CUDDALORE: District Collector Rajendra Ratnoo flagged off the ‘social justice and human rights awareness rally’ here on Saturday. The participants carried placards decrying the practice of untouchability and called for emancipation of the poor and the downtrodden from social evils.
The rally started from the Cuddalore Railway Station went via Lawrence Road to reach the Rangrup Mahal where a workshop was conducted in this regard. The event was organised under the aegis of the Social Justice and Human Rights Wing.
Deputy Superintendent of Police M.Chandirasekaran of the Social Justice and Human Rights Wing, Villupuram zone, said the campaign was launched to create awareness among the people on the maladies of untouchability, particularly the double tumbler system, and on the provisions of the Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955 and the SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989.
Under this campaign, tea parties were also being hosted at those shops that had been characterised as a means of causing a divide in the villages. The campaign was being carried out with financial assistance from the Central and State Governments.
A sum of Rs.70 lakh had been allocated to Tamil Nadu (to be shared equally between the Central and State governments) for creating awareness in a total of 37,854 villages/habitations.
District Principal and Sessions Judge D.Ramapathiran stressed the role of students in removing the ills in the society. B.K.Ravi, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Social Justice and Human Rights, and Pradip Kumar, Superintendent of Police, spoke.
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Special trains
TIRUCHI: The Southern Railway will operate special trains from Tiruchi to Chennai Egmore to clear the extra rush of passengers.
Train No. 0656 Tiruchi – Chennai Egmore special will leave Tiruchi at 8. 15 p.m. on March 22 and 29 and arrive Chennai Egmore at 3.30 a.m., the next day. The train will stop at Srirangam, Ariyalur, Vriddhachalam, Villupuram, Tindivanam, Melmaruvathur, Chengalpattu, Tambaram and Mambalam. It will have one AC 2-tier, one AC 3-tier, eight sleeper class, four general second class and two luggage-cum-brake van coaches. Advance reservation for these trains will commence from March 12.
Train No. 0656 Tiruchi – Chennai Egmore special will leave Tiruchi at 8. 15 p.m. on March 22 and 29 and arrive Chennai Egmore at 3.30 a.m., the next day. The train will stop at Srirangam, Ariyalur, Vriddhachalam, Villupuram, Tindivanam, Melmaruvathur, Chengalpattu, Tambaram and Mambalam. It will have one AC 2-tier, one AC 3-tier, eight sleeper class, four general second class and two luggage-cum-brake van coaches. Advance reservation for these trains will commence from March 12.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Indian workers deported from Malaysia
Chennai, Mar 7 : At least 43 workers from Tamil Nadu who returned from Malaysia complained of ill-treatment on Friday.
The youths from Villupuram, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts of the state, were employed in a hotel in Malaysia since February last year.
"I paid 85,000 rupees to seek immigration for Malaysia but were not given worker's visa permit and were tortured inhumanely," said Yasin, a youth.
The youths said they were not paid any salary after working for a month in the hotel. Later they were asked to vacate the hotel.
The workers decided to lodge a complaint with the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. However, the bus they were travelling was intercepted by the police.
They were arrested and handed over to the immigration department that detained them.
"When we were behind bars, nobody came for our rescue, neither Malaysian and Indian government or our employer. It is only after one-and-a-half months, we were released. Has our country no responsibility towards us, are we not Indian citizen?" asked Satish Kumar, another youth.
They were later released after approaching the High Commission through a local social worker.
Malaysia is a magnet for cheap labour from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The country is home to two million legal foreign workers, as well as another 500,000 to 700,000 working illegally. Many resort to bribery to speed up their visa applications or to avoid deportation.
The youths from Villupuram, Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts of the state, were employed in a hotel in Malaysia since February last year.
"I paid 85,000 rupees to seek immigration for Malaysia but were not given worker's visa permit and were tortured inhumanely," said Yasin, a youth.
The youths said they were not paid any salary after working for a month in the hotel. Later they were asked to vacate the hotel.
The workers decided to lodge a complaint with the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. However, the bus they were travelling was intercepted by the police.
They were arrested and handed over to the immigration department that detained them.
"When we were behind bars, nobody came for our rescue, neither Malaysian and Indian government or our employer. It is only after one-and-a-half months, we were released. Has our country no responsibility towards us, are we not Indian citizen?" asked Satish Kumar, another youth.
They were later released after approaching the High Commission through a local social worker.
Malaysia is a magnet for cheap labour from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The country is home to two million legal foreign workers, as well as another 500,000 to 700,000 working illegally. Many resort to bribery to speed up their visa applications or to avoid deportation.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Women sub-jail opened at Cuddalore prison
CUDDALORE: Director-General of Police (Prisons) R. Natraj inaugurated a women sub-jail built at the cost of Rs. 2 crore on the Cuddalore Central Prison premises here on Wednesday.
