Tamil Nadu

Idol theft case

Venu Srinivasan had applied for anticipatory bail in Madras High Court, fearing that an FIR had been filed against him in the idol theft case.

TNM Staff

Venu Srinivasan. Courtesy: PTI

A group of industrialists from Tamil Nadu has come out in support of TVS Motor Co Chairman Venu Srinivasan, who has filed for anticipatory bail in the idol theft case, due to fears that an FIR has been filed against him in the case. They released a statement on Wednesday, and signatories include T Kannan, Managing Director of Thiagarajar Mills; NM Manickam, Managing Director of Sakthi Sugars; MM Murugappan, chairman of Murugappa group; Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu, chairman of LMW group in Coimbatore; PR Venketrama Raja, chairman of Ramco group; Vijay Sankar, vice chairman of Sanmar group; and Vinod Dasari, CEO of Ashok Leyland. The statement said, “We are deeply pained by the news of Mr Venu Srinivasan being named in an FIR in the Kapaleeswarar Temple matter. As an elder statesman and as one of the most philanthropic of industrialists in South India, his work in the social and religious fields are widely known and documented.” The statement also spoke of the TVS honcho’s contribution to rural upliftment. “We have always admired the foresight with which he combined Temple restoration with rural upliftment. His efforts at adding to the income of rural families through gainful employment of women is probably one of the best models of social development,” the statement said. Further, the statement questioned the continuation of philanthropic activities in an “atmosphere vilified by by fake charges.” They said, “Many of our Companies have in their own ways contributed to similar efforts all across Tamil Nadu and by following his example and have seen almost immediate improvement in both temple upkeep and the development of surrounding areas. We are now forced to ask ourselves the question if we would be bold enough to undertake such activities in an atmosphere vilified by fake charges and possible public humiliation. It would be a deterrent for the industrial community to engage in social welfare programs or restoration of ancient heritage buildings including temples. We want to make our concern known to the authorities, media and the public.” The statement also called for urgent government intervention. Background Hours after the Madras High ordered investigations into the alleged theft of idols and other antiquities from two temples – the Sri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (Srirangam temple) in Trichy, and the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, Chennai- Venu Srinivasan applied for anticipatory bail on ‘reasonable apprehension’ of arrest. In his bail application, Srinivasan referred to a writ petition filed by one Elephant G Rajendran. Venu Srinivasan said that in paragraph 12 of an affidavit submitted in support of his petition, Rajendran mentioned that an FIR had been filed against him. Venu Srinivasan said he was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the famed Srirangam Temple and that he had spent Rs 25 crore from his own pocket for the renovation of the entire holy complex. He said Rs 70 lakh was also spent by him on painting works at Sri Kabaleeswarar temple in the heart of Chennai. The industrialist also said that a private trust funded by him and his company had undertaken renovation of over 100 temples in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan, CPI leader Mutharasan, and MDMK founder Vaiko have also come out in support of the industrialist. Read: Explainer: Why TVS boss Venu Srinivasan wants anticipatory bail in idol theft case

Court

The judges were miffed over seating arrangements at the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani on Monday.

TNM Staff

Twitter: Stalin_SP

Days after senior justices of the Madras High Court sought an explanation from the Tamil Nadu Governor’s office over a protocol goof-up at the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani, they boycotted the Independence Day ‘at home’ tea party hosted by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday. While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam attended the reception and planted rose shrubs in the garden of the Raj Bhavan, the justices gave the do a miss. Rows of chairs marked for “Hon’ble Judges” were seen to be empty at the Governor’s residence in Chennai. The swearing-in ceremony of the Chief Justice of Madras High Court on Sunday had irked the senior justices as they were made to sit behind ministers and police officers during the event. Justice MS Ramesh, one of the judges present during the ceremony, expressed his disappointment at the protocol breach. He said that this breach was not only a disappointment but also an issue of serious concern. “Was the Raj Bhavan unaware of the hierarchy between the Constitutional dignitaries and the police officers? Or is it their understanding that the HC Judges rank below the order of Hon'ble Ministers and Police Officers?” he questioned. According to one report in the Indian Express, “The Governor’s secretary, R Rajagopal, was on the stage with Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan. Also, SR Jangid, a DGP-rank officer with close links to Rajagopal, was seated ahead of the judges." “I, as an individual, have no problem in being seated anywhere, but I as a judge of the High Court definitely have a problem with the incautious protocol followed today. The judges deserve an explanation from whosoever was responsible for this,” Justice Ramesh told Mohamed Imranullah S of The Hindu. Madras High Court had sought an explanation from Governor’s secretary, R Rajagopal, who appeared in Court the following day. Justice Ramesh also reminded the government about a similar incident that happened in Madurai during the Meenakshi Thirukalyanam earlier this year. He said that the concerns raised about the seating arrangements after that event have not been answered yet by the officers in-charge.

Floods

A landslide in Attakatti, Valparai, located in Coimbatore district, has brought traffic to standstill.

