Tamil Nadu Live

TN-Goverment's Cable TV Corporation

2007-08-14T07:37:00.000+05:30

Chennai:The Cable TV Corporation to be formed by Tamil Nadu Government would function under the Information Technology Department. A GO has been issued to this effect.According to an official press release, the Finance Secretary, the Information Technology Secretary, the Managing Director of the ELCOT and the Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board would function as Directors of the newly formed Corporation.

Rs.70.75 lakh for street lighting

2007-08-14T07:35:00.000+05:30

Salem:The Salem Corporation has decided to improve street lighting in the city at an estimated cost of Rs.70.75 lakh. The plan was prepared following repeated complaints from the people that a number of areas, particularly the added areas in the city, lacked streetlights.Residents have complained that they were facing difficulties in accessing streets, which lack street lights, during the night hours. Women and children find it unsafe to walk after dark in these areas. Several incidents of theft have been reported. “Lack of enough streetlights provides criminals an excellent getaway. It also leads to accidents,” citizens pointed out.

Hence, the civic body has planned to install streetlights in the following places: Burn Standard & Co branch road to Dalmia Board, Tata Colony to Tiruvagoundanur Bypass Junction, Tiruvagoundanur Bypass to Sivadapuram Branch road, Seelanaickanpatti Junction to Kondalampatti Junction and Kondalampatti Junction to Sivadapuram Branch road.The civic administration would allot funds for installing streetlights from its General Fund. The Corporation Council, which met here recently, had given its approval for the plan, officials said.Better lighting in the streets and main roads would help arrest growing incidence of crime under cover of darkness, officials added.

Meanwhile, citizens urged the Corporation to replace the tube lights with sodium vapour lamps in important roads and lanes. They also appealed to the Corporation to ensure the proper functioning of streetlights. They said that the number of streetlights installed in a few parts was grossly inadequate. They wanted the Corporation to provide adequate number of lights for all the parts.

'Vande Mataram' jwel launched

2007-08-14T07:32:00.000+05:30

Tiruchi:N. Gopaldas and Co., city-based diamond jewellers, has launched ‘Vande Mataram,’ tricolour diamond collections, marking the 60th year of Independence.Launching the collections here on Monday, Managing Partner Diljit D. Shaw said the coloured diamond jewellery was “new entrants” to south India.Since the naturally coloured diamonds are rare and expensive, the white diamonds were subjected to high-pressure colour treatment to make them cost-effective. It was completely “dosham-free,” Mihir D. Shaw, one of the partners, said.

Free medical camp

2007-08-14T07:28:00.000+05:30

Tirunelvali:The INS Kattabomman naval base, located at South Vijayanarayanam near Nanguneri will organize a multi-speciality medical camp at ‘MGS Illam’, Moolaikkaraipatti on August 15 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.An official statement said the Principal Medical Officer, INS Kattabomman, Surgeon Lt. V.K. Pareek, along with a team of specialists including a gynaecologist, paediatrician, endocrinologist and a dietician and Dr. Kamalashankar, a dentist from Sattankulam, would render free consultation.Free testing of blood, ECG and blood pressure would be done and free medicines provided to the visitors, the statement said.Meanwhile, Arun Nursing Home of Tirunelveli Town will conduct a free medical camp in the hospital to test bone mineral density.

TATA Project-Public opinion contucted

2007-08-14T07:26:00.000+05:30

Tuticorin: The high-level team appointed by the State Government to elicit public opinion on the proposed titanium dioxide project began its two-day tour of villages in Sattankulam and Tiruchendur taluks on Monday.The team, comprising Minister for Higher Education K. Ponmudy, Minister for Tourism N. Suresh Rajan, Minister for Animal Husbandry P. Geetha Jeevan, Secretaries to the Government for Industries and Revenue Shaktikanta Das and Ambuj Sharma, and Commissioner for Mines and Minerals E. Dasaradhan, conducted public hearing at Kulasekarapattinam, Arasoor-I, Arasoor –II, Naduvakurichi and Sasthavinallor revenue villages.

