Thursday, January 29, 2015
writingonblog uncensored: After Centre maps CRZ-1, TN will formulate coastal...
writingonblog uncensored: After Centre maps CRZ-1, TN will formulate coastal...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Tamil Nadu will come out with its own Coastal Zone management plan once Ministry of Environment and Forest comple...
After Centre maps CRZ-1, TN will formulate coastal zone management plan
C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Tamil Nadu will come out with its own Coastal Zone management plan
once Ministry of Environment and Forest completes the mapping of
Coastal Regulation Zone One as well as High Tide Line.
R Ramesh, director of Chennai-based National Center for Sustainable
Coastal Management, an autonomous body of Ministry of Environment and
Forest, told Express that the process to map CRZ-1 and High Tide Line
is on the verge of completion and everything is likely to be in place
in the next six months.
“Once CRZ-1 and High Tide Line is mapped then states will be coming up
with a state costal zone management plan,” said Ramesh during the
sidelines of Multi-Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on Coastal and
Marine Zone Management organized by M S Swaminathan Research
Foundation.
The CRZ-I consists of ecologically sensitive areas. These include
mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass, salt marshes, protected areas or
reserve forests besides horse shoe crab habitats, turtle nesting sites
and bird nesting sites. It also includes geomorphologically important
areas, which include sand dunes, sandy beaches, mudflats and
inter-tidal areas besides heritage and archaeological sites.
He said that all these would be mapped in a digital format. He said
the high tide line, the line on the land upto which the highest water
line reaches during the spring tide, is also being mapped so that it
could be used as a baseline for development as well as conservation
activities along the coast. “Both have been mapped aerially by the
Survey of India,” he said.
Ramesh also said the hazard line along Indian coast is being mapped by
taking into account erosion and flooding of the coast. It is being
demarcated as the most landward boundary taking into account water
level fluctuation, sea level rise and shoreline changes (erosion and
accretion of the coast). The water level fluctuation is being recorded
by Tidal gauges. “Earlier we had only 10 to 12 tidal gauges now the
water fluctuations are being studied by 200 tidal gauges,” he said.
The mapping of CRZ-1 as well as hazard line is being done when over 40
per cent of the Indian coast is eroding, much higher than previous
estimates.
Earlier, M A Atmanand, Director, National Institute of Ocean
Technology (NIOT), Chennai, who spoke during the inaugural session,
called for sustainable solutions along the coastline. "There is need
to maintain a balance between sustainable development and
environmental protection."
Defending the introduction of hazard line, noted scientist M S
Swaminathan said that the 1991 notification sought to regulate all
developmental activities in the inter-tidal area and within 500 metres
on the landward side without any scientific study. He said it failed
to take into account that the Indian coastline is highly diverse in
terms of biodiversity, hydrodynamic conditions, demographic patterns,
natural resources, geomorphological and geological features.
Box:
• CRZ–1 is categorized into three classes, as follows:
– 1a: Ecologically Sensitive Areas, which includes (i) Mangroves;
(ii) Coral reefs; (iii) Seagrass; (iv) Salt marshes; (v) Protected
areas/ Reserve forests, etc; (vi) Horse shoe crab habitats; (vii)
Turtle nesting sites; and (viii) Bird nesting sites
– 1b: Geomorphologically Important Areas, which include (i) Sand
dunes; (ii) Sandy beaches; (iii) Mudflats and (iv) Inter-tidal areas
– 1c: Heritage/Archaeological sites
Hazard Line:
• Demarcation of the hazard line along the entire coast of India
taking into account erosion and flooding of the coast
• The hazard line for the CRZ purposes is being demarcated as the
most landward boundary taking into account the following parameters:
– Water level fluctuation, Sea level rise and Shoreline changes
(erosion/ accretion of the coast)
Coast of India
• Length of the Mainland coast of India: ~5500km; 9 coastal States and 4 UTs
• 73 coastal districts with 77 cities and towns including largest
and most dense urban agglomerations - Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi
and Visakhapatnam
• About 250 million people live along the coastal areas: ~10
million fisherfolk derive their livelihood from the coast
Source: Moef
Chennai:
Tamil Nadu will come out with its own Coastal Zone management plan
once Ministry of Environment and Forest completes the mapping of
Coastal Regulation Zone One as well as High Tide Line.
R Ramesh, director of Chennai-based National Center for Sustainable
Coastal Management, an autonomous body of Ministry of Environment and
Forest, told Express that the process to map CRZ-1 and High Tide Line
is on the verge of completion and everything is likely to be in place
in the next six months.
“Once CRZ-1 and High Tide Line is mapped then states will be coming up
with a state costal zone management plan,” said Ramesh during the
sidelines of Multi-Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on Coastal and
Marine Zone Management organized by M S Swaminathan Research
Foundation.
The CRZ-I consists of ecologically sensitive areas. These include
mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass, salt marshes, protected areas or
reserve forests besides horse shoe crab habitats, turtle nesting sites
and bird nesting sites. It also includes geomorphologically important
areas, which include sand dunes, sandy beaches, mudflats and
inter-tidal areas besides heritage and archaeological sites.
He said that all these would be mapped in a digital format. He said
the high tide line, the line on the land upto which the highest water
line reaches during the spring tide, is also being mapped so that it
could be used as a baseline for development as well as conservation
activities along the coast. “Both have been mapped aerially by the
Survey of India,” he said.
Ramesh also said the hazard line along Indian coast is being mapped by
taking into account erosion and flooding of the coast. It is being
demarcated as the most landward boundary taking into account water
level fluctuation, sea level rise and shoreline changes (erosion and
accretion of the coast). The water level fluctuation is being recorded
by Tidal gauges. “Earlier we had only 10 to 12 tidal gauges now the
water fluctuations are being studied by 200 tidal gauges,” he said.
The mapping of CRZ-1 as well as hazard line is being done when over 40
per cent of the Indian coast is eroding, much higher than previous
estimates.
Earlier, M A Atmanand, Director, National Institute of Ocean
Technology (NIOT), Chennai, who spoke during the inaugural session,
called for sustainable solutions along the coastline. "There is need
to maintain a balance between sustainable development and
environmental protection."
Defending the introduction of hazard line, noted scientist M S
Swaminathan said that the 1991 notification sought to regulate all
developmental activities in the inter-tidal area and within 500 metres
on the landward side without any scientific study. He said it failed
to take into account that the Indian coastline is highly diverse in
terms of biodiversity, hydrodynamic conditions, demographic patterns,
natural resources, geomorphological and geological features.
Box:
• CRZ–1 is categorized into three classes, as follows:
– 1a: Ecologically Sensitive Areas, which includes (i) Mangroves;
(ii) Coral reefs; (iii) Seagrass; (iv) Salt marshes; (v) Protected
areas/ Reserve forests, etc; (vi) Horse shoe crab habitats; (vii)
Turtle nesting sites; and (viii) Bird nesting sites
– 1b: Geomorphologically Important Areas, which include (i) Sand
dunes; (ii) Sandy beaches; (iii) Mudflats and (iv) Inter-tidal areas
– 1c: Heritage/Archaeological sites
Hazard Line:
• Demarcation of the hazard line along the entire coast of India
taking into account erosion and flooding of the coast
• The hazard line for the CRZ purposes is being demarcated as the
most landward boundary taking into account the following parameters:
– Water level fluctuation, Sea level rise and Shoreline changes
(erosion/ accretion of the coast)
Coast of India
• Length of the Mainland coast of India: ~5500km; 9 coastal States and 4 UTs
• 73 coastal districts with 77 cities and towns including largest
and most dense urban agglomerations - Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Kochi
and Visakhapatnam
• About 250 million people live along the coastal areas: ~10
million fisherfolk derive their livelihood from the coast
Source: Moef
writingonblog uncensored: Deltas sinking, shrinking as dams curb steady flow...
writingonblog uncensored: Deltas sinking, shrinking as dams curb steady flow...: Chennai: The deltas across the country are sinking and shrinking as dams and reservoirs has stopped the flow of fresh water to the sea ...
