Latest news with #MSelvakumar
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Madras HC says misuse of PIL on rise, imposes Rs 1 lakh cost on petitioner for filing it with vested interest
CHENNAI: Holding that the petitioner has grossly abused and misused the august forum of public interest litigation (PIL) to file a petition for vested interest, the Madras High Court has imposed costs of Rs 1 lakh on him. The court also dismissed the PIL filed by M Selvakumar of Chinna Kandiyan Kuppam village in Cuddalore district. The PIL had sought directions for regulating illegal mining allegedly done by J Karthikeyan, of Kattukudalur Road, in the surrounding areas of Nadiyapattu village with the connivance of the local government officials. The first bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan, in a recent order, said the counter affidavit and the details submitted in the court are 'shocking'. 'This also reveals that the august forum of PIL has been grossly abused and misused by the petitioner to serve his own vested interest,' the bench said. Further, it said the records reveal that criminal cases have been registered against the petitioner for alleged illegal transportation of minerals and illegal mining in 2024 and 2025. An FIR for defamatory comments against the seventh respondent, Karthikeyan, was also registered, the bench noted.
Time of India
26-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
HC denies relief on plea to set time limit for information commissions
Madurai: Madras high court has denied relief to a man who sought a directive for the Central Information Commission, New Delhi, and the State Information Commission, Chennai, to dispose of appeals filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by setting a time limit. The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed in 2020 by M Selvakumar. In addition to seeking a time limit, the petitioner requested an increase in the number of commissioners in both commissions. He further sought the establishment of a branch of the State Information Commission in Madurai for public convenience. A division bench of justice S M Subramaniam and justice A D Maria Clete observed that the relief sought to direct the commissions, to dispose of appeals by setting a time limit could not be granted. The commissions are created statutorily, and the workload is to be regulated by the commission itself. The high court, in exercising its powers of judicial review, cannot direct the commission to dispose of appeals by setting a time limit, as it is impractical and would result in a futile exercise. The cases, which are to be decided on a priority basis or by seniority, are to be regulated by the commission. If any specific grievance exists, the petitioner is at liberty to approach the commission for the speedy disposal of the case, the judges observed, and disposed of the petition.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
108 ambulances now respond quicker in Trichy
Trichy: Improved identification of accident hotspots, strategic ambulance deployment, and technological upgrades have helped reduce the average response time of 108 ambulances in Trichy district by one minute and 32 seconds, according to officials. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In May 2024, ambulances took an average of 11 minutes and 26 seconds to reach an emergency scene. By May 2025, the average had dropped to 9 minutes and 48 seconds. Officials attribute the improvement to the closer stationing of ambulances and better coordination. The average base-to-scene distance has also narrowed from 8.1 km to 7.5 km. "This has directly contributed to the reduction in response times," an official said. The average time for an ambulance to reach a hospital from the spot is 45 minutes. Twelve accident-prone areas across the district have been marked as critical zones requiring immediate ambulance access. "In consultation with the police, these hotspots were identified to ensure prompt response. At least one ambulance is stationed within a 10 km radius, more if necessary," said J Kumaran, programme manager. During peak hours — 8am to 11am and 4 pm to 9 pm — ambulances are stationed at these hotspots. Although the fleet size remains at 44, deployment has been optimised. Palpannai junction, identified as a "super-hotspot," now has three ambulances stationed within a 3 km radius. "Accidents here can occur in quick succession, so we increased coverage," said M Selvakumar, head of GVK-EMRI Green Health Services, which manages the 108 ambulance service. Technology has also played a key role. GPS-enabled ambulances and the mobile app Avasaram 108 Tamilnadu allow real-time tracking and faster dispatch. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Our control room monitors every ambulance and assigns the nearest one to each distress call," a source said. Public awareness has improved, with penalties for motorists who obstruct ambulances. Still, some challenges persist. "People are more cooperative now, but sometimes the speed governor limits our ability to respond faster," said John Bopti, a pilot stationed at Siruganur.