The public, by and large, welcomed the setting up of the plant at Sattankulam. Most of the residents in the proposed project area expressed their willingness to give their land for the project. They requested the Government not to take away the lands at low prices.Mr. Ponmudy said the Government would ensure that the farmers got the price as per guideline values set by the Government for lands in revenue villages. “The Government will don the role of a negotiator to help the public get attractive prices for their land from the Tata group.” The acquisition would be carried out with the consent of the people and according to the Tamil Nadu Land Acquisition Act for Industrial Purposes.The police arrested 22 persons, including Selvaraj, a councillor of the Sattankulam panchayat union, who tried to disrupt the public hearing at Naduvakurichi.

500 kiosks will be set up: Indian Bank chief

2007-08-14T07:24:00.000+05:30

Vellore:Indian Bank CMD M. S. Sundara Rajan speaking at the bank’s centenary celebrations in Vellore on Sunday.Indian Bank proposed to set up 500 kiosks all over the country to enable its customers to make easy transactions using the internet. The bank has sought permission of the Reserve Bank of India to establish them, according to its Chairman and Managing Director M.S. Sundara Rajan.

Once the proposal was approved, the kiosks would be set up in all States, Mr. Sundara Rajan said. The bank had introduced Smart Cards for its customers in the Vriddachalam and Dharavi branches. Under the scheme, the bank staff would visit customers at their doorsteps, take their photographs, scan them and issue Smart Cards then and there.By swiping the card in the kiosk set up on the bank premises, the account-holders could make transactions. The scheme would be extended to all over the country, he said while participating in the centenary celebrations of Indian Bank organised by the bank’s Vellore Circle Office at Sangamam Marriage Hall here on Sunday.

The CMD said the bank would play its role in enabling the nation to achieve an economic growth rate of 10 per cent. “It is necessary to improve skills of youth to achieve this, which is possible only through education. Indian Bank wants to facilitate youth to have access to higher education by providing them more education loans.”Mr. Sundara Rajan said that the bank would join hands with the VIT University to introduce several schemes in the district, which included assistance to entrepreneurs to set up small-scale and medium industries.

The bank had already started a loan scheme in association with the firm Bosch under which it provided loans to carpenters, electricians, autorickshaw mechanics and plumbers, enabling them to set up ancillary units to supply components to Bosch. A similar scheme would soon be introduced in the Vellore circle, he noted.The CMD said that the bank had invested Rs.200 crore for introducing core banking solutions to facilitate “anywhere banking”.Vellore Collector Dharmendra Pratap Yadav called upon Indian Bank to provide more educational and crop loans.G. Viswanathan, Chancellor of VIT University, appealed to all to open a bank account. At present, only 70 per cent of the people had accounts. M. Kathiresan, Circle Head, Indian Bank, Vellore, said that the 75 branches in Vellore Circle had deposits and loans totalling about Rs.1,600 crore. Out of the 75 branches, 38 had CBS facility, which would be introduced in the remaining branches soon, he noted.

'Project Selvi' launched

2007-08-13T07:24:00.000+05:30

Chennai:Social Welfare Minister Poongothai on Saturday launched ‘Project Selvi’, a Rotary Club initiative to provide vocational training for underprivileged girls.Rotary District 3230 governor A.S. Venkatesh said the project would help girls in Chennai and surrounding areas to learn skills such as catering, driving, tailoring, marketing and computer operations.Vinod Saraogi, district chairman, said the girls will receive free spoken English training from VETA.Call 42111000 for details.

12000 police for I-Day celebrations

2007-08-13T07:21:00.000+05:30

Chennai:About 12,000 policemen and officers would be deployed for bandobust duty in Chennai city for the 60th Independence Day celebrations on Wednesday, said G. Nanchil Kumaran, Commissioner of Police.As a precautionary measure, all public installations, cinema houses, places of worship, lodges and major commercial establishments would be closely monitored.Vehicle checks had been intensified during nights. Closed-circuit cameras had been installed at specific points, says a press release.

