OTA pays tribute to Indian Army’s Infantry Brigade

Chennai:

The Temple of Remembrance in Officers Training Academy was filled with fragrance of flowers as wreaths were placed to mark 'Infantry Day' in tribute to Indian army soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country.

The temple, which houses the names of alumni who laid down their lives during the 1965 Indo-Pak conflict and all wars and counter-insurgency operations, brought back the memories of 1947 when soldiers of 161 Infantry Brigade, a combination of first battalion of Sikh Regiment, fourth battalion Kumaon regiment and One Punjab regiment, foiled the attempt by Pakistan army to annex Kashmir during October 1947.

The wreaths were placed by Lt General Bobby Mathews, the senior most serving infantry officer along with Lt Gen (retd) V R Raghavan, the senior most infantry veteran, at the temple which honours brave officers of teh academy who laid down their lives for the country.

Lt General Raghavan spoke about the importance of the occasion and also about the Battle of Badgam where in Major Somnath Sharma of 4 Kumaon laid down his life in defending the country. He was conferred with Independent India’s highest gallantry award Paramvir Chakra. 

writingonblog uncensored: Security firm blamed for encroachment in Koyambedu...

writingonblog uncensored: Security firm blamed for encroachment in Koyambedu...: Chennai: The failure to act against encroachment in Koyambedu Wholesale Market is due to the previous security service firm whose contrac...

Security firm blamed for encroachment in Koyambedu market

Chennai:

The failure to act against encroachment in Koyambedu Wholesale Market is due to the previous security service firm whose contract has been terminated, according to Market management Committee sources.

Sources said that the security firm failed to remove encroachment in the market complex besides allowing unlicensed vendors and beggars into the market.

When Express contacted traders, they alleged that the condition of the market had been deteriorating with encroachment of service lanes ever since the market came up in 1996.

“It has always been the courts which has to intervene to make the officials work. The officials who have failed to perform their duty should be accountable. They conduct raids but the encroachments are back again,” allege traders.

Interestingly, as per agreement conditions, a security firm engages 31 security personnel per shift for three shift security arrangement and 20 security personnel for night shift to regulate traffic during the night.

The security service firm has to prevent entry of cattle or stray animals inside the market and garbage transfer station. They should also stop entry of unauthorised personnel like beggars, unlicensed vendors, alcoholics besides prevent unauthorised vending within complex area and all roads belonging to market complex.

They should also not permit entry or exit of construction materials within the market without the consent of MMC officials. However, some of MMC officials have been lenient in allowing the traders to alter the market plan, allege traders.

The failure to act against encroachment is attributed to the previous security service firm whose contract has been terminated. Sources said that they failed to remove encroachment in the market complex besides allowing unlicensed vendors and beggars into the market.

Traders alleged that the condition of the market had been deteriorating with encroachment of service lanes ever since the market came up in 1996.

 

“It has always been the courts which has to intervene to make the officials work. The officials who have failed to perform their duty should be accountable. They conduct raids but the encroachments are back again,” alleged a trader.

Interestingly, as per agreement conditions, a  Security firm engages 31 security personnel per shift for three shift security arrangement and 20 security personnel for night shift to regulate traffic during the night.

The security service firm has to prevent entry of cattle or stray animals inside the market and garbage transfer station. They should also stop entry of unauthorised personnel like beggars, unlicensed vendors, alcoholics besides prevent unauthorised vending within complex area and all roads belonging to market complex.

They should also not permit entry or exit of construction materials within the market without the consent of MMC officials. However, some of MMC officials have been lenient in allowing the traders to alter the market plan, allege traders.

writingonblog uncensored: Petrol bunks black out for 15 minutes

writingonblog uncensored: Petrol bunks black out for 15 minutes: Chennai:  Pressing ahead with their demand for better margins, thousands of petrol bunks across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry began their pro...

Petrol bunks black out for 15 minutes

Chennai:

 Pressing ahead with their demand for better margins, thousands of petrol bunks across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry began their protests in a novel manner, by switching off lights at the fuel stations for 15 minutes on Wednesday night.

According to the dealers, the State-owned Oil Marketing firms failed to disburse the margin based on investment in land and other infrastructure as recommended by Apoorva Chandra Committee report since 2010, leading to a situation where each of them have lakhs pending as arrear from the company. With their repeated demands failing to evoke any positive response, the association representing them have announced a series of protests, which began with the lights-off protest today.

