writingonblog uncensored: After 64 years of service, Octogenarian Mohanakris...

writingonblog uncensored: After 64 years of service, Octogenarian Mohanakris...: Chennai: After serving Tamil Nadu government for more than 64 years, A Mohanakrishnan advisor on water resources for the Tamil ...

After 64 years of service, Octogenarian Mohanakrishnan retires after serving as TN WRD advisor

Chennai:

After serving Tamil Nadu government for more than 64 years, A Mohanakrishnan advisor on water resources for the Tamil Nadu government retired on Monday.

Public Works Minister K V Ramalingam and Public Works Department secretary M Saikumar felicitated Mohanakrishnan during the occasion.

Later speaking during the occasion, Mohanakrishnan said that he joined on June 24, 1948 and had been serving the government in various roles. He steps down from the office in the wake of state mounting pressure on Centre and insisting that the final order of the Cauvery Tribunal be notified considering the withering crops in her state.

A senior official told Express that the fate of nine to 10 lakh acres of paddy crop, which is essential to food security of the nation, hinges on the Cauvery water which is to be released by Karnataka.

Due to lack of proper rainfall, the farmers are solely dependent on the Cauvery water, said the official, adding that the state has demanded 18tmc feet of water. The Supreme Court is to hear the case on January 2013.

Talking about his experience, Mohanakrishnan recounted his experience of his first job and the work culture prevalent at that time.

The 86-year-old said due to his physical inability he could not continue in his post but is available at any time.

writingonblog uncensored: CMRL structures exempted from Town and Country Pla...

writingonblog uncensored: CMRL structures exempted from Town and Country Pla...: Chennai: Chennai Metro Rail structures have been exempted from Town and Country Planning Act 1971, according to a government order i...

CMRL structures exempted from Town and Country Planning Act

Chennai:

Chennai Metro Rail structures have been exempted from Town and Country Planning Act 1971, according to a government order issued by housing and urban development department.

The decision to exempt the metro rail structures from the Act was taken after a fifth high power committee meeting held recently, sources said.

The structures which will be exempted include all metro stations and tracks supporting structures at grade, elevated and underground including entry structures, ancillary buildings to house diesel generator sets, chiller plants and electric substation.

These also include supply exhaust, tunnel ventilation shafts, depots and maintenance workshop, traction substations, operational cost centers and structures above the platform over the footprint of the metro stations.

Sources said the government exempted the structures under section 113 C of Town and country Planning Act, 1971.

The Government Order states that metro rail has to take permission for those structures that are not defined or listed as operational structures.

writingonblog uncensored: Not a smooth ride for Metro rail

writingonblog uncensored: Not a smooth ride for Metro rail: C Shivakumar Chennai: It was not a smooth ride for Chennai Metro rail this year. There were several hiccups as the project was enmesh...

Not a smooth ride for Metro rail

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

It was not a smooth ride for Chennai Metro rail this year. There were several hiccups as the project was enmeshed in series of controversies over heritage sites, legal battles and accident in worksite.

First it was the demolition of the rear portion of the 130 year old  P Orr & Sons building on Anna salai in March this year that sparked up a controversy and a legal battle. Interestingly, Madras High court dismissed the public interest litigation filed by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) against the demolition and censured the trust and fined it Rs 5 lakh for the litigation that stalled work on the transit system.

But the court victory was not the end of all trouble for Metro Rail as questions began to be raised over the safety of heritage building again when 14-storeyed Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) building on Anna Salai developed cracks. This resulted in CMRL installing instruments on all the buildings near its sites to check any possible damage to them due to the construction work.

But the biggest test for Chennai Metro rail came when it was hit by two accidents at its worksite. One on a busy stretch in July this year when a scaffolding at the Vadapalani metro station site gave way as concrete was poured to build a ten-feet-long arm on the main pillar and the other one that nearly put the brakes on crane-related work when a migrant labourer was killed and six others were injured in an accident at a construction site near Pachaiyappas College on the busy Poonamalle High Road on August.

The accident prompted metro rail to order safety audits in all its 32 sites. An enquiry was also ordered which blamed human error.

Amidst all these challenges, Metro rail also began burrowing beneath the city using the Chinese and German tunnel boring machines. The inauguration of the tunneling work at Nehru Park in Chetpet was a low key affair due to the series of accidents in last one month.

Meanwhile, the infrastructure to berth coaches in the metro rail depot in Koyambedu is expected to be ready by March end with first train, which consists of four coaches, is expected to arrive in the depot, spread over an area of 26 hectares of land, during the period. It is believed the work on the depot would be completed by December 2013 when the first trail run is expected to take place on the elevated stretch.

The mock-up model of metro rail has reached Chennai shores and it will be housed at Sri city, a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) located near Tada in Andhra Pradesh where CMRL rakes are being built.

Interestingly, a study is also being conducted by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to assess development along metro rail corridor. There are also plans to integrate upcoming metro rail stations with existing modes of public transportation and develop feeder bus stops at the railway stations.

writingonblog uncensored: President expresses concern over quality of higher...

writingonblog uncensored: President expresses concern over quality of higher...: Education system needs a systematic re-look says Pranab Chennai: President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday expressed concern over...

President expresses concern over quality of higher education

Education system needs a systematic re-look says Pranab

Chennai:

President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday expressed concern over quality of higher education and said that education system needs a systematic re-look so that India can educate much larger numbers without diluting academic standards.

Delivering the 8th Convocation address of SRM University here, the president said as we stand on the threshold of the 12th Five Year Plan, challenges continue to exist with respect to quality and the provision of relevant education. India needs universities to provide quality education that meet international benchmarks.

Urging private sector to contribute its best to the provision of higher education in India, the president said, “We need universities to provide quality education that meet international benchmarks.  Many top universities including Harvard, Yale and Stanford are the result of efforts of the private sector. There is no reason why Indian private sector cannot achieve similar results.”

Stressing the need for private institutions to build the trust of people, Mukherjee said, “Financial resources are an important consideration for all universities.  But, there must be a vision to create a world class institute and to nurture young people who will change the world into a better place for all of us.”