1 lak devotees gathered

2007-08-13T07:19:00.000+05:30

Ramanathapuram:Devotees at Rameswaram on the occasion of “Aadi Amavasai” on Sunday.More than one lakh devotees took a holy dip in the water off Rameswaram on the occasion of ‘Aadi Amavasai’ on Sunday.The devotees, who came from different parts of the country and stayed overnight in and around the Ramanathaswamy temple, visited the ‘Agnitheerthakadarkarai’ in the early morning and offered special pujas to their forefathers.

Earlier, the idols of the temple’s presiding deity, Sri Ramanathasamy, and Lord Siva were brought to the Agnitheerthakadarkarai in a procession for special pujas and abhishekams.Some devotees donated cows to the temple.The devotees also visited the temple and took bath in the 22 theerthams.The police said the crowd this year was one of the largest congregations in recent years.Pilgrims, who reached Rameswaram on Saturday night, found it difficult to get rooms, as almost all lodges, hotels and ‘yatriniwas’ were full.Some owners collected exorbitant rents though the lodges had only limited facilities.A huge crowd converged on Dhanushkodi, Muhuntharayarchatram, Sethukarai and Devipattinam for performing ‘pithru puja.’

Career meet

2007-08-13T07:17:00.000+05:30

Salem:More than 400 candidates attended a career meet organised by the District Employment Office here recently. A total of 20 private firms and educational institutions conducted the selection process to recruit candidates for 165 posts including accountant, computer operator, marketing staff, and graduate teacher.

Students gained fire fighting tech

2007-08-13T07:15:00.000+05:30

Tiruchi:Students and teachers of the Government Special Higher Secondary School, Mathur, Pudukottai district, gained first hand knowledge of fire fighting techniques, when the Lions Club of Mathur conducted a special fire awareness programme on the school premises recently. The programme was conducted in connection with the 60th Independence Day celebrations.Led by Suri Narayanan, Fire Officer, Ordnance Factory, Tiruchi, and Venkataswamy, a fire-safety engineer and a member of the Lions Club, conducted a live demonstration. They were imparted training in handling the fire extinguishers and other equipments.The Zonal Chairman of the Lions International, P. S. P. Palaniappan presided. The president of the Lions Club of Mathur, M. Muniappan and the assistant headmaster of the school, Sivakumar spoke.

Using children for begging

2007-08-13T07:12:00.000+05:30

Tirunelveli:Using children in the 3-7 age group by beggars to evoke sympathy and consequently augment their revenue is on the rise in the twin towns of Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai in the recent past. The official machinery is yet to take action against them.A group of ‘child beggars,’ closely guarded by some ‘senior members’ or hirers, can be seen mobbing those who come out of leading eateries, bakeries, supermarkets and restaurants here.

The ‘earnings’ of the children are forcibly transferred to the ‘seniors’ for every 30 or 60 minutes. After the end of the day, nothing will be given to the boy or girl as their parents might have received the ‘rental charges’ in the morning itself.The most painful characteristic of this profession is that the women beggars, who hire children below the age of two, administer some sedative syrup to the babies, so that they will not be disturbing their business by crying all the time.“Since they are not their mothers, they tranquilise the babies and the infants can be seen sleeping all the time even under the hot sun and blaring cars and heavy vehicles,” the coordinator of a non-governmental organisation, which looks after widows and destitute children, here said.

When a sex worker was arrested recently in Tirunelveli Junction, she was taken to a home in Madurai.During interrogation, she requested the police to look after her five-year old son she had left at the place from where she was picked up by the law-enforcers. As the police were searching for the boy, much to their shocking, they saw him being used by a 75-year-old vagabond for begging.“After giving Rs.50 a day to the sex worker, the old man used to hire her son and pushed him into beggary. Now the boy is being rehabilitated,” a police officer here said.Recently, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court directed the Madurai Police Commissioner and the district administration to submit a detailed report to the court on the steps taken by them to curb the menace of begging. Since the joint anti-beggars drive by the Madurai police and the district administration flushed them out of the ‘Temple City,’ they might have shifted their base to ‘Halwa City’, social workers here feel.