Deltas sinking, shrinking as dams curb steady flow of fresh water to the coast
Chennai:
The deltas across the country are sinking and shrinking as dams and
reservoirs has stopped the flow of fresh water to the sea besides the
riuse in sea level, according to R Ramesh, director of National Centre
for Sustainable Coastal Management.
Ramesh told Express on the sidelines of Multi Stakeholders
Consultative Meeting on Coastal and Marine Zone Management at the M S
Swaminathan Research Foundation that the dams and reservoirs have
reduced the water flow to the coast and this is a global phenomenon.
He said that the major reason behind sinking and shrinking of deltas
is sediment trapping by the dams built on the upstream rivers, which
has resulted in oceans eroding and eating away deltas.
He said his Centre is also identifying the hotspots along the
coastline that are vulnerable to pollution. He said National Centre
for Sustainable Coastal Management has launched a study on the Indian
coast and has completed nearly 50 per cent of it.
“We have completed the stretch between Kerala to Tamil Nadu and Kerala
to Gujarat. Now we have to study the stretch between Goa to Gujarat
and also between Tamil Nadu to West Bengal,” said Ramesh.
He said the study would identify eutrphication of estuaries as well as
dangerous algae blooms besides various other factors. “We have hired
the ship from National Institute of Ocean Technology and are
conducting the study. The hotspots will be identified once the data
will be collated,” he added.
He also said a national guideline for the development and
implementation of Indian Coastal Zone Management plans in India has
been developed. Currently, it is being implemented in Gujarat (Gulf of
Kachchh), West Bengal (Digha to Sankarpur and Sagar Island) and Odisha
(Gopalpur to Chilika and Paradeep to Dhamra). This will soon be
implemented in other states also, he added. He said the ICZM
guidelines would only be implemented in the vulnerable areas.
writingonblog uncensored: Naidu vows govt commitment to secularism
writingonblog uncensored: Naidu vows govt commitment to secularism: Chennai: The Union Housing and Poverty Alleviation Minister Venkaiah Naidu vowed his government’s commitment to secularism by stating th...
Naidu vows govt commitment to secularism
Chennai:
The Union Housing and Poverty Alleviation Minister Venkaiah Naidu
vowed his government’s commitment to secularism by stating that
secularism is in the blood of Indian people and it can’t be removed.
“Secularism there in the blood of Indian people and it is part of our
culture,” the minister said while referring to the controversy
surrounding over the government advertisement which had carried a
picture of the Preamble to the Constitution as it appeared before the
42nd Amendment, without the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist.’
Speaking during the conference on Tamil Nadu smart cities organized by
Confederation of Indian Industry here on Thursday, the minister said
that his government doesn’t did not think of removing it from the
Preamble of Indian constitution.
The minister said that the word secularism was not there in original
preamble and it was inserted during emergency. The government
advertisement was about the original preamble and we are committed to
secularism.
The advertisement showed a picture of the Preamble in the background
with a quote from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pictures of some
citizens in the foreground.
Naidu also said the nuclear diplomacy was in the larger interest of
the country and done after much of discussion.
The Union Housing and Poverty Alleviation Minister Venkaiah Naidu
vowed his government’s commitment to secularism by stating that
secularism is in the blood of Indian people and it can’t be removed.
“Secularism there in the blood of Indian people and it is part of our
culture,” the minister said while referring to the controversy
surrounding over the government advertisement which had carried a
picture of the Preamble to the Constitution as it appeared before the
42nd Amendment, without the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist.’
Speaking during the conference on Tamil Nadu smart cities organized by
Confederation of Indian Industry here on Thursday, the minister said
that his government doesn’t did not think of removing it from the
Preamble of Indian constitution.
The minister said that the word secularism was not there in original
preamble and it was inserted during emergency. The government
advertisement was about the original preamble and we are committed to
secularism.
The advertisement showed a picture of the Preamble in the background
with a quote from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pictures of some
citizens in the foreground.
Naidu also said the nuclear diplomacy was in the larger interest of
the country and done after much of discussion.
writingonblog uncensored: TN likely to get three smart cities
writingonblog uncensored: TN likely to get three smart cities: Chennai: Tamil Nadu is likely to have three of the proposed 100 smart cities initiative by Union government that has already sparked ...
TN likely to get three smart cities
Chennai:
Tamil Nadu is likely to have three of the proposed 100 smart cities
initiative by Union government that has already sparked a global
interest with countries queuing up to be part of the initiative,
according to Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu.
Speaking during the final consultative meeting on smart cities
organized by Confederation of Indian Industry here, Naidu refused to
give the list of cities in Tamil Nadu which would be developed into a
smart city.
“We are holding a two-day workshop in New Delhi in which housing
secretaries of all states and union territories would be
participating. A concept note as well as detailed framework would be
worked out besides the identification of cities would be done during
the workshop,” Naidu said.
Interestingly, the state housing secretary, member secretary of
Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority besides director of town
and country planning are attending the conference.
Talking about global interest the initiative by the Modi government
has sparked, Naidu said that the government has signed memorandum of
understanding with US trade and development agency to develop
Visakhapatnam, Allahabad and Ajmer besides Germany has come forward to
associate itself with development of three more cities.
“Japan, UK, Sweden, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and The Netherlands
are keen to partner with India. We have nearly 10 to 12 countries that
have evinced keen interest in developing smart cities,” said Naidu.
The minister also said that the Centre is planning to come out with a
new initiative called ‘City Challenge’ initiative to evaluate cities
and towns on the basis of credit worthiness as well as sanitation.
Interestingly, the smart cities initiative has already attracted the
developers. Chitty Babu, chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry
Tamil Nadu conference on smart cities said that the proposal of
building a smart city by JICA has resulted in the land prices in the
area going skywards. Although, he did not provide the exact figures
but said developers have invested heavily.
He also said that the smart cities may not escalate the prices of
properties. “It may go up near the places where the smart cities would
be set up but then the prices would be stagnant at the other areas,”
he said.
Babu also said that the smart cities initiative would result in tie-up
between Indian and international developers. The international
developer would be investing money and technology but it will be the
Indian developer who would be building the cities, he said.
Box:
Cost of smart cities:
--- The High Power Expert Committee (HPEC) on Investment Estimates in
urban infrastructure has assessed a Per Capita Investment Cost (PCIC)
of Rs 43,386 for a 20 year period
- The estimates cover water supply, sewerage, sanitation and
transportation related infrastructure.
- Using an average figure of 1.0 million people in each of the 100
smart cities, the total estimate of investment requirements for the
services covered by HPEC comes to Rs 7.0 lakh crores over 20 years
(with an annual escalation of 10pc from 2009-20 to 2014-15).
- This translates into an annual requirement of Rs 35,000 crores.
