writingonblog uncensored: Banks shying from giving away education loans

writingonblog uncensored: Banks shying from giving away education loans: Chennai: Banks are denying education loans and more than 50 per cent of complaints regarding loans and advances pertain to it, accor...

Banks shying from giving away education loans

Chennai:

Banks are denying education loans and more than 50 per cent of complaints regarding loans and advances pertain to it, according to Reserve Bank of India’s Office of the Banking Ombudsman (OBO) in Chennai.

Adressing reporters here on Friday while tabling the annual report, RBI’s deputy general manager Suman Nath and banking ombudsman S Ganesh said that their office received 18 per cent of the 6,877 complaints relating to loan and advances and among those more than 50 per cent pertain to denial of education loans.

It is only after the intervention of the OBO that banks started processing the loans, said Suman Nath. The report also highlighted that the highest number of complaints pertain to ATM/debit and credit cards accounting for 24 per cent.

Interestingly, OBO has disposed 6,458 complaints of the 6,877 handled and only 419 are pending. Surprisingly, 63.5 per cent of the complaints were against public sector banks followed by private banks and foreign banks, said Ganesh.

The officials also disclosed that the bank has passed three orders in three different cases against the banks. One pertains to unauthorized online transaction where the bank failed to alert the customer. “There were 48 online transactions but the bank did not alert the customer. We issued the order and the bank appealed. It was later rejected by the deputy governor and the bank had to comply with our award,” Suman said.

The second case pertains to fraudulent online transfer where the bank did not follow ‘know your customer’ (KYC) norms by not establishing the identity of the person opening the account. The third award was given in a case where an old fixed deposit was not settled.

writingonblog uncensored: Rumours claim Chikungunya spread from consignments...

writingonblog uncensored: Rumours claim Chikungunya spread from consignments...: Chennai: If rumours are to be believed Chikungunya virus, which disappeared from India after 1973, re-emerged in 2005 through the cons...

Rumours claim Chikungunya spread from consignments imported into India

Chennai:

If rumours are to be believed Chikungunya virus, which disappeared from India after 1973, re-emerged in 2005 through the consignments from Africa that have been imported without any proper checks and fumigation, sources said.

Highlighting lack of proper checks by regional plant quarantine organization, it is revealed the bribe amount by the officials varied according to the consignments. For example, a container of fruits to get a clearance could cost an importer additional Rs 6,000. And these could be imported without any tests.

Sources said that officials turn a blind eye and hardly take samples from the container for conducting tests in laboratory. It is believed that the mandatory certificate for import is issued by the authority concerned once the amount is paid.

CBI was said to be pursuing such information wherein the certificates were issued soon after the consignments arrived in the City. A dossier containing the details on as how much bribe was paid to which official on a daily and weekly basis was seized from one of the official’s house.

writingonblog uncensored: CBI unearths scam in regional Plant Quarantine Org...

writingonblog uncensored: CBI unearths scam in regional Plant Quarantine Org...: C Shivakumar and Prince Jebakumar Chennai: Central Bureau of Investigation arrested five officials of Plant Quarantine Organisation ...

CBI unearths scam in regional Plant Quarantine Organisation

C Shivakumar and Prince Jebakumar

Chennai:

Central Bureau of Investigation arrested five officials of Plant Quarantine Organisation in Meenambakkam for taking bribes to clear consignments imported to India.

The officials, whose duty is to prevent the entry, establishment and spread of exotic pests in India as per the provisions of The Destructive Insects & Pests Act, 1914, were accused of taking bribes to clear consignments without any proper checks.

The five --- assistant plant protection officer, K T Suresh, assistant plant protection officer R K Jain, assistant director Gnanasambandam, deputy director (II) Dr Elangovan and deputy director Dr Jasbir Singh were produced before a CBI court on Wednesday and remanded to judicial custody till September 12. 

The racket was unearthed following a complaint by one Srivatsan from a Kerala based company National Roof Garden which was importing Thai orchids and saplings on August 7 stating that the authorities are demanding Rs 2,000 bribe to get a certificate from the regional plant quarantine station which is mandatory for import of exotic species. Sources said a trap was laid and assistant plant protection officer K T Suresh was caught red-handed accepting the bribe.

The investigating agency also seized Rs one lakh from the X-ray room, which was alleged to be the bribe amount collected during the day besides another Rs 34,000 from Suresh’s pockets. It was revealed that per month Rs 12 to Rs 15 lakh is being collected as bribe received from the shipments.

Sources said that raids from Suresh house also yielded Rs 1.46 lakh allegedly bribe amount collected during the last two days. His State Bank of India account in Meenambakkam, which has an amount worth Rs 3 lakh, was frozen. During questioning Suresh named the other four officials and said they were partners in crime following which CBI conducted a detailed enquiry.

The enquiry revealed that Dr Ilangovan bought two properties in Chennai, one worth Rs 50 lakh and another Rs 40 lakh besides he also had amount worth Rs 3 lakh deposited in the bank. Similarly, Gnanasambandam bought two properties worth Rs 72 lakh. Investigations also revealed that Jasbir, a native of Uttar Pradesh had Rs 4 lakh in fixed deposits besides he has brought some Life Insurance Corporation policies in his native place Saharanpur. Further investigations are on.

writingonblog uncensored: Ground water in TN contaminated with chemicals: st...

writingonblog uncensored: Ground water in TN contaminated with chemicals: st...: Chennai: The ground water in Tamil Nadu is contaminated by chemicals such as chloride, fluoride and nitrate, according to a study do...

Ground water in TN contaminated with chemicals: study

Chennai:

The ground water in Tamil Nadu is contaminated by chemicals such as chloride, fluoride and nitrate, according to a study done by Central Ground Water Board under Ministry of Water Resources.

Union Minister of State for Water Resources and Minority Affairs Vincent H Pala in a written reply to a question said that a study that was conducted in 451 locations in 29 districts of the state and Puducherry revealed that 38 of them had high chloride, 48 flouride and 161 samples had high nitrate.

Interestingly, the study found that Ramnad district has high incidence of ground water being contaminated with chloride. Of the 19 samples tested in various locations of the district, seven had chloride.

Similarly, Thanjavur had high incidence of fluoride with seven of the 21 samples testing positive for fluoride. The high level of nitrate content in water was found in Erode where 21 of the 29 samples tested positive followed by Coimbatore where 20 of the 37 samples had nitrate. Surprisingly, of the 14 samples tested in Trichirapalli, 10 had high nitrate.

The results are from the analyses of ground water samples collected during 2011. The chemical analyses of ground water samples collected during 2012 are under progress, the minister said.

Swimming pools in TN lack regulatory body to enforce safety mechanisms

C Shivakumar Chennai:
Swimming pools across the state are vulnerable as they lack regulatory body to monitor safety mechanisms as neither the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority nor the Metro Water has powers to regulate it, according to planners.

The death of 10-year-old M Ranjan, who drowned during his swim class recently, is a wake-up call to the government to ensure there is a regulatory body to monitor safety mechanisms in swimming pools in the multi-storeyed buildings as well as schools so that such kind of accidents are prevented, according to Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI), Tamil Nadu Chapter chairman V M Marudachalam.

