Special police battalion will be raised, says Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will raise a special police battalion at a cost of Rs. 16.52 crore, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi informed the Assembly on Thursday.
The battalion would be located at Sundarampalli in Vellore district and it would replace four companies of the Central Reserve Police Force based there.
Officials later explained that the basing of the CRPF companies in Vellore meant that the State had to give the Centre about Rs. 17 crore annually towards expenses and maintenance of the companies. The cost of maintaining a battalion was roughly the same annually. Besides, the move would mean the creation of over a thousand jobs (including of ministerial staff).
Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for the Home, Prohibition and Excise Departments, Mr. Karunanidhi said that work on all 12 coastal police stations, 12 police outposts and 40 checkposts would be completed by this year-end. New police stations would be set up at the Melma junction (Tiruvannamalai), Pagandai junction (Cuddalore), Nallipalayam (Namakkal), Nolambur and Nazrethpet (Chennai), Reddiyar Chatram (Dindigul) and Kaanai (Villupuram).
Initially, Mr. Karunanidhi announced the setting up of six police stations at a cost of Rs. 3.2 crore. After he completed his reply, Congress Legislature Party leader D. Sudarsanam requested that Nazrethpet be included in the list. Mr. Karunanidhi acceded to the request.
He also announced the setting up of a Grade 1 police station at Oragadam, considering that industrial units were being set up in the area.
This would cost Rs. 1 crore. The nearby Sunguvar Chatram police station would be upgraded
Grade 1 station.

Upgrading stations
As many as 12 police outposts would be upgraded as Grade 5 police stations at a cost of Rs. 3.8 crore. There were 106 police outposts in the State.
Mr. Karunanidhi also announced that 15 police stations, ranging from Grade 5 to 2, would be upgraded. Of these, five would be upgraded to Grade 2 and the remaining 10, to Grade 1.
This year, 13 police stations (three in Coimbatore, four each in Tuticorin and Madurai and one each in Ramanathapuram and Tiruvannamalai) would get new buildings. Of the 1,432 police stations in the State, 284 were functioning from rented premises.
All police stations would start functioning from their own buildings in a phased manner, he said.
The Chief Minister added that he included 25 police stations in the list to be provided own buildings following representation from Ministers and members. If vacant government land was available in the areas suggested by the Ministers and members, new buildings would be provided.
Eight fire stations located in Tandrampattu, Omalur, Arani, Courtallam, Cumbum, Tiruthuraipoondi, Thakkalai and Ottanchatram, would get new buildings this year. Of the 282 fire stations in the State, 161 function out of their own buildings and 92 function out of rented premises. Another 30 operate out of semi-permanent buildings. The Government would provide all fire stations in the State own buildings in a phased manner, Mr. Karunanidhi said.

Lightning kills nine in a village

Eight persons were killed and six injured when lightning struck them on Tuesday night. Police, who had initially put the toll at nine, later said eight persons were killed in the mishap. The victims, all men, belonged to Mundiyampakkam village, about 10 kilo metre from this district-headquarters town. They were on their way to a temple of Goddess Mariyamman near a cremation ground for a routine pooja performed on 'amavasya' days when sudden rain accompanied by thunder and lightning lashed the area.

They took shelter in a thatched shed near the cremation ground when a lightning hit the shed. The bodies of the eight persons had been brought to the general hospital. The injured had been rushed to the JIPMER hospital in neighbouring Puducherry. The Villupuram town, 160 kilo metre from Chennai, and its surroundings experienced the heavy unseasonal rain for nearly an hour from 10.30 pm. (PTI)

Villupuram explosion: Rs. 1 lakh solatium announced

Villupuram, April 7 (PTI): The Tamil Nadu Government today announced a solatium of Rs One lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in a car explosion in a village near here claiming 17 lives and injuring over 20.
The State Local Administration Minister, M K Stalin, who visited the spot alongwith Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi, announced the solatium to the family members of the victims.
Describing the incident as "unfortunate", Stalin said the government would hold a detailed probe into the incident and the police has already started investigations.
Gelatin sticks being carried in a car exploded earlier in the day at Senthur village, killing 17 people, including the occupants of the vehicle and some persons who were picking tamarind from a roadside tree.

20 killed in villupuram car explosion

Villupuram (TN): Seventeen people were killed and 20 injured, some seriously, when a car believed to be carrying "some explosive substance" blew up at Senthur village near Villupuram on Saturday, police said. The injured were rushed to a government hospital in Tindivanam. Police said people noticed smoke emanating from a car parked on the national highway while its three occupants were making a futile attempt to douse the fire. They abandoned the car before it exploded, killing 10 people instantly. Seven others succumbed to injuries in hospital, police said. Police have launched a search to trace the three persons who were in the car. The injured and those killed were picking tamarind from a tree. The explosion was so intense that 40 nearby houses were damaged by it.
Police officials said they suspected the car might have been carrying some explosive substance. Pointing to the extent of damage, they said this might be due to some "strong explosive materials". PMK founder S Ramadoss, who visited the spot, told reporters that the state government should pay relief of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed and reconstruct the damaged houses. There have been several seizures of explosives and components used in bombs in recent weeks in Tamil Nadu and in the waters off the state's coast. Officials believe these materials were being smuggled to the LTTE in Sri Lanka. (PTI)
Govt announces Rs one lakh for those killed in explosion Villupuram: Tamil Nadu government on Saturday announced a compensation of Rs One lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in a car explosion in a village near here claiming 17 lives and injuring over 20. State Local Administration Minister M K Stalin, who visited the spot alongwith Higher Education Minister K Ponmudi, announced the solatium to the family members of the victims. Describing the incident as "unfortunate", Stalin said the government would hold a detailed probe into the incident and the police has already started investigations.
Gelatin sticks being carried in a car exploded earlier in the day at Senthur village, killing 17 people, including the occupants of the vehicle and some persons who were picking tamarind from a roadside tree.