writingonblog uncensored: Air Asia to dedicate its first Indian aircraft to ...

writingonblog uncensored: Air Asia to dedicate its first Indian aircraft to ...: Express News Service Chennai: Budget no-frills airline Air Asia on Saturday said that the airline will dedicate its first aircraft t...

Air Asia to dedicate its first Indian aircraft to Dr K C G Verghese, plans base in Chennai

Express News Service

Chennai:

Budget no-frills airline Air Asia on Saturday said that the airline will dedicate its first aircraft to Dr K C G Verghese, the founder of Hindustan Group of Institutions once it gets the licence to operate in India.

Speaking after receiving the Dr K C G Lifetime Achievement Award, the group chief executive officer of Air Asia Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes said that the airline is planning to revolutionise air travel in India with affordable fares.

“We will be in India and will have our head office in Chennai” said Verghese, who had brought the airline in 2001 after it incurred heavy.

“When I brought the airline, I had only two aircraft. Now after 12 years I have 156 aircraft and cater to 44 million people,” said Fernandes.

He vowed to recruit the airline staff in India from Hindustan group of institutions besides offering cheap fares so that even a common man can think of flying in a aircraft.

Interestingly, his statements comes in the wake of Union government planning 50 low cost airports in India. Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry E M Sudarshan Natchiappan, who was the special guest during the occasion, urged Fernandes to think of operating Air Asia aircraft from Madurai airport.

The event also had added attraction when K C G Verghese excellence awards were bestowed upon S Priyadarshan Nair, eminent film director, producer and screen writer in the field of culture and entertainment, Troy Justice, senior director basketball operations, International NBA in the field of sport, Munirathnam Javaji, director of Assystem India for distinguished alumnus and Dilip R Vellodi, chairman and CEO of Sutherland Global Services for excellence in the field of business.

Speaking during the occasion, Priyadarshan went down the memory lane and highlighted how his father never recognized his career in films and preferred the teaching profession. “Now with this award, my father will be happy as the university has accepted by contributions to the cinema,” the noted film director said.

Troy Justice also highlighted his fondness of India and how NBA is reaching out to underprivileged students in the country.

Commandant Officers Training Academy Lt General S S Jog highlighted how Hindustran group of institutions and OTA share the same values in nurturing the youth of the nation. Former director general of Tamil Nadu police Walter Devaram highlighted his relationship with K C G Verghese during the MGR era.

Speaking during the occasion, chairperson of Hindustan Group of institutions Elizabeth Verghese said that the award is to recognize individuals whose achievements and contribution make them role models for the younger generation.

A net amount of Rs 3 crore was awarded as scholarship for students of Adopted schools and also for students of Hindustan group of institutions who have excelled in sports.

writingonblog uncensored: City to get 50 MLD of water from Neyveli from firs...

writingonblog uncensored: City to get 50 MLD of water from Neyveli from firs...: AP to release Krishna Water on Monday C Shivakumar Chennai: As reservoirs are drying up, Chennai Metro Water is facing a Herculean tas...

City to get 50 MLD of water from Neyveli from first week of July

AP to release Krishna Water on Monday
C Shivakumar
Chennai:
As reservoirs are drying up, Chennai Metro Water is facing a Herculean
task to maintain the city’s water by judiciously managing the supply
and officials are working out contingency plan so that the Chennaites
don’t face any crisis for the next three months till the North-East
monsoon arrives in October.

As the city waits for Krishna water, which is expected to be released from
Kandaleru reservoir on Monday, Metro water is also eyeing to
get 50 mld of water from Neyveli starting from first week of July.

“Metro Water is planning to get additional supply of 50 MLD of water
from Neyveli. The work has nearly completed and currently, we are
fixing the mortar. Maximum by first week of July, we will have
additional 50 MLD of water,” a Metro Water official said.

Currently, Metro Water is supplying water to the city through the two
desalination plants besides 100 MLD from the ground water. In addition
to it water is also being supplied through the reservoirs, which does
have very little water available. Metro Water is also getting 80 MLD
of water from the well fields.

Interestingly, the reservoirs in the city only have about 1.5tmc feet
of water. “We have less water in Red Hills and Chembarambakkam.
Cholavaram has dried up while Poondi has little water,” a Metro water
source said.

“This has resulted us in reorganizing the supply to ensure Chennai
doesn’t go thirsty for the next three months. We also require the
support of residents. They have to use water judiciously,” said a
Metro Water official.

Interestingly, it is the ground water reserve, which is also helping
Metro water to maintain the supply at a time when the monsoon has
failed the city. The Metro water official hailed rainwater harvesting,
which has helped maintain enough supply. Currently, Metro water has
also worked out a strategy on erecting rain water harvesting
structures based on soil conditions.

The better gorund water situation has resulted in Metro water putting
into use 6,000 Mark II pumps and adding 1,000 more in far-flung areas
so that access to water is not denied. “We are also supplying drinking
water to 7,000 HDPE tanks. This is used only for drinking purposes,”
the official said.

Meanwhile, the tanker fleet of Metro Water has now been further
strengthened t0 3,750. Earlier, we were using 2,600 to 2,700 water
tankers to supply water to residents in Chennai. Now this has gone up
to 3,750 tankers per day.

With nearly, 1.5tmc feet of water in reservoir, the biggest challenge
before Metro water is to work out a careful collaborated strategy
besides managing water judiciously so that the city doesn’t go thirst
till the monsoon arrives, a Metro Water official said.

writingonblog uncensored: TN offers concession to educational institutions ...

writingonblog uncensored: TN offers concession to educational institutions ...: C Shivakumar Chennai: The state government has offered concessions to self-financing professionals, art and science colleges in Ta...