“The next step,” said KP Murali, president of Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association, “is to not buy petrol and diesel on November 3 and 4.” Both being working days, it could lead to a shortage which would in turn have a crippling effect on transport sector and common man if the association goes ahead with the plan.

During the protest today, as many as 4,700 petrol bunks in the State and the neighbouring Union Territory went dark for 15 minutes. Dealers, who are now getting Rs 2.42 and Rs 1.52 as margin per litre of petrol and diesel, have been demanding the implementation of the committee report which had suggested fixing of margin based on the investment in land and other infrastructure by them.

As per the report, they should be paid Rs 2 for sale of a litre of diesel and Rs 3 per litre of petrol.

“They have not paid the promised dealer margin from 2010, which works out to Rs 35 lakh for every dealer who sold more than 1.7 lakh litres of petroleum products,” he said. On the other hand, the mushrooming of private petrol bunks after the deregulation of oil prices, too, have affected the sale margin, he added.

Factfile:

Price of Petrol without taxes/ Commission: Rs 27.91

Central Taxes:                             Rs 21.99

State taxes                                Rs 14.13

Dealer Commission                          Rs 2.42

Total                                      Rs 66.45

Price of Diesel without taxes/ Commission: Rs 27.79

Central Taxes:                             Rs 17.85

State taxes                                Rs 8.20

Dealer Commission                          Rs 1.54

Total                                      Rs 55.38

Sale of Petrol (Thousand Metric Tonnes)

Tamil Nadu: 2,052.1

Southern states: 6719.2

All India: 21,846.4

Sale of High speed Diesel (Thousand Metric Tonnes)

Tamil Nadu: 6311.8

Southern states: 21315.6

All India: 74,590.2

Oil Industry retail outlets:

Tamil Nadu: 4702

South India: 15,935

All India: 56,190

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writingonblog uncensored: After BREXIT, Britain to embrace free trade

writingonblog uncensored: After BREXIT, Britain to embrace free trade: CHENNAI: Britain after its exit from European Union said it is very much open for business and seizes opportunities of leaving the Europ...

After BREXIT, Britain to embrace free trade

CHENNAI:

Britain after its exit from European Union said it is very much open for business and seizes opportunities of leaving the European Union by becoming a leading proponent of free trade to create jobs and mutual prosperity.

At an event to introduce new Department of International Trade (DIT) here on Wednesday, Bharat Joshi, British Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai highlighted the strong ties Britain shared with India.

“Our ties with India have never been stronger. Prime Minister Modi's visit last year highlighted our shared history, language, diaspora, our joint vision for a fairer, cleaner future for our children. Our new Prime Minister's visit next month to open the UK India Tech Summit with Prime Minister Modi is another milestone in this key relationship and reflects India’s importance as a strategic partner,” he said.

Talking about Britain-India commercial ties, he said that Indian companies created over 7000 jobs in the UK last year, second only to the US. “One in twenty jobs in the formal sector in India have been created by UK firms,” he added.

During the day, the British Deputy High Commission, Chennai conducted a road show at the Ascendas IT Park to reach out to the information technology sector to talk about the UK – India commercial relationship; UK Government funded scholarships; programmes to support and develop the next generation of Women Leaders; and visas.

writingonblog uncensored: Reunion after a seven year tale of misery

writingonblog uncensored: Reunion after a seven year tale of misery: Seven years after struggling in the streets with barely anything to hide the body, 30-year-old Abrar Ahmed would have never dreamed of re...

Reunion after a seven year tale of misery

Seven years after struggling in the streets with barely anything to hide the body, 30-year-old Abrar Ahmed would have never dreamed of reuniting with his family of nine members in Uttar Pradesh after being rescued by Udavum Karangal in Chennai.

The frail looking crippled naked man found crawling under the hot sun near Olympia Techpark in Ekkatuthangal and rescued by Udavum Karangal got back his family thanks to the initiative of P N Sundaresan, a social worker with Udavan Karangal.

Sundaresan who rescued him last June, says that Abrar had a history of having undergone psychiatry treatment. After regular counselling and interaction, he came out with details about his family at a village near Hasimpur , Muzaffar Nagar District, Uttar Pradesh.

“We contacted his family. Since he was missing for nearly seven years, the family members thought he had died.  Once the family got the news about him, his father and brother cried with joy. His brother Gulzar rushed to Chennai,” says Sundaresan.