“Now swimming pools are mushrooming across the state with builders trying to provide such a facility to woo prospective buyers. As such there is a need to have a regulatory body,” Marudachalam said.

ITPI secretary Krishna Kumar said swimming pools are permitted in all floors in the building including the terrace floor and within the site. In certain buildings the swimming pool is proposed within the flat also. “The responsibility lies with the builder solely to provide safety measures and the structural stability of the swimming pool. Planners or CMDA hardly have any role and can’t be blamed. A competent authority would be the Chennai Corporation or department of fire and rescue services,” he added.

Former secretary of ITPI, R Shivakumar concurs with his view. He says as per CMDA regulations, swimming pools are exempted from the purview of the floor space index and coverage, when they are open and similarly Metro Water, which provides no objection certificate, focuses more on the quality of water in the pool rather than the safety mechanisms making the swimming pools vulnerable.

The responsibility lies with the occupiers or association to take necessary precautionary safety measures for the swimming pool by appointing proper coaches and provide required lifeguards and other related equipments, he says.  Under the Town and Country Planning Act and the Development Regulations, the planning aspects such as land use, setbacks, coverage and parking are only prescribed and compliance is checked before issue of planning permission.

“The structural safety is examined under building rules. For lift, the operation is governed by the separate licensing authority. Similarly, fire safety aspects in multi-storied buildings are periodically inspected by department of fire and rescue services. Similarly, safety aspects in the functioning of the swimming pool may also be checked by the department of fire and rescue services,” he added.

writingonblog uncensored: Two crore jobs in govt departments vacant: Ministe...

writingonblog uncensored: Two crore jobs in govt departments vacant: Ministe...: Chennai: More than two crore vacancies across various departments of government and public sectors are vacant and plans are on to fi...

Two crore jobs in govt departments vacant: Minister

Chennai:

More than two crore vacancies across various departments of government and public sectors are vacant and plans are on to fill it soon, according to Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy.

Speaking after inaugurating the Staff Selection Commission’s (SSC) ‘Question Bank Workshop on English Language and Comprehension’, the minister said  these vacancies are in various sector including banks, public services commission, CBI etc."Over one lakh vacancies would be filled up by SSC this year," he said.

The minister also said that 55 per cent of applications from candidates are through online”We are taking initiatives to make it 100 per cent,” he added. 

Urging the need to bridge the urban-rural divide in the exams, he said taking note of the handicap of people from rural areas, the commission is planning to have trilingual question papers as many candidates from rural areas are not comfortable with English or Hindi language.

“The proposal is under government consideration. I also had a meeting with SSC chairman N K Raghupathy in the department of personnel to fast-track the reform measures initiated by SSC,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Raghupathy said that this year Staff Selection commission is expected to handle more than 1.3 crore application. “By the month of August, we have already exceed 53 lakh applicants,” he said. Interestingly, last year SSC handled 65.4 lakh job applications.

The minister also vowed to enhance the manpower to handle such voluminous applications.

writingonblog uncensored: Union Minister demands action against those involv...

writingonblog uncensored: Union Minister demands action against those involv...: Chennai: Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy on Saturday demanded strict action agai...

Union Minister demands action against those involved in assaulting photojournalist

Chennai:

Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy on Saturday demanded strict action against those involved in the attack on The New Indian Express photojournalist.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a Staff Selection Workshop here, the minister said that the attack on the photojournalist is condemnable and the state government should initiate action against those responsible.

He was reacting to the attack on 23-year-old Albin Mathew by a senior professor at IIT Madras campus while on an assignment to investigate the death of IIT student at the campus.

“Media is the fourth pillar of the democracy. We stand by the journalist community in the country," he said.

writingonblog uncensored: Rain water harvesting system mandatory for getting...

writingonblog uncensored: Rain water harvesting system mandatory for getting...: Chennai: The Chennai Corporation on Friday said that approval would be given to only those buildings that have rain-water harvesting s...

Rain water harvesting system mandatory for getting building approval

Chennai:

The Chennai Corporation on Friday said that approval would be given to only those buildings that have rain-water harvesting system in place.

Speaking at the corporation council meeting here, the mayor said metro water connection and drainage connection will be given only after ensuring the building has rain water harvesting system.

He also said that the city corporation has planned to construct over 5,000 rainwater harvesting structures across the city. These are likely to be built on the mouth of storm water drains.

He said rain water harvesting sytem is also planned along steep roads, parks and playgrounds.

The mayor also vowed to take action where open space reservation is encroached upon. He also said that five more divisions of corporation will be covered under videoconferencing. He also said the corporation will soon carry out road widening projects.

writingonblog uncensored: Corporation seeks additional Rs 27 cr to construct...

writingonblog uncensored: Corporation seeks additional Rs 27 cr to construct...: Chennai: Chennai Corporation has sent in a revised proposal of additional Rs 27.52 crore for the implementation Jawaharlal Nehru Nationa...

Corporation seeks additional Rs 27 cr to construct storm water drains

Chennai:

Chennai Corporation has sent in a revised proposal of additional Rs 27.52 crore for the implementation Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme to strengthen minor drains and construct stormwater drains by the Chennai Corporation, according to Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisami.

Addressing the Corporation council meeting here on Friday, the mayor said that due to the escalation of prices of building materials and inordinate delay by previous DMK regime in implementing the project has resulted in the corporation working out a revised estimate.  “We have sent in the revised proposal to the Union government,” Duraiswami said.

He said an amount of Rs 1,447.91 crore was initially sanctioned by the Union government under the JNNURM Scheme for works taken up by the corporation and the PWD in 2008. He said of the amount Rs 814.88 crore was allocated to Chennai Corporation for laying out 533 km length storm water drain under comprehensive flood management plan.

“The previous regime got the required funds from Dec 2008 to January 2009 but wasted six months to issue a Government Order, the mayor said. Not only that, the contract was awarded to only those contractors who had taken projects above Rs 5 crore. For the next 11 months, the DMK regime spent time on selecting the contractors. After which elections and rains delayed the work for further nine months. In all 26 months of work were wasted due to the delay by DMK regime,” the mayor said.

According to the agreement, the project was to be completed within 24 to 36 months but till 26 months no work was started. This resulted in the rise in prices of building materials and now we have submitted the revised proposal to the Union government, the mayor added.

writingonblog uncensored: Mayor denies cholera deaths, slams Stalin

writingonblog uncensored: Mayor denies cholera deaths, slams Stalin: Chennai: Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy on Friday hit out at DMK leader M K Stalin for failing to initiate action to control cholera an...