TN offers concession to educational institutions if they regularize buildings within six months

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The state government has offered concessions to self-financing professionals, art and science colleges in Tamil Nadu by charging only 50 per cent of the prevailing rate of infrastructure and amenities

charges if they regularize the building constructed prior to July 1, 2007 within the next six months.

A government order was issued on June 26, 2013, in this regard after the Consortium of self-financing professionals, arts and science colleges in Tamil Nadu had requested for reduction of infrastructure

and amenities charges for buildings constructed prior to July 1, 2007 as they were introduced only on June 2007.

Interestingly, the GO states that the concession will be available to buildings like residential, commercial, information technology, group development and special buildings which were constructed on or before

July 1, 2007 with the permission of the local bodies.

“The above concession shall be available to those buildings who apply for planning permission from the member secretary of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority and Commissioner of Town and Country Planning within six months from the date of issue of orders,” the notification said.

Interestingly, the government has also heeded to the request from the consortium to relax the condition in Development Control Regulations, which necessitates handing over the Open Space Reservation area to the respective local bodies.

The order states that, “In respect of educational institutions for whom the OSR regulation is applicable, the OSR shall be earmarked and kept open to sky without any construction with the condition that the OSR area should be utilized only as a park and not as a playground by the concerned institutions. The guideline value should not be collected in lieu of OSR area in such cases.”

Builders Association state secretary N Raghunathan welcomed the move. “Such kind of concession should be last one. The government should instead liberalise the rules and make enforcement strict to develop infrastructure and housing,” he said.

He also urged the government to ensure adequate safety as well as availability of parking space is there before regularizing commercial buildings. Chief executive officer of IndiaProperty.com Ganesh Vasudevan also welcomed the move and said it is a step in the right direction.

S Vaidhyasubramaniam, Indian Overseas Bank Chair Professor of Management and Dean - Planning & Development, Adjunct Professor, School of Law SASTRA University, Thanjavur said, “The concessional infrastructure & amenities charges for educational institutions is a welcome move and will help institutions to further academic pursuits. However, the 10 per cent OSR may also include open to sky green playground that can encourage sporting activities than limiting to parks which can be misused.”

writingonblog uncensored: Homes for IDPs in Sri Lanka progressing smoothly, ...

writingonblog uncensored: Homes for IDPs in Sri Lanka progressing smoothly, ...: Chennai: The special secretary of Development Partnership Administration P S Raghavan said that the pilot project for construction of 1,...

Homes for IDPs in Sri Lanka progressing smoothly, says MEA

Chennai:

The special secretary of Development Partnership Administration P S Raghavan said that the pilot project for construction of 1,000 houses for internally displaced perons in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka is over.

Delivering a special address during the Madras Management Association (MMA) Awards function and 57^th annual general meeting of MMA, Raghavan, who lead a high-level Monitoring Committee from Ministry of External Affairs to monitor the reconstruction work in Sri Lanka recently, said the second phase of the housing project under the owner–driven model for construction or repair of 43,000 houses in the Northern and Eastern Provinces is progressing smoothly.

He said the phase was progressing well and there was a degree of satisfaction among beneficiaries, local community and other stakeholders with the implementation mechanism put in place by the two governments.

“The project is way ahead of plan and people are accepting the project,” he said. To a query on how fair is the project following allegations of Tamils being discriminated in Sri Lanka, Raghavan said that there is a rigorous selection process for beneficiaries. “It is ensured that the beneficiaries are Tamils only,” he said.

He refused to talk about the political rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka, stating that the primary focus is on dealing with rehabilitation of the displaced people.

Raghavan also said that the economic situation in the northern province of Sri Lanka has greatly improved.

Raghavan also said the work on multi-million dollar Salma Dam Project, which is one of the two big projects India undertook in Afghanistan, the other being the Parliament building, is progressing under difficult circumstances.

The project, which will meet energy and irrigation requirement of Western Afghanistan, with a capacity of producing 42Mw of power and irrigating 75,000 hectares of land, is progressing on a difficult terrain. “At times the workers will be caught in the firing between Afghan troops and rebels but work goes on,” said Raghavan.

The Development Administration Partnership (DPA) was created in the Ministry of External Affairs in January 2012 to effectively handle India’s aid projects through the stages of concept, launch, execution and completion.

Earlier, Raghavan along with D Shivakumar, president of All india Management Association and senior vice-president Nokia, presented MMA awards to Rane (Madras) Ltd in the manufacturing category, Sundaram Finance Ltd for the services category, Adtech Systems Ltd, Trivandrum for the small and medium enterprises category and National Institute of Technology, Trichy in educational institutions category.

The aim of the award is to promote sound management ideas, knowledge, experience and practices in various disciplines.

writingonblog uncensored: As Wheat procurement by FCI declines, govt says it...

writingonblog uncensored: As Wheat procurement by FCI declines, govt says it...: Chennai: Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prof K V Thomas on Friday said that wheat procuremen...

As Wheat procurement by FCI declines, govt says it is a news to cheer rather than jeer

Chennai:
Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution Prof K V Thomas on Friday said that wheat procurement by
Food Corporation of India has declined this year.