- A large part of the financing for smart cities will have to come
from the Private sector with the States/Cities and Central Government
only supplementing that effort
- Investments of Rs 5,000 crore may be required as an initial
investment to be provided as unlinked/ untied funds for the selected
cities to prepare the City Development Plan
Approval process:
--- States would be required to submit proposals for approval of the
respective satellite cities, cities of tourist and religious
importance as well as cities in the 0.2 – 1.0 million population
range,
--- These proposals would be reviewed by a Committee that will be
serviced by a regional multidisciplinary project management unit and
then approved by the Central Government
writingonblog uncensored: BSNL employees Union to launch indefinite stir fro...
writingonblog uncensored: BSNL employees Union to launch indefinite stir fro...: Chennai: Eight Unions of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited have threatened to launch a nationwide indefinite stir from March 17 to protest ...
BSNL employees Union to launch indefinite stir from March 17
Chennai:
Eight Unions of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited have
threatened to launch a nationwide indefinite stir from March 17 to protest
against the move by the Union government to consider the public sector unit as
sick industry, according to BSNL employees union president M Kanniappan.
Kanniappan told reporters that the decision was taken
during the forum of BSNL Employees Union.
He also said that BSNL employees would be submitting a
letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25 signed by one crore
people while urging him not to grant the sick PSU status to BSNL.
The union have alleged the lack of financial support by the
government to BSNL. Kanniappan alleged that it is the private sector which is
using the infrastructure of BSNl and now they have even stopped paying access
deficit charges.
He said BSNL is suffereing losses as it is providing
connectivity to rural areas. The cost of setting a landline connection in these
areas works out to Rs 15,000 per connection but we are able to collect only Rs
180 or Rs 190 per month as user charges.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
writingonblog uncensored: Arrest infused fresh life into 8 year old pending ...
writingonblog uncensored: Arrest infused fresh life into 8 year old pending ...: Maran slammed for going to Press when the issue is sub-judice C Shivakumar Chennai: Former Union Telecom and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran sh...
Arrest infused fresh life into 8 year old pending case, says whistleblower
Maran slammed for going to Press when the issue is sub-judice
C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Former Union Telecom and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran should not claim
that the arrest of his close aide as well as two Sun TV employees is a
vindictive action by the BJP government or RSS as it was the then UPA
government under then minister A Raja which initiated the enquiry,
said a BSNL union secretary and a former employee who played a key
role in the exposure of a clandestine operation of telephone exchange
from Maran’s house in Chennai.
Speaking to Express, C K Mathivanan, who was earlier denied retirement
benefits for allegedly gheraoing the chief general manager’s office
after former CGM and MP Velusamy, under whose tenure the alleged
allotment of 323 ISDN phone connections to former Union telecom
minister Dayanidhi Maran were made, said that the arrest has infused
fresh life into the case which has been pending for nearly eight
years.
“However, I don’t agree that an electrician or a chief technical
officer is involved in the clandestine operation of telephone
exchange. This pertains to the misuse of office by a former telecom
minister and he along with his brother should be arrested,” he
alleged.
Mathivannan, who is also the state executive committee member of
Communist Party of India, also slammed Dayanidhi Maran for holding a
press conference when the whole issue is sub-judice. “The matter is
before the court. Why is he conducting the press conference and
blaming the CBI or a ‘RSS idealogue’,” questioned Mathivannan.
Mathivannan, who is currently the state executive committee member of
CPI, said that CBI should also probe whether Maran has misused his
post by allegedly doling out favours to Sun Network in other four
southern states.
He said that National Federation of Telecom Employees (BSNL) welcomes
the move by CBI to arrest V Gowthaman, former additional private
secretary to Maran, S kannan, chief technical officer of Sun TV and K
S Ravi, electrician with television channel in Chennai.
writingonblog uncensored: Ex-Sun TV honchos deposition before CBI on illegal...
writingonblog uncensored: Ex-Sun TV honchos deposition before CBI on illegal...: Deposition revealed the presence of three exchanges C Shivakumar Chennai: The arrests of V Gowthaman, former additional private secretary t...
Ex-Sun TV honchos deposition before CBI on illegal exchange resulted in three arrests
Deposition revealed the presence of three exchanges
C Shivakumar
Chennai:
The arrests of V Gowthaman, former additional private secretary to
Dayanidhi Maran, S Kannan, chief technical officer of Sun TV and K S
Ravi, electrician with the television channel happened following the
deposition by former Sun network top honchos.
It is learnt that Former Kalaignar TV managing director and a former
senior executive of Sun Network Sharad Kumar and former Sun TV vice
president (programming) and Chief operating officer of Sun Pictures
Hansraj Saxena spilled the beans during interrogation by CBI on the
clandestine operation of telephone exchange from their houses in
Anderson Road and College Road in Nungambakkam.
While Sharad Kumar could not be contacted, Saxena told Express from
Singapore that the interrogation was not only about the clandestine
operation of telephone exchange in Boat house or at Sun TV office. “It
was also about the exchange being operated from Sharad Kumar’s house
in Anderson Road as well as my house in College Road,” said Saxena.
Expressing concern about the arrest of his former colleagues with whom
he shared a 25-year relationship, he said had they spoken the truth,
they wouldn’t have been arrested.
Saxena said that he had to spill the beans to save his skin. “I don’t
have anything against Marans or my former collegues. The CBI had all
the information. I have either to say “yes” or “No”,” he said.
“Kannan as well as Ravi were the ones who installed the telephone
equipment at Sharad Kumar’s house. After Sharad left the organization,
the equipment was shifted to my house. I admitted to the presence of
illegal exchange to save my skin,” said Sharad.
He said the three persons may have been arrested as they have not told
the truth to CBI besides they were the ones dealing with the telephone
equipment.
He said the cables or lines were either underground or overhead along
the seven kilometer stretch. He said that he did not have any idea
about how the equipment worked. “Only the technical department was
aware of it,” he said.
To a query on whether, he was tortured by CBI, Saxena said they have
all the information. The investigation was very simple. “you either
have to say “yes’ or ‘No’. “I tried to evade their query but they have
all the information on hand. So to save my skin, I had to tell the
truth,” he said.
When Express tried to contact chairman and managing director of BSNL,
Anupam Shrivastava on the total loss BSNL accrued due to the setting
up of illegal exchange,he said the issue is being taken care by
department of telecommunications.
As per the initial investigations done by CBI, the loss to BSNL
through the illegal telephone exchange was worked at Rs 440 crore.
writingonblog uncensored: Dera Sachcha Sauda chief says film MSG has nothing...
writingonblog uncensored: Dera Sachcha Sauda chief says film MSG has nothing...: Chennai: Punjabi community in Chennai gave out mixed reactions to Dera Sachcha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s film 'MSG: Mess...
Dera Sachcha Sauda chief says film MSG has nothing to do with religion
Chennai:
Punjabi community in Chennai gave out mixed reactions to Dera Sachcha
Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s film 'MSG: Messenger of God'
even as the sect head said that it has nothing to do with religion and
is mostly a message against social evils like alcoholism as well as
intake of drugs and prostitution.
Addressing reporters here while promoting his film made in six
languages, including Tamil, Singh while replying to the controversy
surrounding the film stated that the decision of the Film
Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) to revoke Censor Board's order
should be welcomed and finger should not be raised against it.
His comments come in the wake of then Chairperson questioning the
haste with which the film was cleared by Film Certification Appelate
Tribunal. She had stated in a report that if FCAT had to give it a
certificate then why have a board in place.
The film which is likely to be released between January 28 to 30
failed to get clearance from Central Board of Film Certification. The
controversy over the film snowballed as then chairperson Leela Samson
as well as seven other members of the board quit. Singh said Samson’s
resignation is nothing to do with his film. “Initially, she was
against it. But my film has nothing to do with her resignation. She
had put forth eight reasons and there was nothing about MSG,” he said.