TNM Staff

Even as the southwest monsoon continues to lash across Kerala, neighbouring Tamil Nadu has also witnessed flooding and landslide in parts of the state. According to Skymet Weather, Valparai in Coimbatore district received 298 mm rainfall on Thursday, the highest in the country. The Valparai Taluk Office registered 190 mm of rainfall as on August 16. An overnight heavy rainfall resulted in floods and a landslide in Attakatti, Valparai, which brought the traffic to a halt in the area. Visuals from the area showed muddy waters along slippery roads. Several houses were inundated. Velankanni, a 41-year-old woman, was washed away in the flood. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, S Balachandran, Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre, said, “Moist winds blowing towards the west is passing through Tamil Nadu. Therefore, over the next 24 hours, mountainous areas in Coimbatore district such as Nilgiris and Valparai will see very heavy rainfall in a few places. Also, a few places in Theni, Dindigul and Tirunelveli districts will face heavy to very heavy rainfall. Heavy rainfall is also likely in a few places in Kanyakumari district.” Schools and colleges in Valparai and Kanyakumari were closed on Thursday following the warnings of heavy rainfall. According to reports, community halls and wedding halls at the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border are being kept ready for emergency evacuations. SP Velumani, State Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, tweeted that the Coimbatore district administration has asked tourists not to visit Valparai, Annamalai and Aliyaar due to heavy rains. According to a report in the Deccan Herald, flood alerts have been issued in Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur and Cauvery delta districts following the rising water levels in the Mettur dam. On Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority announced that due to very heavy rainfall in Petchparai and Perunjanai dams in Kanyakumari district, over 100 families were evacuated. An Advisory Warning issued by the Central Water Commission said, “Due to heavy rains in Karnataka and Kerala, there is the likelihood of heavy release of water from Kabini dam and Krishna Raja Sagara Dam. The combined discharge of more than 2.1 lakh cusecs is expected to reach Mettur Dam within two days and the flow is likely to continue for the next two days. Suitable precautionary steps may be taken and downstream areas shall be informed of the release.” The advisory issued to district collectors in Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Trichy, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Ariyalur and Karaikal district in Puducherry had stated that downstream areas of Bhavani (Erode district) and Thirumukkudal (Karur district) shall be informed of combined release from Mettur, Bhavani Sagar and Amaravathi dams.

Power

TANGEDCO also said that power will be resumed earlier if the maintenance works is completed before time.

TNM Staff

Pixabay

Several areas in Chennai will face power cuts on August 17 (Friday) between 9 am and 4 pm due to maintenance work by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO). Power will be resumed earlier if the maintenance work is completed before time. Here are the areas in the city which will be affected: Thiruvai Kandigai Thiruvai Kandigai industrial estate, Karadiputhur, Kollanoor, Siruvada, Cotton Mills/Panjalai, Amarambedu, Kumaloor, MN Kandigai, Puliyur. Velachery Old Taramani, Mahatma Gandhi Nagar, Anbazhagan Nagar, Tiruvallur Salai, Natarajan Salai, Sitapati nagar, Jayanthi street, Gandhi Salai, Thiruveedhiamman temple, Vellala Street. Kottivakkam Bharathi Nagar, Bharathi Avenue, Jagannathan Street, ECR, KK Road, Kottivakkam Kuppam, Palkalai Nagar, Venkateswara Nagar 1st to 21st streets, New Colony, AGS Colony. Thiruvanmiyur A part of LB Street, Kamaraj Nagar 4th to 12th West Street, Canal Street, Ranganathapuram, Rathinam Nagar, Mangal Lake one part, ECR, Appasamy Apartments, Rajaji 1st street, Ganesh Nagar, Nathan Complex, TNHB Colony. Taramani Pillayar Koil Street, Nehru Street, Thiruvalluvar Street, Kazhikundram, Kanagam, Periyar Street, Anna Street.

Civic issues

A meeting titled ‘Namathu Nagaram Namathu Urimai’ (Our city, our right), was organised by Prajnya, a Chennai-based NGO working in the domain of women’s rights.