Delivering the inaugural address during a Confederation of Indian
Industry conference on ‘Warehousing and Cold Chain Infrastructure’
here, the minister said the decline in procurement is due to farmers
getting better prices from the private traders at a higher price than
the government's minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,350 per quintal.

He also said there is a huge demand for India wheat abroad and farmers
are getting a price of nearly Rs 1800 per quintal of wheat.

Interestingly, the fall in wheat procurement has not perturbed the
Union government and the minister said that it is a welcome sign as
the farmers are getting better prices for their crop.

It is believed that wheat procurement has declined by 33 per cent to
25.08 million tonnes mainly due to lower arrival of wheat in the
market with aggressive buying by private traders. The Warehousing
Development and Regulatory Authority chairman Dinesh Rai said that the
Union government is not perturbed by the development as its godowns
are full.

Thomas also linked the rise in prices of essential commodities to the
lack of storage facilities in the country. The availability and
augmentation of storage capacity is one of the main priorities of the
Union government, he said.

As per estimates, an additional 35 million metric tonnes warehousing
capacity is required in the next five to 10 years, he said.

Rai said that WDRA is now registering warehouses across the country
after inspecting them. Currently, it has registered 48 state
warehousing corporations and 37 central warehousing corporations in
the state.

He also said that Nabard has got 500 applications from Primary
Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS). Eighteen of them were
forwarded for certification and WDRA has registered two of them. The
main objective of WDRA is to promote the development and regulation of
warehouses and facilitate the negotiability of warehouse receipts.
“The Negotiable Warehouse Receipts issued by warehouses registered
under this Act would help farmers get loans from the banks and avoid
distress sale of agricultural produce,” he said.

Currently, WDRA has taken several initiatives to integrate small
godowns and warehouses of (PACSs) under the negotiable warehouse
receipt system so that small and marginal farmers are befitted.

writingonblog uncensored: More than 1,000 to take part in Chennai’s Fifth Ra...

writingonblog uncensored: More than 1,000 to take part in Chennai’s Fifth Ra...: Chennai: More than 1,000 people from the LGBT community and supporters, including 700 to 800 from Chennai alone, are expected to take pa...

writingonblog uncensored: More than 1,000 to take part in Chennai’s Fifth Ra...

writingonblog uncensored: More than 1,000 to take part in Chennai’s Fifth Ra...: Chennai: More than 1,000 people from the LGBT community and supporters, including 700 to 800 from Chennai alone, are expected to take pa...

writingonblog uncensored: More than 1,000 to take part in Chennai’s Fifth Ra...

writingonblog uncensored: More than 1,000 to take part in Chennai’s Fifth Ra...: Chennai: More than 1,000 people from the LGBT community and supporters, including 700 to 800 from Chennai alone, are expected to take pa...

More than 1,000 to take part in Chennai’s Fifth Rainbow Pride March

Chennai:
More than 1,000 people from the LGBT community and supporters,
including 700 to 800 from Chennai alone, are expected to take part in Chennai’s fifth Rainbow Pride march on Sunday to celebrate visibility of alternate sexualities and gender identities, according to the organizers of the parade.
This time the pride march has a new venue unlike the earlier one in
Marina Beach. The march will commence from 3pm on Sunday at
Rajarathnam stadium, Egmore. It will follow an approximately 2km
route to the end point -- Langs Garden Road, Chintadripet (near Albert Theatre and Hotel Marina Towers), Chennai, said Jaya, general manager of Sahodaran.
Surprisingly, a cultural programme is likely to be conducted for the
first time after the Pride March. A performance event Naangal ('Us') is being organized by Sahodaran, with support from TAI-VHS. Naangal will conclude by 6 pm.
While visibility won’t be there like it has been during the earlier
pride march in Marina, it hasn’t deterred the spirit of volunteers,
who feel they could reach out to people who have not been to Marina.
L Ramakrishnan, one of the volunteers of the Chennai Rainbow
Coalition, said that this is the first time they got permission to
conduct a cultural programme after the Pride March. “This will help sensitise the people about the rights of LGBT community,” he said. The cultural programme include music, play, skit and dance.
This year the Pride March will be backed by corporates, organizations as well as cultural centers. “Last year, Accenture participated in the March. This year we are expecting more companies to participate besides the cultural centers,” he said.
The Pride marches in Chennai have been part celebration, part demands for recognition and rights, and part expression of gratitude to the Tamil Nadu government for its social welfare benefits extended to Thirunangais (transwomen), the most visible segment of the LGBT community in the region. Consistent demands from 2010 onwards have been for the Supreme Court to uphold the Naz Foundation 2009 verdict of July 2, 2009, that read down IPC Section 377 to exclude consensual relationships among adults of the same sex.
The LGBT community and supporters have also urged the state government to respond to the October 2012 writ petition from the National Legal Services Authority asking all states and union territories to grant equal protection and rights to transgenders as every other citizen of India. They urged that both male-to-female and female-to-male transgender people be included in all aspects of national development and access to social welfare schemes.
The LGBT community has also urged the Tamil Nadu Government to continue and build on the work of the Aravani Welfare Board, which remains a unique initiative in the country, and to expand  its scope to include sexual minorities who face harassment and discrimination because of  their gender identity, gender expression and/or sexual orientation. The community will also pay tributes to health activist Shivananda Khan and film director Rituparno Ghosh, who passed away recently, and acknowledge their immense contributions to queer visibility and rights movements in India.