When the matter was tbrought to the knowledge of the then Collector, Atul Anand, at a government function, he immediately asked the officials to take all possible measures to check the menace.Subsequently, 12 little boys and girls, begging in and around Tirunelveli bus stand were taken to rehabilitation homes.“We expect such continuous operations in the days to come so that beggars hiring children and their parents would be forced to stop the ‘business’ immediately,” the social worker said.

International Cleanup Day

2007-08-07T07:55:00.000+05:30

Chennai:The Indian Coast Guard, in association with the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Loyola College and the Tree Foundation, will conduct the ‘International Cleanup Day’ next month.The annual event is part of the South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Over 3,200 power connections to be provided to farmers

2007-08-07T07:51:00.000+05:30

Dharmapuri: The district administration has fixed a target to provide 3,263 electricity connections to farmers under various government schemes in the current fiscal. About 500 connections have been provided till date, said Collector Pankaj Kumar Bansal here on Monday.The State Government has sanctioned Rs.20 lakh to sink 51 borewells in panchayats selected under the Anaithu Gramam Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT). The district administration was installing Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) and solar-powered lights in panchayats selected under AGAMT instead of lamps using conventional sources of energy.

It has installed about 1,657 CFL and 113 solar-powered lights in the panchayats so far. The Collector asked panchayat presidents to install solar-powered lights to cut down their monthly electricity bills. Mr. Bansal instructed officials concerned to expedite drought-relief works in Pennagaram, Palacode and Karimangalam blocks and submit a report on the same to the district administration.The Collector also instructed them to accord top priority to SC/ST self-help groups, widows and women deserted by their husbands while selecting beneficiaries under various government schemes.

Sago and starch manufacturers agree to open factories

2007-08-07T07:49:00.000+05:30

Salem:Agricultural Minister Veerapandi S . Arumugam holding talks with starch and sago tapioca manufacturers and farmers in Salem on Monday.The tripartite meeting organised by the State Government under the presidentship of Agricultural Minister Veerapandi S. Arumugam here on Monday has decided to sort out the issues that have been confronting the sago industry and tapioca farmers.The farmers have accepted to resume their tubers harvest, which they had suspended some 15 days ago while the manufacturers of sago and starch, whose factories remained closed for a week, have agreed to open them immediately.

The Minister, while summing up the three-hour session that brought the representatives of sago and starch industry and tapioca farmers under one roof, pointed out that he would insist on the Government to fix a price for tapioca as in the case of sugarcane and rice and also organise loans for farmers through cooperative societies.The middlemen, who hold farmers to ransom, will be sternly dealt with, he warned.He asked the manufacturers to strict to quality control norms and utilise the services of Sago Serve, a cooperative body functioning for the development of industry and for farming community. A few demands concerning with the quality guidelines and remunerative price will be sorted out.

The final decision in these issues will be taken after another round of the tripartite meeting, he said.Namakkal District Collector G. Sundaramurthy pointed out that many of the factories in his district never adhere to the rules, causing heavy environmental pollution with untreated effluent thus affecting the farm lands. Salem Collector N. Mathivanan said that Tamil Nadu was the State where the average production of tapioca was high in the world (38 tonnes per hectare). Out of total 800 sago factories in Tamil Nadu, 700 were functioning in Salem and Namakkal districts alone, he said.

Tapioca farmers said that the factory owners were not paying them the remunerative price for their produce. They claimed that the Starch-Point assessment was differing from factory-to-factory thus causing losses to them. Middlemen were controlling the trade they said and charged that the factory owners never adhered to the decisions taken at an earlier tripartite meeting.Similar to the Spices Board, a separate Board for Tapioca should be formed, they urged.Sago and starch manufacturers, however, said that they were open for any inspection with regard to the point assessment.