Megha Kaveri

What are the issues that the women of Chennai believe must be urgently dealt with by our elected representatives? Twelve women – most of them community workers – drew up a charter of rights recently, which they will be presenting to candidates during the local body elections that are pending. A meeting titled ‘Namathu Nagaram Namathu Urimai’ (Our city, our right), was organised by Prajnya, a Chennai-based NGO working in the domain of women’s rights. The women who attended the meeting had conducted safety and sanitation audits in Velachery, Royapettah and Triplicane. One round of complete inspection and audits take around eight months to complete, after which the issues concerning that locality will be listed. The participants were community workers from six NGOs in and around Chennai – Centre for Women’s Development and Research; Forum for Women’s Rights and Development; Penn Thozhilalar Sangam; Positive Women’s Network; Roshni; Working Women’s Forum. And the women – voters – have raised a call for a cleaner and a safer city from their local area representatives. Effective waste management, assured supply of clean water, installing CCTV cameras on roads and women helplines that work are some of the demands put forth by them. The aim of the meeting was to list out the aspects concerning the city’s civic health that can be asserted as a right by the people living in that community. Speaking to TNM, Sudaroli, the Programme Officer in Prajnya, said that the aim of such a meeting was to share ideas and concerns of women across the city to draw up a list of must-do’s for the local political representative. The most pressing issues that concerned the women in Chennai was lack of cleanliness and safety in the city. Inefficient solid waste management, congested pavements, contaminated water supply and lack of clean toilets rank among the primary concerns of women in Chennai. Safety of women in Chennai due to physical, mental and substance abuse also found place in the list. Another major concern for women in the city is the lack of awareness about government-related e-services and grievance redressal mechanisms. A draft list of demands put forth in the meeting can be read below – A Clean City Provide dustbins on every street to facilitate segregation of bio and other waste; Ensure regular and timely garbage collection; Distribute usable and potable water equally and fairly; Remove illegal street encroachments; Assure sanitary street food stalls; Improve and maintain drainage and sewage systems; Maintain clean and functional public toilets; Inspect sanitation systems and services on a regular schedule. A Safe City Resolve and commit to protecting girl children in local government bodies, from the municipal corporation to the zilla parishad to the gram sabha; Maintain efficient and effective women and children’s helplines; Set up and ensure proper functioning of the Local Complaints Committees; Position and regularly review surveillance cameras in sensitive and secluded areas; Appoint more women administrators and police officers; Sensitise parents, media and government workers to gender issues; Commit to introducing sex education and self-defence training in schools and the promotion of girls’ and women’s sports opportunities. A City Secure from Alcohol Abuse and its Effects Relocate TASMAC outlets away from residential areas, school and college neighbourhoods and public transportation hubs; Regulate TASMAC hours and insist on identity card checking to prevent underage drinking; Install CCTVs and police patrol vigilance around TASMAC outlets in the evening; Establish and fund deaddiction centres and helplines and family support services. Accessible and Accountable Local Government Officials and Services Assure smooth benefits delivery; Streamline grievance redressal systems; Create awareness about e-services. An Equal Voice for Women in Government and Decision-making Appoint women officials Nominate 50% women candidates Take seriously elected women officials and not as proxies Vest decision-making power in women Respect women’s freedom of speech and listen to their perspectives. The draft was signed by the women-representatives who attended the meeting on Tuesday.“The women who attended the meeting are all community workers, who are from different areas in the city. They will now go out and sensitise other women on the issues and this campaign,” said Sudaroli. The campaign will go on for a year and audits will be conducted in all the localities in Chennai to understand the concerns that worries women the most.

Policy

According to the policy, it would be mandatory to involve the forest department in every step of the trek – from organising to choosing the route to setting the team size.

TNM Staff

The Tamil Nadu government will soon table a new policy for trekkers and organisations that conduct adventure treks to the hills. The policy, which is in its final stages of drafting by the Department of Forests and Environment, will be the rulebook that would regulate the ecotourism industry in the state. According to a report, the policy makes it compulsory for the organisers of treks to register themselves with the Forest department and not just organise treks online. The policy, which is expected to be released in a week, was prepared by a team of officials after studying the trekking policies in other states. The new policy will also place restrictions on the routes taken by the organisations and on the number of participants at a time. The move comes after the Kurangani forest fire accident, that killed around 23 people who were on a trekking trip to the area in Theni in March. The inquiry report on the accident was submitted by Atulya Misra, the Revenue and Disaster Management Principal Secretary, who was tasked with the job of probing into the incident. The 125-page report blamed field-level officers of being totally unaware of the number of trekkers who were trapped inside the forest, when the fire broke out in Kurangani Hills in Bodi range in Theni district on March 11, reports said. Atulya Misra’s report also highlighted certain lapses on the part of the forest department officials. Forest Minister Dindigul C Sreenivasan told reporters that the Misra report would be made public soon and that the government is studying it. He also said that Tamil Nadu has a huge eco-tourism potential with hundreds of designated nature trails and that the new ecotourism policy lays emphasis on regulating tourist safety.

Electricity

TANGEDCO said that the power will resume before 4 pm if the maintenance work is completed earlier.