In India, the first Pride march took place in 1999 in Kolkata.
Subsequently, Pride Parades have become a fixture of the Indian
sexuality or gender rights landscape, with marches having taken place in the following cities Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Bhawanipatna (Odisha), Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Madurai, Mumbai, Patna, New Delhi, Pune and Thrissur.
In 2009, local groups and collectives working in the areas of
sexuality, gender-identity, human rights and health/HIV groups came together under the banner of the Chennai Rainbow Coalition, and organized a series of events in the city culminating in the first
march, held in the last Sunday of June. The march was a precursor to the historic July 2, 2009, verdict of the Delhi High Court in the Naz Foundation case, decriminalizing consensual sexual relationships among adults.
For information on Naangal and to perform, contact Jaya at 98418-65423 or sahodaranchennai@gmail.com

writingonblog uncensored: FDI outflows from India decreases to $8.6 bn

writingonblog uncensored: FDI outflows from India decreases to $8.6 bn: Chennai: The Foreign Direct Investment outflows from India decreased to $8.6 billion due to a shrinking in the value of cross-border ...

FDI outflows from India decreases to $8.6 bn

Chennai:

The Foreign Direct Investment outflows from India decreased to $8.6 billion due to a shrinking in the value of cross-border mergers and acquisitions by Indian companies, according to the UNCTAD’s World Investment Report.

The report states that FDI outflows from South Asia dropped by 29 per cent in 2012, to $9.2 billion.

The report states that during the past decade or so, Indian multinationals have been active players in global mergers and acquisition markets, particularly in the developed world.

The report notes that among the 18 cross-border M&A deals with an investment value of above $1 billion that were undertaken by Indian companies in the 2005–2011 period, 13 were in developed countries, most notably the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

However, none of these deals took place in 2012; Indian companies seemed to be much less active in international M&A markets than in previous years, and were increasingly focused on their domestic operations, the report says.

As a result, the total value of cross-border M&As undertaken by Indian companies dropped by nearly three fifths in 2012, to about $2.6 billion.

The Indian economy experienced its slowest growth in a decade in 2012, and also struggled with risks related to high inflation, the report says. As a result, investor confidence was affected, and FDI inflows to India declined significantly.

But the study contends that the country’s FDI prospects are improving. Inflows to the services sector are likely to grow, thanks to ongoing efforts to open up key economic areas such as retailing, the report says. “And flows to manufacturing are expected to increase as a number of countries, including Japan and the Republic of Korea, establish country or industry-specific industrial zones in the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor. Leveraging public funds from foreign countries, these bilateral efforts may result in an increasing amount of FDI targeting industries such as electronics in India in the years to come,” the report adds.

writingonblog uncensored: MCCI setting up Centre for to enhance skills of st...

writingonblog uncensored: MCCI setting up Centre to enhance skills of st...: Chennai: Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry is setting up a Centre for Vocational Training and Skill Development in Tiruvallur to e...

MCCI setting up Centre for to enhance skills of state labour force

Chennai:

Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry is setting up a Centre for Vocational Training and Skill Development in Tiruvallur to enhance the productivity of the labour force and the institute is likely to be ready by the end of the year.

Speaking during the 177^th Annual general meeting of Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI),  the chamber president T Shivaraman and MCCI Secretary General K Saraswathi said that he chamber’s land is procedurally made ready for starting the construction of the required facilities.

Saraswathi said that during MCCI’s 175^th Year, a detailed study on the Chamber and its services was taken up through a professional consultant. The pointer was towards doing something to improve the skilled manpower availability to the member industries.

“Our earlier activity “War for Talent” also exposed the gaps in the employability and the criticality of the situation. The Chamber then decided that this will be our flagship activity for this momentous period,” she said.

“In the interim period, project soft launched in a rented premises in Tiruvallur and skilling is happening,” she said.

Talking about other activities of chamber, she said currently the chamber is conducting a study on mapping the corporate social responsibility of member companies besides documenting the Green Practices of industries in Chennai.

Chairman and managing director of Export Import Bank of India T C A Ranganathan said that India should improve its share of exports in the global technology market that could boost the nation’s growth.

He said currently, India has a miniscule share of only seven per cent of global technology export market while world as a whole export 25 per cent. Interestingly, 25 per cent share of our imports are technology related products.

“This is an item which forms a large segment of  global GDP. Interestingly, we don’t manufacture this products as much as other countries do which could have a major impact on our imports. This is the sector which requires maximum investment,” he said.

MCCI setting up Centre for to enhance skills of state labour force

Chennai:

Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry is setting up a Centre for Vocational Training and Skill Development in Tiruvallur to enhance the productivity of the labour force and the institute is likely to be ready by the end of the year.

Speaking during the 177^th Annual general meeting of Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI),  the chamber president T Shivaraman and MCCI Secretary General K Saraswathi said that he chamber’s land is procedurally made ready for starting the construction of the required facilities.

Saraswathi said that during MCCI’s 175^th Year, a detailed study on the Chamber and its services was taken up through a professional consultant. The pointer was towards doing something to improve the skilled manpower availability to the member industries.

“Our earlier activity “War for Talent” also exposed the gaps in the employability and the criticality of the situation. The Chamber then decided that this will be our flagship activity for this momentous period,” she said.

“In the interim period, project soft launched in a rented premises in Tiruvallur and skilling is happening,” she said.

Talking about other activities of chamber, she said currently the chamber is conducting a study on mapping the corporate social responsibility of member companies besides documenting the Green Practices of industries in Chennai.

Chairman and managing director of Export Import Bank of India T C A Ranganathan said that India should improve its share of exports in the global technology market that could boost the nation’s growth.