Abrar’s family is huge with eight siblings. His parents are still alive and were affectionate towards him. All his six sisters, have been married. “He is said to have taken psychiatric treatment at Meerut and Delhi for one year. He was non-cooperative with the family members. He didn’t want to be a burden to the family and so he disappeared from his house under the state of depression,” said Sundaresan..

“These days even a physically normal person with mental illness is rejected by the society. We were heartened to see a totally dependent disabled and mentally challenged person is wanted by the family with full affection and love.  He was restored to his brother Gulzar, said Sundaresan.

Meanwhile, Udavum Karangam has developed a mobile application to reach out to destitute, psychiatric patients and senior citizens who are left in lurch on the streets and for whom there is no one to care. Youth who find a person in distress can access the APP and direct them to our organisation where social workers were waiting to render the required help, said Sundaresan.

He said the app will provide a platform for the people, especially the youth who are techno-savvy, to get into the mode of human service orientation. There are a lot of people who are ready to help both physically and through their financial contributions, but are still to find a way to do it. To encourage such people the Mobile Solution through the APP – Helper’s Choice has been developed, he said.

This mobile App can be internationally accessed. However, with the limited scope for physical operation like rescuing patients and destitute it operates currently in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruvannamalai,  where the Homes of Udavum Karangal function.

writingonblog uncensored: TNHB to raise funds worth Rs 682 cr with sale of 1...

writingonblog uncensored: TNHB to raise funds worth Rs 682 cr with sale of 1...: C Shivakumar @ Chennai, Oct 21: Tamil Nadu Housing Board is planning to raise funds worth Rs 682 crore with the sale of 1779 residential...

TNHB to raise funds worth Rs 682 cr with sale of 1,779 residential flats

C Shivakumar @ Chennai, Oct 21:

Tamil Nadu Housing Board is planning to raise funds worth Rs 682 crore with the sale of 1779 residential flats under the Self Financing Scheme.

The flats will be constructed after demolishing 2,238 flats located in 17 places of Chennai.

Sources said a total of 4,691 flats will be constructed by state housing board of which 2912 will be under the Tamil Nadu Government Rental housing Scheme and the rest will be developed under the self finance scheme.

Interestingly, the plan to sell 1779 residential flats, which is being constructed at nine places in Chennai, at a price of Rs 5,000 per square feet including land, development and construction cost works out to Rs 682 crore.

The sale of flats would help generate funds without expecting grants from the government. It is learnt the total cost of building 2,912 flats under the Tamil Nadu Government Rental housing Scheme would cost the exchequer Rs 380 crore while those of 1,779 residential flats under self finance scheme would cost Rs 300 crore.

This would tantamount to Rs 680 crore which is less than the value of sale of 1,779 flats under the Self Financing Scheme.

It is learnt that the housing board would be utilising the maximum permissible floor space index of 1.5 to construct additional 30 per cent of TNGRHS flats. The earlier flats in RK Mutt scheme were constructed by utilising a FSI of 0.37.

Factfile:

-- TNHB has till now constructed 25,849 residential rental units under Tamil Nadu Government Rental Housing Scheme

--- Revenue generated from the allottees towards rent for the year 2011-12 is Rs 3,027 lakh

--- The expenditure incurred towards annual maintenance per year is Rs 1,474.73 lakh

--- The total expenditure for repair works to make flats livable is Rs 15,509 lakh

writingonblog uncensored: ROSATOM opens regional office in Mumbai

writingonblog uncensored: ROSATOM opens regional office in Mumbai: Chennai: In a bid to enhance its presence in India, Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) has opened a regional office in Mu...

ROSATOM opens regional office in Mumbai

Chennai:

In a bid to enhance its presence in India, Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) has opened a regional office in Mumbai on Thursday.

The Mumbai office will also be in charge of the company's projects in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The regional center will also be responsible for strengthening the current positions of Rosatom in the South Asian market and identifying new opportunities for the development of its nuclear power and non-energy businesses.

Rosatom has already opened similar centers in Latin America, Western, Eastern and Central Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North America.

"Two power units of Russian design are already operating on the Kudankulam nuclear power plant site and two more are under construction. To increase the state corporation's market presence, it was decided to open a regional center in Mumbai. This will enable us to join forces with our Indian partners and enhance the performance of Russian nuclear enterprises operating in India," said Aleksey Pimenov, the Regional President of Rosatom South Asia.

Pimenov pointed out that the creation of a network of offices all over the world is related to the expansion of Rosatom's global footprint. It is also in line with the company's long-term development strategy, which stipulates an ambitious but achievable aim of increasing the foreign order portfolio to $150 billion in the next 10 years.