Mayor denies cholera deaths, slams Stalin

Chennai:
Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy on Friday hit out at DMK leader M K Stalin for failing to initiate action to control cholera and diarrhoea when he was a Mayor as well as Deputy Chief Minister and ruled out any deaths due to the two diseases in the city during the current AIADMK regime, during a meeting of  Councillors on Friday at the Chennai Corporation.
“There are no deaths due to cholera and diarrhoea after I took office,” the Mayor said, while charting out the figures of cholera and diarrhoea deaths during the 68 months (1996-2002) when Stalin was Mayor and from 2006-2011 when M Subramaniam was Mayor, sparking protests and walkout by DMK councillors.
Reacting to a query raised by DMK Councillor Pushparaj from ward number 71, the Mayor said that from  November 2011 to August 20, 2012, there has been no deaths due to cholera and diarhoea. However, he admitted that 1,793 people suffered from diarrhoea and 136 people had cholera during this period.
But, it was the figures during the DMK regime that sparked protests from the DMK flanks. “From 1996-2002, when DMK leader M K Stalin was the Mayor, 23,732 people were admitted to hospitals due to diarrhoea and 8,777 had cholera. Among those 52 died due to diarrhoea and 15 due to cholera,” he said as DMK councilors stood up and protested.
This resulted into a verbal duel between DMK and AIADMK councilors. “I challenge you to prove if the facts are wrong. I have evidence and if the facts are wrong I am ready to face any action,” the Mayor told the DMK councillors, who staged a walkout.
Hailing the AIADMK regime for initiating steps to control the disease, he said adequate measures were  taken to control the menace of flies and a drive was launched by Chennai Corporation to curb it. He also said after the expansion of city limits to 200 more wards, 27 cases of cholera were detected till July and it was later reduced to seven by August 20 this year.

writingonblog uncensored: Down syndrome children have high risk of ear infec...

writingonblog uncensored: Down syndrome children have high risk of ear infec...: Chennai: Hearing impairments and octological problems are found in 38 per cent to 78 per cent of Down syndrome children when compared ...

Down syndrome children have high risk of ear infections: expert

Chennai:

Hearing impairments and octological problems are found in 38 per cent to 78 per cent of Down syndrome children when compared to 2.5 per cent for normal children, according to Dr Mohan Kameswaran of Madras ENT Research Foundation.

Addressing a the All India Workshop on intervention of Language, Cognition and Literacy in Children with Down Syndrome, he said these children have a much higher risk of ear infections and hearing loss.

Stenotic ear canals, inner ear dysplasia, malformations of the Eustachian tube (small, collapsed) are some of the problems these are prone to get, he said.

Hearing impairments may be masked in patients with intellectual impairment as speech delays, lack of response to verbal cues, resulting to come across as mental retardation.

All children with Down syndrome must have audiologic screening at birth, then every six months till three years with an annual testing of three years. Middle ear problems account for 83 per cent of hearing loss in Down syndrome children, Dr Kameswaran said.

He recommended Bone Anchored Hearing Aid for these children ands aid the hearing aid fixed to the bone is useful for restoring hearing.

The sound is conducted through the skull bone bypassing the outer and middle ear and therefore stimulates the cochlea, he said.

One of the most common syndromes is Obstructive Sleep Apnea present in 54 per cent of Down syndrome children. Symptoms of this is loud snoring, choking episodes, mouth breathing, day time somnolence, growth retardation and hyperactivity. This can also lead to cardio vascular problems. Appropriate evaluation and treatment can have a significant impact on quality of life of these children, he added

writingonblog uncensored: Reporters Guild asks IIT, cops to take action

writingonblog uncensored: Reporters Guild asks IIT, cops to take action: A meeting of  journalists convened by the Madras Reporters Guild on Wednesday to discuss the attacks on mediapersons including TNIE pho...

Reporters Guild asks IIT, cops to take action

A meeting of  journalists convened by the Madras Reporters Guild on Wednesday to discuss the attacks on mediapersons including TNIE photographer Albin Mathew, during the past few days, demanded that the management of the IIT should take immediate action against Professor Prakash M Maiya and the security guards who assaulted the photo journalist.
The meeting also urged the Police to take action against the professor and security guards and the IIT management for attempting to indulge in vexatious, frivolous and baseless complaints. The meeting adopted resolutions to this effect.
The meeting also resolved to stand by the journalists who faced problems and to intensify forms of protest if necessary corrective action was not taken by the respective managements concerned in the incidents.
They condemned the attitude of the IIT management for indulging in diversionary tactics by trying to level charges against Albin Mathew.  The photographer had not taken any objectionable picture as alleged by the IIT Director Bhaskar Ramamurthy.  “ The camera used by Mathew is with Kotturpuram police and an examination of the same would prove that the IIT Director’s charge is wrong,” a resolution said.
The meeting also noted with concern, the recent attacks on representatives of Pudhiya Thalaimurai TV channel at Tiruneermalai two days ago while they were covering illegal quarrying there and on Win TV crew at Dharmapuri while covering the illegal quarrying there.

writingonblog uncensored: Children with Down Syndrome face many challenges

writingonblog uncensored: Children with Down Syndrome face many challenges: The lack of qualified therapists and trained resource persons in schools are among the many challenges faced by children with Down Syndro...

Children with Down Syndrome face many challenges

The lack of qualified therapists and trained resource persons in schools are among the many challenges faced by children with Down Syndrome, chairperson of Down Syndrome Association of Tamil Nadu, Dr Rekha Ramachandran said here on Wednesday.
Speaking to City Express on the sidelines of the All India Workshop on Intervention of Language, Cognition and Literacy in Children with Down Syndrome, Rekha said that schools lacked trained resource persons to handle children with Down Syndrome, a genetic condition that restricts the way the brain and body develop.
“The biggest challenge faced by these children is acceptance in schools. Although the situation has improved with awareness, parents are still searching for right help. Increase in social and family acceptance and inclusive education is not implemented,” she said.
One in 750 children in the State are born with Down Syndrome and nearly 90 per cent of the children are born with cardiac diseases and many develop thyroid problems. “If these problems are not checked at an early stage, the child gets disinterested,” she cautioned.
D Sabitha, State School Education Secretary, said that the State had 150 children with Down Syndrome and underlined that the government was trying to identify the children and help them join the mainstream.
“The State has adequate teachers who are helping to improve the quality of life for people with Down Syndrome.”
Julie Hughes, consultant, Down Syndrome Association, United Kingdom said children with Down Syndrome remembered things more easily when presented visually. The vocabulary learning among these children is delayed possibly due to difficulty with storing sound patterns and poor auditory memory, she noted.
Pointing out that 85 per cent of children with Down Syndrome were affected by glue ear, she underscored that a teacher should ‘get the visual attention of the child before starting to speak

writingonblog uncensored: ATMs go dry as bank employees protest

writingonblog uncensored: ATMs go dry as bank employees protest: Chennai: Most of the ATMs across the city went dry as thousands of bank employees in the city joined the nation wide agitation protest...

ATMs go dry as bank employees protest

Chennai:

Most of the ATMs across the city went dry as thousands of bank employees in the city joined the nation wide agitation protesting against proposed Banking Law (amendments) Bill, which is expected to come up in the parliament during the monsoon session, and several other issues.

On the first day of the strike in the city, thousands of employees

The convenor of  Tamil Nadu UFBU C M Baskaran told Express that the strike by employees was a huge success and they will staging demonstration in front of State Bank of Hyderabad in Moore Street on the second day of the strike on Friday.

SBI sources said that most of the ATMs in bank branches have gone dry but the offsite ATMs are still functioning as the cash is being loaded by people from outside. Tamil Nadu has about 7,000 public sector bank branches with about 70,000 employees.

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai docking in history

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai docking in history: Bustling with activity and dotted by cranes and clanking of metals, the 21st century Chennai is undergoing a transition phase and so are...

