writingonblog uncensored: Kilambakkam bus terminus likely to open on Dec 30;...

writingonblog uncensored: Kilambakkam bus terminus likely to open on Dec 30;...: C Shivakumar @ Chennai: The Rs 393.74 crore Kilambakkam Bus terminus for south bound buses, which is likely to be inaugurated on December 3...

Kilambakkam bus terminus likely to open on Dec 30; Private omni buses favoured at the cost of SETC buses; Completion Certificate not issued

C Shivakumar @ Chennai:

The Rs 393.74 crore Kilambakkam Bus terminus for south bound buses, which is likely to be inaugurated on December 30, would accomodate omni buses at the cost of State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) buses. The reason being the private bus stand for Omni buses in Varadarajapuram is yet to be completed.

According to a SETC official, a total of 102 buses, which cater to the all section of passengers may not find the parking space as the government is favouring the omni bus owners. SETC has already raised the issue by wiriting a letter to Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority member secretary Anshul Mishra but he has yet to take a decision.

At present SETC is operating 358 services from CMBT to various places of the state via National Highway 46. Out of these services, 202 vehicles are south bound. and being operated beyond Madurai. However, CMDA has allotted only 100 parking bays. Now the big question is where will 102 buses will be accomodated, rued an official.

This is not the lone issue. he bus terminus is already facing legal scrutiny as Madras High Court is hearing a case filed by social activist Vaishnavi Jayakumar that the bus terminus is not in compliance with the Harmonized Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India, 2021. This means that the bus terminus is not disabled friendly. Already the first hearing was held and the Court has adjourbed the hearing to January 24, 2024.

"Our only request for completion before inauguration - a common level boarding platform for high floor buses has been ignored. The other non-transport related retrofits can happen with a fixed timeline, but the BRT style boarding platform can only happen before operations commence. Instead inauguration is being advanced to happen during Madras High Court's vacation and before the scheduled hearing on January 24," said Vaishnavi.

"This could have all been completed if CMDA had just acted as soon as the access visit report was submitted in September. Three months have been wasted for no good reason. As far back as July 2021, CMDA Member secretary was met by the December 3 Movement team, and the Kilambakkam superintendent engineer assured it would be 'disabled friendly.' Leaving aside Harmonised Guidelines compliance, Tamil Nadu's own Combined Building and Development Rules have been flouted in the section for transport terminals!" says Vaishnavi

"The Madras High Court was clear that the access audit report should be shared for the sector's final feedback. Yet CMDA is delaying sharing the report on flimsy grounds. An empanelled agency's access audit report is public information and should be shared freely and openly. These delays are hostile tactics being deployed by Government against citizens whose rights to freedom of movement are being trampled upon." said Vaishnavi Jayakumar.

It is learnt that the haste with which the bus terminus is being opened also puts to question the connectivity to the new bus terminus. The new bus terminus lacks Chennai Metro connectivity as well as suburban rail connectivity and would be accessible only through MTC buses. SETC has suggested that both TNSTC and SETC utilise the Kilambakkam bus terminus as an additional bus stand to terminate some services. Once Kilambakkam is well connected through Chennai Metro and the suburban train network, then more buses from Koyambedu can be shifted. The other major issue is whether the bus terminus has got completion certificate. It is not clear as the website of CMDA has no mention about it

writingonblog uncensored: PMG reviews delays over Rs 900 crore IOC terminal

writingonblog uncensored: PMG reviews delays over Rs 900 crore IOC terminal: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: The delay over Rs 900 crore Indian Oil Corporation Corporation terminal at Vallur along with four other pending proj...

PMG reviews delays over Rs 900 crore IOC terminal

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
The delay over Rs 900 crore Indian Oil Corporation Corporation terminal at Vallur along with four other pending projects of the state has been reviewed by Project Monitoring Group (PMG) chaired by the Union Cabinet Secretary.

PMG is an institutional mechanism that is tasked with facilitating issue resolution in projects that are facing delays or awaiting regulatory clearances with state and Central Ministries.