Mr. Natraj said that the sub-jail had come up on 1.95 acres on the 177-acre prison campus and could accommodate 100 inmates. Built by the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation within a year, it was provided with all basic amenities, a pharmacy and a crèche.
At present, the Villupuram sub-jail had about 70 inmates as against its sanctioned strength of 40. The excess number of inmates would be shifted to the Cuddalore sub-jail, he said.
Henceforward there would not be any need to transport women offenders from Cuddalore to places such as Salem, Tiruchi, Vellore and Villupuram. It would enable better deployment of manpower and cut transport cost.
Mr. Natraj said that there were 14 separate sub-jails for women in Tamil Nadu, which no other State could boast of. During his tenure as Inspector-General of Police (Prohibition enforcement wing) he had learnt that majority of prohibition offenders were women. In Cuddalore and Villupuram districts, women were at the front-end of illicit trade and in “black spot” villages, they were unaware that it was illegal.
Mr. Natraj said that such women should not be arrested as a matter of routine but their illicit brew and wares be seized. They should be assisted through “rehabilitation of prohibition offenders’ funds.”
It was ironical that a visually impaired person, facing charges of smashing windscreens of a bus, was kept in Madurai prison. Humanitarian concern should precede any arrest and mere transferring of problem from police station to prison would not provide a solution, Mr. Natraj said.
Superintendent of Police Pradip Kumar said that prisons had now become house of reforms. The sub-jail would provide safety and security to the inmates and safeguard their dignity. It would help them turn a new leaf.
Principal District and Sessions Judge T. Ramapathiran said that a renaissance had come about in prison administration now as prisons had morphed into reformative schools.
Deputy Inspector-General of Prisons R. Durairaj, Jail Superintendent R. Kanagaraj and Additional Superintendent R. Jayaraman participated.
Mr. Natraj also inaugurated a carpentry training programme and gave away certificates to 29 inmates, who had successfully completed diploma courses in refrigeration, fashion designing, motor winding and borewell technology offered by the Tamil Nadu Open University.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Boy rescued from abductors
VILLUPURAM: The Auroville police rescued a 13-year-old boy, R.Siva, who was abducted for ransom on Saturday evening. In this connection the police have secured four persons.
The police said when Siva was playing in front of his house at Gopalakrishna Nagar near the Thiruchitrambalam Road junction a four-member gang abducted him in a car.
Later, the abductors phoned up the boy’s father Raja demanding Rs.5 lakh for his release. Soon after Raja alerted the police a special team laid the trap for them.
When Raja went to a spot near the Tindivanam Government College, as mentioned by the abductors with the ransom, the police personnel followed him and caught the gang.
The abductors are identified as D.Suresh (30) of Kancheepuram, P.Ravi (21), M.Enoch (31) and car driver Balakrishnan (31). Superintendent of Police A.Amalraj congratulated the team for its quick action.
The police said when Siva was playing in front of his house at Gopalakrishna Nagar near the Thiruchitrambalam Road junction a four-member gang abducted him in a car.
Later, the abductors phoned up the boy’s father Raja demanding Rs.5 lakh for his release. Soon after Raja alerted the police a special team laid the trap for them.
When Raja went to a spot near the Tindivanam Government College, as mentioned by the abductors with the ransom, the police personnel followed him and caught the gang.
The abductors are identified as D.Suresh (30) of Kancheepuram, P.Ravi (21), M.Enoch (31) and car driver Balakrishnan (31). Superintendent of Police A.Amalraj congratulated the team for its quick action.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Students participate in human chain
VILLUPURAM: Youth wing of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam formed human chain in Villupuram and Cuddalore on Saturday in support of the Sri Lankan Tamils.
At Villupuram, Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy participated in the human chain, in which school and college students also took part. They called upon “the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government to end hostilities” and resume peace talks.
Heart-felt thanks to Chief Minister, say beneficiaries
VILLUPURAM: Over 50 beneficiaries of the Children Heart Protection Scheme met District Collector R.Palanisamy here recently and thanked him and Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi for having arranged for the free surgeries.
Their parents, who were mostly living below the poverty line, were moved to tears as they felt that but for the scheme they would have lost their wards because their economic status would not have permitted them to go for such expensive surgeries.
The Collector told presspersons that the scheme envisaged periodical screening of the school-going children for heart ailments and rendering appropriate medical support.