He said curricular reforms leading to regular revision and upgrading of curricula, introduction of semester system, choice-based credit system, and examination reforms are yet to take place in many higher educational institutions across the country.

The president said that the private sector today accounts for about four-fifths of enrolment in professional higher education. “The standards of education, however, vary from institute to institute. It is essential that a transparent framework for better service delivery

be established in the field of private education.  The regulatory mechanism should facilitate accreditation of all educational institutions with clarity on incentives and consequences in order to improve quality, to ensure minimum benchmarks and to promote excellence in higher education,” he added.

He also highlighted the lack of good faculty in universities. “While the requisite number of good quality teachers cannot be made available overnight, we must tackle the problem by bringing in innovative teaching methodologies such as technology-enabled

learning and collaborative information and communication technologies,” Mukherjee added.

He urged the 8,809 graduates, postgraduates and Phd degree holders to remember that their mission in life should be to wipe every tear from every eye, as exhorted by the father of nation Mahatma Gandhi.

The president said SRM University has made a name for itself by imparting quality higher education in the private sector. It should now strive to spread to other Institutions in the country some of its models of teaching and curricula which are novel and can be emulated.

Tamil Nadu governor K Rosaiah stressed the need for value based education which sythesises the moral fabric of the individual and generates a culture of peace in the society and makes one’s life in harmony with existence.

Mukherjee also presented the honorary degree of Doctor of science (D.Sc) on director general of Defence Research and Development Organisation V K Sraswat and eminent physician and chairman of PRG Medicares and researches Limited Dr P R Goyal.

Agitations against gang rape will fizzle out like anti-corruption movement: Katju

Chennai:

Press Council of India chairman, Justice Markandey Katju condemned the New Delhi gang rape on Wednesday but dismissed the agitations against the incident in the capital saying it will fizzle out in the next 10-15 days like the anti-corruption movement.

He said emotional outburst against the incident will solve nothing and would fizzle out like Anna Hazare’s agitation without solving the issue.

He said the Delhi unrest could be linked to deep discontent prevailing in the middle class, which constitutes 15-20 per cent of the total population.

He said global recession and rising prices of essential commodities has hit the prosperity of the middle class resulting in people taking to the street. He warned that unless political leaders pay attention to the problem of the middle class, the country is heading for a big trouble.

Katju said the child malnutrition in India is worse than many African countries and added that 80 per cent of India’s population lived with Rs 25-30 a day. Price rise and massive unemployment are more serious than the Delhi gang-rape incident, he said.

Katju said India needs scientific solutions, not emotional outbursts, to issues and problems.

writingonblog uncensored: Row over tenement allotments hits tsunami project ...

writingonblog uncensored: Row over tenement allotments hits tsunami project ...: C Shivakumar Chennai; The row over emergency tsunami reconstruction project in Nochikuppam has hit a roadblock with slum clearance b...

Row over tenement allotments hits tsunami project in Nochikuppam

C Shivakumar

Chennai;

The row over emergency tsunami reconstruction project in Nochikuppam has hit a roadblock with slum clearance board struggling to vacate 360 dilapidated tenements and 150 huts due to opposition from the fishermen who demand additional allotments.

The project to build 816 tenements in Nochikuppam, initially taken up with World Bank assistance and now being taken up with state government funds, is yet to materialize as people in Nochikuppam have been demanding to have additional houses for the wards also and the efforts by Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has failed.

It is believed that about 40 per cent of the beneficiaries of Nochikuppam have moved to temporary shelters till November 1, 2011.

Desiya Pengal Kootamaipu coordinator Victor told Express that the fishermen want houses for all including those living in Srinivasapuram, Foreshore Estate and Domingkuppam. Initially, the proposal included people from Srinivasapuram, Foreshore Estate and Domingkuppam but they were left out as the finalisation of beneficiaries list met with lot of resistance from the people from these localities.

Interestingly, a number of meetings were held but no solution was found and the result was the Wordl Bank assistance was subsequently withdrawn as the ETRP project came to a closure last year. Sources said the slum clearance board has decided to delink the scheme from the World Bank assistance and proposed to take up construction of new multi-storeyed tenements in Nochikuppam area utilizing state government funds considering the precarious nature of buildings.

South Indian Fishermen's Welfare Association president K Barathi alleged irregularities in nearly 300 allotments stating that in some instance people from the same family have been allotted houses. There have also been allegations over dalit fishermen are being ignored in the allotments. However, the allegations have been denied by the officials. Interestingly, the associations quoting officials claim that nearly 50 allotments may be cancelled.

As there is no solution in hand, the slum clearance board is slowly losing patience and may be counting on the last option that is to resort to forceful eviction with adequate police protection.

writingonblog uncensored: Fishermen pay homage to tsunami victims

writingonblog uncensored: Fishermen pay homage to tsunami victims: Express News Service Chennai: Kasimedu fishing harbour lacked the usual chatter on Wednesday as fishermen stayed away from sea and pa...

Fishermen pay homage to tsunami victims

Express News Service
Chennai:
Eight years on, their tears might have dried up, but the scars remain.
The fishing community across Chennai on Wednesday remembered, with as much fondness as pain, their near and dear ones who they lost to the rampaging tsunami on the Boxing Day of 2004. They also shed a tear or two while paying homage to the 200-odd city folks who perished to the giant waves.
The Kasimedu fishing harbour lacked the usual chatter as the fishermen stayed away from sea in observance of the day. As the boats, tethered to each other at the harbour, danced in synchrony atop the waves on a windy day, the fishing community offered milk and flowers to the sea. Pandals were put up in various locations in Kasimedu and Foreshore Estate with fishermen’s associations offering prayers and food in remembrance of the victims.
Prayers from different religious communities were organised in Kasimedu fishing harbour by South Indian Fishermen’s Welfare Association. Its president K Barathi recalled that nearly 200 people died when the tsunami struck Chennai coast in 2004. He said the tragedy was felt by people from different religious communities and that was why SIFWA had organised prayers for the tsunami victims. Similarly, Chennai Mechanised Boat Fishermen Welfare Association organised an event in remembrance of the tsunami victims. Former speaker and Royapuram MLA D Jayakumar participated in the event which was attended by nearly 2,000 people.
President of the association, M E Raghupathy, said the trawler wharf, which was damaged during the tsunami, was yet to be restored and work was going on to set it right.
He also said that funds from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for tsunami relief were inadequate to rebuild infrastructure for fishermen. Raghupathy also highlighted the lack of a marine export zone in Tamil Nadu and said that the neighbouring Kerala was reaping profits due to this.
He said although the State government had announced to give land for boosting marine exports, it was not adequate. He said, “If proper infrastructure, including 24-hour power supply and environmental clearance, is provided, then the scheme would be success.”
In Foreshore Estate, members of the Desiya Pengal Kootamaipu paid homage to the tsunami victims by offering milk and flowers to the sea. Perumal, a leader of the outfit, said the association also demanded that houses be built for all fishermen in Srinivasapuram instead of allotting them to a few.