The management and development of Rosatom's regional network are carried out by Private Institution of Atomic Energy Power Corporation Rusatom International Network.

Imposing clamp on cheaper imports will affect SMEs, says Commerce Minister

Chennai:
Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Seetharaman said that imposing clamp on cheaper imports would affect the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as they are instrumental in creating jobs silently.

Speaking at an event organised by Chennai International Centre, the Union minister said it is in a dharam sankat on whether to act against cheaper imports to safeguard the Indian manufacturers or by putting to risk the interests of small and medium enterprises who are dependent on it.

Speaking at a panel discussion which was moderated by Preetha Reddy of Apollo Hospital here, Seetharaman said that cheap import of raw materials is helping the SMEs who are instrumental in providing good number of employment.

On one end, a section of industry is affected by the cheaper imports resulting in bad loans and non performing assets on the banks and on other end it is helping SMEs competing in the global market, she said.

On rubber industry in South India being hit by cheaper imports, she said the imported rubber's quality does not measure to the quality of rubber produced in India.

But the issue is India does not have standards in many sectors. It is a complex matrix, she said.

To a query on whether the government will initiate action against dumping of goods by China, Finance Minister is engaging with various structures which are concerned with inverted duty structure.

The minister also said that the country is hoping to attain eight per cent growth with the help of Jan Dhan scheme, Aadhaar being seeded into direct benefit scheme and mobile connectivity.

She said the schemes have cut down on big ticket corruption while citing the example of Harry ana which brought to light large number of fake ration cards.

She said one crore Indians surrendered their LPG subsidy and these subsidies which were returned are being used to provide gas cylinders to women living below poverty line.

Hailing Goods and Service Tax, she said every thing is digitised under GST and it will usher in 2.5 billion transactions on one single platform every month without any human interference. She said once GST comes into being it will boost the growth by 1.5pc.

She also said the government is planning to boost growth through possible funding of infrastructure like building roads and waterways.

Govt ready to help exporters hit by global export slowdown

Chennai:
Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Seetharaman on Friday has told exporters that it is ready to offer support to industry which is hit by international currency volatility and global exports slowdown.
Speaking after handing over the Exports Excellence Awards organised by Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO), Southern Region, the minister urged the FIEO to provide platform for the government and the exporters to talk on what kind of relief measures were required.
This comes after exporters including regional chairman of FIEO A Sakthivel highlighted the World Trade Organisation estimates which said that world trade will grow slowly by just 1.7pc during 2016.
The minister said that the industry has to interact more with government in the wake of WTO revising the estimates for the second time on global exports.
Sakthivel said that the state contributed $30.26 billion worth of exports in 2015-16 with a share of 13pc in national exports thereby showing a dominant share in southern region. It is the third largest exporting state after Gujarat and Maharashtra.

TN’s critical information assets to be protected by NCIIPC

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu government will soon be submitting a report on the presence of Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) in the state whose destruction could have a debilitating impact on the economy and security of the nation.

This comes after the two-year-old National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), which is under the administrative control of National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) sought the detail in order to send advisories to protect the critical information infrastructure.

It is learnt that Information Technology secretary has asked all the departments in the state to provide information on critical assets whose incapicitation or destruction will have debilitating impact on national security, economy, public health or safety.

NCIIPC is formed on January 16, 2014 after the Information Technology Act had been amended on 2008. It designated the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) as the national nodal agency for critical information infrastructure protection.

Sources said that once the information is provided to NCIIPC, then the Centre will send regular alerts and advisories to protect the critical information infrastructure.

It is learnt that the state government departmets would have to send details of hardware, software along with make, model and version of its critical assets.

Sources said that India’s Information Technology Act was reworked in 2008 with the aim of establishing National Cybers Security Framework following the rise of cyber vulnerabilities, threats and attacks as well as emergence of new threats. 

Among the significant amendments, several touched on the protection of India’s Critical Information Infrastructure.  While changes were made in 2008, the Gazette Notification came into being in January 2014 resulting in the formation of NCIIPC.

NCIIPC will protect systems from unauthorized access, modification, use, disclosure, disruption, incapacitation or destruction, through coherent coordination, synergy and raising information security awareness among all stakeholders.

Factfile:

1. NCIIPC was formed  o January 16, 2014 after Gazette Notification of Information Technology Agreement amendment on 2008.

