Despite a win, TN done in by the run-rate

In the end, it was a case of ‘so near yet so far’ for Tamil Nadu.

R. Satish’s team won its final Group ‘A’ fixture, against Hyderabad, in comprehensive fashion on Sunday but could not progress to the Super League of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on account of an inferior net run-rate (NRR) vis-à-vis Gujarat.

Tamil Nadu, which chose to field at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium at Jamtha, restricted Hyderabad to 140 for eight.

Seamer J. Kousik (3-0-20-3), and spinners Rahil Shah (4-0-15-2) and M. Ashwin (4-0-18-3) were the star performers.

Four of the top five batsmen then shared the burden as the ‘Yellow Brigade’ won by four wickets to accumulate 16 points from six games. Its NRR read +1.136.

Alas, it wasn’t enough as Gujarat hammered Haryana in double-quick time at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium at Civil Lines. First, Rudra Pratap Singh (4-0-16-3) and Jasprit Bumrah (4-0-10-3) combined to dismiss Amit Mishra & Co. for just 95. Then, Parthiv Patel (51 n.o., 20b, 8x4, 2x6) and Rohit Dahiya (40 n.o., 15b, 6x4, 2x6) smashed those runs in just 6.4 overs for a nine-wicket victory and, more importantly, a superior NRR (+1.559).

Left ruing by its shocking defeats to Vidarbha and Himachal Pradesh in the competition, the Tamil Nadu team’s collective eyes, incidentally, were on these very teams. It was a hoping for a Vidarbha defeat alright, but also for a narrow one so as to stay ahead of Himachal Pradesh on the NRR.

That wasn’t to be as the host secured its fifth win on the trot with a 27-run submission of Himachal Pradesh in second match of the day at Civil Lines. And as a result, Vidarbha topped the group with 20 points (+0.017).

Opener Jitesh Sharma helped himself to a stroke-filled 106 (65b, 12x4, 3x6) as Vidarbha posted 183 for six. Off-spinner Akshay Wakhare (4-0-18-4) then led the way as Himachal Pradesh was bowled out for 156 in the last over.

Sunday’s defeat marked the end of an underwhelming season for Tamil Nadu. It had failed to make the quarterfinal stage of the Ranji Trophy and had lost to eventual champion Gujarat in the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

The scores: Hyderabad 140 for eight in 20 overs (Chama Milind 26, G. Hanuma Vihari 26, Jaweed Ali 35, J. Kousik three for 20, Rahil Shah two for 15, M. Ashwin three for 18) lost to Tamil Nadu 141 for six in 18.4 overs (Abhinav Mukund 41, B. Aparajith 26, Dinesh Karthik 43, W. Antony Das 24 n.o., Akash Bhandari two for 20). Hyderabad 0 (8; -0.270), Tamil Nadu 4 (16; +1.136).

Haryana 95 in 20 overs (Mohit Hooda 24, R.P. Singh three for 16, Jasprit Bumrah three for 10, Hardik Patel two for 19) lost to Gujarat 99 for one in 6.4 overs (Parthiv Patel 51 n.o., Rohit Dahiya 40 n.o.) Haryana 0 (4; -1.406), Gujarat 4 (16; +1.559).

Vidarbha 183 for six in 20 overs (Jitesh Sharma 106; Akshay Chauhan two for 50, Pankaj Jaswal two for 40, Bipul Sharma two for 23) bt Himachal Pradesh 156 in 19.5 overs (Raghav Dhawan 43, Bipul Sharma 58, Rajneesh Gurbani two for 35, Ravi Jangid two for 34, Akshay Wakhare four for 18). Vidarbha 4 (20; +0.017), Himachal Pradesh 0 (12; -0.025).

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5,800 tonnes of hoarded pulses seized

To discourage hoarding of pulses for speculation, the government on Tuesday intensified its drive against excess stock holding with official agencies seizing over 5,800 tonnes of illegally stored pulses in surprise raids.

Union Cabinet secretary P.K. Sinha took another meeting of top officials of departments concerned for the second consecutive day to review the situation.