Chennai docking in history

Bustling with activity and dotted by cranes and clanking of metals, the 21st century Chennai is undergoing a transition phase and so are its ports, which play a key role in the growth of the city from an obscure fishing village to a megapolis.
As the shorelines undergo change with massive development work, Chennai port considered as the Gateway to East Asia is trying to wriggle out of various challenges, including congestion, to emerge as one of the best in the world.
The port evolved in 1522 when the Portuguese built the São Tomé harbour, named after St Thomas. The control over the coast resulted in battles among the European powers with the East India Company of Britain emerging victorious.
Founded in 1639, the fishing village of Madrasapattinam has undergone tremendous change, withstanding the conquests during the colonial era over the control of port and trade. Historians claim the growth of the city is historically linked to the growth of port, which played a vital part in transforming the erstwhile fishing village to emerge as one of the leading cities of India.
The port rose to prominence in the 18th century. During the time, the company’s ships were anchored about quarter mile offshore and the cargo to and from the ships was transported through small lighters called Masula boats.
In a bid to curb the loss of cargo while transporting through Masula boats, piers were built in 1861, but the storms of 1868 and 1872 made them inoperative. Consequently, an artificial harbour was built and the operations started in 1881.The cargo operations were carried out on the northern pier, located on the north eastern side of Fort St George in Chennai. In the first couple of years the port registered traffic of three lakh tonnes of cargo handling 600 ships.
Being an artificial harbour, the port was vulnerable to cyclones, accretion of sand inside the basin due to underwater currents, which reduced the draft. It was only in 1904, the north eastern entrance was created to control the silt in front of the basin by Sir Francis Spring, the then Chairman of Madras Port Trust. Soon after, quays were constructed in different periods — South Quay-I in 1913, the five West Quay berths in 1916 to 1920, North Quay in 1931 and South Quay II in 1936 in the Inner Harbour, which was later, christened as Dr Ambedkar Dock.
The wet dock of the port came into existence only in 1964 when then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri inaugurated it. The dock was christened Jawahar Dock in memory of India’s first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru.
In tune with the international maritime developments, the port developed the outer harbour, named Bharathi Dock for handling petroleum in 1972 and for mechanised handling of iron ore in 1974.
As the container traffic was growing, a container terminal of 380 metres length was constructed at Bharathi Dock in the year 1983, as a first full-fledged container hub of the country with container storage yard of 51,000 square metres and a container freight station of 6,000 square metre area.
Currently, Chennai port is planning a Rs 3,700 crore mega container terminal with a continuous quay length of 2 km and 18-22m side along draft, capable of handling ultra large container ships carrying over 15,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
Interestingly, the first oil jetty to handle crude oil imported from Manali refinery came into existence in the 1970s and the first iron ore berth was constructed in 1974 for exporting the product to East Asia including Japan.
As the city is expanding, the number of ports too areincreasing. After the commissioning of Ennore port, the city is set have its third port in Katpuli soon which signifies the growing trade and the role ports play in the country’s development.

writingonblog uncensored: Incinerators not an option to dispose Chennai’s wa...

writingonblog uncensored: Incinerators not an option to dispose Chennai’s wa...: C Shivakumar Chennai: As Chennai Corporation is working on a plan to burn waste to generate power from garbage, environmentalists w...

Incinerators not an option to dispose Chennai’s waste: experts

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

As Chennai Corporation is working on a plan to burn waste to generate power from garbage, environmentalists warned the move could be dangerous and will affect the health of the residents.

Noted environmentalist Nityanand Jayaram told Express that the Chennai Corporation is studying ways to dispose waste at dumping yards in Kodangaiyur and Perungudi and has even sent a team to Singapore and China on how to dispose waste but any move to burn waste will harm the environment. But corporation officials allayed the fears of NGOs and residents stating that they will only go for the technology that is certified by pollution control board and satisfies Euro norms.  

Interestingly, the incinerator technology used to burn waste is being questioned after it was banned in the United Stated and Europe due to enormous pressure from environmentalist groups and residents over its harmful effects on health. Reports also suggest that there has been some opposition to incinerator technology in China.

Annie Leonard, noted environmentalist and critic of excessive consumerism, said that incinerator firms are targeting Asia after intense public opposition in the United States and Europe and residents from Chennai should oppose any such move to set up incinerators in the city.

She said as the incinerator market is shrinking in the West, incinerator industry is targeting Asia, Latin America, Africa and Pacific nations. “Chennaites should oppose any move to allow incinerators as US environmental protection agency has found medical and municipal waste incineration to be the top sources of severely toxic dioxin that can have effect on reproduction, nervous and immune system. There is no good technology to burn waste,” said Annie, who is renowned for her animated film The Story of Stuff about the life-cycle of material goods.

However, corporation officials say there are now new technologies which are safe to dispose waste. “The technologies used earlier were old. Now there are modern technologies which satisfy euro norms. We will decide on the technology only after it satisfies pollution control board norms,” the corporation official assures. But with the stiff opposition from the environmentalists and pressure groups, the city has yet to look for an alternative to dispose more than 4,500 metric tonnes of waste from the city.  

Interestingly, this has been the discussion at a symposium organized by Reclaim our Beaches (ROB) at the Loyola College here. Siddarth Hande of RoB told Express that the issue is not to dump waste from one place to another or to burn it but to work on a sustainable way to ensure zero waste. But even the environmentalists don’t have an idea of sustainable alternative as they blame the consumer culture. Annie says the focus is too much on economy no one thinks about the ecology which is key to our survival. “The need is for environmental indicators similar to the economic indicators prevalent across the globe,” she adds.

writingonblog uncensored: Fishermen detained by Sri Lankan Navy freed

writingonblog uncensored: Fishermen detained by Sri Lankan Navy freed: Chennai: Thirteen Indian fishermen detained by Sri Lankan Navy on early Monday morning were released on Tuesday after being interrogat...

Fishermen detained by Sri Lankan Navy freed

Chennai:

Thirteen Indian fishermen detained by Sri Lankan Navy on early Monday morning were released on Tuesday after being interrogated, according to a senior coast guard official.

On the sidelines of Welcome Ceremony of Indian Coast Guard Ship Samudra Paheredar, Commander of Coastguard region (East) Inspector General S P Sharma said that the 13 fishermen were detained by Sri Lankan Navy on Monday morning around 2am and were interrogated and later released this morning along with three boats.

“I only have this much information from the Mandapam station. This release of the fishermen was conveyed just before the ceremony,” he said when pressed for further information on the incident.

Interestingly, the Indian fishermen are released a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa expressed her resentment over the Centre’s soft-handling of continuous attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy.

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai welcomes Samudra Pahredar

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai welcomes Samudra Pahredar: Chennai: The marine pollution response capabilities of Indian Coast Guard in Eastern fleet got strengthened with the induction of stat...

Chennai welcomes Samudra Pahredar

Chennai:

The marine pollution response capabilities of Indian Coast Guard in Eastern fleet got strengthened with the induction of state-of-the art Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Samudra Paheredar.

The 90 metre long indigenously built ship, which is second of its class, was given a warm welcome at Chennai port on Tuesday after being commissioned in July at Surat in Gujarat. It will be based at Visakhapatnam under the operational and administrative control of the commander of coast guard region (east).

