CHENNAI, June 25: The pre-paid autorickshaw system at the Central Station,
Chennai, withdrawn recently, is to resume within a month. Complaint cards
are to be issued to passengers who hire autorickshaws at the station under
the system.
CHENNAI, June 25: The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP is planning to organise a
conference on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue next month. The meet, scheduled
to be held two months ago, had to be put off due to political developments
at New Delhi. State unit General Secretary L Ganesan said the hardships
faced by the Tamils in the north of the Island republic would be discussed
at the meet.
CHENNAI, June 25: A housewife who had been operating an illegal chit fund
business from her Railway colony house in the city's Ayanavaram area, is
absconding with about Rs 3 crore of the depositors' money. Most of the
depositors were housewives, with no income of their own. Depositors alleged
that police have refused to register a case against the woman as she is
"under the protection of two MLAs". According to the police version, no
case has been registered as the matter comes under the jurisdiction of the
Registrar of Chits. The woman has been running the chit fund business for
the last 10 years, and, over time, had built up an excellent rapport with
her clients. Her husband is a railway employee.
CHENNAI, June 25: The Madras Crocodile Bank and the Tamil Nadu forest
department will jointly undertake the first survey of crocodile population
by the end of this year. The initiative comes in the wake of the recent
appearance of a salt water crocodile, which had not earlier been sighted in
Tamil Nadu, in the city's Buckingham canal. It may be recalled that the
reptile met its death at the hands of panicked hutment dwellers on the
banks of the canal. The MCB and the forest department had a meeting
recently, as a follow up of a meeting of the West Asian conference on
crocodiles held in Gwalior earlier this month. At the conference, it became
clear that no clear picture existed regarding the crocodile population in
the country. Initially restricted to Tamil Nadu, the survey could be
extended to other parts of India, and eventually to the West Asian region
as a whole.
CHENNAI, June 25: Some 3,000 students are to take out a procession in the
city tomorrow, on the occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse and
Illicit Trafficking. Arrangements have been made for special efforts to
spread awareness of the problem.
CHENNAI, June 25: Chennai has the dubious distinction of having the highest
incidence of malaria in TN, accounting for 10,591 of the 17,136 cases
reported in the State during the period ending April. State health minister
Arcot N Veerasami has urged Doordarshan and private TV channels to telecast
a video film on malaria, prepared by State officials.
CHENNAI, June 25: The Southern India Cinematographers' Association (SICA)
is the latest entrant in the Tamil film industry imbroglio, having followed
the lead of the Tamil film producers and directors and taken up cudgels
against the Film Employees' Federation of South India (FEFSI). SICA has
warned that if its efforts to secure due importance within the FEFSI were
stymied, it would come out of the Federation, and the cinematographers
would function independently under the SICA banner. Meanwhile, the FEFSI
treasurer, V Sundaram, has announced his decision to stage a `dharna'
before the homes of all those who opposed the FEFSI leadership.
GUNTUR, June 25: Three stolen panchaloha idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and
Sita, have been recovered by Guntur district police. Three youths have been
arrested in this connection. The seizure was made by a constable, who
stumbled on a gunny bag while conducting a routine check of a jeep
proceeding towards Chilakaluripet in the wee hours of Wednesday, police
said. The occupants of the jeep could not give a convincing account of the
contents of the bag, and, the constable opened it to find the idols.
Superintendent of Police Anjani Kumar said the value of the idols was
estimated to be about Rs 20 lakh. The accused had confessed to have stolen
the idols from a temple in Nasikal village.
CHENNAI, June 25: The former TN CM, J Jayalalitha, today appeared before
three special courts set up to try various cases against her, after the
High Court declined to pass an order dispensing with her presence in court.
She received copies of the charge sheet and other documents regarding the
disproportionate wealth case. The other main accused, her confidante, N
Sasikala, the latter's nephew and Jayalalitha's disowned foster son V N
Sudhagaran, and Sasikala's relative Ilavarasi, were all present at the
courts. Jayalalitha, who maintained her composure throughout the
proceedings, was cheered on arrival by slogan-shouting members of her
AIADMK party. The other cases against the former CM are the Kodaikanal
Pleasant Stay Hotel case and the TANSI land deal case. While she need not
appear before the special court in connection with two cases, Jayalalitha
and the other accused have to appear before the Special Court II again on
July 17 in connection with the Pleasant Stay Hotel case.