 

 

writingonblog uncensored: More than Rs 100 crore CMDA property encroached

writingonblog uncensored: More than Rs 100 crore CMDA property encroached: C Shivakumar Chennai; More than Rs 100 crore worth CMDA property is allegedly encroached and the planning body is struggling to...

More than Rs 100 crore CMDA property encroached

C Shivakumar

Chennai;

More than Rs 100 crore worth CMDA property is allegedly encroached and the planning body is struggling to identify and retrieve the land in nine villages near GST Road.
Sources said CMDA is struggling to get back the land to an extent of 178.87 acres, which was acquired to develop satellite town at Marimalai Nagar in 1972 to regulate population growth of city as suggested by the First Master Plan. Interestingly, now CMDA is facing legal battle to get back these land.
Sources says the value of the land could be more than Rs 100 crore in the real estate market and blame the lack of estate management for encroachment of the property.
Sources said the government decided to take up the development of New Town at Marimalai Nagar near Chengalpet on 1972 for development and acquired 1,852 acres of land in nine villages of Potheri, Katankulathur, Kilakaranai, Ninnakkarai, Chithamanur, Gudalur, Sengundram, Thirukatchur and Peramanur.
Interestingly, 1572 acres were developed for residential, industrial and other purposes in the form of 14 residential neighbourhoods and five industrial areas. However, the remaining lands lay scattered covered under court cases and some under encroachment.
Sources said the real issue is lack of proper management of CMDA property by estate officers, whose offices are located at CMDA headquarters.

“How could a estate officer for Marimalai Nagar could monitor CMDA property sitting in the headquarters,” reasoned a former CMDA official. Interestingly, it was in 2010 an effort was made to collect some data on the encroached property but then the government property is still in alien hands.

And what is more, CMDA is developing a separate layout to allot plots for 36 allottees, whose land have been encroached by ex-owners and encroachers in Marimalai Nagar. Surprisingly, in 2010, CMDA had began a drive to clear encroachments in its 37 acres of land acquired more than three decades ago in Keelakaranai village in Marimalainagar. But after the encroachments were cleared under heavy security, the land is now again being encroached upon due to lack of proper estate management.

With the state government planning massive infrastructure projects under Vision 2023, the pressure will be on CMDA to recover the encroached land.

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai collectorate seeks Thiruvallur, Kanchi lan...

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai collectorate seeks Thiruvallur, Kanchi lan...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Chennai district is facing the issue of identifying suitable land to implement the Slum Free City Programme un...

Chennai collectorate seeks Thiruvallur, Kanchi land to implement slum free city project

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Chennai district is facing the issue of identifying suitable land to implement the Slum Free City Programme under Rajiv Awas Yojana and is seeking the help of Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts to alienate vacant government lands in the suburban Chennai, according to sources.

Sources said under Rajiv Awas Yojana, which envisages the holistic development of urban slums, the government has proposed to build one lakh houses in Chennai and nine other cities at a total cost of Rs 7500 crore before 2017.

Interestingly, in Chennai suitable lands could not be identified as such the collectors of Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts have been requested to alienate vacant government lands in Chennai suburbs for rehabilitation, sources said.

As part of the project, a socio-economic survey and the preparation of geographical information system (GIS) base map of slums are in progress in the nine cities. These include Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Salem and Vellore. The survey is likely to be commenced in Tuticorin soon, sources said.

On completion of the socio-economic survey, a gap analysis in housing, civic and social infrastructure will be carried out and a Slum Free City Plan of Action will be prepared with prioritation of slums to be covered in a five year project implementation period.

It is estimated that about 40 per cent of slum families live in objectionable lands and have to be rehabilitated in alternative locations, according to official sources.

Due to lack of Union government not extending financial assistance towards land cost, the slum clearance board is depending on vacant government land for such rehabilitation, sources said.

Sources said that the district collectors are appointed as chairman of Rajiv Awas Yojana and are urged to identify and alienate government vacant lands vested with various departments for slum rehabilitation.

Health inspectors threaten stir on January 3

Chennai:

More than 1,350 health inspectors in the state have threatened to go on strike from January 3 next year over alleged discrimination in promotion, according to Public Health Department Official’s Association.

The general secretary of the association J Lakshmy Narayanan and state secretary M Senthil Kumar said that  health inspectors from across the state on Monday staged a hunger stir over alleged discrimination in promotion and threatened to intensify the stir if their demands are not met.

The officials said that 400 leprosy inspectors were transferred to directorate of public health from directorate of medical services in 1990 as health inspectors.

But these inspectors who joined the service in 1979-80 were denied promotion for the last 32 years despite a High Court order passing a favourable verdict on July 23, 2010.

The officials say they are protesting as the government, which has appealed to the Supreme Court in January 2011 against the High court order, is now allegedly trying to fill the 2,000 vacancies without waiting for the apex court order.

The Supreme Court has finished the hearing on August 2012 and the verdict is reserved but the officials are going ahead by giving promotions to those who are junior to us and ignoring us, alleged an association member.

writingonblog uncensored: Barefoot in hot sun, government school children gr...

writingonblog uncensored: Barefoot in hot sun, government school children gr...: Chennai: Barefoot children from a government school in Ennore greeted Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan at the Ennore Port after ...