While accepting that a few manufacturers had been permitting the middlemen to thrive, they insisted that the Government should come to the rescue of the industry in this issue. They also claimed that stringent quality control measures of Sago Serve had caused severe hardships causing them heavy losses.Farmers including Govindarajan, G.N.Periyasamy, Krishnamurthy and C. Vaiyapuri spoke while Thangavel, T. R. Palanivel and others expressed the manufacturers’ views. Senior officials from Agricultural and Horticultural departments took part.

Identity cards issued to 10 lakh agricultural workers

2007-08-07T07:47:00.000+05:30

Tiruchi:I. Periasami, left, Revenue and Law Minister, distributing assistance to a beneficiary in Tiruchi on Monday. (From left to right) Transport Minister K.N. Nehru and Collector Ashish Vachhani are also seen.The Tamil Nadu Agricultural Labourers’ Welfare Board has issued identity cards to as many as 10 lakh farm workers across the State, the Revenue Minister, I. Periasami, said.

Speaking at a meeting to review the Board’s performance in the region comprising Tiruchi, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts here on Monday, Mr. Periasami said that the board extended several welfare assistances to its members. In Tiruchi district, 2,000 workers were sanctioned Old Age Pension.He urged officials to identify all eligible farm workers and enrol them as members for the issue of identity cards.He also asked them to sanction assistance to the needy without any delay.On suggestions made by office-bearers of the board for improving its performance, the Minister said that he would apprise the Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, of the same.

The Transport Minister, K. N. Nehru, called upon officials to extend their cooperation for the success of the scheme.The Collectors of Tiruchi and Perambalur, Ashish Vachhani and Anil Meshram respectively, were among those who participated.Earlier, Mr. Periasami gave away assistance to the tune of about Rs.15.85 lakh to 87 members of the region.The Minister also gave away house-site pattas to 23 beneficiaries residing on the ‘porambokke’ land for more than a decade.

Drive against smuggling of rice

2007-08-07T07:44:00.000+05:30

Tuticorn:Collector R. Palaniyandi on Monday inaugurated the operations of two newly procured four-wheelers for the Department of Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection here.Officials sources said the vehicles would be used to strengthen the drive against the smuggling of essential commodities such as rice and kerosene distributed through a network of 831 fair price shops (FPS) and for routine inspection.S.R. Sudharshan, District Supply and Consumer Protection Officer, told that a total of 1,16,881 kg of rice and 3,994 litres of kerosene, all worth Rs. 3,07,972, were seized from different parts of the district between Janu ary 1 and July 30.

“A salesman of one FPS was arrested and 10 others [businessmen and lorry drivers] were charge-sheeted under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955,” he said.Besides, 35 salesmen were suspended after irregularities were detected in the stock inventory and accounts registers at FPS shops during surprise checks by senior officials.“A fine of Rs.12,45,354 was imposed on the salesmen, in toto, for manipulation of accounts and stocks and for issuing bogus bills.”Mr. Sudharshan said the district administration had intensified efforts to eliminate bogus family cards, considering that the Government spent a huge amount of money as subsidy on rice against each card.“We removed about 10,000 bogus cards from the list this year till July 30 for having incorrect data of addresses and duplication of names in it.”

Heavy rain hits normal life in the Nilgiris

2007-08-07T07:42:00.000+05:30

Surplus water released from the Emerald Dam near Udhagamandalam on Monday has partly submerged a temple. (Right) The job of keeping the lawns inside the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam attractive has been made difficult by the incessant rain.Heavy rains and bitter chill have affected normal life in various parts of the Nilgiris.While the Pandiyar-Punnampuzha river and many of the streams in Gudalur and surroundings were overflowing, water has touched the brim in most of the dams near here. Minor landslips occurred in some areas and storm water entered a few houses in parts of Gudalur, including Vedanvayal and Puranavayal.

Stating that the district administration was in a state of preparedness to tackle any eventuality, the Nilgiris Collector, Santosh K. Misra, told mediapersons here on Monday that the flood control centre at the Collectorate would function round-the-clock. For any assistance, people could contact phone number: 2444012.In view of the inclement weather, the Education Department was instructed to close schools in Ooty, Kundah, Pandhalur and Gudalur taluks for half-a-day on Monday. If the weather continued to be hostile, appropriate precautionary measures would be taken by the authorities concerned.