He also denied allegations that he had approached the government to
get it cleared. It was done in a legal way. “If the Tribunal changes
the decision of the Censor Board, then it must be welcomed and should
not raise finger against it,” he said.
He said he was concerned that the film with social message was not
cleared by CBFC while films showing vulgarity and violence were
cleared. He also said that there is nothing objectionable in the film.
They had deleted certain dialogues in the beginning as well as in the
end of the film. He evaded the queries on what contents were deleted.
Singh who is dressed as a youth, punches baddies in the trailer as
well as features in hip hop and rap music says that he chose cinema as
the medium to reach the youth. “I started wearing the Western outfits
after youth urged me to wear it.
Interestingly, Singh is planning a sequel of MSG which is about
tribals. He says most of the proceeds of film MSG would go into
funding research on AIDs as well as treating Thalsemmia patients. The
film would be released in six languages.
The film had been banned in Punjab but the community from the north
Indian state in Chennai have a guarded response to it. While Deepak
Dhawan, a committee member of Punjab Association, expressed
reservations over the film saying that spirituality is not a glamour
business, Harvinder Singh, who is a member of the association said
that if the film is about de-addiction as well as against prostitution
then we welcome it. The secretary of Punjab Association Ramesh Lamba
reserved his comments stating that it is too early to comment on it.
“If it is about promoting healthy living then it should be welcomed,”
he added.
But most of the community members said that it is too early to
comment. “Until we see the film and its contents, we can’t comment on
it,” they stated.
Punjabi community in Chennai gave out mixed reactions to Dera Sachcha
Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s film 'MSG: Messenger of God'
even as the sect head said that it has nothing to do with religion and
is mostly a message against social evils like alcoholism as well as
intake of drugs and prostitution.
Addressing reporters here while promoting his film made in six
languages, including Tamil, Singh while replying to the controversy
surrounding the film stated that the decision of the Film
Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) to revoke Censor Board's order
should be welcomed and finger should not be raised against it.
His comments come in the wake of then Chairperson questioning the
haste with which the film was cleared by Film Certification Appelate
Tribunal. She had stated in a report that if FCAT had to give it a
certificate then why have a board in place.
The film which is likely to be released between January 28 to 30
failed to get clearance from Central Board of Film Certification. The
controversy over the film snowballed as then chairperson Leela Samson
as well as seven other members of the board quit. Singh said Samson’s
resignation is nothing to do with his film. “Initially, she was
against it. But my film has nothing to do with her resignation. She
had put forth eight reasons and there was nothing about MSG,” he said.
He also denied allegations that he had approached the government to
get it cleared. It was done in a legal way. “If the Tribunal changes
the decision of the Censor Board, then it must be welcomed and should
not raise finger against it,” he said.
He said he was concerned that the film with social message was not
cleared by CBFC while films showing vulgarity and violence were
cleared. He also said that there is nothing objectionable in the film.
They had deleted certain dialogues in the beginning as well as in the
end of the film. He evaded the queries on what contents were deleted.
Singh who is dressed as a youth, punches baddies in the trailer as
well as features in hip hop and rap music says that he chose cinema as
the medium to reach the youth. “I started wearing the Western outfits
after youth urged me to wear it.
Interestingly, Singh is planning a sequel of MSG which is about
tribals. He says most of the proceeds of film MSG would go into
funding research on AIDs as well as treating Thalsemmia patients. The
film would be released in six languages.
The film had been banned in Punjab but the community from the north
Indian state in Chennai have a guarded response to it. While Deepak
Dhawan, a committee member of Punjab Association, expressed
reservations over the film saying that spirituality is not a glamour
business, Harvinder Singh, who is a member of the association said
that if the film is about de-addiction as well as against prostitution
then we welcome it. The secretary of Punjab Association Ramesh Lamba
reserved his comments stating that it is too early to comment on it.
“If it is about promoting healthy living then it should be welcomed,”
he added.
But most of the community members said that it is too early to
comment. “Until we see the film and its contents, we can’t comment on
it,” they stated.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
writingonblog uncensored: Metro rail tunnel op sinks portion of building
writingonblog uncensored: Metro rail tunnel op sinks portion of building: Chennai: A footpath and stairs of a single- storey building in Shenoy Nagar here partially caved-in as Chennai Metro Rail undertook cros...
Metro rail tunnel op sinks portion of building
Chennai:
A footpath and stairs of a single- storey building in Shenoy Nagar
here partially caved-in as Chennai Metro Rail undertook cross passage
way work along its tunnels in the stretch sparking fear among the
residents who questioned the stability of the structure.
“It was around 11pm on Sunday night, we were woken up by a loud thud.
We rushed out in panic only to find a portion of our building near the
footpath caved in,” said Armugam, who was staying with five members of
his family on one portion of the building.
He said that immediately after the incident, Chennai Metro Rail
officials walked in and inspected the structure. “We were shaken and
it was around 4.30 am that we went back inside the building to sleep
after the assurances of Chennai Metro Rail officials,” said Armugam,
who is a tenant in the building. The building is partially owned by
four persons. Three of them have shops while the residential portion
is owned by one Harichandra Reddy.
Armugam maintains that the platform as well as the stair caved in by
three feet while Chennai Corporation officials said the platform and
the staircase of the structure sank by 10 centimetres.
A Chennai Metro Rail spokesman told Express that the building is safe.
“The footpath as well as the stair caved-in by 10 millimetres. This
happened while the cross passage work was being carried out,” the
spokesman said. He said work along the underground stretch has not
been affected. Cross passages are created as a link between the two
tunnels for evacuation of passengers during an emergency.
Meanwhile, the shop owners, tenants as well as owners were summoned by
Chennai Metro Rail for a three-hour long meeting. “They have said the
structure is safe and promised to repair the footpath. We have
objected to it. If only our engineer certifies that the building is
safe and there is no damage to the structure then only we will return
back,” says Mubarak, one of the owner of building who runs a medical
shop. He also alleged that the building has suffered cracks. He said
Metro Rail has agreed to repair the damages.
Interestingly, the site was bustling with activity in the morning with
Chennai Corporation officials jotting out details and a top official
asking the cops to barricade the building and ensure the site is safe.
Even Chennai Metro Rail officials were seen taking measurements of a
nearby building as onlookers and neighbours watched. A neighbor on
condition of anonymity said they were scared initially but felt the
issue would be sorted out by Chennai Metro Rail.
Mubarak said that all the shops have now been closed. “Only the
residents of the two flats are allowed,” he said. Armugam said that he
along with his family will be staying in a nearby building. The owner
has made arrangements for us, he said.
Mubarak said the shop owners in the building have to incur losses as
Chennai Corporation and police have asked them not to open the shops.
“We will also ask Metro Rail to reimburse the losses,” he said.
To a query on what would have resulted in the building to sink as
there was no well inside the building, a metro rail spokesman said
they have yet to ascertain. It is being said that the area was a water
body earlier and was converted into plots. “We don’t know what was
there earlier,” the spokesman said
A footpath and stairs of a single- storey building in Shenoy Nagar
here partially caved-in as Chennai Metro Rail undertook cross passage
way work along its tunnels in the stretch sparking fear among the
residents who questioned the stability of the structure.
“It was around 11pm on Sunday night, we were woken up by a loud thud.
We rushed out in panic only to find a portion of our building near the
footpath caved in,” said Armugam, who was staying with five members of
his family on one portion of the building.