If a company faces any bottlenecks in obtaining approvals from the Central or State Governments, it can upload the project and the issues accompanying it onto the PMG portal after creating an account and login credentials. After verification, PMG will take up the issues with the concerned authorities and facilitate expedited resolution.

The Grassroot terminal was to be constructed in Vallur by resitement of terminals at Korukkupet and Tondiarpet as these terminals were in congested areas. Initially the project was expected to be completed within 36 months from the date of administrative approval. However, the project is facing hurdles in change of land use for 13.134 acres by Housing department and approval of imported earth required for filling under the project.

The petroleum terminal is being constructed in an area of 100 acres near Kamarajar Port, which would supply petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel by road to Chennai and the adjoining districts and through pipeline to Trichy, Salem, Madurai and Asanur. Indian Oil Corporation Limited
purchased in 2000, a total of 102 acres of land at Vallur near Ennore based on single valid offer against a public tender. The land had been changed in the revenue records in the name of the Company to the extent of 71.73 acre only.

The construction of terminal at Vallur thus, could not be initiated over land issue and IOC tried to enter into out of court settlement with landowners in the year 2020.  However, now the work is going on and is on the advanced stage. Though the work was to be completed in 2023, it is likely that dedaline could be shifted to next year. Sources said that IOC is awaiting the clearance from Housing department over the change of land use for 13.134 acres so that work could be started in that piece of land..

Aong other pending projects reviewed include Rs 200 croreTindivanam- Nagari (180 km) Broad Guage line, The delay is over acquisition of 127.84 hectares of private land 106 hectares of government land in Ranipet, Villupuram, Tiruvanamalai and Thiruvallur. The other is Maniyachi - Nagercoil (102 Km) doubling project , which is of high strategic importance as it will cater to high demand of passenger traffic on this route as well as anticipated freight traffic due to large scale ports development in southern coastal Tamil Nadu.

The issue pertains to land acquisition of government and private projects. The other projects include delay in implementation of Cuddalore-Salem(191km) and MM of Chinnasalem-Kallakurichi New Line and the 86-km Thiruvananthapuram-Kanyakumari project which is delayed over acquisition of land.

A modern gymnasium project for people living in Athipattu tenements after 10 years

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
The project affected people living in 2012 tenements built by Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board for more than 10 years will now have access to a modern gymnasium soon after the Housing and Urban Development Board gave its concurrence to a proposal on Monday.

This comes following the budget speech by the Finance minister this year in which it was promised to develop sports cum recreation centres st Kannagi Nagar, Prumbakkam, Navalur and Athipattu.

The state made the announcement to improve the quality of living in the resettlement habitations constructed by Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board. These include sports cum recreation centres which will contain sports facilities, modern gymnasium, multi-perpose community hall to conduct vocational training and a library.

It is learnt that he managing director of TNUHDB hss sent a detailed proposal worth Rs 20 lakh based on the Public Works department schedule of Rates 2023-24. TNUHDB has constructed 2012 tenements at athipattu under rajiv Awas Yojana and Housing for all and alloted to the project affected families of Integrated Cooum River Eco Restoration Project, Adyar River Restoration Project, and to the urban slum or poor families. The scheme has been developed as a Integrated township with public distribution shop, community hall, convenient shops and parks.

The project will be implemented from the funds available with Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority as part of overall development of Chennai metropolitan Area. as TNUHDB does not have resources to execute the project and its capital programmes are implemented out of government grants.

The required equipment will be arranged through non governmental organisations, Greater Chennai Corporation and the Constituency Development funds.

writingonblog uncensored: TN looking at alternatives to ACs to cut down on p...

writingonblog uncensored: TN looking at alternatives to ACs to cut down on p...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: The rising power consumption during the summer and the sudden rise in temperature is forcing the state  to look at...

TN looking at alternatives to ACs to cut down on power consumption

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
The rising power consumption during the summer and the sudden rise in temperature is forcing the state  to look at alternative solutions like district cooling, a centralised source which could provide cooling to entire building through pipelines.

State Planning Commission is preparing a feasibility report on district cooling in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme.  It is learnt that a road map for district cooling solutions in the state is being prepared along with the Industries department and Department of Environment and Energy.