TNM Staff

Several areas in Chennai will face power cuts on Saturday, August 18, between 9 am and 4 pm due to maintenance work by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO). Power will be resumed earlier if the maintenance work is completed before time. Here are the areas in the city which will be affected: TVK Nagar, Poompuhar Nagar, Rajaji Nagar KC Garden 1st to 6th street, Part of SRP Koil North Street, Paper Mills Road, Poompuhar Nagar, G.K.M.Colony, Vasantham Nagar, Kalaignar nagar, Murugan Nagar, Arjun Nagar, Kumaran Nagar, and Sai Nagar. Palavakkam Palavakkam Canal, Periyar Salai and surrounding area, Govindan Nagar, Kandasamy Nagar 8th, 9th and 10th Street, Kolaviziamman Koil Street, Gandhi Nagar, Pachaiappar Street. Thirumullaivoyal Lakshmipuram, Konimedu, Easwaran nagar, Ella Ammanpettai, Gandhi Nagar, Edapalayam and TH Road, part of Redhills, Pothur, Arikkambedu, Vellanur, Kollumedu, Sidco Women’s Industrial Estate, Kannadapalayam, Kattoor, Pammadukulam. Besant Nagar and Adyar Beach Home Avenue, Old CPWD Quarters, Custom Colony, Besant Nagar 4th Cross Street, Beach Home Avenue 2nd, 3rd Cross Street, Damodarapuram Main Road, Jeevarathinam Nagar, Shanthi Colony, Venkateswara Nagar, and Karpagam Garden. Velachery Part of Velachery Tambaram Main Road, 100 feet Taramani Link Road, Sarathy Nagar, Seetharam Nagar, SPIC Nagar. Injambakkam Harichandra 1st to 4th Street, Injambakkam Kuppam, VGP Layout, Shalimar Garden, Periyar Street, Pothigai Street, Ponniamman Koil Street, Part of ECR, VOC Street, Thiruvalluvar salai, Cholamandal Devi Nagar and Artists Village, Betheal Nagar North and South, Nanjandarao Salai, Gangaiamman Koil Street, Kakkan Street, and Pallavan Nagar. Taramani, Chinnamalai Gandhi Mandapam Road, Naidu Street, and Kottur 4th Main Road. Raj Bhavan Velachery TNHB colony, Five Furlong road, Race Course Road, Bharathi Nagar, Mosque Colony, Periyar Nagar, Nehru Nagar, Velachery Main Road, Part of Mount Road, Kannikapuram, Race View Colony, Ashok Nagar, Ambedkar Nagar, and Bharathi Nagar. Tagore Nagar KK Nagar 1st to 10th Street, United Nagar, LIC Quarters, NMK Street, Chelliamman Koil Street, Jeeva Park, Market Street, Thanthai Periyar Street, Tagore Nagar, and Palani Andavar Koil Street. SIDCO Nagar Villivakkam Industrial Estate SIDCO Nagar and 6th, 7th, and 10th Block, Nehru Nagar, Amman Kuttai, Balaramapuram, Valliammal Nagar, South Jaganathan Nagar, Bharathy Nagar 1st Street, and part of MTH Road. Manali Sathyamoorthy Nagar, VP Nagar, JJ Nagar, TKP Nagar, Manali Express Road, Ramasamy Nagar, Kargil Nagar, Rajaji Nagar, Kamaraj Nagar, and KV HT Services. Sembium MH Road(North), Periyar Nagar(Moolakadai), Shardlow India Ltd., India Piston– 2 Point, Wheels and Precision India Ltd., Annai Sathya Nagar, and Moolakadai. Kolathur Venus Nagar, Kasthuri Street 1st to 5th Street, Malliga Avenue, Thiruvallur Nagar, Parvathi Amman Koil, Kadappa Road part, Harbour Colony, Selvam Nagar, Annai Sivasakthi Street, Villivakkam Road, Ganesh Nagar, 200 feet road part, Antony Nagar complete street, Kalaignar Street, Vivekananda Street, Ashoka Street, Barathiyar Street, Gandhi Street, Gangai Amman Koil, LNP Koil, Teachers colony, Adhilakshmi Nagar, Sarathi Nagar, Moogambigai Nagar.

Law

On Aug 3, the HC had ordered TN govt to suspend the Commission set up to probe alleged financial irregularities in construction of the new Secretariat.

Megha Kaveri

Wikimedia Commons

R Regupathi, chief of the Inquiry Commission looking into the alleged financial irregularities during construction of the new Secretariat building, resigned on Friday. In his resignation letter, retired Justice R Regupathi blamed the Commission’s inaction in the past three years for the repeated cases in court and subsequent hearings. He also said that he had done his best during the limited period that the Commission worked. The former Justice also said that Justice Subramaniam’s comments on post-retirement jobs has caused extreme disappointment to the retired judges. Former Justice R Regupathi mentioned in his resignation letter that he had probed into the building collapse at Moulivakkam, for 45 days, without drawing any remuneration from the government. He also said that he is returning the Innova car and computer provided to him by the government, now that he is resigning. Regupathi Commission was formed in 2011 to probe into the alleged scam in the construction of a new Secretariat building at the Government Omandurar Estate in Chintadripet during DMK regime. The Commission had sent summons to late former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi, former deputy Chief Minister MK Stalin and former PWD Minister Duraimurugan, in 2015. They filed a petition to quash the order forming the Commission and the summons sent to them. The High Court stayed the inquiry by the Regupathi Commission in 2015. The Madras HC had, on August 3, ordered the Tamil Nadu government to suspend the Regupathi Commission and to issue orders within one week to stop all further funds, perquisites and government facilities allotted to it. Justice SM Subramaniam had also directed the Commission to hand over the records, reports of investigation and statements, as well as evidence collected over time, to the government, within two weeks from the date of the order.

Court

Kalanithi Maran was discharged by a trial court in the case, but it was set aside by the Madras High Court.