He said that immediately after the incident, Chennai Metro Rail
officials walked in and inspected the structure. “We were shaken and
it was around 4.30 am that we went back inside the building to sleep
after the assurances of Chennai Metro Rail officials,” said Armugam,
who is a tenant in the building. The building is partially owned by
four persons. Three of them have shops while the residential portion
is owned by one Harichandra Reddy.
Armugam maintains that the platform as well as the stair caved in by
three feet while Chennai Corporation officials said the platform and
the staircase of the structure sank by 10 centimetres.
A Chennai Metro Rail spokesman told Express that the building is safe.
“The footpath as well as the stair caved-in by 10 millimetres. This
happened while the cross passage work was being carried out,” the
spokesman said. He said work along the underground stretch has not
been affected. Cross passages are created as a link between the two
tunnels for evacuation of passengers during an emergency.
Meanwhile, the shop owners, tenants as well as owners were summoned by
Chennai Metro Rail for a three-hour long meeting. “They have said the
structure is safe and promised to repair the footpath. We have
objected to it. If only our engineer certifies that the building is
safe and there is no damage to the structure then only we will return
back,” says Mubarak, one of the owner of building who runs a medical
shop. He also alleged that the building has suffered cracks. He said
Metro Rail has agreed to repair the damages.
Interestingly, the site was bustling with activity in the morning with
Chennai Corporation officials jotting out details and a top official
asking the cops to barricade the building and ensure the site is safe.
Even Chennai Metro Rail officials were seen taking measurements of a
nearby building as onlookers and neighbours watched. A neighbor on
condition of anonymity said they were scared initially but felt the
issue would be sorted out by Chennai Metro Rail.
Mubarak said that all the shops have now been closed. “Only the
residents of the two flats are allowed,” he said. Armugam said that he
along with his family will be staying in a nearby building. The owner
has made arrangements for us, he said.
Mubarak said the shop owners in the building have to incur losses as
Chennai Corporation and police have asked them not to open the shops.
“We will also ask Metro Rail to reimburse the losses,” he said.
To a query on what would have resulted in the building to sink as
there was no well inside the building, a metro rail spokesman said
they have yet to ascertain. It is being said that the area was a water
body earlier and was converted into plots. “We don’t know what was
there earlier,” the spokesman said
writingonblog uncensored: Save power by making Inverter ACs Cenvat free
writingonblog uncensored: Save power by making Inverter ACs Cenvat free: Bluestar plans Rs 150 crore manufacturing plant Chennai: As the state government has increased the power tariff by 15 per cent, AC m...
Save power by making Inverter ACs Cenvat free
Bluestar plans Rs 150 crore manufacturing plant
Chennai:
As the state government has increased the power tariff by 15 per cent,
AC manufacturers are betting big on inverter ACs for domestic
consumers so that they can not only withstand the summer heat but also
save money by consuming less power.
Blue Star Ltd Executive Director and President, Air-conditioners and
Refrigerator business, B Thiagarajan told reporters that inverter ACs
are the best option not only for the consumers but also for the
government which is struggling to meet the power needs of the
consumers.
“It consumes less than 30 per cent of the power consumed by ordinary
five-star rated air-conditioner. But the hitch is the price. All can’t
afford it. The government should make the central value added tax for
inverter ACs to zero,” he says.
Interestingly, the prices of inverter Acs has dropped from Rs 54,000
last year to Rs 48,000. But still it is Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 more than
the five-star rated air conditioners.
Thiagarajan said that Japan and China are moving towards inverter ACs
to help save power consumption. He says the volume of inverter ACs in
the total sales is likely to go up to 15 per cent from earlier five
per cent.
Talking about the plans of his air-conditioning and commercial
refrigeration company, he said Bluestar will soon set up a
manufacturing unit in the southern region with a half a million
capacity in 50 acres of land. “We are planning to invest Rs 150 crore.
Our target was to finalise the land by September last year. We now
plan to firm it up by May or June,” he said.
Thiagarajan also said his company was eyeing double digit growth in
the room air conditioners segment. The market share in room air
conditioner segment is nine per cent.
Interestingly, the company plans to sell 3.4 lakh units of ACs by
2015-16 of which seven per cent would be inverter.
Last year the room air-conditioners industry grew by 10 per cent in
volume terms and in value terms it was 19 per cent.
Chennai:
As the state government has increased the power tariff by 15 per cent,
AC manufacturers are betting big on inverter ACs for domestic
consumers so that they can not only withstand the summer heat but also
save money by consuming less power.
Blue Star Ltd Executive Director and President, Air-conditioners and
Refrigerator business, B Thiagarajan told reporters that inverter ACs
are the best option not only for the consumers but also for the
government which is struggling to meet the power needs of the
consumers.
“It consumes less than 30 per cent of the power consumed by ordinary
five-star rated air-conditioner. But the hitch is the price. All can’t
afford it. The government should make the central value added tax for
inverter ACs to zero,” he says.
Interestingly, the prices of inverter Acs has dropped from Rs 54,000
last year to Rs 48,000. But still it is Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 more than
the five-star rated air conditioners.
Thiagarajan said that Japan and China are moving towards inverter ACs
to help save power consumption. He says the volume of inverter ACs in
the total sales is likely to go up to 15 per cent from earlier five
per cent.
Talking about the plans of his air-conditioning and commercial
refrigeration company, he said Bluestar will soon set up a
manufacturing unit in the southern region with a half a million
capacity in 50 acres of land. “We are planning to invest Rs 150 crore.
Our target was to finalise the land by September last year. We now
plan to firm it up by May or June,” he said.
Thiagarajan also said his company was eyeing double digit growth in
the room air conditioners segment. The market share in room air
conditioner segment is nine per cent.
Interestingly, the company plans to sell 3.4 lakh units of ACs by
2015-16 of which seven per cent would be inverter.
Last year the room air-conditioners industry grew by 10 per cent in
volume terms and in value terms it was 19 per cent.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
TED trials planned after 123 turtles die during the nesting season
Chennai:
The nesting season of Olive Ridley Turtles began on a bad note with
123 of them found dead along the beaches sparking sea turtle
conservationists on Wednesday to urge mechanized boat owners
association to take steps to regulate their fishing practices by using
Turtle Excluder Device.
During a meeting organized by fisheries department, Tree Foundation
and the Coastal Security group for Mechanised Boat Owners Association
in Kasimedu Fishing Harbor, turtle conservationist and chairperson of
TREE foundation Supraja Dharini said the trial of TED will be
conducted for trawl boat owners and regular workers on January 20.
Supraja said that a scientist from Central Institute of Fisheries
Technology will display an indigenously designed TED accompanied by a
fisherman and technician who have fabricated a fishing Net and TED for
demonstartion.
Two boats would be used for the trial of TED. One boat will be without
TED and another with TED and they will fish along the same area in
order to estimate the catch in both boats, she said.
Meanwhile, fisheries department has asked the fishermen to follow nthe
Marine Fisheries Regulation act and fish beyond 5km from shire and not
to fish in regions offshore to estuaries.
Supraja said that most sea turtles that washed ashore have displayed
common symptoms of asphyxiation through drowning in fishing gear.
“This include bulgy eyes, swollen neck and visible internal
haemorrhaging on the underside (plastron) of the turtle,” she said.
The sea turtles are flagship species and losing them will pave the way
for loss of many fish species that are dependent on sea turtles,
Supraja said.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
writingonblog uncensored: Barc offers technology to make sewage sludge patho...
writingonblog uncensored: Barc offers technology to make sewage sludge patho...: C Shivakumar Chennai: In what could be a Swacchh Bharat initiative, Bhaba Atomic Research Centre is in talks with Chennai Metro Water t...
