and writ petitions.

According to CCMS data, the Home, Prohibition and Excise Department has 1,338 pending cases in Madras High Court while Municipal Administration and Water Supply department has 1,237 pending cases. Similarly, the finance and health departments have 1,214 and 1,188 pending cases before the courts respectively.

Factfile:

Agriculture dept:

Writ petitions: 485

Writ appeal: 9

SLP: 2

Review of SLP: 0

Environment and Forest Dept:

Writ petitions: 475

Writ appeal: 0

SLP: 1

Review of SLP: 0

Finance Dept:

Writ petitions: 1214

Writ appeal: 1

SLP: 0

Review of SLP: 21

Health and Family Welfare:

Writ petitions: 1188

Writ appeal: 11

SLP:  1

Review of SLP: 0

Home, Prohibition and Excise:

Writ petitions: 1338

Writ appeal: 0

SLP:  0

Review of SLP: 0

Municipal Admin and Water supply:

Writ petitions: 1237

Writ appeal: 0

SLP: 1

Review of SLP: 0

School Education:

Writ petitions: 2920

Writ appeal: 37

SLP: 0

Review of SLP: 0

Transport Dept:

Writ petitions: 2292

Writ appeal: 0

SLP: 0

Review of SLP: 0

VOC Port officials in Tuticorin under CBI scanner for awarding contracts

CHENNAI:

Top officials from VOC Port in Thoothkudi are under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) scanner for irregularities in awarding contracts to a Thoothkudi-based private firm.

A First Information Report has been filed by Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of CBI against P I Jambert  Immanuel, managing partner of Immanuel and Co, a construction company, and several unknown officials  of VOC Port whose role in awarding the contracts are being probed.

CBI claims the officials abused their power in awarding the contracts worth crores to Jambert and his firm from 2014 to 2016 knowing well that he did not possess required experience or qualification for getting the contract.

CBI in its FIR has alleged that the work undertaken by Immanuel and Co was substandard and not as per the specifications and most of them were not completed as per schedule. The officials did not claim Liquidated damages for not completing the work on time.

CBI said the project relating to widening and strengthening of South Breakwater Approach Road which was worth Rs 13.04 crore was awarded to Immanuel and co after the last date of tender was extended. Not only that additional work, which was not part of the tender, was awarded to Immanuel and Co. This comes even as the earlier work was not completed on schedule, alleged CBI.

Another contract on widening and strengthening of VOC Port Road from Tuticorin Thermal Power station (four lanes to six lanes) also had resulted in financial implications for VOC Port. As per the study conducted by RITES IN 2011, the cost of the project was Rs 13.92 crore and the agreement value was Rs 9.94 crore. The excess work was entrusted to the firm which resulted in financial implication of Rs 38.88 crore. The project could not be completed on time and the port officials did not seek liquidated damages, CBI said.

In the third contract pertaining to construction of a truck parking terminal near Fisheries College in Tuticorin, which was undertaken under Sagarmala Project, the port officials favoured the company where in contract was awarded without conducting any pre-bid meetings. The oil companies which were stakeholders in the project have to contribute 30pc towards the project cost. But the oil majors, Indian Oil Company, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum refrained from being part of the project, CBI said.

The total cost of the project was estimated by the consultant to be around Rs 26.31 crore  and only two firms – RK and Sons Salem and Immanuel and Co submitted the quotations of Rs 31.99 crore and Rs 38.69 crore respectively. It was re-tendered again and the contract was awarded to Immanuel and Co which quoted Rs 23.69 crore. CBI alleged that Immanuel and Co on the basis of favours shown by public servants of VOC Port indulged in cartelisation and prevented other contractors from competing in the tender.

CBI also alleged that dredged material was procured clandestinely from VOC Port to fill up the marshy land for truck parking terminal. “These dradged materials could be a source of revenue for VOC Port,” said CBI in its FIR.