Speaking during a ceremony to welcome the ship here on Tuesday, Commander of Coastguard region (East) Inspector General S P Sharma said that the ship’s primary role is pollution response at the exclusive economic zone of India.

“More than 70 per cent needs are fulfilled by import of crude oil and the region has high density tanker traffic posing threat of oil spill. This ship is equipped with the most advanced and sophisticated pollution response and control equipment for mitigating oil spills,” he said. These include containment equipment like hi-sprint booms and river booms, recovery devices like skimmers and side sweeping arms.

“It is capable of unhindered oil recovery operations with storage tank capacity of 500 kilo litres in addition to inflatable barges. It has a maximum speed of 20.5 knots and has an endurance for 6,500 nautical miles and can stay at sea for 20 days without replenishment ,” Sharma said.

He said the ship is installed with modern integrated platform management system and power management system, which makes it unique for unmanned machinery operations. It is also fitted with dynamic positioning system for fire fighting and pollution response operations and an infra-red surveillance system for night surveillance.

It also is armed with a 30 mm CRN 91 gun with fire control system and capable of operating one twin-engine advanced light helicopter or Chetak helicopter. In addition to its designed role, the ship, which has a strength of 111 personnel, including 11 officers, can be deployed for multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search & Rescue and medical evacuation.

writingonblog uncensored: Bank employees stir to hit banking services

writingonblog uncensored: Bank employees stir to hit banking services: Chennai: Banking services in public sector banks and several private sector banks across Chennai is likely to be hit from Wednesday as ...

Bank employees stir to hit banking services

Chennai:

Banking services in public sector banks and several private sector banks across Chennai is likely to be hit from Wednesday as employees and members belonging to United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) will go on a two-day strike from August 22.

More than 55,000 to 75,000 bank employees from the state are expected to join the two-day nation-wide stir against proposed Banking Law (amendments) Bill, which is expected to come up in the parliament during the monsoon session, and several other issues, the convenor of  Tamil Nadu UFBU C M Baskaran told reporters here on Tuesday.

He said more than 10 lakh bank employees and officers in public sector, private and foreign banks across the nation will be taking part in the stir. “Bank employees in the city will be staging a massive protest at the memorial hall tomorrow,” he said.

Interestingly, the stir is likely to affect ATMs as it will generate panic among the people who would rush to withdraw money, reveal bank employees. Some ATMs across the city were filled with cash in the evening.

Baskaran said unions are also opposing the move by banks to close loss making rural branches. This will affect the poor farmers who are dependent on banks for loans besides the move is against the financial inclusion move by government, Baskaran said.

He also said that the unions are opposing the move by government to grant licences to corporate houses to start a private bank with a capital of Rs 500 crore.

All India Bank Employees Association,All India Bank Officers Confederation, National Confederation of Bank
Employees, All India Bank Officers Officers Association, Bank Employees Federation of India, India National Bank Employees Federation, Indian National Bank Officers Congress, National Organisation of Bank Workers and National Organisation of Bank Officers are part of the United Forum of Bank Unions.

The employees are also opposing arbitrary guidelines on HR issues, implementation of Khandelwal Committee recommendations and outsourcing of bank jobs etc.

writingonblog uncensored: Fishermen-Govt Standoff over 1.6 km EMRIP stretch ...

writingonblog uncensored: Fishermen-Govt Standoff over 1.6 km EMRIP stretch ...: Chennai: The standoff between fishermen and authorities over the widening of 1.6 km stretch for the Chennai Road Port Connectivity Projec...

Fishermen-Govt Standoff over 1.6 km EMRIP stretch ends

Chennai:

The standoff between fishermen and authorities over the widening of 1.6 km stretch for the Chennai Road Port Connectivity Project (formerly Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project) ended with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) promising to lay interior roads in the harbour and ensuring free movement of fishermen.

The agreement was reached after Chennai collector S Jayanthi held meeting with various stakeholders including NHAI, police, fishermen and port officials.

This comes in the wake of Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan vowing to finish the Rs 600 crore project by June 2013 target. “There are certain issues and we want to resolve it by involving all stake holders,” he had stated while reviewing the project recently.

The meeting also decided to lay dual-way seven metre service road to ensure free movement of fishermen. A release said that it was also decided to lay temporarily five metre wide road to ensure works of the fishermen are not affected due to road widening works. The meeting also discussed providing various facilities to fishermen which included toilets, drinking water, roads, streetlights and health care facilities.

The meeting also decided to extend the existing auction platform on the seaside. The Port Trust will dredge the area beneath the new auction platform within a month, the release said.

The release said that it was also decided that the government would pay the fishermen a rent of Rs one per day after entering into a rental agreement. It was also decided that the fishermen will vacate the land within three days.

writingonblog uncensored: TN plans new guidelines to regulate high-rise buil...

writingonblog uncensored: TN plans new guidelines to regulate high-rise buil...: C Shivakumar Chennai: In a bid to regulate high-rise buildings in the city, the government is planning to bring in new set of guidel...

TN plans new guidelines to regulate high-rise buildings

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

In a bid to regulate high-rise buildings in the city, the government is planning to bring in new set of guidelines after builders violated the guidelines prescribed under the Second Master Plan, according to CMDA sources.

Sources told Express that high-rise buildings are evolving in the city, which lies in Seismic Zone III and is vulnerable to quakes, without following the guidelines prescribed under the Second Master Plan.

Sources said the height of the building, which was regulated one and a half times the width of the road during the First Master Plan, has been reviewed during the Second Master Plan. The guidelines linking height of the buildings to width of the road by planners was to boost infrastructure facilities to sustain high dense development. Currently, Chennai is also one of the high dense city in the world with a density of 247 persons per hectare.

Under the revised regulation framed during Second Master Plan, it was stipulated that a 12 metre wide road should have a 24 metre high building, similarly a 15 metre wide road should have a building of 30 metre height, a 18 metre wide road should have a building with a height of 60 metre and a road having a width of 60 metre can have a building height of more than 60 meters.

Interestingly, the height of building allowed in Chennai Metropolitan Area is higher than the guidelines prescribed under the Second Master Plan, sources said.

Meanwhile, CMDA is also working on plan to make it mandatory for the builder to get no objection certificate from the state disaster management authority as Chennai happens to be in the seismic Zone-III and vulnerable to quakes. Sources said this could cut down the risk of threat and control the development of high rise building.

writingonblog uncensored: TN short of 330 MW of power after MAPS units trip

writingonblog uncensored: TN short of 330 MW of power after MAPS units trip: Chennai: Tamil Nadu will be short of 330 MW of power for the next two days after Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) units tripped on ...

TN short of 330 MW of power after MAPS units trip

Chennai:
Tamil Nadu will be short of 330 MW of power for the next two days after Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) units tripped on Sunday.

Station director of MAPS K Ramamurthy told Express on Monday that two 230 KV units switchyard tripped at 1.15 am on Sunday morning resulting in the state losing 330 MW of power.

“It was due to electrical beaker fault. We have identified the problem. It will be rectified within a day but the power supply will resume only after Aug 22 or August 23,” Ramamurthy said.