TNM Staff

In what comes as a setback for Sun TV chief Kalanithi Maran, the Supreme Court on Friday rejected his appeal challenging a Madras High Court order that had ordered trial in the illegal telephone exchange case. According to a report in The Hindu, Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and KM Joseph rejected the plea. He will now have to face trial in the case. On July 30, the Supreme Court dismissed a similar petition filed by Kalanithi’s brother and former Union Minister, Dayanidhi Maran. Earlier on July 25, the Madras High Court had set aside the order of the CBI court discharging the Maran brothers in the BSNL telephone exchange case. It also sent the case back to the CBI court and ordered charges to be framed within 12 weeks from the date of the order. The High court also directed the CBI court to conclude the trial within 12 months. In March, a special CBI court had discharged the Maran brothers and five others saying that there was no prima facie evidence against them in the case. This was challenged by the CBI court in the Madras HC in June, which then issued notices to the accused. The CBI claimed that the government exchequer had suffered a loss of Rs 1.78 crore due to the installation of an alleged illegal telephone exchange at Dayanidhi Maran's house, which was used for Sun TV operations. The CBI also accused Dayanidhi Maran of misusing his office to facilitate the installation of 764 telephone lines at his house to help illegal uplinking of Sun TV data. The others accused in this case are BSNL's former Chief General Manager K Brahmanathan, former Deputy General Manager M Velusamy, Dayanidhi Maran's personal secretary V Gowthaman, and Sun TV employees S Kannan and K S Ravi.

Irrigation

While Vaigai Dam has been ordered open for a period of 120 days, CM Edappadi Palaniswami urged farmers to be judicious in their use of water.

TNM Staff

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami announced on Saturday that the Vaigai dam in Theni district will be opened from August 20. It is hoped that the dam, which has been ordered open for a period of 120 days, would help irrigate lands along the Periyar as well as the Thirumangalam Main Canal. According to a statement released by the Chief Minister, the move is a response to requests from resident in the areas. However, it is also to be noted that the water level in the dam crossed 66 feet on Friday, following which a preliminary flood alert was issued. The maximum storage level of the dam is 71 feet. The water would be released at a speed of 1,130 cusecs per second thereby helping to irrigate 85,563 acres along the Periyar River and 19,439 acres along the Thirumangalam Main Canal. This would facilitate the irrigation of 1,05,002 acres of crops in Madurai, Dindigul and Sivagangai districts. The Chief Minister also requested farmers to be judicious in their use of the water. EPS is also expected to visit flood-affected areas on Sunday. He would be visiting Bhavani, Komarapalayam, Pallipalayam and Karungalpalayam followed by a review meeting with officials at the Erode circuit house. While Theni district collector Pallavi Baldev had assured residents that emergency preventive materials were available at the dam, Madurai district collector K Veera Raghava Rao asked those in low lying areas along the Vaigai to move to safety. Water from the Vaigai dam was last released in November last year, following a five-hour protest. Farmers, primarily from the single crop area, had petitioned the government for release of water. However, water was only released on the PT Rajan and Thanthai Periyar Canals. The farmers from Melur in Madurai district then staged a five-hour protest on the Madurai Chennai highway, demanding that water be released to Periyar and Thirumangalam Main Canal as well.

Kerala Floods

He also will be sending 500 metric tonnes of rice, 300 metric tonnes of milk powder, veshtis, lungis, 10,000 blankets, and essential medicines.

TNM Staff

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami announced an additional relief of Rs 5 crore for the flood-battered state of Kerala on Saturday, in view of the severe damage in the state. The money, he announced, would come out of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. The move comes over a week after the Chief Minister had announced a general relief of Rs 5 crore for rescue and rehabilitation efforts, two days after the severe deluge began on August 8. In addition to this, the CM also announced that relief materials, including 500 metric tonnes of rice, 300 metric tonnes of milk powder, 15, 000 litres of ultra-high temperature processed milk, veshtis, lungis, 10,000 blankets, and essential medicines, would be sent. He also announced the immediate dispatch of medical and veterinary teams to the affected state. Two officers of the Tamil Nadu Revenue Administration Department, Santosh Babu and Darez Ahmad, have also been put in charge of the coordination efforts. He also noted the coordinated distribution of relief materials to the district administration by the people of Tamil Nadu and said that it would continue. Condoling the deaths of those who lost their lives in the floods, the Chief Minister said, “Due to unprecedented heavy rains in our neighbouring state of Kerala, several districts are flooded and the daily life of people has been completely affected. We have to come to know that over 300 people have died. On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, as well as the government, I express my deepest condolences to those who have lost their family members to the continuous heavy rainfall.” On Thursday, the Chief Minister responded to a letter from his counterpart in Kerala, assuring him of the safety of the Mullaperiyar dam. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to the TN CM on Wednesday, urging him to ensure that the outflow of water from the dam is more than the inflow, in order to 'steadily bring down the water level to a safer 139 feet.' Vijayan’s letter had pointed out that the catchment of Mullaperiyar Dam had been receiving torrential rainfall since early morning of 14th August, 2018 and was rising steadily. On Friday, the Supreme Court directed the Mullaperiyar Dam Sub Committee and the National Crisis Management Committee to examine and find a way, if possible, to reduce the water level of the Mullaperiyar Dam to 139ft and ensure that it doesn’t cross the threshold. While commending Kerala's efforts to mitigate the crisis, the Court also asked Tamil Nadu to 'scrupulously comply’ with the directions of the committee.

Power

If the works are completed before 4 pm, the power supply will be restored immediately by TANGEDCO.