During the 24-hour period ending 8.30 a.m. on Monday, Avalanchi received 312 mm of rainfall, Upper Bhavani - 175, Naduvattam - 164, Gudalur - 145, Devala - 110, Glenmorgan - 102, Kundah - 49 and Ooty - 24.Among the dams where water has touched the brim were Upper Bhavani, Avalanchi, Emerald, Kundah, Pykara and Kamaraj Sagar. The Parsons Valley Hydel Reservoir was almost full.As a precautionary measure, surplus water from the Emerald Dam was released on Monday.Since some persons were either residing or cultivating crops on lands along the water course, the officials of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board have been asked to inform the revenue authorities about plans to open the sluice gates of the overflowing dams.

Pointing out that since the beginning of the current wet season 28 dwellings had been fully damaged and 265 partially damaged, he said that relief had already been distributed to 273 persons.The government has been requested to provide more equipment to the Highways Department to clear road blocks.To a question, Mr. Misra said that trees uprooted by the strong winds over the last two months which were lying on the roads in different parts of the district were in the process of being removed.He said that steps would be taken to ensure that the uprooted trees or stumps did not pose a danger to motorists or pedestrians.

Meanwhile the continuous overcast conditions and incessant rains have become a source of concern to the authorities in charge of the Government Botanical Garden here. Stating that the planting operations for the Autumn season had been completed, the Manager of the garden N. Mani said that a dry spell would be most welcome since some of the young plants were on the verge of rotting.The weather had also made the task of maintaining the lawns very difficult, he added..

Sleepless nights for fishermen

2007-08-06T07:32:00.000+05:30

Chennai:All along the south Chennai coast, sleep has become elusive after Friday’s seawater ingress, as rumours in the night and countless official visits during the day have given families anxious moments.Along the Srinivasapuram coast late Friday night, several fishermen scrambled to secure their boats and whisk away family members to safety. The ingress had sown enough fear to keep most of the fishermen away from the sea early Saturday morning.“We spent the entire night taking turns to keep vigil outside our huts. It is only now, after nearly three years, that we have managed to break away from debts and another loss would be too hard to handle,” said R. Sarveswaran of Dommingkuppam. However, what has alarmed the fishermen even more is the steady stream of officials who came calling on Saturday.

“Some of them, who claimed to be from the Revenue department, urged us to move to either Ernavoor in north Chennai or Semmencherry, where the tsunami survivors are housed.When we told them we had been resisting such a move for several months now, they told us it was in our best interests, as the sea would always be unpredictably rough and our lives would be in danger if we continued to live in our huts,” said Kanthammal of Nochikkuppam.Fishermen apprehend the ingress is being used as yet another cause to make them give up their huts, something the officials have been at ever since the tsunami. They also point that, on earlier occasions when such ingresses occurred either in Kanyakumari or Tuticorin, the fishermen had been compulsorily asked to relocate.“Relocation is never an alternative. The sea has been choppy over the past few days, mainly due to lunar activity. If we have to relocate every time there is heightened tidal activity, then our livelihoods would be wiped out,” says Sigamani.Revenue department officials said there was no move afoot to force fishermen out of their huts.“We pointed out the dangers of living so close to the shore and asked them to move to drier regions, as long as the seas remain rough,” an official said.

2 new TNEB branch offices established

2007-08-06T07:29:00.000+05:30

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has formed two branch offices at Athikulam and Uranganpatti, which fall under the Madurai East Division. The two offices started functioning on Friday.

Uranganpatti office

The Uranganpatti office will cover Uranganpatti, Kunnathur, Kalimangalam, Sakkudi, Thachanenthal, Varichiyur, Sengottai (places which hitherto fell under Karuppayurani division) and Anjayur, Tirumanappathi, Melavadakkur, Keezhavadakkur, Angadi Mangalam (places which hitherto fell under Melamadai division office). All services, except payment of bills, will come under the jurisdiction of Assistant Engineer, Distribution, Uranganpatti. Electricity bills will be collected at the old offices for the next two months.