The shutting down of the two reactors did not affect the fast breeder test reactor (FBTR), a spokeswoman of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) said.

Interestingly, the two units of MAPs was supplying 440 MW power to the southern states. “Seventy five per cent of the supply worth 330 MW was to Tamil Nadu,” Ramamoorthy said.

writingonblog uncensored: Fate of revised plan for mangroves hangs in balanc...

writingonblog uncensored: Fate of revised plan for mangroves hangs in balanc...: C Shivakumar Chennai: The fate of revised National Strategic Action Plan (NSAP) for Mangroves for the Future hangs in balance as com...

Fate of revised plan for mangroves hangs in balance as panel of experts yet to hold first meeting

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The fate of revised National Strategic Action Plan (NSAP) for Mangroves for the Future hangs in balance as committee of experts appointed by the ministry of environment and forest (MOEF) are yet to hold their first meeting.

Meenakshi Datta Ghosh, country representative of International Union for Conservation of Nature mentioned on the sidelines of National Consultation on Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Conservation in India here that Mangroves for the Future (MFF) National Strategic Action Plan came into existence around 2007 and it has recently come in due for revision before the Conference of Parties 11 Biodiversity Meet in Hyderabad to be held from October.

“But till now the committee of experts set up by the Ministry of environment and forests have yet to conduct their first meeting to finalise this revision,” Ghosh said.

The review has to focus on categorization of different flora and fauna along the 8,000 km coastline. It will provide linkages between this categorization and dependents of local population on the produces, services and land from the coastal area, she said.
Ghosh also said the proposal on Red Listing of species in accordance with IUCN international guidelines has been developed and will be forwarded to the Central Zoological Authority and Botanical society of India (BSI). It will be implemented with partnership with Zoological Authority of India, BSI and IUCN.

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai: Many city hotels take emu off menu

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai: Many city hotels take emu off menu: Chennai: Hotels in the city has removed emu meat after shortage of supplies following an emu investment scam unearthed by the Economic Off...

Chennai: Many city hotels take emu off menu

Chennai: Hotels in the city has removed emu meat after shortage of supplies following an emu investment scam unearthed by the Economic Offences Wing.
“We took it off our menu after we failed to get supplies,” said Rajesh (name changed) of Hotel Das Netra in Virugambakkam.
A plate of emu fry or roast at the hotel cost Rs 130. “Customers do ask for emu meat. It has been removed from the menu since the last two weeks as there has been no supply,” he says. Interestingly, the meat is sold on a weekly basis. “We buy nearly four to five kg of emu meat on weekdays and all of it is consumed,” adds Rajesh.
However, the supply hasn’t dried up in Chennai with a few like Maya & Maya in Anna Nagar still selling it. Maya and Maya also has the only Emu restaurant in Shanti Colony in Anna Nagar, which sells the meat and is popular among the  health-conscious as the meat is aggressively marketed as 98 per cent fat free.
About 50 kg to 100 kg of meat arrives every two days at the hotel from the emu farm spread over 40 acres in Namakkal and is being sold to customers. “The demand is surging in Chennai,” claims Kokila, an administrative officer of Maya and Maya, which has about 25,000 birds in the Namakkal farm. Another official, who works at the restaurant, says that every day they sell meat worth Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000. “Now we are getting lot of orders from hotels and are preparing a list. Plans are on to open a slaughter house here,” says Kokila.
Touted as a ‘heart, healthy meat’, a full emu briyani at the restaurant costs Rs 150 while emu noodles cost Rs 60. There are also other delicacies like emu cutlets (Rs 60), emu sausage (Rs 70), emu cheese cocktail (Rs 80) and emu kebab (Rs 125).
Interestingly, meat retail outfits are not enthused over emu meat. “We get four to five kg of meat every week but could hardly sell it. There is lack of market here,” says the owner of Aarthi Broilers, who got her fingers burnt in the business.
Surprisingly, of the hotels surveyed by City Express in different parts of the city, only a few sell emu meat and many of them are unaware of it. Some reject it claiming it is not profitable. Even customers find it somewhat alien, as such they fear to experiment it, says an hotelier.
However, it is emu oil and leather which is attracting Chennaites. “There are complete range of products which are available at our showroom in Anna Nagar,” says Kokila. “These include skin magic soap and body wash, moisturizing lotion, fairness cream, anti-ageing cream, face wash, lip care and massage oil,” she adds

writingonblog uncensored: Revise medical curriculum to focus more on prevent...

writingonblog uncensored: Revise medical curriculum to focus more on prevent...: Chennai: Medical education has been oriented only to tertiary care with primary care and prevention receiving low priority, according t...

Revise medical curriculum to focus more on prevention than cure: Dr Shanta

Chennai:

Medical education has been oriented only to tertiary care with primary care and prevention receiving low priority, according to Dr V Shanta, chairman of Adyar Cancer Institute (WIA).

Delivering the 24^th convocation address of The Tamil Nadu MGR Medical University, Dr Shanta said in the changing health care scenario with the rise in non communicable diseases, the thrust has to be on prevention and it will be necessary to reflect this in the undergraduate and post-graduate teaching.

Stressing on the need to ensure merit be the sole criterion in any selection process, Dr Shanta said the acute shortage of medical seats in government and private colleges has resulted in mushrooming of self financing institutions where seats cost a fortune and financial capacity than merit decides the issue.

“In Tamil Nadu, the total applicants for medical course this year was 28,275 as against 2,144 medical seats (between government and private colleges).

Health Minister V S Vijay said that there is a 40 per cent increase in the outlay for health during the ADMK regime. He also urged the students to follow medical code of ethics and practice in rural areas for some time.

Vice chancellor of the varsity Dr Mayilvahanan Natarajan said 5,798 students were confereed with degrees. These include 3,399 under graduates, 2,531 post-graduates and 18 Ph.Ds. He said 30 post-graduate students are receiving post doctoral fellowship and 90 are receiving medals. He also stressed the need to revise medical curriculum to produce technically competent, socially sensitive, ethically correct and ready to serve health professionals who can respond to diverse demands of India’s health needs. Tamil Nadu governor K Rosaiah presided over the function.

writingonblog uncensored: Rs 25 crore Norway project to help boost food secu...

writingonblog uncensored: Rs 25 crore Norway project to help boost food secu...: Chennai: In a bid to ensure food security, India and Norway is working on a four-year project to improve the climate change adaptive ...

Rs 25 crore Norway project to help boost food security in Tamil Nadu, AP

Chennai:

In a bid to ensure food security, India and Norway is working on a four-year project to improve the climate change adaptive capacity of agriculture and water sectors in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

The main objective is to map vulnerability, gaps and preparedness to address impacts of climate change on agriculture and water sectors besides to select and apply suitable climate and hydrology scenarios.

The Rs 25 crore project ClimaAdapt will initially focus on Erode and Trichy districts of Tamil Nadu and Nalgonda and Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, according to Norwegian minister of agriculture and food Trygve Slagsvold Vedum.

Speaking during the inaugural session of ‘ClimaAdapt programme and National consultation on coastal and marine biodiversity conservation in India: The future we want’, he said the programme funded by Norwegian embassy in New Delhi links research, innovation and capacity building.