For the purpose the government had entered into a memorandum of understanding with 20 hospitals across the State. The health camps for the purpose were being organised in schools on Thursdays.
Under the scheme the government would extend financial assistance as follows: Rs 30,000 for ordinary treatment, Rs 50,000 for minor open heart surgery and Rs 1 lakh for major open heart surgery. In the past seven months as many as 174 children with heart ailments were identified and of them 132 were selected for surgical intervention. The specialists armed with echocardiogram from the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences and Ramachandra Medical College, Chennai, examined these children.
Fifty-one of them were operated upon and the remaining would be treated soon, the Collector said. He further said that during the health camp conducted under the ‘Varumun Kappom Thittam,’ two school drop-outs were found to be suffering from heart problems. Hence, they were readmitted to schools and the benefits under the Heart Protection Scheme were extended to them. The Collector further said that the school-going children of those parents whose annual income did not exceed Rs 50,000 were eligible for such medical assistance.
Till now Rs. 25 lakh had been spent on this score and the schedule for performing surgeries for remaining children had been drawn up, the Collector added.
T. R. Baalu, Minister of Shipping Road Transport & Highways inaugurates the Four Laning of Namakkal – Karur Section of NH-7
T.R. Baalu inaugurated the Four Laning of Namakkal – Karur section of NH-7 in Velur today. Speaking on the occasion the Minister said that Tamil Nadu has received the focus of attention of the Central Government in development of National Highways. The Golden Quadrilateral length of 342-kms under NHDP Phase-I in Tamil Nadu has been upgraded to four-lane facility at a cost Rs.1,710 crores.
Under NHDP Phase-II, i.e., the North-South Corridor, out of the approved length of 756 kms, 436-km length has been widened to four-lanes, works of four-laning in 15 packages covering 238-km length are in progress and preparation of feasibility report in the remaining 82-km length is under progress. This corridor traversing through Krishnagiri, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Dindigul, Madurai and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu connects Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border at Hosur with Kanniyakumari. The estimated investment under NHDP Phase–II in Tamil Nadu is estimated to be Rs.4,280 crores. NHDP Phase-III covers 1,464-km length of various National Highways in Tamil Nadu out of which 10-km length has been upgraded to four-lanes on ‘Build, Operate and Transfer’ (BOT) basis. Works in 517-km length in six packages are under implementation. Shortlisting of contractors for four-laning of NH-205 and for the Coimbatore-Mettupalayam Section of NH-67 has been completed. Requests for Qualification for 6 Packages in about 600-km length have also been received and are under evaluation. Preparation of Detailed Project Report in case of one package for 186-km length is in progress. For NHDP Phase –III, the investment is likely to be Rs.9,880 crores.
A total length of 1,232 kms in Tamil Nadu has been included under NHDP Phase IV-A, with an investment of Rs.2,464 crores, for improvement to 2-lane with paved shoulders.
Work of 6-laning of the entire 342-km length of Golden Quadrilateral in Tamil Nadu has been approved under NHDP Phase-V at a cost of Rs.2,736 crores. Besides this, widening to six-lanes of the 93-km long Tamibaram-Tindivanam section of NH-45 has also been approved under Phase-V. The Government has also accorded approval for construction of 150 kms of Expressways in Tamil Nadu under Phase-VI of NHDP at a cost of Rs.3,000 crores.
Shri. Baalu said that Chennai City, which is not only the capital of Tamil Nadu but also economic hub of South India, has been given due priority in the programme of improvement. Four-laning of Chennai Bypass Phase-I has been completed. Construction of four-lane Chennai Bypass Phase-II at a cost of Rs.480 crores is in progress. Improvement of access to the Golden Quadrilateral Corridor is in progress, which includes the flyover at Chennai Airport, which was inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 19th October 2008 and the Grade Separator at Kathipara which was also inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 26th October 2008. Construction of two more Grade Separators at Koyambedu and Padi as well as four-laning of Koyambedu-Maduravoyal section of NH-4 within Chennai City also form part of the improvement of access facilities to the Golden Quadrilateral Corridor. These access facilities will cost Rs.800 crores.
Construction of the ROB at Lalapet on NH-67 in lieu of the existing level crossing has recently been completed at a cost of Rs.28 crores out of Ministry’s Budget and opened to traffic on 11th January 2009. This ROB was a long awaited need for the traffic plying on NH-67 as well as for the local people. The existing level crossing was a big bottleneck to the traffic movement as it was subjected to frequent closure leading to enormous wastage of time and fuel and inconvenience to the road users.