TNM Staff

Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) has announced power cuts in several areas in Chennai on Monday (August 20, 2018). The power will be shut down from 9 am to 4 pm to carry out maintenance work. However, if the works are completed before 4 pm, power supply will be restored immediately by TANGEDCO. Here is the list of areas that will face power cut on Monday: Vyasarpadi Industrial Estate Sarma Nagar, Bharathi Nagar, Sastri Nagar First to Ninth Streets, PV Colony First to 15th Streets, Karimedu, Sanjay Nagar, MPM Street, Vyasar Nagar, Santhi Nagar and Avvai Nagar. Neelangarai Vaithilingam Road, CLRI Nagar, Rajendran Nagar, Thiruvalluvar Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Kathiravan Road and a part of East-Coast Road and Ruby Complex. Tiruvottriyur Ennore Expressway (from toll gate to Pattinathar temple), Tiruvottriyur highway (Rollgate to Tiruvottriyur market), Sathangadu highway to Tiruvottriyur Railway station.

Kerala Floods

The state has donated Rs 10 crore to the flood battered state, in addition to sending medical teams and relief materials.

TNM Staff

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami announced on Sunday that all AIADMK lawmakers would donate their monthly salary for relief and rescue work to the flood-battered state of Kerala. Responding to a reporter’s question on the personal donation of lawmakers at the Coimbatore airport on Sunday, the chief minister said, “All AIADMK Ministers, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Members of the Legislative Assembly, Members of Parliament, will donate their one month salary to relief work in Kerala.” The CM also urged people from all walks of life to donate according to their personal capacity. “Life and property have been damaged in Kerala. It would be good if people from all walks of life could make heartfelt donations according to the extent possible by them,” he said. On Saturday, the chief minister announced a relief of Rs 5 crore for relief work in the state, in addition to Rs 5 crore that had already been announced on August 10. The Tamil Nadu government also sent various relief materials to Kerala including 500 metric tonnes of rice, 300 metric tonnes of milk powder, 15,000 litres of ultra-high temperature processed milk, veshtis, lungis, 10,000 blankets and essential medicines. The CM also announced the immediate dispatch of medical and veterinary teams to the affected state. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday announced that that next important step was rehabilitation and reconstruction of the state. Speaking to reporters, he said, “One phase of the disaster is about to come to an end now. We still have a long way to go to bring life back to normal in the state and the government has the responsibility to do it.” In July this year, the monthly salary and allowances paid to Members of the Legislative Assembly in Tamil Nadu was increased from Rs 55,000 to Rs 1,05,000.

Policy

The move has been opposed by a section of students, parents as well as academicians.

TNM Staff

The Tamil Nadu government has banned the use of cell phone in colleges across the state. According to one report in The Hindu, a circular to this effect has been issued by the Directorate of Collegiate Education to all government, government-aided and self-financing colleges. According to the newspaper, “The circular states that the decision was made as per the advice of Higher Education Secretary (in charge). Pradeep Yadav, Principal Secretary, School Education Department, was in charge of Higher Education Department (HED) at that time, as Sunil Paliwal, Principal Secretary, HED, was on leave, an official said.” However, the move has been opposed by a section of students, parents as well as academicians. Speaking to NDTV, one student said, "Most students are already adults when they enter college and the use of mobile phones cannot be dictated by authorities. The choice should be left to the students. One of the reasons cited was safety of girls but even with the ban in many colleges, girls face problems." Speaking to The Hindu, R Murali, former Principal of Madura College and State general secretary of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said that the ban was “regressive and absurd”. “When mobile phones are becoming an integral part of life for people, irrespective of their economic status, it is highly conservative to ask students not to use them in colleges. There can be reasonable restrictions on the usage inside classrooms. But not a total ban,” he said. Speaking to the Times of India, S Arumainathan of the Tamil Nadu Students’ Parents Welfare Association said cell phones are a necessity for students studying at colleges far from their homes."With cell phones, students can inform their parents of their whereabouts or any delays. Parents will now have to wait anxiously till their wards get home. The government can regulate their usage in classrooms, labs and other areas in such a way that there is no disturbance," he said.

Media

This is the second highest spike witnessed by Tamil news channels – the first was seen when former CM J Jayalalithaa passed away.

TNM Staff

Weekly data released by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) shows that Tamil news viewership witnessed a massive spike between August 4 and August 10 compared to previous weeks. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi passed away on August 7. According to the BARC data between Saturday, 4 August 2018, to Friday, 10 August 2018, the top 5 Tamil news television channels made a combined impression of 4,03,890. The Hindu said that this demonstrated a 156% spike in viewership from the previous weekly update, which registered an impression of 209 million between July 14 to August 3. BARC India defines an impression as, “Number of individuals in 000s of a target audience who viewed an ‘Event’, averaged across minutes. Also known as TVT.” Over just the course of August 7 and 8 alone, Tamil news viewership swelled to 585% at 366 million impressions. According to The Hindu, television audiences in Chennai spent two hours and forty-three minutes watching the news compared to the thirty-two minute average witnessed in the previous weeks. The newspaper also reports that the this was the second such spike in viewership after the death of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa in 2016. The Tamil news genre witnessed 734 million impressions that week. BARC India collects data using ‘audio watermarking’. “Audio watermarking embeds audio watermarks in video content prior to upload and broadcast. These watermarks are not audible to the human ear, but can easily be detected and decoded using dedicated hardware or software. The watermark is broadcast along with the content. As viewing details are recorded by the BAR-O-meters, so are the watermarks. The raw data is cleaned, merged with the channel, program, language and broadcast schedule details,” BARC India says.