“It provides a unique opportunity where farmers, women and other key stakeholders can interact with scientists to formulate the best adaption methods,” the minister, who is on his maiden visit to India, said.

Interestingly, this comes in the wake of Norway establishing an initiative to support adaptation of the agriculture sector in developing countries to climate change.

ClimaAdapt involves a well established consortium of six main partners. The selected adaptation measures will be implemented in identified cluster of villages in the two states and based on the experience the upscaling methodologies to implement at a systematic level will be developed. This programme is expected to improve adaptive capacity of the farmers besides increased public-private sector involvement in upscaling adaptation measures.

Box:

Project outcomes:

1.    Upscaling methodologies developed for selected adaptation measures in AP and TN integrated into the state climate and sector plans.

2.    Policy inputs from ClimaAdapt integrated into state climate and sector adaptation framework in AP and TN

3.    Linkages between research, innovation and capacity building in AP and TN

writingonblog uncensored: Raleigh cycles launched in Chennai

writingonblog uncensored: Raleigh cycles launched in Chennai: Chennai: Chennaites can now dream again to own world renowned Raleigh cycles which was launched here during the Independence Day. ...

Raleigh cycles launched in Chennai

Chennai:

Chennaites can now dream again to own world renowned Raleigh cycles which was launched here during the Independence Day.

The 125-year old bicycle company, which entered India in  Licence Agreement with Naren International (SUNCROSS Bikes, Ludhiana), launched 10 models with the best of the components composition, innovative frames and designing and has future plans to take the total number of Models to 28 in different categories by the end of the year.

Speaking on the occasion, chief executive officer of Ludhiana-based Naren International Suncross Bikes Division Rajesh Kalra said Raleigh with its long history and presence in over 100 countries is one of the most renowned bicycle brand across the world and has a long history and heritage of being an exemplary leader in the bicycle segment due to its innovative, high quality and good designs.

Interestingly, the cycles will be imported and assembled in India. He said his company has adequate inventory of all the spare parts and stocks. 

The cycles are priced from as high as Rs 21,840 (all terrain bike) to Rs 6,270 (Ranchero 20 single speed front suspension). In Chennai, the bicycles will be distributed by Sudarshan Cycles.

writingonblog uncensored: International gurus to train veterinarians on anim...

writingonblog uncensored: International gurus to train veterinarians on anim...: Chennai: In what could be a blessing for pet lovers, International gurus on small animal fracture management would offer a three-day ...

International gurus to train veterinarians on animal fracture management

Chennai:
In what could be a blessing for pet lovers, International gurus on small animal fracture management would offer a three-day discourse to professional veterinarians at the Madras Veterinary College here from Friday.

Speaking after the inauguration of the training programme AOVET – Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (AO) Principles of Small Animal Fracture Management at the Madras Veterinary college here on Thursday, vice-chancellor of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal sciences University Dr R Prabakaran said the training, first of its kind in India, will enhance the skills of veterinarians to diagnose, treat and perform orthopaedic surgeries in pet animals.

He said veterinary services had been developing in India with pet rearing on the rise due to nuclear families in India. “Small animals veterinary practice is developing rapidly and there is a great interest in orthopaedic surgery as a speciality by practicing veterinarians following great demand for specialized orthopaedic services from pet owners,” Dr Prabhakar said.

Interestingly, a total of 48 professional veterinarians from India, Bangladesh and Malaysia will participate in the programme that starts from Friday. Globally reputed small animal orthopaedic surgeons from Switzerland, US and Australia will deliver lectures and guide the participants through various laboratory exercises on fracture fixation with bone models using specialized intrumentation and implants, said Dr S Ayyappan, professor of surgery, Madras Veterinary College and a AO Vet member.

Dr h c Jorg A Auer, chairman AO VET, University of Zurich, Switzerland said that the course will expose the participants to basic techniques of fracture management. “The participants after the lecture will be conducting surgery on plastic bones imported from Zurich and will be evaluated by the faculty,” Jorg said.

Prof Randy Boudrieau, section head – small animal surgery, Cummins School of Veterinary medicine, Orthopaedic surgery Tufts University, US, said that the philosophy of management will focus on quick recovery of animals as it is hard to fix the fracture and let the animal rest. “Fixation of fracture helps them to return to their normal life immediately,” he said.

writingonblog uncensored: Nemelli desalination plant set to be commissioned ...

writingonblog uncensored: Nemelli desalination plant set to be commissioned ...: Chennai: More than 90 per cent of work at 100 MLD Nemelli desalination plant is completed and the plant is expected to be commissione...

Nemelli desalination plant set to be commissioned soon

Chennai:

More than 90 per cent of work at 100 MLD Nemelli desalination plant is completed and the plant is expected to be commissioned soon.

Municipal administration and rural development minister K P Munusamy reviewed works at Nemelli desalination plant on Thursday and urged Metro Water officials and contractors to complete the work as soon as possible, Metro Water release said.

About 265 MLD of raw water from sea will be drawn by gravity by laying 1600 mm pipes for a length of 1042 metre and after undergoing reverse osmosis, 100 MLD desalinated water would be produced.

V A Tech Wabag Limited in consortium with IDE Technologies in Israel were awarded the contract for building the plant. The contract for laying drinking water pipeline and tanks is being awarded to Larsen and Toubro.

Municipal administration and water supply secretary Sheela Balakrishnan, Metro Water managing director Apoorva Varma, Thiruporus MLA K Manoharan and engineering director Metro Water V Paulraj were also present on the occasion.

writingonblog uncensored: Port and shipyard workers oppose corporatisation o...

writingonblog uncensored: Port and shipyard workers oppose corporatisation o...: Chennai: Port and shipyard workers will stage a demonstration opposing corporatisation of ports and seeking settlement of wages for th...

Port and shipyard workers oppose corporatisation of ports

Chennai:

Port and shipyard workers will stage a demonstration opposing corporatisation of ports and seeking settlement of wages for the port employees on September 5, according to Bharatiya Port and Shipyard Mazdoor Mahasangh (BMS) working president R Santhanam.

He said the decision to hold the protest at New Delhi was taken at a national executive meeting of BMS held at Visakhapatnam. 

BMS criticized the move of the Union government to corporatise major ports besides entering into joint ventures with private parties in ports and shipyards and demanded the government withdraw the joint venture with Mazgaon Dock Limited and Pipvav Shipyard.

“There should not be any fresh private ports within 200 km radius from the existing ports,” BMS demanded in a release.

writingonblog uncensored: Bonded labour still haunts the state 36 years afte...

writingonblog uncensored: Bonded labour still haunts the state 36 years afte...: Chennai: India celebrated 65 years of Independence on Wednesday but freedom still eludes a section of workers who are neither document...

Bonded labour still haunts the state 36 years after it was abolished

Chennai:

India celebrated 65 years of Independence on Wednesday but freedom still eludes a section of workers who are neither documented nor registered and spend their lives behind the closed doors of rice mills, stone quarries or brick kilns, according to a panel of experts.

Thirty-six years after the Union government abolished bonded labour system in 1976, it is still prevalent in Tamil Nadu and many other states with migration and contract system giving a new shape to the age old system of forced labour, experts said at a panel discussion organized by International Justice Mission, which included rights activists, academicians and policy makers.