Barc offers technology to make sewage sludge pathogen free
C Shivakumar
Chennai:
In what could be a Swacchh Bharat initiative, Bhaba Atomic Research
Centre is in talks with Chennai Metro Water to offer technology to
make the sewage sludge pathogen free besides converting it into
bio-fertilizer.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre senior scientist (Technical Coordination
Wing) J Daniel Chellappa told Express that that the technology has
been successfully tried in Vadodara in Gujarat. Vadodara has a
population of about 2.2 million, and generates about 100 tons of dry
sludge at Sewage Treatment Plants (STP)s from 300 millions of litres
of sewage everyday.
The domestic sewage typically contains 99.9per cent water and about
0.1 per cent solid. The sludge after conventional treatment, is still
likely to contain a heavy pathogenic microbial load and needs to be
hygienised before it is applied to agricultural land, Chellappa said.
The end product in a standard sewage treatment plant is sludge which
contains about 75-80 per cent solid and rest water. “But this sludge
after being dried contains maximum concentration of bacteria or
micro-organisms and is harmful,” he says.
He says the dried sludge from the conventional STPs can be taken in a
container and then treated by gamma rays in a safe atmosphere. “This
is akin to the baggage scanning as is being done in airport” he says.
“This kills all the pathogens and the hygienised sludge is a potential
organic manure, a rich source for soil conditioning, conservation and
restoration. This can also be upgraded as bio-fertilisers. It is safe
and enriches the soil,” said Chellappa. The bio-fertiliser through
this method has been tested by Indian council for agricultural
research (ICAR) on paddy, papaya, grapes and other crops through
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK).
“A 10 kiloGray (KGy) radiation treatment plant with an initial
investment of around Rs 15 crore can treat every kilo of dry sludge
for just about Re.1” he says.
Interestingly, BARC officials have inspected a few STP sites and it is
being learnt that if Metro Water agrees to the proposal than the
operation of treating the sludge could be done at a centralized
location.
He said the dry sludge can be transported to this location for
radiation treatment, as per AERB guidelines.
He said Metro water could also earn revenue by converting the treated
sludge into bio-fertiliser. He said even the animal wastes slaughter
houses could also be treated through the process, and exported as
pet-feeds. He said this technology can be adopted by Corporates and
PSUs under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, which
would qualify under the Swachh Bharat Mission
Chennai:
In what could be a Swacchh Bharat initiative, Bhaba Atomic Research
Centre is in talks with Chennai Metro Water to offer technology to
make the sewage sludge pathogen free besides converting it into
bio-fertilizer.
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre senior scientist (Technical Coordination
Wing) J Daniel Chellappa told Express that that the technology has
been successfully tried in Vadodara in Gujarat. Vadodara has a
population of about 2.2 million, and generates about 100 tons of dry
sludge at Sewage Treatment Plants (STP)s from 300 millions of litres
of sewage everyday.
The domestic sewage typically contains 99.9per cent water and about
0.1 per cent solid. The sludge after conventional treatment, is still
likely to contain a heavy pathogenic microbial load and needs to be
hygienised before it is applied to agricultural land, Chellappa said.
The end product in a standard sewage treatment plant is sludge which
contains about 75-80 per cent solid and rest water. “But this sludge
after being dried contains maximum concentration of bacteria or
micro-organisms and is harmful,” he says.
He says the dried sludge from the conventional STPs can be taken in a
container and then treated by gamma rays in a safe atmosphere. “This
is akin to the baggage scanning as is being done in airport” he says.
“This kills all the pathogens and the hygienised sludge is a potential
organic manure, a rich source for soil conditioning, conservation and
restoration. This can also be upgraded as bio-fertilisers. It is safe
and enriches the soil,” said Chellappa. The bio-fertiliser through
this method has been tested by Indian council for agricultural
research (ICAR) on paddy, papaya, grapes and other crops through
Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK).
“A 10 kiloGray (KGy) radiation treatment plant with an initial
investment of around Rs 15 crore can treat every kilo of dry sludge
for just about Re.1” he says.
Interestingly, BARC officials have inspected a few STP sites and it is
being learnt that if Metro Water agrees to the proposal than the
operation of treating the sludge could be done at a centralized
location.
He said the dry sludge can be transported to this location for
radiation treatment, as per AERB guidelines.
He said Metro water could also earn revenue by converting the treated
sludge into bio-fertiliser. He said even the animal wastes slaughter
houses could also be treated through the process, and exported as
pet-feeds. He said this technology can be adopted by Corporates and
PSUs under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, which
would qualify under the Swachh Bharat Mission
Monday, January 12, 2015
writingonblog uncensored: Take over two ESIC medical colleges by Jan 31: Cen...
writingonblog uncensored: Take over two ESIC medical colleges by Jan 31: Cen...: Chennai: The Centre has given Tamil Nadu a deadline of January 31 to take over Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical coll...
Take over two ESIC medical colleges by Jan 31: Centre
Chennai:
The Centre has given Tamil Nadu a deadline of January 31 to take over
Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical colleges in
Chennai and Coimbatore.
Addressing reporters here on Saturday, Union Minister of State for
Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya on Saturday said that Centre
has till now spent Rs 10,400 crore for construction of 13 ESIC medical
colleges, including two in Tamil Nadu.
“To complete the colleges, his ministry requires additional Rs 3,000
crore besides maintenance of the colleges would require Rs 80 crore
each year,” he said.
“When we reviewed it, we found the services would not be upto the
satisfaction of the insured persons. We have decided to gift the
colleges to the state government free of cost,” he said.
“The states have been notified and we have given them a cut off date
of January 31 to respond if they are willing or not,” the minister
said.
To a query on protest by students seeking recognition of Medical
Council of India for ESI medical college in Chennai, he said he
listened to the problems of the students and parents and the issue
will be taken up in New Delhi.
He also said that four new ESI hospitals would be set up in Tuticorin,
Kanyakumari, Sriperumbudur and Tiruppur. All of them are 100 bed
hospitals and would be coming up at a cost of Rs 70 to Rs 80 crore.
He also said that a total of Rs 27,000 crore is in inoperative account
of EPFO. His ministry would be launching a nationwide through EPFO
field officers to ensure the amount is distributed to the workers, the
minister said.
He also said that a smartcard UWIN will be launched for unorganised
workers to synchronise it with social security schemes of Rashtriya
Swasthya Bima Yojana, Aaam AAdmi Bima Youjana and old age pension.
He also said the Centre has decentralised the system of administration
in ESIC. “Now there will be a state level executive committee in all
ESI hospitals headed by principal secretary of labour. It will have
powers for empanelment of super-speciality hospitals, enhancement of
beds besides repair and maintenance of hospitals. They have powers to
sanction a maximum of Rs 5 crore funds,” he said.
He also said that his ministry would convert the employment exchanges
to National Career Services Centre. They will provide SMSes and other
job related information for job aspirants on their mobile phone. “We
are planning 100 model centres in the first phase,” he said.
Box:
Centre concerned over labour issues in Nokia, Foxconn
Chennai:
Minister of State for Labour and employment has expressed concern over
the labour issues in Nokia, Foxconn as well as layoffs in TCS.
This comes under the state administration. If the state fails to look
into the issue and it is brought to our notice then we will look into
it, he said
The Centre has given Tamil Nadu a deadline of January 31 to take over
Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) medical colleges in
Chennai and Coimbatore.