Athikulam office

The Athikulam office will cover Parusurampatti, Indian Bank Colony, Kurunji Nagar, Mahalakshmi Nagar, Athikulam, Angayarkanni Colony, Karpaga Vinayaka Temple, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board houses, Narayanapuram, A Zone, B Zone, C Zone, D Zone (places which hitherto fell under Tiruppalai/Rural division) and Pattimedu, Suganthi Nagar, Pallavi Nagar, Kosakulam, Kalai Nagar extension (places which hitherto fell under C zone of Aanayur division) and K Zone, L Zone, M Zone and Viswanathapuram, Bharati Nagar, VOC Street, Maruthupandiyur Street, Moovendar Nagar (places which hitherto fell under N Zone).

Payment of electricity bills can be made at the old offices for two months and all other services will be covered by the office of the Assistant Engineer, Distribution, at 8-6-14 Vaigai Nathi 2nd Street, Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, Athikulam.The electricity connections in the following sections have been reallocated by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board for administrative reasons: Sathyamoorthy Nagar, Maruthupandiyan Nagar, Bibikulam East and West, which hitherto came under the K.K. Nagar office, have been reallocated to Anaiyur office from Friday.Power connections in Karpaga Nagar, Ramavarma Nagar and Saw Mill, which hitherto came under K. Pudur office, have been reallocated to K.K. Nagar office from Friday.Service connections in Sathamangalam, Sivaganga Main Road and Muthaliar Road, which hitherto came under Anna Nagar office, have also been reallocated to K.K. Nagar office from Friday. Consumers residing in these areas should approach the new office for all electricity-related services, other than payment of bills.Payment of electricity bills in the old offices will continue for two months, according to a TNEB press release.

Salem Railway Junction getting a facelift

2007-08-06T07:27:00.000+05:30

The cement flooring on the platforms is being replaced with tiles at Salem Railway Junction.Salem Railway Junction after a long gap is getting a facelift.With the dates for the inauguration of Salem Railway Division is already announced, the junction and its surrounding areas are witnessing a flurry of activities. The entire junction was cleaned and white-washed. The platforms also are being renovated. The cement flooring on the platforms, particularly the main ones such as No.1 and No.2, are being replaced with tiles.

The rest rooms also are renovated. The roofing has also been extended on Platform No.1.The drainage facilities have been toned up.The entrance will soon sport a new look. The two-wheeler stand has been shifted to the far right corner.According to senior Railway officials, these works are going on round the clock to meet the deadline, ie September 14 when the division is expected to be inaugurated.The new divisional office is almost completed. Final touches are being given.As soon as the division is inaugurated the signals and controls of the Salem Railway Division will be vested with it.The emergency quota hitherto confined to four trains has also been extended to a few more trains.

78 beneficiaries get artificial limbs

2007-08-06T07:26:00.001+05:30

Tiruchi:A beneficiary being guided on the use of an artificial limb in Tiruchi on Sunday.For 53-year-old G. Baskar of Puthur in the city, a congenital abnormality made life miserable. Born without both legs, he has been forced to live with wooden limbs which, because of their weight, do more harm than good.“We were not aware of the availability of light-weight artificial limbs until we reached the artificial limb fitment camp held in the city last week,” says his wife, Gandhimathi.The camp was organised jointly by Rotary Club of Tiruchi Midtown, Rotary Club of Coimbatore Midtown, Sri Gopaldass Kikani Limb Centre and the Tiruchi Naidu Mahajana Sangam. Measurements for making the limbs for each disabled person were taken during the camp by the mobile artificial limb unit of the Sri Gopaldass Kikani Limb Centre.