Tamil Nadu chairman and managing director of civil supplies corporation P W C Davidar while sharing his experiences on various measures by the state to eradicate bonded labour said that the act is not helpful in eradicating bonded labour and there are lot of interpretations.

He also said bonded labour is not occupation or caste specific, it is culture specific and there is a need to sensitise authorities about the elements of bonded labour. But a study done earlier by Supreme Court states that 87 per cent of bonded labourers are from the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and most backward classes.

Prof Ravi Srivastava of school of social sciences, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, said that migration and the contract system has resulted in evolution of neo-bondage. “The fulcrum of bondage and neo-bondage has shifted to organized sector. Due to contract system and migration, the condition of people working in neo-bondage will rise,” he said.

Citing example of Kerala, where bonded labour was extinct after the abolition of it by an act, he said it has been revived with the large-scale migration of workers from Bihar and Jharkhand. He said the government failed to set realistic goals to abolish bonded labour.

Interestingly, Ramesh, a bonded labourer who was released recently, highlighted the hollowness of rehabilitation measures. “Once we are freed by authorities, the biggest challenge is to rebuild our lives. But officials fail to provide us patta or ration card forcing us to return and work as bonded labour,” he says.

The session, which was moderated by a social worker and former Madras Christian College principal Cherian Kurien, also included Andy Griffiths, field office director of International Justice Mission and Prof B N Juyal, former head of the Centre of Sociology and Rural development Studies.

writingonblog uncensored: Imported tobacco products in duty-free shops likel...

writingonblog uncensored: Imported tobacco products in duty-free shops likel...: C Shivakumar Chennai: All imported tobacco products, including cigarettes in the duty free shops in Chennai, are soon expected to bear...

Imported tobacco products in duty-free shops likely to carry pictorial warnings

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

All imported tobacco products, including cigarettes in the duty free shops in Chennai, are soon expected to bear the pictorial warnings about harmful effects of tobacco on health, according to a state government official.

Dr P Vadivelan, joint director of Health Education Bureau, told Express on the sidelines of State Level Consultation to strengthen National Tobacco Control Programme on Tuesday that a anti-tobacco cell meeting will be held on August 22 where the government will ask the airport authorities to ensure all imported tobacco products carry the new pictorial warnings.

He said the warning should occupy 40 per cent of the display area of the pack. Interestingly, many nations, including Gulf countries, have made it mandatory for imported tobacco products to have pictorial warnings about the harmful impact of tobacco on human health.

Vadivelan also said that till June this year, a total of 7,000 schools across the state has been certified ‘Smoke Free’ and with massive awareness drive plans are on to certify all the education institutions by December this year. The certificate is issued to educational institutes if they adhere to the norms of no-smoking zone within the 100 metres radius of the school besides no usage of tobacco products inside the school.

Vadivelan also said that the health department has collected Rs 68 lakh fine from those who violated the smoking ban in public areas from October 2008 to June 2012. This was collected through challans which the health officials and policemen are entitled to have. He also said that during the pilot project to make Chennai ‘Smoke-free’, a fine of Rs 23 lakh was collected.

He said the state-level consultation meeting was held to confer and draft strategic plan to strengthen National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) in Tamil Nadu.

The main objective of the consultation is to sensitise the civil societies about the tobacco control programme and tobacco control cell besides lobby with the government for a strong support at the programme level for the tobacco control usage. The meeting also discussed policy level plans and activities related to tobacco control programme in the 12^th five-year plan. At the consultation, officials and non governmental organizations highlighted the challenges to implement Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act.

writingonblog uncensored: US against single power dominating Asia: US expert...

writingonblog uncensored: US against single power dominating Asia: US expert...: Chennai: United States does not want any single power to dominate Asia and wants an alignment and not an alliance with India, accordi...

US against single power dominating Asia: US expert

Chennai:
United States does not want any single power to dominate Asia and wants an alignment and not an alliance with India, according to a US foreign policy expert.
Addressing reporters here on Monday at the US consulate, Walter Russel Mead, who is the James Clark Chase professor of Foreign affairs and Humanities at Bard college and editor-at-large of The American Interest said that United States does not want any single country to dominate Asia.
“Japan tried to dominate Asia and it resulted in war. We were also against the British and erstwhile Soviet Union’s domination,” said Mead, who also served as a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations  from 1997-2010.
He said United States does not want China to dominate Asia. “We want to help Asia rise. If all of Asia is rising it will increase peace in the region,” he said.
Mead also said US does not want a north Atlantic Treaty Organisation sort of alliance with India. “We want an alignment not a treaty. Let India be India. Let it flourish and set an example of democracy,” he said.
On the challenges being faced by homegrown terrorism, he said India and US face the similar problems. “He don’t face the similar problem as you face with your neighbour who instigates terrorism. We have to walk carefully protecting the liberties as well as tackling the issue,” he said.
He also said the next presidential elections would be a close fight as United States economy is not growing and there is rise in unemployment. He said both President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney have 50-50 chances to win the elections.

writingonblog uncensored: Another day of freedom from work!

writingonblog uncensored: Another day of freedom from work!: C Shivakumar Chennai: Cut off from near and dear ones and living in a place where migrant workers of metro rail hardly know the lang...

Another day of freedom from work!

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Cut off from near and dear ones and living in a place where migrant workers of metro rail hardly know the language, the only solace for them on Independence Day is that they have freedom from the 12-hour grueling work.

Nearly a week after the accident at the metro rail site opposite the Pachayappa’s College near the Poonamallee road, the fear of safety has been drowned with the machines humming up again at various metro rail sites.

Fifty-five yearl old Radheshyam Yadav says safety is now much better than that existed nearly three decades ago when he joined work. “I used to work without helmets or shoes. Now safety is given more importance,” he says adding that after independence safety culture for workers have improved.

Yadav, who had met with an accident in Mumbai while working on the seas in Mumbai, prefers working at the metro rail site here and says it has adequate safety measures.

Interestingly, Independence Day holds special for Yadav who plans a flag hoisting ceremony at his barracks. However, for his young migrant counterparts it is just another holiday. “For us it means freedom from the work,” says Basant of Chhatisgarh who toils 12-hours daily. His friend from Jharkhand Raju conmcurs. “I will be calling my parents before catching some sleep.”

The things that weigh most of these workers during the independence day is rising prices of essential commodities and less salary to meet their ends. Basant says the salary is hardly enough. “I send money once is six months to my parents,” he says stating that by then the saving would be sizable.

writingonblog uncensored: Former Maha CM Vilasrao deshmukh passes away

writingonblog uncensored: Former Maha CM Vilasrao deshmukh passes away: Former Maharashtra chief minister and science and technology minister in the union government Vilasrao Deshmukh passed away at a Chennai ho...

Former Maha CM Vilasrao deshmukh passes away

Former Maharashtra chief minister and science and technology minister in the union government Vilasrao Deshmukh passed away at a Chennai hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 67. Deshmukh was suffering from a serious liver and kidney ailment. Born on May 26, 1945 at Babhalgaon in Latur district of Maharashtra, Deshmukh was caught in the Adarsh Housing Society scam and was under fire after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.