This could mean that flats and homes in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, which has electricity meter and water meter, could soon have cooling meters where in the tariffs will have a fixed demand charge.

The working principle of a district cooling system is a centralized chilling plant which produces chilled water. The chilled water is transferred to various buildings or facilities through an underground network of insulated pipes. A control system regulates the temperature of the chilled water produced by the chilling plant and monitors the flow rate of the water through the distribution network.

By adopting a district cooling system, multiple buildings or facilities can share the cost of a centralized chilling plant, resulting in significant energy and cost savings, says Sudheer Perla,  Country Head, Tabreed India, on the integration of district cooling in Chennai’s climate action plan.

Interestingly, Tabreed has been a long term partner with UNEP for the last eight years in India, is vying to partner with the state in offering district cooling services. "The initial investment is high for setting up the district cooling system, which includes the underground pipeline network similar to city gas distribution," says Perla. The focus currently is to use the technology for the industrial parks, which Sipcot is setting up, he adds.

Though the penetration of air conditioners in India is around 9%, it is expected to grow to 30% in next 10 years. Currently, Chennai, one of India's largest and most populous cities, consumes almost 13,000 GW per hour of electricity, which is 14 per cent of the total power generated and purchased by Tangedco. The growth in air conditioners would put enormous stress on the energy requirements and technology like District Cooling offers nearly 40 to 50% savings for the air conditioning load, says Perla.

Perla says that the masterplans of the cities should now include district cooling to cut down on power consumption as cooling  is also linked to human health and productivity.

writingonblog uncensored: Rosatom to host Global Atomic Quiz from Nov 10

writingonblog uncensored: Rosatom to host Global Atomic Quiz from Nov 10: Chennai: Rosatom will traditionally hold its international nuclear awareness initiative – Global Atomic Quiz 2023 to mark World Science Day ...

Rosatom to host Global Atomic Quiz from Nov 10

Chennai:
Rosatom will traditionally hold its international nuclear awareness initiative – Global Atomic Quiz 2023 to mark World Science Day on November 10.

This year, the Quiz will be conducted in 13 languages: Russian, English, Armenian, Bengali, Hungarian, Spanish, Kazakh, Portuguese, Turkish, Uzbek, Arabic, and Afrikaans. Participants will have a chance to not only win unique prizes but also to challenge artificial intelligence (AI). For the first time, several questions were generated with the help of neural networks.

In addition to the online format of the quiz, in-person events will be organized in different cities around the world. The events will take place in Russia in a new ATOM pavilion at VDNH, Moscow and in nuclear energy information centers.

To participate in this international initiative, it is necessary to visit the project’s website on November 10. Participants will have 24 hours to answer 20 questions of varying difficulty and topics.

All participants of the Global Atomic Quiz 2023 will receive a digital certificate, which can be saved on their devices. It can also be shared with friends on social media. Besides, 100 winners with the best results will get unique prizes: an original sweatshirt with custom atomic patches and a spacious tote bag with an atomic print. The list of winners will be published on the project’s website by November 17, a release stated.  

Housing department does away with conditional approvals

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Housing and Urban Development Department has done away with conditional approvals for environment clearance, structural stability, and fire service,  which was in place since 2014, raising concern among the developers and residential sector.

The government has been giving conditional approvals to developers  since 2014. The approvals which are required for the project are taken simultaneously once the planning permission application has been submitted. "We decided to do away with the approvals as there have been a lot of complaints over granting conditional approvals," said housing secretary S Apoorva.

This norm was changed two days ago after developers approached Chief minister M K Stalin over the delay in clearing High Rise building proposals.

The Housing Secretary in a communique has stated that applications should have structural stability certificate, environmental clearance certificate and no objection certificate from fire service department as it concerns with the safety of occupants of the building and it is pointless to examine the proposals without that.

What is irking the developers is that proposals have been sent to the Housing secretary of which few without the requisite NoCs got approval while the remaining were returned on the grounds of NoC not being submitted. Apporva defended the decision. "Initially, a few files were considered but when I found that few of the applications don't have even the basic plan, the decision was taken," the housing secretary stated.