Barefoot under hot sun, government school children greet Vasan

Chennai:

Barefoot children from a government school in Ennore greeted Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan at the Ennore Port after being made to stand by school authorities for more than an hour under the hot sun.

Many of the children with flags were standing barefoot on hot tarmac with instructions from the staff to smile and wave the flags when the VIP approaches the port, which hardly has any vegetation.

When Express questioned the principal, he said the port authorities had promised to provide aid to the school so he had asked the children to gather in the port to greet the minister.

Most of the children were sporting a cap and a jacket and were seen struggling to keep their feet on the parched ground under the blazing sun. Interestingly, one of the student collapsed as he could not bear the heat. The children later left the scene after the minister arrived.

writingonblog uncensored: Ennore Port to expand by acquiring 700 acres of la...

writingonblog uncensored: Ennore Port to expand by acquiring 700 acres of la...: Chennai: Ennore Port is likely to expand by acquiring 700 acres of land to utilize it for port related activities, according to Unio...

Ennore Port to expand by acquiring 700 acres of land

Chennai:

Ennore Port is likely to expand by acquiring 700 acres of land to utilize it for port related activities, according to Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan and Union Shipping Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha.

Talking to reporters after DCI Dredge XIX was dedicated in a function at Ennore Port, they said Ennore port would be spending Rs 400 crore from the infrastructure bonds allocated by the shipping ministry to buy the land near the port.

Sinha said the Union Finance Ministry has cleared Rs 5,000 crore tax free infrastructure bonds for the Shipping Ministry. He said the ministry has asked for Rs 3,500 crore worth bonds. The ministry has allocated 2,000 crore infrastructure bonds to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai, Rs 1,000 to Ennore port and Rs 500 crore to Dredging Corporation of India, he added.

The shipping secretary said of the 1,000 crore allocated to Ennore Port, Rs 400 crore would be used to transfer the 700 acre of salt pans to the port for development purpose.

Sinha said that 52 per cent of work on the Chennai-Ennore port connectivity road (formerly EMRIP) has been completed and assured that the balance work would be completed by June 2013.

The shipping secretary also said that the bids for mega container terminal project in Chennai port, which has got security clearance, would open on December 24.

writingonblog uncensored: Dredging Corporation of India to get two more dred...

writingonblog uncensored: Dredging Corporation of India to get two more dred...: Chennai State owned company Dredging Corporation of India would get two more dredgers in the next two years that would enhance its e...

Dredging Corporation of India to get two more dredge vessels

Chennai

State owned company Dredging Corporation of India would get two more dredgers in the next two years that would enhance its efficiency to take up 80 per cent of the maintenance dredging works of Indian ports.

Speaking after dedicating Rs 528 crore Dredger XIX at Ennore Port on Saturday, Vasan said the second dredger would join the fleet next year and third by 2014.

Dredging Corporation of India, the premier dredging company of the country and sixth largest in the world is owning a fleet of 14 Dredgers. With the addition of three dredgers the strength would increase to 17.

Chairman and managing director of Dredging Corporation of India captain D K Mohanty said that after a gap of 12 years DCI is buying a dredger and he thanked the ministry for processing the request for more dredgers.

The Memorandum of understanding for the first two dredgers was signed on February 2010 with IHC Merwede, Netherlands and the third one was signed last year. The total cost of the three dredgers is worth 1,570 crore.

Dredge XIX is a Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) having a Hopper capacity of 5500 cubic metres. It has capacity to dredge upto a depth of 25 metres. Dredge XIX has a manoeuvring speed of 14.9 knots to operate in strong currents and has the capacity of delivering high productivity, reliability and effective dredging operation as well as low power consumption and operational cost. It is fully equipped to deliver all kind of marine services like maintenance dredging, shore pumping, rain bowing, beach nourishment and land reclamation etc.

It is also the first of its kind to have equipped with De-gassing system thereby enabling the dredger to dredge organic and gaseous soil. This Dredger was launched at IHC yard at Rotterdam on April 2, 2012 and was taken over by Dredging Corporation of India on November 15. It arrived at Ennore Port on December 20 after a long sea voyage. The dredger will be deployed at Ennore Port for the Capital Dredging Phase-II of the Port.

writingonblog uncensored: Centre to notify final award of Cauvery Water Disp...

writingonblog uncensored: Centre to notify final award of Cauvery Water Disp...: Chennai: Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan on Saturday said that the Centre would notify the final award of the Cauvery Water Disput...

Centre to notify final award of Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal

Chennai:

Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan on Saturday said that the Centre would notify the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in the gazette soon.

Speaking to reporters after dedicating DCI Dredge XiX at Ennore Port, he said the notification will help resolve inter-state water sharing problem in future.

His comments comes in the wake of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa writing a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to immediately notify the tribunal's final order for ensuring release of water by Karnataka to save withering crops in the state.

writingonblog uncensored: Horticulture dept to set up 100 kiosks in Chennai

writingonblog uncensored: Horticulture dept to set up 100 kiosks in Chennai: Chennai: In a bid to help farmers get better price, state horticulture department is planning to set up 100 kiosks across the city, acco...

writingonblog uncensored: TN produces 28 pc of nation’s bananas: study

writingonblog uncensored: TN produces 28 pc of nation’s bananas: study: Chennai: Tamil Nadu is the leading banana producer in the country and accounts for a share of 27.71 per cent of nation’s produce, ac...

Horticulture dept to set up 100 kiosks in Chennai

Chennai:

In a bid to help farmers get better price, state horticulture department is planning to set up 100 kiosks across the city, according to a senior official of state horticulture department.

Speaking during the inaugural session of Tamil Nadu Banana Festival organised by Confederation of Indian Industry, Dr Santosh Babu commissioner of Commissionerate of Horticulture and Plantation Corps told Express that the kiosks would be part of the Rs 17 crore Peri-metro project which is modelled on the lines of a similar initiative in Bangalore.