In all, 78 beneficiaries, including 14 women and three children got the artificial limbs on the conclusion of the camp here on Sunday.“More than the disability and the ordeals it causes, lack of awareness on advanced artificial limbs has been a major impediment in getting relief,” observed B. Kannan, district chairman of Rotary Club of Coimbatore Midtown, which has started the Sri Gopaldass Kikani Limb Centre to exclusively serve such people.The Rotary International had donated US $ 30,000 to the Limb Centre in 2000 for making and donating the limbs in coordination with the Rotary clubs in South India. The next camp would be held in Mannarkudi on August 11.The president of the Rotary Club of Tiruchi Midtown, P. Mahendrakumar, said that most beneficiaries had lost one of their legs in mishaps. They were also trained in the use of the artificial limbs.The service projects chairman of Rotary Club of Tiruchi Midtown, D. Thirunavukarasu, said that the beneficiaries eked out their livelihood by engaging in some trade. The former district governor, J. Sambabu, presented the artificial limbs to the beneficiaries.

200th anniversary of Lady of Snows Basilica

2007-08-06T07:23:00.000+05:30

Tuticorn:Devotees pulling the golden car of Our Lady of Snows Basilica in Tuticorin on Sunday.The 200th anniversary of the Golden Car at the Our Lady of Snows Basilica here was celebrated with pomp and gaiety on Sunday.This year, the ‘Golden Car feast day’ was organised simultaneously with the silver jubilee of the church becoming a Basilica and the 425 anniversary of Our Lady of Snow shrine.The Car was pulled by devotees from the Basilica premises through Mathakoil Street, St. Peter Koil Street, Periyakadai Street, Great Cotton Road and South Beach Road to culminate at the starting point, after a four-hour journey.

A few lakh of devotees from across the country witnessed the procession.Church sources said the star at the top of the Car, resting on a golden crown, signified the name of Our Lady as the Star of the Sea (Stella Maris). “The star illuminates the world, warms the minds, increases virtues and destroy wickedness.”The star symbolised five prerogatives of ‘Our Divine Mother:’ her divine motherhood, her immaculate conception, her perpetual virginity, as a channel of divine grace and as the gate of heaven.The golden crown on which the star was fixed highlighted the fact that the ‘blessed virgin’ was crowned as the queen of heaven and earth.The police provided tight security around the Basilica and all along the procession.About 700 police personnel from Tuticorin and neighbouring districts were deployed.A 15-member swift action force team, under the direct supervision of Superintendent of Police Deepak Motibhai Damor, patrolled the area in motorcycles.

Children's home inaugurated

2007-08-06T07:20:00.000+05:30

Vellore:A children’s home, constructed at a cost of Rs.15.71 lakh on the premises of the Old Age Home run by the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) at Poigai in Vellore, was inaugurated by Sri Sakthi Amma, managing trustee of Sri Narayani Peedam, Thirumalaikkodi, on Saturday. Vellore Collector Dharmendra Pratap Yadav presided. Susheela Suryaprakash, secretary of — Special Correspondent.

Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital now at Ashok Nagar

2007-08-04T07:39:00.001+05:30

Actor Vikram with Joint Managing Director of Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital Amar Agarwal at the opening of the hospital’s Ashok Nagar centre on Friday.Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital inaugurated its latest centre at Ashok Nagar on Friday amidst plenty of fanfare and a large dose of star power. Actor Vikram was the chief guest at the event.Joint Managing Director of Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital Amar Agarwal said, “The idea behind [establishing] these centres is to provide a place in the neighbourhood where high quality eye care will be available. We realised that having only one hospital down Cathedral Road was not enough… ”

The new centre will be a secondary eye care centre with facilities for the simplest of glass treatment to blade free laser treatment. “We have opened 10 centres so far and our target is to open 25 centres by the end of this year,” he said. The new centres would mean that everybody need not come to the main branch for treatment.The Ashok Nagar centre, set up at a cost of Rs.5 crore has three permanent doctors and will be open throughout the week between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Speaking on the occasion, Vikram said the most important thing about the hospital was its accessibility. “The centre has all facilities under one roof. The fact that more of them will be coming up around Tamil Nadu is definitely a good thing,” he said.Also present at the event were film producer Dhanu and Ashok Nagar Councillor K.S. Mani.