Addressing reporters here on Saturday, Union Minister of State for
Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya on Saturday said that Centre
has till now spent Rs 10,400 crore for construction of 13 ESIC medical
colleges, including two in Tamil Nadu.
“To complete the colleges, his ministry requires additional Rs 3,000
crore besides maintenance of the colleges would require Rs 80 crore
each year,” he said.
“When we reviewed it, we found the services would not be upto the
satisfaction of the insured persons. We have decided to gift the
colleges to the state government free of cost,” he said.
“The states have been notified and we have given them a cut off date
of January 31 to respond if they are willing or not,” the minister
said.
To a query on protest by students seeking recognition of Medical
Council of India for ESI medical college in Chennai, he said he
listened to the problems of the students and parents and the issue
will be taken up in New Delhi.
He also said that four new ESI hospitals would be set up in Tuticorin,
Kanyakumari, Sriperumbudur and Tiruppur. All of them are 100 bed
hospitals and would be coming up at a cost of Rs 70 to Rs 80 crore.
He also said that a total of Rs 27,000 crore is in inoperative account
of EPFO. His ministry would be launching a nationwide through EPFO
field officers to ensure the amount is distributed to the workers, the
minister said.
He also said that a smartcard UWIN will be launched for unorganised
workers to synchronise it with social security schemes of Rashtriya
Swasthya Bima Yojana, Aaam AAdmi Bima Youjana and old age pension.
He also said the Centre has decentralised the system of administration
in ESIC. “Now there will be a state level executive committee in all
ESI hospitals headed by principal secretary of labour. It will have
powers for empanelment of super-speciality hospitals, enhancement of
beds besides repair and maintenance of hospitals. They have powers to
sanction a maximum of Rs 5 crore funds,” he said.
He also said that his ministry would convert the employment exchanges
to National Career Services Centre. They will provide SMSes and other
job related information for job aspirants on their mobile phone. “We
are planning 100 model centres in the first phase,” he said.
Box:
Centre concerned over labour issues in Nokia, Foxconn
Chennai:
Minister of State for Labour and employment has expressed concern over
the labour issues in Nokia, Foxconn as well as layoffs in TCS.
This comes under the state administration. If the state fails to look
into the issue and it is brought to our notice then we will look into
it, he said
writingonblog uncensored: CBI arrests Jt Commissioner of Income Tax
writingonblog uncensored: CBI arrests Jt Commissioner of Income Tax: Chennai: A joint commissioner of income tax was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation while accepting a bribe from a chartered acc...
CBI arrests Jt Commissioner of Income Tax
Chennai:
A joint commissioner of income tax was arrested by Central Bureau of
Investigation while accepting a bribe from a chartered accountant.
CBI said that its anti-corruption branch in Chennai caught red-handed
Joint Commissioner, Income Tax, Range-VI, Nungambakkam, Sallong Yaden
while he was accepting the bribe from chartered accountant Shreyans
Bhandari of S H Bhandari & Co., Chartered Accountants to give a
favourable report on the Income Tax search conducted on a private
company based in Chennai.
It is learnt CBI is conducting searches at nine places in Chennai
including various residences, offices and also at few places outside
Chennai. Several incriminating documents, files relating to the
questioned assessments, computers, laptops, cellphones, cash, huge
quantities of gold jewellery and silver bars were recovered till the
last reports came in. Searches are still continuing.
Both Yaden and Bhandari have been arrested an are being produced
before the CBI special judge. Cases has been registered a case vide RC
1(A)/15 u/s.120-B IPC r/w 7, 12, 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of PC Act, 1988
against the Yaden, Shreyans Bhandari, managing director the private
firm Hitesh Kawad and Sanjay Bhandari of S.H. Bhandari & Co.,
Chartered Accountants
A joint commissioner of income tax was arrested by Central Bureau of
Investigation while accepting a bribe from a chartered accountant.
CBI said that its anti-corruption branch in Chennai caught red-handed
Joint Commissioner, Income Tax, Range-VI, Nungambakkam, Sallong Yaden
while he was accepting the bribe from chartered accountant Shreyans
Bhandari of S H Bhandari & Co., Chartered Accountants to give a
favourable report on the Income Tax search conducted on a private
company based in Chennai.
It is learnt CBI is conducting searches at nine places in Chennai
including various residences, offices and also at few places outside
Chennai. Several incriminating documents, files relating to the
questioned assessments, computers, laptops, cellphones, cash, huge
quantities of gold jewellery and silver bars were recovered till the
last reports came in. Searches are still continuing.
Both Yaden and Bhandari have been arrested an are being produced
before the CBI special judge. Cases has been registered a case vide RC
1(A)/15 u/s.120-B IPC r/w 7, 12, 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of PC Act, 1988
against the Yaden, Shreyans Bhandari, managing director the private
firm Hitesh Kawad and Sanjay Bhandari of S.H. Bhandari & Co.,
Chartered Accountants
Saturday, January 10, 2015
writingonblog uncensored: Refugees pin hope on India to help Sri Lanka imple...
writingonblog uncensored: Refugees pin hope on India to help Sri Lanka imple...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Sri Lankan refugees in India may be celebrating the defeat of Mahinda Rajapakse in the elections but the longing...
Refugees pin hope on India to help Sri Lanka implement 13th amendment to return home
C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Sri Lankan refugees in India may be celebrating the defeat of Mahinda
Rajapakse in the elections but the longing to return back home is
clouded by fear of persecution and safety back at home.
“If India along with Tamil Nadu government helps the Sri Lankan
government in implementing the the 13th amendment in “letter and
spirit” and ensure safety and security for Tamils, then the refugees
in Tamil Nadu won’t hesitate to return to their homeland,” said
Jayanth, who took refuge in India during the ethnic war in Sri Lanka
in 2006.
The 38-year old refugee who entered the Indian coast along with his
brother is just living on hope after being detained in Chengalpet and
other camps. “We want to return home but want assurances of safety and
freedom from fear to live on our land without the fear of being picked
up and never to return again. We want the safety of our womenfolk who
can venture even during the night,” he says.
“We want the Indian government to come forward and initiate talks with
the Sri Lankan government to implement 13th amendment,” he says. The
13th amendment to the constitution of Sri Lanka to establish
provincial councils came into being after then prime minister Rajiv
Gandhi and then Sri Lanka president J R Jayawardne signed the Indo-Sri
Lanka accord in 1987.
But the scars of ethnic war in the Island that came to an end in 2009
is still deep in the heart of many refugees. While in one hand they
are happy that Rajapakse is defeated but they are still unsure of his
successor Maithripala Sirisena.
“Sirisena is still a Sinhalese and in what way he will be different
from Rajapakse,” says Rangasamy Somasundram, who migrated from Adamban
in Mannur district.
“Sirisena never gave assurances that the Sri Lankan army would be
removed from the Tamil majority areas during the campaign. If he
provides safety, guarantee rights and self determination besides
equality in education then the refugees can think about returning to
Sri lanka,” says Somasundaram, who took refuge in India in 1990 and is
working as a Omni bus driver.
Somasundaram has two sons and two girls and all of whom are married
and have adopted the culture here. “We don’t want to go back. We have
now settled here for the last 25 years,” he says. His family is
settled in Metupatti camp in Trichy.
K Kamalan, another refugee who migrated to India in 1990, says that
after the ethnic war ended one of his relatives went back to
Killinochi in Sri Lanka. “He was picked up for investigation and he
never returned back,” he says. “It is not safe to return back,” he
adds.
But has the yearning for separate Ealam waned. “No says a refugee. “It
is still in our blood. We will struggle for it,” he says.