He said currently, India has a miniscule share of only seven per cent of global technology export market while world as a whole export 25 per cent. Interestingly, 25 per cent share of our imports are technology related products.

“This is an item which forms a large segment of  global GDP. Interestingly, we don’t manufacture this products as much as other countries do which could have a major impact on our imports. This is the sector which requires maximum investment,” he said.

writingonblog uncensored: Acquisition of 117.25 acres of wetland will turn villagers to refugees

writingonblog uncensored: Acquisition of 117.25 acres of wetland will make v...: Make us stakeholders under the new land pooling scheme, say villagers C Shivakumar Chennai: The acquisition of 117.25 acres of we...

Acquisition of 117.25 acres of wetland will turn villagers to refugees

Make us stakeholders under the new land pooling scheme, say villagers

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The acquisition of 117.25 acres of wetland for development of Truck Terminal Complex at Karunakaracheri and Annambedu villages is facing opposition from villagers who feel that not only their livelihood but also their existence is at stake.

Karunakarancheri village panchayat president R V Bhaktavachalam said that with the project coming up the whole village will vanish from the map putting the livelihood of the villagers at stake.

Bhaktavachalam said that most of the land are smallholdings of one acre or half acre and it is the basic livelihood of farmers. “We are not against development. We had given our land already to the government for ORR project. What we request to the government is to look at an alternative of taking up the land that is not used for agriculture. “There is already 100 acres of barren land near the same place besides an unused lake. They can use it to build the truck terminal. This will save our livelihood,” he says.

Prof Sudarshan, who teaches Social Work in a city college and is a resident of the village, suggested the need for the government to implement the land pooling scheme so that these villagers who are facing the threat of losing their livelihood could become stakeholders in the project. Interestingly, the land pooling concept, which is based on the Ahmedabad model and has even been suggested under the Justice Mohan Committee report, is likely to come into being only once the government amends the Town and Country Planning Act.

Under the scheme, the landowners will submit their land to planning authorities, who will prepare a detailed development plan for the land. Once the area is developed with roads and other amenities, the pooled land will go in for bidding to get in investment for the development. Once the land is developed the remaining land will be given depending on proportionate of their pooling of the extent of land. “This could make both villagers and the developers happy,” he said.

“The villagers will support ORR and Karunakarancheri project only if they don’t lose their livelihood or their existence in the village. The government has to support the people. Now the villagers will be giving up everything and won’t be enjoying the project built on their own land. They require a support structure,” he said.

He also alleged that the government is not following National Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy. “Alternative free house site should be provided within the village from where the people are being evicted,” he added.

Interestingly, the Second Master Plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area has recommended to develop a Truck Terminal at the intersection of Outer Ring Road and 200 feet wide arterial road at Karunakaracheri. Surprisingly, most of the project is coming up on the agriculture land.

But CMDA sources feel the land is strategically located one. “This is a project which will benefit the public," the CMDA sources add.

writingonblog uncensored: Is there a volcano about 100 to 110 km from Kalpak...

writingonblog uncensored: Is there a volcano about 100 to 110 km from Kalpak...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Is there a volcano about 100 to 110 kilometre from Kalpakkam nuclear Plan? That is what nuclear and geology experts a...

Is there a volcano about 100 to 110 km from Kalpakkam?

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Is there a volcano about 100 to 110 kilometre from Kalpakkam nuclear Plan? That is what nuclear and geology experts are trying to ascertain after The Global Volcanism Program, a hub of an international network for monitoring, reporting, and maintaining data related to volcanic activity around the world, reported a volcanic sighting in 18th century. 

Chairman and managing director of Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited, Dr Prabhat Kumar, who has formed a committee of nuclear experts and geologists, said the information in Smithsonian’s Global Volanism Programme website about a reported volcano about 100-110 km from Kalpakkam is far-fetched but the committee is investigating all the aspects.

Interestingly, the committee, that consists of eminent scientists from Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited, has assigned the job to National Geophysical Research Institute and Kumar maintains as of now there is no possibility or there are any records of volcano in the region.

This comes after AERB contacted national agencies like Geological Survey of India,National Institute of Oceanography and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India Ltd to undertake a detailed study through expert agencies following information in Smithsonian’s Global Volanism Programme website about a reported volcano about 100-110 km from Kalpakkam.

Initial studies by National Institute of Oceanography and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has ruled out the presence of any volcano in the region. While regional scale geophysical surveys conducted by NIO did not find any significant bathymetric anomaly that can suggest existence of such a volcano, the seismic data and wells drilled by ONGC in the vicinity did not indicate any volcanic intsrusion, AERB has said on May 31, 2013, in reply to a RTI filed by one Vetriselvan.

It also stated that as per land based geological information, Geological Survey of India has negated existence of volcanic activity at the said location but it’s offshore surveys so far neither indicate any signature of volcanic eruption in the sediments nor existence of any ephemeral island said to have formed due to the event.

Surprisingly, GSI and others have recommended for data in view of an inferred high density material intrusion of remnant magnetization based on magnetic and gravity anomalies around the said location. AERB said in reply to the RTI that based on the feedback it has asked utilities in Kalpakkam to undertake a detailed study through expert agencies and work in this regard is in progress.

writingonblog uncensored: Staff strength in enforcement cell inadequate: CMD...

writingonblog uncensored: Staff strength in enforcement cell inadequate: CMD...: Chennai: The existing staff strength in enforcement cell of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is highly inadequat...