He said the kiosks would be 250 square feet and each would cater to 500 kg of vegetables. Babu said the project would benefit around 8,000 farmers.

He said the project is a public private partnership and the horticulture department has floated its own company Chennai Horticulture Produced Producers Company Limited (CHPPCL).

Babu said the initiative would focus on the clusters of farmers in Villupuram, Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Tiruvanamalai and Vellore.  The CHPPCL will have collection centres in the five districts from where the products will be sourced. He said the tenders seeking private partner has been floated in this regard.

He also said that the National horticulture mission along with Container Corporation of India  is planning a initiative where by Horticulture products from Dindigul will be sent to the northern belt. The project which is worth Rs 300 crore and is in an initial stage, he said and added that discussions are currently going on with planning commission chairman in this regard.

Salil Singhal, co-chairman of National Agriculture Council and chairman and managing director of PI industries highlighted the importance of cold store chain and rued the lack of controlled handling of horticulture products in the country when compared with European and other Asian markets.

B Thiagarajan, convenor of agriculture and food processing panel, CII Tamil Nadu and president of Bluestar said the state bananas could become a brand in the next 18-24 months.

A expo was also organized by CII where the entrepreneurs showcased various farm technology for cultivation of bananas besides byproducts of bananas, including banana wine.

TN produces 28 pc of nation’s bananas: study

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu is the leading banana producer in the country and accounts for a share of 27.71 per cent of nation’s produce, according to a feasibility report for Setting up Integrated Cold Chain for Banana in Tamil Nadu.

The state produces 8,253 tonnes of bananas and is way ahead of second ranked Maharashtra, which produces 4,303 tonnes with a national share of 14.45 per cent, the report prepared by CII said.

The report calling for government interventions said that the state produced more bananas than many parts of the country but the post production systems do not follow any cold chain systems as in the developed economies.

The report puts the post harvest losses to 20-25 per cent and states that poor harvesting technique, unhygienic field handling, poor transportation, lack of packaging and cold chain are some of the issues that need to be addressed.

While suggesting cold chain for banana supply chain be started in Tamil Nadu, the report said a pilot project in one of the high density zones be taken up immediately and consider Tirichirapally as a pilot location for this initiative. It said Public Private Partnership model can effectively be used for balance funding and efficient operation.

The report also identifies six zones where the cold chain infrastructure could be set up. These include Erode belt (Erode, Dharmapuri and salem), Coimbatore belt (Coimbatore, The Nilgiris and Dindigul), Thoothkudi belt (Thoothkudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari), Theni belt (Theni, Virudhnagar, Madurai and Ramanathapuram), Tiruchy belt (Tirucy, karur, Tirupur, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Cuddalore and Namakkal) and Thiruvanamalai belt (Thiruvanamalai, Thiruvallur, Vellore, Kancheepuram, Villupuram and Krishnagiri).

The report said that if all the banana produced in the state are covered by intervention, then the total benefit to the state could be approximately Rs 4,000 crore in an year. “This is the magnitude of the potential that exists to be realized and farmers share could be as much as Rs 600 crore annually on a recurring basis,” the report added.

writingonblog uncensored: Web based mobile device solution to ensure securit...

writingonblog uncensored: Web based mobile device solution to ensure securit...: Chennai: A web-based mobile device management solution has been launched to ensure security of mobile devices and sensitive corporate ...

Web based mobile device solution to ensure security of corporate data

Chennai:

A web-based mobile device management solution has been launched to ensure security of mobile devices and sensitive corporate data besides empowering mobile workforce who use different mobile devices.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Manage Engine vice-president Sudhakar S Marthi and the company’s engineering head Shailesh Kumar said that mobile device management solution as part of its Desktop Central is launched to ensure safe adoption of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) along with information security related to company given devices for corporates.

Interestingly, Manage Engine, a division of Zoho Corporation, feels the web-based mobile device management solution is important as more and more Indians prefer mobile phones to desktop to access the Internet forcing corporate firms to look at ways to safeguard the confidential data.

According to market statistics, Internet web access via mobile is 51.63 per cent in India while that of desktop is 48.37 per cent. It is belived that by 2015, Android phones will capture 80 per cent of Indian market, a study predicted.

Shailesh said that with mobile computing, the companies are facing difficulty to manage three to four operating system including Android, Windows, IOS and Blackberry due to lack of expertise. He said Desktop Central’s MDM ensures indepth corporate data protection across IOS, Android and Window devices. He said Desktop Central is a web-based desktop and mobile device management software. Its MDM feature helps in managing mobile devices of the employees from a central location.

writingonblog uncensored: CMDA plans new layout for 36 land encroached allot...

writingonblog uncensored: CMDA plans new layout for 36 land encroached allot...: C Shivakumar Chennai: After 36 allottees’ dream of owning a home in government approved plots were shattered as the land was encroac...

CMDA plans new layout for 36 land encroached allottees

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

After 36 allottees’ dream of owning a home in government approved plots were shattered as the land was encroached by ex-landowners and alleged political musclemen in Marimalai Nagar in Katangalathur, Chennai Metropolitan development Authority is coming out with a plan to prepare an alternate layout in available vacant bulk lands for the allottees.

Sources told Express that the decision to prepare an alternate layout in available bulk lands was taken during a review on functioning of allotment division of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority last week.

Sources said 36 allottees, who got the allotment of plots in A and B blocks in Marimalai Nagar, have been paying the instalments regularly but they could not access the plots due to resistance from the ex-owners and encroachers.

Sources said the ex-owners and encroachers objected to the handing over of plots as most of the land acquired belong to SC/ST community and they had cited a government order issued in 1980s which prevent taking over of the lands belonging to SC/ST.

“The CMDA contends that the argument is not valid as the notification for acquisition was issued in 1970s and acquisition process was already over,” the source said.

Many attempts were made by CMDA for handing over the plots to the allottees but in vain. After the failure of repeated attempts made by CMDA, the matter was taken to the notice of government on November 2006. The government in turn called for the following particulars --- List of ex-landowners and area occupied or owned by ex-land owners. Sources said the value of the plots is currently worth several crores.