Friday, January 9, 2015
writingonblog uncensored: Nation forgot Mahatma but remembered other Gandhis...
writingonblog uncensored: Nation forgot Mahatma but remembered other Gandhis...: Chennai: The government should involve people in Swach Bharat campaign rather than spend Rs one lakh crore, according to V Kalyanam, for...
Nation forgot Mahatma but remembered other Gandhis during Congress era, says M K Gandhi personal secy
Chennai:
The government should involve people in Swach Bharat campaign rather
than spend Rs one lakh crore, according to V Kalyanam, former personal
secretary to Mahatma Gandhi.
Speaking to reporters after the release of set of two stamps by
Department of Posts to mark 100th year of Gandhiji’s return to India
from South Africa, Kalyanam said that spending so much money on the
campaign is unnecessary. The government should rather involve people
in the cleanliness campaign, he said.
Kalyanam, who was with Gandhi on the fateful day when Nathuram Godse
shot the Mahatma, slammed the move by Hindu Mahasabha to have the
statues installed of the assassin.
“Having a statue of Godse is wrong. Godse himself has accepted that he
was wrong in killing Gandhi,” said Kalyanam.
He also hit out Minister of state for food processing industries
Niranjan Jyoti for using abusive language at an election campaign.
“She should have been sacked by the Modi government for making such
statements,” he said.
Interestingly, Kalyanam prefers Modi government than to having a
Congress government at the centre. “They ruled for more than 65 years
and people forgot the Mahatma and remembered other Gandhis,” he said.
He also said Mahtama Gandhi wanted to dissolve Congress and was in
favour of Lok Seva Sangh. He also stressed the need to have
prohibition laws against alcohol like that in Gujarat.
T Murthy, chief postmaster general, Tamil Nadu circle, Chennai and
Postmaster General of Chennai City Region Merwin Alexander were
present on the occasion
The government should involve people in Swach Bharat campaign rather
than spend Rs one lakh crore, according to V Kalyanam, former personal
secretary to Mahatma Gandhi.
Speaking to reporters after the release of set of two stamps by
Department of Posts to mark 100th year of Gandhiji’s return to India
from South Africa, Kalyanam said that spending so much money on the
campaign is unnecessary. The government should rather involve people
in the cleanliness campaign, he said.
Kalyanam, who was with Gandhi on the fateful day when Nathuram Godse
shot the Mahatma, slammed the move by Hindu Mahasabha to have the
statues installed of the assassin.
“Having a statue of Godse is wrong. Godse himself has accepted that he
was wrong in killing Gandhi,” said Kalyanam.
He also hit out Minister of state for food processing industries
Niranjan Jyoti for using abusive language at an election campaign.
“She should have been sacked by the Modi government for making such
statements,” he said.
Interestingly, Kalyanam prefers Modi government than to having a
Congress government at the centre. “They ruled for more than 65 years
and people forgot the Mahatma and remembered other Gandhis,” he said.
He also said Mahtama Gandhi wanted to dissolve Congress and was in
favour of Lok Seva Sangh. He also stressed the need to have
prohibition laws against alcohol like that in Gujarat.
T Murthy, chief postmaster general, Tamil Nadu circle, Chennai and
Postmaster General of Chennai City Region Merwin Alexander were
present on the occasion
writingonblog uncensored: Ground water levels in city improves
writingonblog uncensored: Ground water levels in city improves: Chennai: The catchment areas may have failed to get adequate rainfall during the north-east monsoon but Metro Water says the rains h...
Ground water levels in city improves
Chennai:
The catchment areas may have failed to get
adequate rainfall during the north-east monsoon but Metro Water says the rains
have helped improve the ground water levels by an average rise of 2.84 metres.
A Metro water spokesman said that as per
the water level and water quality assessment by Metro Water through a network
of 145 wells, it was found that the average water level which was 5.59 metres
below the ground (June 2014), improved to 2.75 metres after the monsoon in
December 2014.
It is learnt that the water quality (Total dissolved Solids) has
also improved in the range of 200 to 600 ppm. Metro water said that this is due to the
awareness created by door to door campaign on the maintenance of Rain Water
Harvesting.
The spokesman said that due to the
insufficient rainfall in Chennai city for the last two years, the state
government took initiative on June 2014 to install and maintain the rainwater
harvesting structures. Massive campaigns were also conducted in all the 200
depots of Metro Water involving school children besides pamphlets containing
different methods suitable for different soil types in Chennai city and
stickers containing the Rain Water Harvesting maintenance tips were also
issued.
This has augured well in Geoge Town,
Mandaiveli, Besant Nagar and Nungambakkam areas where the average rise in water
level is one metre. It also boosted the ground water levels in Thiruvottriyur,
Tondaiarpet, Kottur and Ayanavaram area where the average rise is two metres.
Similarly, in Anna Nagar West, Koyambedu,
West Mambalam, Saidapet and Little Mount, the average rise is three metres. In
Puzhal, St Thomas Mount and Pallikaranai area, the average rise is four metres.
COMPARISON OF WATER LEVEL AND WATER QUALITY
IN CHENNAI
CITY -2014
(BEFORE AND AFTER RAIN)
|
SL.
NO
|
LOCATION
|
WATER LEVEL
|
DIFFE
RENCE
|
WATER QUALITY
|
||
|
BEFORE RAIN
IN METRES
|
AFTER RAIN
IN METRES
|
BEFORE RAIN
IN PPM.
|
AFTER RAIN
IN PPM
|
|||
|
1
|
Puzhal
|
7.60
|
1.50
|
6.10
|
500
|
300
|
|
2
|
Thiruvottriyur
|
6.20
|
3.70
|
2.50
|
700
|
500
|
|
3
|
Tondaiyapet
|
7.10
|
4.90
|
2.20
|
600
|
400
|
|
4
|
Parrys corner
|
5.80
|
4.20
|
1.50
|
1000
|
500
|
|
5
|
Korattur
|
4.70
|
1.50
|
3.20
|
1500
|
500
|
|
6
|
Ambattur (Balaji Ngr)
|
10.65
|
2.10
|
8.55
|
700
|
400
|
|
7
|
Ayanavaram
|
4.85
|
1.80
|
3.05
|
600
|
400
|
|
8
|
Villivakkam
|
8.10
|
2.30
|
5.80
|
600
|
300
|
|
9
|
Anna Nagar (West)
|
8.10
|
1.30
|
3.80
|
600
|
400
|
|
10
|
Koyambedu
|
5.85
|
2.25
|
3.60
|
600
|
500
|
|
11
|
Chepauk
|
4.25
|
1.70
|
2.55
|
900
|
600
|
|
12
|
Nungambakkam
|
4.25
|
1.65
|
2.60
|
1000
|
500
|
|
13
|
West Mambalam
|
5.95
|
2.00
|
3.95
|
1000
|
500
|
|
14
|
Saidapet
|
7.50
|
4.20
|
3.30
|
700
|
400
|
|
15
|
Little Mount
|
7.05
|
2.20
|
3.05
|
700
|
200
|
|
16
|
St Thomas Mount
|
9.10
|
2.30
|
6.80
|
1000
|
300
|
|
17
|
Kotturpuram
|
2.80
|
1.90
|
0.90
|
600
|
300
|
|
18
|
Mandaiveli
|
2.55
|
1.05
|
1.50
|
500
|
300
|
|
19
|
Besant Nagar
|
5.25
|
3.60
|
1.65
|
500
|
100
|
|
20
|
Pallikaranai
|
6.80
|
0.60
|
6.20
|
1000
|
500
|
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