Staff strength in enforcement cell inadequate: CMDA officials

Chennai:

The existing staff strength in enforcement cell of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is highly inadequate considering development taking place in Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), according to CMDA Executives Association.

The association, which held its general body meeting recently, has urged the management to strengthen enforcement cell with adequate staff and e-governance for better performance.

Interestingly, this comes in the wake of CMDA reorganizing its enforcement cell and naming four officials to head the four divisions of newly constituted Completion Certificate and Enforcement Action wings.

Surprisingly, the enforcement cell has been a place where the CMDA officials fear to tread due to inordinate delay in conducting enquiries. “It occurs mainly to officers who have worked in enforcement cells,” the association said while urging the management to expedite the enquiry procedure within three months so that promotional opportunity and peaceful retirement is not affected.

The blame lies on the manpower or workload involved in the enforcement cell and management should look into it before framing charges against the officials, the association said.

The association also observed that many officers are not posted to enforcement cell during the length of their service. Many top-level officers never worked in the enforcement section even in the level of assistant planner and became chief planner, it was observed.

“The management is requested to follow a clear transfer policy and each officer may be posted in enforcement cell for two years,” the association said.

Anti-nuke activists oppose Kerry’s visit to India

Chennai:

Anti-nuclear activists are opposing the visit of US secretary of state John Kerry to India alleging that it is a “sinister mission’ to secure anticipatory protection for US nuclear supplier Westinghouse immunity fron any future nuclear catastrophe in reactors it plans to set up in Mithi Virdi in Gujarat.

Activists of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy, Poovulagin Nanbargal, Doctors for Safer Environment and Chennai Solidarity Group said they opposed the Mithi Virdi project stating that it is shameful to see Americans speaking of immunity for US nuclear companies even while offering refuge in American soil to Union Carbide which has refused to alleviate the sufferings of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster victims.

Addressing a press conference here, M G Deivasahayam, Chairman of the experts group of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy, said that while the United States has not come up with a nuclear reactor for the last 23 years, why is it keen to sell its nuclear reactors in India.

He said Kerry should also find out whether the site selected is geologically, geographically and strategically fit to house high-risk facilities such as six AP-1000 nuclear power plants. Activists allege the American debate regarding the possibility of AP 1000’s containment structure giving in to airplane crashes, earthquakes and storm impoundments did not defer the government appointed site selection committee to choose the coast of Gulf of Kambhat for these reactors, a location very near to Pakistan and known for earthquakes, sever cyclonic storms and tides. Interestingly, activists in India will be staging a protest against Kerry’s visit over the nuclear issue.

Meanwhile, activists allege that delay in achieving criticality of Unit 1 of Koddankulam Nuclear Power Plant is due to serious technical issues encountered in installation and commissioning of the reactor that have a bearing on the reliability and safe operation of the plant.

writingonblog uncensored: Think beyond sexuality to accept LGBT community, s...

writingonblog uncensored: Think beyond sexuality to accept LGBT community, s...: C Shivakumar Chennai: It was 20 years ago that Chitra Palekar, a noted theatre-person and filmmaker, came to know about her daughter...

Parents recount challenges to accept LGBT community

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

It was 20 years ago that Chitra Palekar, a noted theatre-person and filmmaker, came to know about her daughter’s sexual orientation.

“It was one afternoon when she opened up to me. I have heard about gays but never heard about Lesbians. Even though I am progressive, I never knew what lesbian means. My ego was hurt, why did she not tell me immediately,” said Chitra Palekar, who has scripted Marathi and Hindi films like Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaaye, Kairee, Dhyass Parv besides producing quality television serials like Kacchi Dhoop and Naqab.

“My daughter was regular person. She was good in her studies and was also a state level badminton player. She was a honest person and confided in me,” said Palekar.

“I was scared not for me but for her. What if somebody speaks ill of her,” said Palekar highlighting how a parent would feel for her loved one while trying to come to terms with her sexual orientation.

But it was her courage that changed things for her. “I began to think. Do I have anything to be ashamed off. No. It was in my head. Why should I worry what people think about me,” she said.

She reasoned are lesbians or gays different from the common people. They all behave the same. “One has to look beyond their sexual orientation. We must use logic. It is beyond sex. Gays and lesbians are similar to hetrosexuals except that they want to live with somebody of the same sex, ” says Chitra, who is one of the signatories of the Parents’ Petition in the Supreme Court, in support of the Delhi High Court’s decriminalization of homosexuality.

Now Palekar, who is here to meet the parents who have undergone similar issues, has no problem about talking about her daughter’s sexual orientation and even talks about her companion.

But not all parents are like Chitra Palekar. India is still traditional and many families find it hard to recoil that one of their own is different when it comes to sexual orientation.

Magdalene Jeyarathnam director of The East-West Center for Counselling says parents are the worst hit once they come to know about their child’s sexual orientation. “They cut themselves off from social gatherings. They are shy of meeting even their close friends,” she says.

“Acceptance of children’s sexual orientation doesn’t happen overnight. It is a process,” says Magdalene, who has been counseling nearly five or six cases pertaining to LGBT communities a day.

She says people in Chennai are progressive unlike other states. “There is no discrimination here. The parents or a family is fine if it happens to a third person but when it is their own, they find it difficult to accept them,” she adds.

She also advises parents against forcing their child into a wedlock with somebody of the opposite sex despite knowing their homosexual orientation. “The children require support and love. They are adults. Don’t force them into marriage. They can look after themselves,” she says.