BANGALORE, June 25: A young man, whose proposal of marriage to a girl was
rejected by the girl's mother, went on a rampage with his friends in the
City's Jayanagar area, injuring 10 persons. According to police, the man,
Akmal, wished to marry a milk vendor's daughter, but her mother opposed the
match and threatened to cut off all ties between the two. Enraged, Akmal
and his friends went in search of the girl, and, failing to find her,
attacked her neighbours with lethal weapons. Four persons, including Akmal,
have been taken for questioning by police.
CHENNAI, June 25: Noted Carnatic musician M S Subbulakshmi will be
conferred the prestigious Swarnalaya Puraskaram on June 29. The award will
be presented by Dr Karan Singh. The prize, instituted by Delhi-based
Swarnalaya, formed for thepromotion of classical art, carries a purse of Rs
1 lakh, apart from a citation and a special sculpture. Earlier recipients
of the award include Sangeetha Kalanidhi T Brinda, Ustad Bismillah Khan and
Sangeetha Kalanidhi Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.
CHENNAI, June 25: Tuticorin and Chennai continue to figure as transit
points on the global drug trafficking map, according to Narcotics Control
Bureau (NCB) Director-in-charge (Southern Region), S S Krishnamoorthy. He
said the contraband was sent from Tamil Nadu to Colombo, from where it was
sent out to various international destinations. The NCB has stepped up its
vigil in the State, and sniffer dog squads are to be positioned at air and
sea ports. The NCB had neutralised a few drug syndicates, Krishnamoorthy
added. A unique `Friends of Police Drug Busters Scheme' is to be launched
tomorrow to mobilise public opinion against the evil, according to Prateep
V Philip, SP, Narcotics Intelligence Bureau, CID.
RAMESWARAM, June 25: The NCC's 2nd Tamil Nadu Navalunit is organising an
ocean sailing expedition from June 29 to July 10. NCC cadets belonging to
colleges in Madurai and Tuticorin wil set out from here, under the
leadership of Commander V Radhakrishnan, on their 453-km journey. The
cadets will be using two Whaler boats. Eight NCC cadets from Tamil Nadu
have also been selected to join a team which will represent the country in
an Indo-Canada Youth Exchange Programme. The cadets include three girls.
BANGALORE, June 25: The Karnataka Department of Horticulture is taking
steps to interest corporate houses in maintaining parks, and, under the
project, the famous Cubbon Park looks all set to receive a face-lift.
Illumination will be given top priority, and industrial concerns like
Mysore Lamps, HAL and ITI will be given charge of the lights. The fountains
are to start working again, with money from private organisations.
BANGALORE, June 26: Karnataka CM J H Patel, now on a tour of USA, has
discussed with Massachusets Governor William Weld the possibility of
establishing a centre for excellence in Karnataka. The Massachusets
administration has also agreed to help promote technical and medical
education in the STate and improve management and health services and
information technology. The Chief Minister's visit to USA is intended to
attract foreign investment in the State.
CHENNAI, June 25: Restoration of the 30,000 lines which went dead following
the outbreak of a fire at the Anna Road telephone exchange here will be
given top priority, and the Telephone Department will avoid the circuitious
route of tendering and simply take equipment from any exchange in the
country willing to spare it, according to D K Mehrotra, deputy director
general, Department of Telecommunications. A team of specialists from the
Department's Testing and Development Circle, Jabalpur, is to probe the
cause of the blaze.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, June 25: The Kerala Government has taken over the
adminsitration of the Sree Narayana Dharma Sanghom Trust at Sivagiri. The
proceedings were set in motion by a team of officials led by District
Collector E K Mahji, amdist tight police protection. The Deputy District
Collector, V K Balakrishnan, has been appointed as administrator. The
action followed differences between rival factions in the Trust, one led by
Swami Prakasananda and the other by Swami Swaroopananda. Meanwhile, Chief
Minister E K Nayanar, commenting on government's action, said the sanyasins
could settle their differences either in court or out of it, but government
would meanwhile preserve peace.
CHENNAI, June 25: The TN Government has sanctioned Rs 77.22 crore for the
State's maiden welfare scheme for retarded women. The directorate for
rehabilitation of the disabled is in the process of identifying six
institutions which will be funded in their task of caring for the mentally
ill. Vocational training will be given a thrust, under the scheme.
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