Sources said that during the meeting, the allotment superintendents were directed to update the allotment registers, vacant registers for all pending allotments and to reconcile the same with the approved layouts of all schemes. They were also directed to obtain a copy of the layout plan of all approved schemes and enter it in a permanent register for custody.

Sources said during the meeting the administrative officer was directed to transfer all staff working more than three years in a particular unit and maintain a watch register of the permanent registers to be maintained in various divisions, which will be reviewed periodically. Sources said this would ensure more transparency as now many departments are allegedly monopolized with officials working in the same department for ages.

writingonblog uncensored: Banking operations partially hit in city as SBI st...

writingonblog uncensored: Banking operations partially hit in city as SBI st...: Chennai: Banking operations was partially hit in the city following the nationwide strike by public sector and private bank employe...

Banking operations partially hit in city as SBI stays away from nation-wide stir

Chennai:

Banking operations was partially hit in the city following the nationwide strike by public sector and private bank employees even as India’s largest public sector bank State Bank of India stayed away from the protest on Thursday.

The nationwide strike was called by Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and All India Bank Officers Association against a bill that sought to increase the ceiling on voting rights of the public sector banks from one per cent to 10 per cent and that of the private sector from 10 per cent to 26 per cent, said BEFI general secretary C P Krishnan.

The stir was also backed by the private sector banks, who feel the move to enhance the ceiling on voting rights upto 26 per cent in private sector banks in the background of foreign direct investment being allowed up to 74 per cent will virtually allow these banks to be taken over the giant foreign banks, said Karur Vysya Bank Employees president P Viswanathan.

Viswanathan said that State Bank of India’s unions National Confederation of Bank Employees as well as All India Bank Officers Association extended moral support to the nationwide stir.

Interestingly, this is the fifth nationwide strike by the bank employees. Krishnan said the clearing house operations came to a grinding halt in 65,000 branches of public and private sector banks in the country.

He also said that demonstrations were held in Chennai, kanchipuram and Vellore against the alleged anti-people banking bills.

A SBI spokesman told Express that all the SBI branches functioned normally. SBI has nearly 16,000 branches and two lakh employees and officers who did not join the strike.

Krishnan said the provision of the banking bills are clearly aimed to weaken the government control over the public sector banks. “Five corporates forming a cartel among them can have the virtual control of the nationalized banks while the name board remaining ‘A Government of India undertaking’,” he alleged.

He said despite the excellent service rendered by public sector banks, regional rural banks and cooperative banks , more than 50 crore of population do not have bank account,. 85 pc have no access to bank credit, 95 per cent of the villages do not have a bank branch. Krishnan also urged for the expansion of the public sector banking industry to the rural India.

writingonblog uncensored: TCS Ranked as a Leader in IT Organization Redesign...

writingonblog uncensored: TCS Ranked as a Leader in IT Organization Redesign...: MUMBAI: Tata Consultancy Services, the leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has announced that it ...

TCS Ranked as a Leader in IT Organization Redesign Consultancies

MUMBAI: Tata Consultancy Services, the leading IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, has announced that it has been designated a Leader in IT Organization Redesign Consultancies by Forrester Research, Inc., a leading independent research company, in its November 2012 report “The Forrester Wave™: IT Organization Redesign Consultancies, Q4 2012”.

Among the attributes that Forrester cited in the report were the company’s evaluation and design work around IT processes; and its ability to help IT shops reduce costs, consolidate applications, or upgrade processes for a global organization.  In addition, TCS was recognized for having built up its assets library, which includes an extensive array of reusable assets such as questionnaires, benchmark data, job descriptions, process models, and others.

The Forrester Wave™ reports evaluate vendors based on criteria set through past research, user need assessments, vendor strategy, and expert interviews.  After examining all components, a set of initial evaluation criteria is developed. In this particular report, Forrester Research used this information to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of seven top IT redesign consultancies. The seven consultancies were evaluated against 28 criteria including: current offering, strategy, market presence and non reference clients. 

“Three years ago, in the first Forrester Wave™ on IT redesign consultancies, we stated that ‘organizational redesign is still largely an art form that is highly dependent on the consultants involved.’ For the market leaders, this has changed, as IT redesign has become more a science than an art,” wrote report author Marc Cecere, Forrester Research. The report also states “TCS showed us strong methodologies, supported by a wide range of tools, data and support groups. …TCS has all the parts we would expect to see of a Leader in this area.”

“In today’s volatile IT environment, companies need a strong partner that they can rely on to support their needs and help guide them through the IT transformation process,” said Sultan Khan, Global Head IT Strategy & Governance, TCS. “We pride ourselves on our commitment to delivering consistent, valuable and forward-looking guidance to our customers. We believe that being recognized by Forrester Research as a leader is a great honor. We are constantly striving to be the best partner that we can be for our customers.”

writingonblog uncensored: India rethinks relevance of foot soldier in modern...

writingonblog uncensored: India rethinks relevance of foot soldier in modern...: C Shivakumar Chennai: India is rethinking the relevance of a foot soldier and its war strategy due to change in nuances of modern war...

India rethinks relevance of foot soldier in modern warfare

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

India is rethinking the relevance of a foot soldier and its war strategy due to change in nuances of modern warfare and a Task Force on Defence Modernisation and Self Reliance has suggested defence services to focus more on research.

It is learnt from a reliable source that the task force has recommended that defence services need to have a different mix apart from infantry and armoured corps and should be research oriented.

Surprisingly, the relevance of a present day foot soldier is also being questioned as technological advances have changed the nuances of warfare from brawn to brain and the report has suggested ways to make him relevant.

“As the armed forces have become more technically and technology oriented, the foot soldier with existing fighting skills won’t be that relevant. To make him still relevant, he should possesss skills of different kind,” the source said.

Interestingly, the task force was constituted by the National Security Council (NSC) to focus on the issues pertaining to defence modernization as well as self-reliance in the country.

The source said there is a need to have an ongoing assessment of technology coming into play as well as the capabilities while suggesting the need to have a system similar to that of United States on how to handle modernization of defence forces.