Improvement of the Karur-Coimbatore section of NH-67 along with construction of paved shoulder on either side of the carriageway has been taken up out of Ministry’s budgetary resources. The improvement would substantially add to the convenience to the road users. Estimated cost of this project is Rs.178 crores. The project is targeted for completion by March 2009. Work in 89-km length has been completed.
The total investment by Government of India in Tamil Nadu under various phases of NHDP is in the order of Rs.33,000 crores and so far nearly a sum of Rs.13,000 crores has already been invested.
The National Highways Development Project (NHDP) entails massive unprecedented investments to the tune of Rs.2,35,690 crore. Improvement of 5,701-km length has been completed under Golden Quadrilateral out of total length of 5,846-km, and the works are in progress in the remaining length of 145 kms. Under the North-South and East-West Corridors, works have been completed in 2,965-km length out of total length of 7,142 kms and the works are under implementation in 3,356-km length.
Under NHDP Phase-II, i.e., the North-South Corridor, out of the approved length of 756 kms, 436-km length has been widened to four-lanes, works of four-laning in 15 packages covering 238-km length are in progress and preparation of feasibility report in the remaining 82-km length is under progress. This corridor traversing through Krishnagiri, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Dindigul, Madurai and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu connects Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border at Hosur with Kanniyakumari. The estimated investment under NHDP Phase–II in Tamil Nadu is estimated to be Rs.4,280 crores. NHDP Phase-III covers 1,464-km length of various National Highways in Tamil Nadu out of which 10-km length has been upgraded to four-lanes on ‘Build, Operate and Transfer’ (BOT) basis. Works in 517-km length in six packages are under implementation. Shortlisting of contractors for four-laning of NH-205 and for the Coimbatore-Mettupalayam Section of NH-67 has been completed. Requests for Qualification for 6 Packages in about 600-km length have also been received and are under evaluation. Preparation of Detailed Project Report in case of one package for 186-km length is in progress. For NHDP Phase –III, the investment is likely to be Rs.9,880 crores.
A total length of 1,232 kms in Tamil Nadu has been included under NHDP Phase IV-A, with an investment of Rs.2,464 crores, for improvement to 2-lane with paved shoulders.
Work of 6-laning of the entire 342-km length of Golden Quadrilateral in Tamil Nadu has been approved under NHDP Phase-V at a cost of Rs.2,736 crores. Besides this, widening to six-lanes of the 93-km long Tamibaram-Tindivanam section of NH-45 has also been approved under Phase-V. The Government has also accorded approval for construction of 150 kms of Expressways in Tamil Nadu under Phase-VI of NHDP at a cost of Rs.3,000 crores.
Shri. Baalu said that Chennai City, which is not only the capital of Tamil Nadu but also economic hub of South India, has been given due priority in the programme of improvement. Four-laning of Chennai Bypass Phase-I has been completed. Construction of four-lane Chennai Bypass Phase-II at a cost of Rs.480 crores is in progress. Improvement of access to the Golden Quadrilateral Corridor is in progress, which includes the flyover at Chennai Airport, which was inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 19th October 2008 and the Grade Separator at Kathipara which was also inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on 26th October 2008. Construction of two more Grade Separators at Koyambedu and Padi as well as four-laning of Koyambedu-Maduravoyal section of NH-4 within Chennai City also form part of the improvement of access facilities to the Golden Quadrilateral Corridor. These access facilities will cost Rs.800 crores.
Construction of the ROB at Lalapet on NH-67 in lieu of the existing level crossing has recently been completed at a cost of Rs.28 crores out of Ministry’s Budget and opened to traffic on 11th January 2009. This ROB was a long awaited need for the traffic plying on NH-67 as well as for the local people. The existing level crossing was a big bottleneck to the traffic movement as it was subjected to frequent closure leading to enormous wastage of time and fuel and inconvenience to the road users.
Improvement of the Karur-Coimbatore section of NH-67 along with construction of paved shoulder on either side of the carriageway has been taken up out of Ministry’s budgetary resources. The improvement would substantially add to the convenience to the road users. Estimated cost of this project is Rs.178 crores. The project is targeted for completion by March 2009. Work in 89-km length has been completed.
The total investment by Government of India in Tamil Nadu under various phases of NHDP is in the order of Rs.33,000 crores and so far nearly a sum of Rs.13,000 crores has already been invested.
The National Highways Development Project (NHDP) entails massive unprecedented investments to the tune of Rs.2,35,690 crore. Improvement of 5,701-km length has been completed under Golden Quadrilateral out of total length of 5,846-km, and the works are in progress in the remaining length of 145 kms. Under the North-South and East-West Corridors, works have been completed in 2,965-km length out of total length of 7,142 kms and the works are under implementation in 3,356-km length.
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