Officially, the average price of tur stood at about Rs. 156 a kilogram, while urad remained at Rs. 138 a kg. Government outlets like the Kendriya Bhandar and Safal have started selling imported dal at Rs. 120 a kg, government sources said.

The meeting discussed the action taken by State governments against hoarding under the Essential Commodities Act and reviewed the availability of pulses sold through official outlets to check the high prices of tur and urad.

According to the Consumer Affairs Ministry, over 5,800 tonnes of pulses stored in excess of stock limits were seized in five States.

Around 2,546 tonnes were seized in Telangana, 2,295 tonnes in Madhya Pradesh, 600 tonnes in Andhra Pradesh, 360 tonnes in Karnataka and one tonne in Maharashtra.

Raids on in TN, Karnataka

“Raids are being carried out in Mysuru and Kalaburagi in Karnataka as also in Tamil Nadu,’’ official sources said. The Rajasthan government has also intensified enforcement of stock limits on pulses. Besides taking measures to de-hoard illegally stored pulses, State governments have begun to withdraw exemption on stock holding limits given earlier to pulse importers, exporters, licensed food processors and large departmental retailers, in line with the Centre’s orders.

Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have already issued orders to this effect, the sources said.

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TN's Transgender Welfare Board in limbo

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  The Hindu

  Transgenders receive identity cards from the government's Welfare Board for Transgenders, in Salem on December 14, 2009. Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

In April 2008, when Tamil Nadu set up a Transgender Welfare Board, the State was hailed as a model for progressive development. Other states, including Maharashtra and West Bengal, followed suit. But now, over seven years after its formation, former members allege that the board is completely inactive.

The reply to a Right to Information (RTI) petition filed by The Hindu confirms this: the last meeting of the Board was held was in December 2013. Ironically, the minutes of that meeting reveal that the Minister for Social Welfare, who heads the board, had recommended that it meet every three months.

The Board was set up with 11 official members including the social welfare minister, director of social welfare, the finance and law secretaries and the chairperson of the women’s commission, among others. It had nine non-official members from the transgender community and from non-governmental organisations.

According to the RTI reply, the non-official members initially had a three-year tenure, from 2008 to 2011 but since the end of their tenure, the Board has not been reconstituted. “A new list of non-official members was recommended for the reconstitution of the Board and was sent to the government. However, there has been no decision on this as yet,” the reply says. Since the non-official members’ tenure expired in 2011, subsequent meetings were held only with official members, the reply says.

Members allege that the change in government has led to the non-functioning of the Board – it was set up by a previous regime.

“We have no idea what is going on – whether the Board is running or whether we are part of it. Setting up the board was not part of a political agenda for us – we did it for the benefit of transgenders in Tamil Nadu,” said one member, who wanted to remain anonymous.

For the first three years, said R. Jeeva, another member, meetings were held every three months and work went on. “After that, every year we have gone and asked them what is happening with the Board, but we have never received a proper response,” she said.

According to the social welfare department’s performance budget for 2015-16, the assistance provided by what the document calls the third gender welfare board, includes educational loans. But as per the RTI reply, in over seven years, only two persons have received educational assistance. “We have told them of so many transgenders who are in need of such loans. They take the proposals from us, but money is never given,” said Ms. Jeeva.

House pattas, free housing and short stay homes are also among the assistance measures listed, but as per the RTI reply, only 29 houses have been built and handed over so far at Rs. 75,000 per house, all in Coimbatore district. Funds have been sanctioned for another 133 houses in eight districts. “This has been an essential requirement of ours, as transgenders find it very difficult to get housing. Very few people are willing to rent to us,” said a member.

Another scheme listed is that of a monthly pension of Rs. 1,000 for destitute transgenders over the age of 40. “The pension is erratic. It comes once in six or seven months. February was the last month many received it,” she said.

The Board’s inactivity is very unfortunate, said A.J. Hariharan of Indian Community Welfare Organisation, a non-official member. “It was a very encouraging move and meant a lot to the community. Now, it is not functioning at all. Community members have appealed several times to no avail. I have had no communication from them after 2011,” he said.

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