He also said the biggest challenge for India is self-reliance. “Of the total defence budget of Rs 100,000 crore, nearly two third are spent on equipment which are outsourced from abroad. Stressing the need for public private partnership, he said the government need to work out how we can leverage the financial capital to build our self-reliance without the government putting money.

India has the potential as it does possess the engineering skills and many of the world’s premier research and development organizations rely on Indians who are working in various capacities, he said.

He also rued the fact that the contribution from Indian universities on applied research is lacking and they been more or less transformed as nurseries of political recruitment than the scientific temper. “If one goes through any US university, one comes across Nobel laureates but in India we hardly have any,” the source rued.

writingonblog uncensored: CMDA plans amendment to section 113-C to delegate ...

writingonblog uncensored: CMDA plans amendment to section 113-C to delegate ...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is planning to send a proposal to the government to amend Section 1...

CMDA plans amendment to section 113-C to delegate powers to local bodies to regularize ordinary buildings

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is planning to send a proposal to the government to amend Section 113-C to delegate powers to all local bodies within Chennai Metropolitan Area for processing the ordinary building applications.

At present the delegation of powers for processing ordinary buildings lies with the local body and CMDA is processing only special buildings, multi-storied buildings, major institutions and industries. However, as per the Rules notified in 113-C by the government even the ordinary buildings in town and village panchayats are to be processed by CMDA.

As such proposed amendment is sought to enable CMDA to delegate the powers to the local bodies for processing of applications pertaining to Ordinary Buildings under 113C, sources said.

Interestingly, this comes in the wake of High Court appointed Monitoring Committee asking for clarity on Section 113 C and seeking judicial sanction before exempting buildings developed on or before July 1, 2007.

“How can they proceed for amending the Section 113 C when they don’t have the judicial sanction for the act itself, wondered monitoring committee member M G Deivasahayam.

The other major hurdle for CMDA in implementing section 113-C is lack of staff. It is believed that at present the regularization unit with skeletal staff is looking after the 1999 regularisation scheme and it won’t be enough to process the applications.

Sources said There are about 20,000 Applications received so far and they have to be disposed by the regularization unit.  Among these applications, 15,000 are for residential buildings for which the monitoring committee has suggested less stringent measures, sources added.

Sources said these 15,000 applications would be taken up only after the advocate general gives his opinion and is being approved by the Government. In addition to this, the unit also has to scrutinise 5,000 commercial applications. 

Sources also said the CMDA will also face a big challenge on which masterplan to follow while regularizing the building. Currently, the first masterplan has elapsed and the second master plan is put into effect. So the regularization unit has to go through both the master plans before clearing the application. Sources said if the land usage does not satisfy the land use prevailing on July 1, 2007 but satisfies present land use under second master plan, then the same may be considered provided it satisfies the present car parking requirements.

writingonblog uncensored: Tata Chemicals awarded “Sustainable Plus”, the wor...

writingonblog uncensored: Tata Chemicals awarded “Sustainable Plus”, the wor...: Mumbai:   Tata Chemicals (TCL), India’s leading manufacturer of chemicals, fertiliser and food additives, as well as the second largest so...

Tata Chemicals awarded “Sustainable Plus”, the world's first Corporate Sustainability Label by CII

Mumbai: 
Tata Chemicals (TCL), India’s leading manufacturer of chemicals, fertiliser and food additives, as well as the second largest soda ash player in the world has been awarded the highly prestigious “Sustainable Plus',
world's first Corporate Sustainability Label by CII. Based on a methodology that is globally recognized and suited to Indian markets, the company has been recognized as ‘Sustainable Plus’ in the Platinum categoryby CII.

On receiving the certification, R. Mukundan, Managing Director, Tata Chemicals commented, “Tata Chemicals is committed to achieve the highest performance standards in the areas of sustainability, safety, service and quality. The roots of being sustainable and contributing to social needs are embedded in our value system, which is also validated by our mission ‘Serving Society through Science. Each one at Tata Chemicals consistently works towards creating value for the organization, community around and society in general. This recognition will energize us further in our continuous journey of sustainable development.”

The Sustainable Plus is a brand identity created by CII-ITC centre of excellence for sustainable development. The label aims at communicating to consumers, investors and business partners that the company is sustainable, well-governed, and responsible company. 

For this recognition, information was gathered from public sources on more than 100 indicators spread across environment, social and governance parameters. The analysis of the recognition received enables companies to improve all aspects of performance such as reduce risks and costs, identify market opportunities and improve competitive advantage

writingonblog uncensored: Global airlines express concern over proposed hike...

writingonblog uncensored: Global airlines express concern over proposed hike...: Chennai: International airlines expressed concern over proposed increase in user development fee for passengers and landing charges ...

Global airlines express concern over proposed hike in user development fee, landing charges

Chennai:

International airlines expressed concern over proposed increase in user development fee for passengers and landing charges for international airlines at Chennai airport.

Speaking to reporters, Cathay Pacific general manager South Asia, Middle East and Africa Tom Wright said that such decisions by Airport Authority of India would affect the aviation sector, which is reeling under the impact of economic downturn in United States and Europe.

He said the charges are too high in India. International airlines have expressed their concern to the aviation ministry in this regard. The AAI has proposed to increase the international landing charges as well as the user development fee in the wake of modernisation and expansion of the Chennai airport, comprising domestic and international terminal buildings, elevated corridor and allied works including consultancy and extension of runway.

Ruling out any acquisitions in the Indian sector, Wright said that there is a tremendous potential in Indian aviation sector and Chennai could try to be one of the global aviation hub. He said Cathay Pacific has increased its frequencies of eight flights a week to 48 flights a week. He said Cathay Pacific’s sister airline Dragon Air is catering to Bangalore and Kolkata while Cathay Pacific caters to Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai. He said all the sector has 80 per cent occupancy and is quite happy with the numbers.

Interestingly, Wright says the strength of Cathay Pacific is also its cargo which contributes 50 per cent of its revenue. He says he is keenly awaiting the opening of new cargo terminal in Chennai airport.