Kerala floods

8-year-old Anupriya, a Class 3 student from Villupuram district, broke open five piggy banks to contribute Rs 8,240 for the relief efforts.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Kerala is battling the worst floods it has witnessed in a century but the state is not alone in its fight. Lakhs of people from across the world have opened their hearts and wallets to send money and supplies to help residents of the state. Amongst them is 8-year-old Anupriya, a Class 3 student from Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu, who went on to break open her five piggy banks to contribute Rs 8,240 towards the relief efforts. “I was saving this money from the time I was in LKG. Every day I would put at least two rupees that my father or mother gave me into the piggy bank. I didn’t open it because I wanted to buy a cycle,” Anupriya tells TNM. “But on Friday, I was watching TV with my father and I saw lot of young children suffering in the water. I felt very bad and told my father that I will give the money to help them,” she adds. Anupriya doesn’t understand the enormity of the situation in the neighbouring state nor the significance of her decision. She simply removed the money from her collection and put all the coins into plastic covers to deposit in the bank on Monday. “From a very young age, I have tried to inculcate the habit of saving in her. But I had no idea that it would lead to this,” says her father Siva Shanmuganathan. “She really wanted a cycle last year but I was afraid that she was too young and couldn’t be let alone on the streets. So, with great determination she began saving more money and decided to get one for herself. But when she was watching the visuals of the floods, she decided that helping them was more important than getting a cycle. I am really proud of her,” he adds. But even as Anupriya extends a helping hand, her kind gesture has ensured that her dreams are fulfilled as well. Soon after news of her decision to forego a cycle to aid those in need spread, Hero Cycles decided that the young girl must be rewarded for her actions. “Dear Anupriya, we appreciate your gesture to support humanity in the hour of need. You would get a brand new cycle from us. Please DM your address or contact us at customer@herocycles.com,” the cycle company posted on Twitter. Dear Anupriya, We appreciate your gesture to support humanity in the hour of need. You would get a brand new cycle from us. Please DM your address or contact us at customer@herocycles.com. @PankajMMunjal — Hero Cycles (@Hero_Cycles) August 19, 2018 The company’s Chairman and Managing Director Pankaj M Munjal then took it a step further and declared that the girl will get a new bike every year of her life. Anupriya, parnam to you. You are a noble soul and wish you spread the good around. Hero is too pleased to give you one bike every year of your life. Pl share your contact on my account. Love you and best wishes. Prayers for Kerala https://t.co/vTUlxlTnQR — Pankaj M Munjal (@PankajMMunjal) August 19, 2018 When asked about this offer, however, Anupriya says, “I didn’t do all this for a cycle. I want to help and I will tell my school friends to also contribute.”

Sterlite

Meanwhile, Sterlite said in the green court that the shutting down of their plant was a cover-up for police shootings in Thoothukudi during anti-Sterlite protests.

TNM Staff

In a new development in the ongoing Sterlite case at the National Green Tribunal, the environment court ordered a new committee to probe into charges of pollution by the copper plant in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. The three member committee would be headed by a retired judge, and will have one member each from the Central Pollution Control Board, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The NGT was hearing a petition filed by Sterlite’s parent company Vedanta against the Tamil Nadu government’s order to shut down the copper smelter. The copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi was shut down by the TN government on May 28, after the TN Pollution Control Board stated that the plant had violated environmental norms and was causing large-scale pollution in the region. After having rejected Sterlite's request to grant interim stay on Tamil Nadu government’s order to shut down the plant, the NGT on Monday permitted Sterlite to make its arguments on merits. During the hearing, the Tribunal questioned the Tamil Nadu government about the basis for the closure of the Sterlite plant. At one point, the Tribunal asked for a one-line reply from the state government as to whether there was an environmental threat on account of the Sterlite smelter. "Yes. A firm yes," the state government replied. What happened in court According to journalists at the hearing, a joint team of Central Pollution Control Board and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board inspected the Sterlite plant on August 16 and 17 and submitted their 10-page report to the NGT. The report cites data on alleged pollution by the Vedanta-owned Sterlite. The findings reportedly say that Vedanta dumped around 3.5 lakh tonnes of copper slag along the Uppar river, obstructing the flow of the river. Interestingly, this had already been mentioned in a March 2017 TNPCB showcause notice to the plant. This has also been submitted in TNPCB's counter affidavit against Sterlite. Meanwhile, Sterlite said in court that despite the NGT's August 9 order allowing the company to carry out administrative works at the plant, they had not been given access to the administrative block of the smelter. The state government closure of Sterlite took place days after a massive anti-Sterlite rally where 13 civilians were shot dead by the police. Citing this, Sterlite said that it had nothing to with them. Further, Vedanta stated that the closure of the unit was a knee jerk reaction and a cover up of the shootings. The Central Pollution Control Board argued that the corrosive nature of the chemicals stored at the plant pose a threat to the surrounding areas, especially since there has been no maintenance work undertaken for a long time. What the Tribunal said Apart from ordering the formation of a new committee, the Tribunal on Monday declined the request of the Tamil Nadu government seeking more time to file data on ground water situation. Further, Vedanta has been ordered to construct a compound wall on all four sides to prevent the copper slag from washing away. Sterlite meanwhile expressed reservations about picking a retired judge from Tamil Nadu to head the committee, citing bias.