The news of the child’s sexual orientation shatters the parents. They need a space to talk. I provide them a space to talk with each other. The emotional connect begins and they begin to realize it is not only in their family but every family does have this problem, says Magdalene.

L Ramakrishnan, country director of programmes and research, Solidarity and Action Against The HIV Infection in India (SAATHI) and vulnteer of Orinam says that the change in sexual orientation doesn’t happen due to circumstances as shown in some films. The LGBT and supporter group Orinam helps to network parents of LGBT children with each other. It also has online resources including a handbook in English and Tamil for parents who want to understand their children’s sexual orientation and their gender identity. These are available online at Orinam.net.

Interestingly, about 25 to 30 family members on Saturday took part in family meet of LGBT community organized by Orinam, an informal collective of LGBT people and supporters in existence in Chennai since 2003, along with The East-West Center for Counselling, founded by internationally recognized counselor-trainer Magdalene Jeyarathnam.

writingonblog uncensored: 7,500 homes in Chennai to get piped water in two y...

writingonblog uncensored: 7,500 homes in Chennai to get piped water in two y...: Chennai: Nearly 7,500 homes in Nolambur and Karambakkam will be getting piped water under the Rs 452.77 crore Comprehensive Water Suppl...

7,500 homes in Chennai to get piped water in two years

Chennai:

Nearly 7,500 homes in Nolambur and Karambakkam will be getting piped water under the Rs 452.77 crore Comprehensive Water Supply and Sewerage Scheme, implemented in the newly added areas of Chennai Corporation, in the next two years.

Metro Water sources said that Nolambur and Karambakkam are part of the nine areas where the comprehensive water schemes will be implemented in the next two years. Other areas, which will be covered under the scheme, include Injambakkam, Sholinganallur, Karapakkam, Ramapuram, Okkium-Thoraipakkam, Nandambakkam and Manapakkam.

Under the scheme in Nolambur, plans are on to provide water connections to 2,959 houses. Currently, the existing water supply system in Nolambur is maintained by extracting water from nine wells as well as few deep bore wells at the rate of 40 litres per capita per day (lpcd). “The proposal contains providing feeder main and distribution system using ductile iron pipesranging from 1000 millimeter to 450 millimeter size for a total length of 40,279 metres and construction of overhead tank with 18 lakh litre capacity,” a Metro Water spokesman said.

In Karambakkam, it is proposed to provide 4,568 service connections by constructing an overhead tank with 25 lakh litres capacity and underground tank with five lakh litres capacity. Currently, water is supplied through these areas by extracting ground water from various borewells at the rate of 95lpcd. “The total estimated cost for Nolambur and Karambakkam projects is 38.56 crore and it would benefit nearly 50,000 residents,” the Metro Water spokesman said.

Similarly, under the project, the government is also planning to implement sewerage scheme that will cover Kathivakkam, Sholinganallur, Karapakkam and Ramapuram.

Interestingly, the funds are part of the state government sanctioned Rs 879.78 crore for implementing the works proposed by Chennai Corporation and Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board under the Chennai Mega City Development Mission (CMCDM).

writingonblog uncensored: MSME's Rs 15-crore IT cluster scheme yet to find a...

writingonblog uncensored: MSME's Rs 15-crore IT cluster scheme yet to find a...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Four years since the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) department came out with Rs 15 crore in...

MSME's Rs 15-crore IT cluster scheme yet to find any takers

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Four years since the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) department came out with Rs 15 crore incentives for developing information technology cluster in the state, it has yet to find any takers.

S Sivagnanam, additional industrial advisor of MSME Development Institute, told Express on the sidelines of Confederation of Indian Industry session on ‘Legitimate and Competitive tools for Industry to Compete and Grow in the Globalised Business Scenario: Information Technology and Intellectual Property Rights’ at IIT Research Park that for the last five years MSME department has yet to find IT entrepreneurs volunteering to set up a IT cluster.

“It was not that we did not get people. There were a bunch of 20 people who came forward but then they suddenly vanished in the thin air before anything could materialize,” said Sivagnanam.

He also said the MSME department held three awareness programmes but it failed to elicit any response from the IT entrepreneurs.

As per the guidelines, 20 individuals are required along with a legal entity for the special purpose vehicle.

Sivagnanam blamed the small scale IT entrepreneurs for not being well organized. He also said that most of them are not aware of government scheme or are not willing to come together to start a venture.

Earlier during the session, experts highlighted the need for educating people on the importance of IPR in developing countries and to understand how intellectual property rights are intertwined with socio-economic prosperity.

This comes in the wake of Union government taking initiatives by amending the IPR laws to comply with international obligations.

writingonblog uncensored: How to live with a LGBT person in family?

writingonblog uncensored: How to live with a LGBT person in family?: Parents offered tips on understanding sexual orientation of children C Shivakumar Chennai: In a bid to provide basic information and...

How to live with a LGBT person in family?

Parents offered tips on understanding sexual orientation of children

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

In a bid to provide basic information and narratives by Chennai-based parents who have opened up about their personal journeys into understanding their children who are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender, two members of Chennai Rainbow Coalition have come together to make available resources and support for families of LGBT youth.

Orinam, an informal collective of LGBT people and supporters, in existence in Chennai since 2003 along with The East-West Center for Counselling, founded by internationally recognized counselor-trainer Magdalene Jeyarathnam is organizing a family meet of LGBT community on Saturday to make available resources and support for families of LGBT youth.