To a query on the import of beagle pups from China through Cathay Pacific for conducting lab tests in India, Wright expressed concern and said that the airlines was misled by the importer.

“We never thought it was for conducting experiment. We have conducted an investigation and found that it was the importer who misled the airline. It is an unfortunate incident which violated our guidelines,” he said.

writingonblog uncensored: New level of luxury awaits Chennaites traveling in...

writingonblog uncensored: New level of luxury awaits Chennaites traveling in...: Chennai: Now Chennaites traveling in economy class can avail of new level of luxury while flying in Cathay Pacific as the international ...

New level of luxury awaits Chennaites traveling in Cathay Pacific’s economy class

Chennai:

Now Chennaites traveling in economy class can avail of new level of luxury while flying in Cathay Pacific as the international airlines has announced its new premium economy class cabin between Chennai and Hong Kong.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Tom Wright, general manager South Asia, Middle East and Africa said that that following the recent increase of Chennai flights from four times weekly to a daily service, Chennai will be the first city in South India to offer a three class configuration --- new business class, premium economy class and new long haul economy class for passengers traveling to Hong Kong from January 1 next year.

The premium economy class (Rs 40,000), which costs Rs 5,000 more than the economy class was designed with the entire customer experience in mind and it features a quieter more spacious cabin than the traditional economy class with 28 seats per aircraft. The seat pitch is 38 inches --- six inches more than the economy class –and is wider and has a bigger recline. It has a large meal table, cocktail table, footrest, a 10.6 inch personal television, an in-seat power outlet, multiport connector for personal devices and extra personal stowage space, he said.

The introduction of these service in Chennai sector is important for Cathay Pacific with the kind of investment pouring in the state. The market offers diversity, which includes Japanese companies investing in Chennai, IT and manufacturing companies besides the small and medium enterprises, said Rajesh Menon, area sale manager for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Interestingly, it is not the premium economy class which has excellent features, even the long haul economy class has features like cradle mechanism to enhance level of comfort in recline position besides touch screen personal TV, a USB outlet and an ipod/iphone outlet. Even the business class has lie-flat seats with direct aisle access and has been voted ‘World’s best business class’ in the 2012 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

writingonblog uncensored: Solar not a viable option long-term due to shortag...

writingonblog uncensored: Solar not a viable option long-term due to shortag...: Chennai: Solar energy in the longer run won’t be a viable alternative as more land is required to set up a solar plant and the ener...

Solar not a viable option long-term due to shortage of land in state

Chennai:

Solar energy in the longer run won’t be a viable alternative as more land is required to set up a solar plant and the energy mix in the state should also have nuclear energy, according to an expert.

During a conference on Tamil Nadu Power Dynamics and Future Perspectives organized by Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Saturday, former chairman of Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) S Kabilan said that a large amount of land is required to set up a solar plant that can generate 10 MW of power which in the longer run is not feasible due to shortage of land in the state.

He also suggested the need for creation of independent region wise electricity corporations so that they can function efficiently. He also suggested separate chairmen for power transmission, distribution and generation.

R Raghuttama Rao, managing director of iMaCS (ICRA Management Consulting Services Limited), said that restructuring of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board has not yielded results as the financial restructuring never happened.

He said there is a revenue gap of Rs 14,000 crore and the government has to take steps to administer strong medicine. He said that in March 2012, TNERC has revised the tariff by 37 per cent but even such a steep tariff hike is not sufficient to cover up the costs entirely.

Rao said that in the first eight months of the financial year, the state has the highest energy deficit of 17.1 per cent, which is significantly higher than the national average of eight per cent.

Anil Razdan, former Union power secretary, P S Bami, president India energy Forum and former chairman and managing director of National Thermal Power Corporation P S Bami and managing director and chief executive officer of Shriram EPC Ltd T Shivaraman also spoke on the occasion.

writingonblog uncensored: Jaya calls for December Global Arts Festival in Ch...

writingonblog uncensored: Jaya calls for December Global Arts Festival in Ch...: Chennai: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday urged the Music Academy to plan for a December Global Arts Festival in Chennai an...

Jaya calls for December Global Arts Festival in Chennai

Chennai:

Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday urged the Music Academy to plan for a December Global Arts Festival in Chennai and vowed help and support for the initiative.

Delivering the inaugural address at the 86^th Annual Conference of Music Academy, the chief minister said that the month of December, which coincides with the Tamil month of Margazhi, has become a month when music concerts are accorded a special place and the city holds concerts at various places.

“Joy and spiritual fervour are harmoniously blended during the period casting a spell over the rasikas, an experience one may not get in the festivals of other cities. I suggest that you may please sit together and plan for a December Global Arts Festival at Chennai. You can count on me for my help and support,” she added.

Highlighting the contribution of musicians who have adorned Carnatic music like pearls and gems, Jayalalithaa said musical heritage has been passing on from teachers to the disciple and musical legends have thrilled rasikas with unique and distinct styles.

She also paid tributes to Carnatic music stalwarts like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Musiri Subramani Iyer, G N Balasubramaniam, Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer, Madurai Mani Iyer, Dandapani Desikar, queen of music M S Subbulakshmi, D K Pattamal or M L Vasanthakumari and said that they are lustrous stars that shine in the musical firmament showing the path to many youngsters as how best the sadhna of Carnatic music may be achieved.

Tracing the evolution of ragas, the chief minister, who is a connoisseur of art, said it was from panagal, a medium through which the great devotees and sages expressed emotions from the mundane to the transcendent in ancient Tamil Nadu, that the ragas took over to become the embodiment of the infinite variety of human sensitivity and came to represent a colourful and variegated explosion of a profound musical sensibility.

She said the future belongs to younger musicians who are rising up from the horizon and are cultural ambassadors. “They seem to have outstanding musical sense, sincere application and stern discipline and are fully qualified to outshine the masters, she added.

Jayalalithaa also congratulated Carnatic singer Trichur Ramachandran for being chosen to preside over this year’s conference and receive the coveted title of Sangeeta Kalanidhi.

Earlier president of music academy N Murali paid tributes to sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar with whom the music academy shared a long association.