INTERVIEWS

Randeep D is currently Special Commissioner for CHBMS (Central Hospital Bed Management System). Pic: Twitter/Randeep D Last week, MP Tejasvi Surya caused a furore when he made allegations of corruption in the allotment of hospital beds to COVID patients. Even before Surya made the allegations, the BBMP, on May 3, had appointed a three-member committee to study and recommend changes in the CHBMS (Central Hospital Bed Management System). The committee was to plug loopholes in the CHBMS software that allowed for its misuse. On May 7, the committee submitted its 33-point recommendations; the very next day, BBMP passed an order…

Well, that almost sounds like a page out of a fantasy novel, given the water scenario many of its localities have been facing in recent years. It's been barely two years that the city was making global headlines for having dried up completely in the wake of a monsoon failure and depleting groundwater reserves.  Was it this crisis that served as a wake up call for the Tamil Nadu government, pushing it to take steps to augment the city’s water supply and conserve water resources? How is summer 2021 going to be on the water front? What has changed in…

With Mumbai recording 7367 Covid-19 cases and 75 deaths as on April 22, the second wave of the pandemic has overwhelmed the maximum city.  Mumbai has reported more than 1.38 lakh cases in April alone so far whereas in  September 2020, during the ‘first wave’, the city had reported 57,755 cases.  Until April 23, Mumbai has conducted 51.22 lakh tests and has reported 11.75% test positivity rate till date. The city’s healthcare infrastructure is under strain with only 7139 COVID beds vacant as on April 22. Of these, only 42 are ICU beds and only 21 are ventilator beds that…

For Santhana Selvan, an IT professional, cycling began as a part time hobby, just a few trips to nearby destinations to run errands. From those days to the beginning of April 2021, when he took over as the Bicycle Mayor of Hyderabad, it has been a long journey. One in which he has evolved from just another enthusiastic biker to one who feels deeply about the need to spread the culture and practice of cycling among a much larger section of people.  The challenges in a city like Hyderabad, where the conditions are not particularly amenable, are vast. But in…

Sathyanarayanan B won the hot seat of T Nagar in the 2016 legislative elections. Contesting the seat for a second time, the AIADMK candidate was in the final phase of the campaign trail, explaining the accomplishments and welfare schemes of the ruling AIADMK government and outlining his plans for the constituency, when we met him for an exclusive interview.  Here are the excerpts: How would you rate your five-year performance as an MLA? I am completely satisfied with my tenure as I have fulfilled my promises. Developing Pondy Bazaar under the smart city mission has been a noteworthy accomplishment during…

Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) stands out as the only party in the state to have offered a 50% quota for women in the upcoming state assembly elections. Contesting on a NTK ticket from the constituency of Egmore, P Geetha Lakshmi is campaigning vigorously in the constituency, to understand the predominant concerns of the electorate and their demands. A physiotherapist by profession and state-in-charge, medical wing of the party, P Geetha Lakshmi is contesting for the first time.  We caught up with her to learn more about her, the ideologies of Naam Tamilar Katchi and her plans for the constituency.  What…

Sitting AIADMK MLA Dr R Nataraj is all set to contest again from the Mylapore constituency. A retired Indian Police Service officer, Nataraj had served as chairman of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) and is best known for bringing transparency in the conduct of government examinations. He joined AIADMK in 2014 and first won the Mylapore assembly seat in 2016. How has his experience as a bureaucrat helped him? What plans does he have for the constituency? We catch up with the 70-year-old legislator. Excerpts from the interview: What is your vision for Mylapore constituency? My vision is…

R Murthy, popularly known as Idream R Murthy is contesting his first election from Royapuram constituency. The proprietor of Idream cinemas in Royapuram, Murthy has been associated with the DMK for many decades now.  Projecting himself as a change-maker, Murthy has charted plans for Royapuram, the constituency that has historically been an AIADMK stronghold, voting D Jayakumar to power five times. A successful businessman, Murthy is optimistic of winning the seat, as he says, “People in Royapuram deserve the best. They want to see the change.”  R Murthy has been campaigning for more than 10 hours a day, reaching out…

Doctor-turned-IAS Santhosh Babu has always been an active bureaucrat and is known for his technical innovations. He held seven positions at one point of time when he was in office. In 2020, he took voluntary retirement from administrative service and shortly after, forayed into politics. He joined Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) late last year as General Secretary (Headquarters), also in charge of IT, data, policy, manifesto, special projects etc.  Contesting from Velachery constituency, Santhosh will be fighting AIADMK’s M K Ashok and Tamil Nadu Youth Congress president JMH Hassan. A few days ago, he tested positive for Coronavirus and was…

Sarathbabu Elumalai is contesting his third election over the last decade. Having cut his teeth in the food business as an entrepreneur, his interest in politics came from a realisation that systemic changes can only be effected through political power and engagement.  He is contesting from the Alandur constituency as a candidate of Makkal Needhi Maiam. MNM is one of the newer political parties in the fray, having been founded by actor-politician Kamal Haasan in 2018. The party’s anti-corruption stance is its key plank, promising to provide an alternative to the major Dravidian parties which have been in power in…