Sexual Harassment

According to sources, the complaint was filed last week, and describes constant attempts by the male officer to sexually harass the complainant.

Priyanka Thirumurthy

Image for representation.

In what senior police officials are touting as an unprecedented move, a female Superintendent of Police has filed a complaint of sexual harassment against a male officer of the IG rank in Chennai. Following this, the state government has constituted an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) headed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and Director of the Tamil Nadu State Crime Records Bureau, Seema Agarwal, to probe the matter. According to sources, the complaint was filed last week and it describes constant attempts by the male officer to sexually harass the complainant. The ICC has been constituted as per the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. Other members of the committee include Additional Director General of Police S Arunachalam, Deputy Inspector General of Police Thenmozhi, Superintendent of Police (retired) Saraswathi and Ramesh, an administrative officer in the DGP's office."Every department already has a committee, but this was reconstituted because the complainant is a senior officer, so the people inquiring also have to be senior," explains Seema Agarwal. "I came to know about the matter on Friday. We haven't received the complaint yet. Once we do, we will decide modus and begin inquiry," she adds. According to the ICC Chairperson, the committee will look at evidence that both parties have to offer. "We will look at the evidence required to substantiate any allegations and then come to a conclusion based on this. The probe will be fair and we will not allow any external influences to affect our decision," she says. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act puts the onus on employers to ensure that the workplace is safe for all women. The act creates a mechanism for civil redressal of complaints, and also says that the employer must help the complaining file a police complaint if she so desires. The Act covers concepts of 'quid pro quo harassment' and 'hostile work environment' as forms of sexual harassment.

Law

The Madras HC was hearing a plea seeking to direct CBSE to follow only the textbooks and syllabus set by the NCERT.

TNM Staff

The Madras High Court, on Monday, ordered the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to publicise the 'No homework till class 2' rule in newspapers and other media. According to reports, Justice N Kirubakaran passed the order on a plea seeking direction to order CBSE to follow only the textbooks and syllabus set by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT). In its submissions to the court, the CBSE said that as per its bylaws, schools affiliated to CBSE must comply with its regulation of not giving homework for students up to class 2. It also stated that the Board had already given circulars to the schools emphasising this point twice -- in 2004 and in 2016. The CBSE said that after the court's order on May 29 regarding the reduction of bag load of students, it had again stressed on the importance of following the rule. On May 29, the Madras High Court had prohibited all schools affiliated to the CBSE from giving homework to students in classes 1 and 2 and had directed the board to conduct surprise checks in schools with flying squads. It had also directed the schools not to use textbooks that are not in line with the syllabus prescribed by the NCERT. The court had earlier said that no school should force upon children any subject other than language and mathematics in classes 1 and 2. Further, it said that schools that do not follow these orders should be disaffiliated from the CBSE. “Neither children are weightlifters nor school bags load containers,” Justice Kirubakaran said and directed the central government to formulate a policy on the lines of the Children School Bags (Limitation on Weight) Bill, 2006.

Politics

The post of President fell vacant after DMK chief M Karunanidhi passed away on August 7.

TNM Staff

PTI

MK Stalin, the Working President of DMK, is all set to be elevated as the President of the party in a General Council meeting that is slotted to take place on August 28. A press release from the party headquarters ‘Arivalayam’ said that the meeting will begin at 9 am on August 28 and the agenda of the meeting would be the adoption of the audit report of the party and the election of President and Treasurer. The post of the President fell vacant after DMK chief M Karunanidhi passed away on August 7. Since MK Stalin is the current Treasurer of the party, that post too falls vacant at his elevation as party president, as per reports. According to a report in The Hindu, nominations for the two posts will be opened at the General Council with a senior leader of the party operating as the election officer. However, no one is expected to enter the contest against Stalin. The announcement comes days after Stalin’s brother MK Alagiri openly said that ‘true loyalists’ of the party are on his side. MK Alagiri, the Former South Zone Organising Secretary of DMK, was expelled from the party in 2014 due to anti-party activities. He was not allowed to come back to DMK till the death of M Karunanidhi. However, according to reports, Alagiri's revolt is not material enough to create problems for Stalin’s elevation since he brought all the district units of the party, including those in the south that were once under the firm control of Alagiri, under him. At the recent executive meeting of the party at the Anna Arivalayam to condole Karunanidhi's death, senior leader and DMK's principal secretary Durai Murugan addressed Stalin as 'future president'.

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TN 8-yr-old donates piggy bank to Kerala, cycle company makes her dream come true

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