2. It is the national nodal agency to protect nation’s critical information infrastructure

3. It will protect and deliver advice that aims to reduce the vulnerabilities of critical information infrastructure against cyber terrorism, cyber warfare and other threats

4. Currently, it is sending tailored alerts and advisories to stakeholders depending upon specifications of hardware and software

Failure to implement SC order could undermine judiciary

Chennai:
The failure by Karnataka government to implement Supreme Court order over releasing water to Tamil Nadu could undermine the Judiciary as it could set a precedent for any ruling state that has alleged control over unruly elements to disobey the law, according to judicial experts.

Reacting to the failure of Karnataka to release 6000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu as per Supreme Court order, former Madras High court judge Justice K Chandru said that this is not the first time Karnataka has been disobeying the Supreme Court.

“In 2002, when then chief minister S M Krishna refused to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu then Supreme Court has warned that it is time for him to go. This resulted in Karnataka releasing the water,” said Chandru

Chandru also said that the failure of the state to adhere to principles of constitution could erode the belief in constitution which could prove a threat to nation’s unity.

“Reaffirming constitutional faith is important. Intolerance has been rising since 1990 due to political opportunism and now we have lawyers also taking to streets to resolve a conflict,” he stated.

“The articles 141 to 145 which clearly highlights the power of judiciary won’t make sense if the political will is not there to enforce the Supreme Court order, he said.

Chandru said the issue here is that inter-state dispute pertaining to water is to be decided by Water tribunal, which is an appellate authority. The Supreme court can only review it. But then being the apex court supreme Court is the ultimate authority, he said.

Former judge of Madras High Court T R Vallinayagam said that Supreme Court has to act against Karnataka either by suspending the administration or directly implementing the order. “The President has to act now,” he said.

He said the issue is a real litmus test for rule of law and rule of politics.

As per Article 144, all authorities in the territory of India are bound to obey the orders of the Supreme Court and render assistance and aid for the implementation of the orders of this court, he said..

The judges also highlighted how senior advocate Fali Nariman refused to espouse the cause of his own client Karnataka. Nariman said he was also an officer of the court and did not want to press further Karnataka’s case in defiance of the repeated orders of the Supreme Court to release water.

Adocate K M Vijayan said that Centre has to take strong view and enforce the Supreme Court order. “If it doesn’t then the country could disintegrate,” he added.

Tamil Nadu electricity board slashes coal imports; Cuts down losses by 50pc

Tamil Nadu has cut down on revenue losses by almost 50pc after it slashed its coal imports and started procuring coal from domestic markets.

According to officials in Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO), the losses have come down to Rs 5,786 crore in 2015-16 from 12,756 crore in 2014-15

Sources said that the losses have been curtailed as the state which was dependent on coal imports from Indonesia have started looking to domestic markets, which includes Talcher and IB Valley coalfields in Odisha.

The coal is being procured now at a cheaper rate. “The difference is about Rs 1,000 between imported coal and coal procured from domestic market,” he added.

Citing example of Tuticorin thermal plant, he said usually the state electricity department was procuring coal at the cost of Rs 4,700 per metric tonne. Now it is being procured at Rs 3,751 per metric tonne.

He said on an average the state electricity board has been able to save Rs 1,300 crore which has helped reduction in losses drastically.

Interestingly, the state's dependence on coal import was too high a couple of years ago when it has asked Ennore Port to increase its coal handling to 34 million tonnes in the next five years. To a query on what would happen to these coal berths, the official said we are keeping our options open and this could be put to use when we have shortages in domestic market.

He said the state electricity board would break even in the next couple of years and ruled out there is a power crisis in the state. Interestingly, the state electricity board is planning to decommission Ennore Thermal Power station and work is on for building new thermal power project in Ennore Export Processing Zone.

He also said that the state electricity board is now gearing up for monsoon. Last year, we identified 13 substations which got submerged during the floods. “Now we are planning to build retaining walls so that water could not seep into the substations. We are also planning to have sandbags in and around the retaining walls.

“We are also planning to raise the pillar box height,” he added. 

Factfile:

1. Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited has cut down the losses by more than 50pc

2. The losses have come down to Rs 5,786 crore in 2015-16 from 12,756 crore in 2014-15

3. Revenue from sale of power has gone up by 18.3pc

4. After reducing coal imports, on an average the state electricity board has been able to save Rs 1,300 crore

5. The state electricity board is likely to break even in the next couple of years