Speaking to Express, L Ramakrishnan, country director of programmes and research, Solidarity and Action Against The HIV Infection in India (SAATHI) and vulnteer of Orinam, said that parents face a dilemma when the children open up to them about their sexual orientation.

“The meeting is being held to create awareness among the parents who worry about the future of the children. The message is for parents to accept their children’s sexual orientation or their gender  identity  otherwise it could only further create pain in the lives of their child,” he said.

He said many parents of Orinam members and volunteers have served as informal support systems for other parents located in Chennai and elsewhere. Some have also signed on to a petition to the Supreme Court of India, asking that it endorse the 2009 landmark ruling of Delhi High Court that decriminalized adult consensual homosexuality by reading down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.

Interestingly, in Chennai alone, there are nearly 20 groups working to advance dignity, human rights and health for LGBT communities.   These groups, under the umbrella of the Chennai Rainbow Coalition, are celebrating Chennai Rainbow Pride in June and July 2013, for the fifth consecutive year.

The event will also have Chitra Palekar, a noted theatre-person and filmmaker, speaking on the issue. Palekar is a happy and proud mother of a lesbian daughter, her only child.

One of the signatories of the Parents’ Petition in the Supreme Court, in support of the Delhi High Court’s decriminalization of homosexuality, Chitra, who is in her sixties, argues for equal rights for the LGBT community through various media. She also supports other parents in resolving their various concerns about their LGBT children.

Magdalene Jeyarathnam director of   The East-West Center for Counselling, founded by internationally recognized counselor-trainer,  said that parents need psychologically emotional support. She also said that it is women who fear to come out. Magdalene who as worked with the community for nearly a decade says Tamil Nadu is the most progressive state when it comes to accepting the sexual orientation of a person. “Here parents are least bothered about other’s sexual orientation until it happens to be one of their child,” she said.

It is here the parents who have just learned about their children’s sexuality or gender identity, get to meet other parents who have known for significantly longer about their own children. The latter are able to offer reassurance and support, she says.

writingonblog uncensored: JNPT signs Rs 600 cr deal for developing standalon...

writingonblog uncensored: JNPT signs Rs 600 cr deal for developing standalon...: Express News Service Chennai: Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Nhava Sheva (India) Gateway Terminal ( a subsidiary of DP...

JNPT signs Rs 600 cr deal for developing standalone container handling facility

Express News Service

Chennai:

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Nhava Sheva (India) Gateway Terminal ( a subsidiary of DPWorld), has signed a concession agreement for development of Rs 600 crore standalone container handling facility with the quay length of 330 mtrs at Jawaharlal Nehru Port on Friday.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Union shipping Minister G K Vasan and chairman of DP World Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.

Senior officers including Pradeep K Sinha, Secretary (Shipping), Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor and Joint Secretary (Ports) were also present on the occasion.

Under the agreement, the terminal will be developed by the concessionaire at an estimated cost of Rs. 600 Crore, with an estimated capacity addition of 0.8 Million TEUs per annum.

The project would be executed on DBFOT (Design, Built, Finance Operate and Transfer) basis, with a concession period of approximately 17 years and is slated to be completed by December 2015.

writingonblog uncensored: Krishna water for Chennai within this week: WRD so...

writingonblog uncensored: Krishna water for Chennai within this week: WRD so...: Chennai: The city is likely to get 300 cusecs of Krishna Water within this week, according to Water Resources Department. The water was...

Krishna water for Chennai within this week: WRD sources

Chennai:
The city is likely to get 300 cusecs of Krishna Water within this week, according to Water Resources Department.

The water was expected to be released on Thursday after the temporary repair works by Andhra Pradesh irrigation department in Uppalamadagu canal near Kalalahasti in Andhra Pradesh got over. However, it is expected to be released within this week after getting the nod from Andhra Pradesh government, according to Water Resources Department.

The water supply from Kandleru reservoir was suspended following the repair works being undertaken on the canal. As per an interstate agreement reached in 1976, Tamil Nadu is eligible for 15tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water between April and June under the Telugu Ganga project. Currently, the city’s reservoirs are drying up and the state has prepared a contingency plan for supply of water in the city.

writingonblog uncensored: Hitachi Solutions to nurture workforce from Chenna...

writingonblog uncensored: Hitachi Solutions to nurture workforce from Chenna...: Chennai: Hitachi Solutions America, a leading provider of global industry solutions and services based on Microsoft Dynamics AX an...

Hitachi Solutions to nurture workforce from Chennai universities

Chennai:

Hitachi Solutions America, a leading provider of global industry solutions and services based on Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, has opened a new subsidiary in India and is planning to nurture a workforce in its two proposed Global Development Centres by tying up with universities and engineering institutes in the city.

Addressing a press conference here, chief executive of Hitachi Solutions India Ananth Subramanian and director of finance and company secretary K A Gopalakrishnan said that the company is planning a global delivery centers in Hyderabad and Chennai and would be recruiting 500 people in the next three to five years.

The global delivery centers will be catering to the projects outsourced from United Kingdom, United States besides far eastern countries.

Although the information technology sector is going through turbulent times, Subramanian says that services based on Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM is doing well, he said.

Subramanian says that Hitachi Solutions will soon be signing up a memorandum of understanding with two universities. “We will be providing training to the students through couple of trainers in the institutes,” he said.

India and other Southeast Asian countries are currently experiencing high business growth mainly because Japanese and Western multinationals are locating manufacturing and distribution facilities in the region, he said.