"How could a section of the applications without the required NoCs be cleared," questioned a developer. Recently, the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (Credai) has expressed concern over pending high-rise building (HRB) files awaiting approval from the Housing Department.

Credai has stated that some files that received clearance during the panel meeting held on May 22 have not made progress towards final approval despite multiple representations. "The delay in processing HRB files is causing considerable hardship and these delays translate into substantial financial setbacks and project disruptions, hampering the growth and development of the real estate sector," Credai stated in a letter to the chief minister recently. It is learnt from sources that a fresh representation will be submitted to the Chief minister.

writingonblog uncensored: Bharti enters into a binding agreement with its jo...

writingonblog uncensored: Bharti enters into a binding agreement with its jo...:  Chennai: Bharti has announced that Bharti Life Ventures Private Limited the group’s holding company of Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Li...

Bharti enters into a binding agreement with its joint venture partner AXA to acquire 49% stake

 Chennai:

Bharti has announced that Bharti Life Ventures Private Limited the group’s holding company of Bharti AXA Life Insurance Company Limited, has entered into a binding agreement with its joint venture partner, AXA, to acquire their 49% stake in the Company. The transaction is subject to receipt of requisite regulatory approvals. This will result in BLVPL owning 100% stake in the Company, post-completion of the transaction.

Pursuant to Bharti’s and AXA’s decision to merge Bharti AXA General Insurance with ICICI Lombard in 2020, and the subsequent exit of AXA from the shareholding of ICICI Lombard, BLVPL has now entered into an agreement to acquire AXA’s 49% shareholding and fully own the Company. Bharti’s intention is to ensure that the Life Insurance business continues to serve the Indian market and, in this regard, it is engaging with other strategic and financial investors to partner and or combine, so as continue to scale this business. The transaction is expected to close by December 2023, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals.

 

writingonblog uncensored: Change of Guard in MES, Chennai

writingonblog uncensored: Change of Guard in MES, Chennai: CHENNAI: Sanjay Ekbote has assumed charge as Additional Director General (Projects) of Military Engineer Services (MES) at Chennai. An offic...

Change of Guard in MES, Chennai

CHENNAI:
Sanjay Ekbote has assumed charge as Additional Director General (Projects) of Military Engineer Services (MES) at Chennai. An officer of the 1985 batch of Indian Engineering Services (IES), he has served in various capacities in MES. During his tenure as Chief Engineer, he had been responsible for construction of strategic Defence infrastructure in the North-East Region. The office of Additional Director General (Projects) executes and monitors all the engineering related services in the military area in southern part of the country, in addition to DRDO, as well as eastern and western seaboard of Indian Coast Guard,  a release stated.

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai Port signing MoUs worth Rs 65,000 cr durin...

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai Port signing MoUs worth Rs 65,000 cr durin...: CHENNAI: Chennai Port is signing memorandum of understandings worth Rs.65,000 Crore during the 3rd edition of “Global Maritime India Summi...

Chennai Port signing MoUs worth Rs 65,000 cr during GMIS

CHENNAI:

Chennai Port is signing memorandum of understandings worth Rs.65,000 Crore during the 3rd edition of “Global Maritime India Summit 2023” to be held from October 17th-19th at Mumbai.

The huge investment in Chennai Port will give a major boost to trade and commerce and further contribute to Prime Minister vision of “Athmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan', a release stated.

On Wednesday, Chennai Port signed MoUs worth Rs 9,000 crore. The mOus were signed with Defense Research Development Organization; Indian Oil Corporation Limited; Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited; POSCO India Chennai Steel; Coromandel International Limited; Elite Shipping Agencies India Pvt Ltd and IPRCL, the release added.

writingonblog uncensored: Dak Niryat Kendras to help play a key role in TN a...

writingonblog uncensored: Dak Niryat Kendras to help play a key role in TN a...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has a vision to become $1 trillion economy by 2030 and the Dak Niryat Kendras opened by India Post last y...

Dak Niryat Kendras to help play a key role in TN achieving $1 trillion economy

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Tamil Nadu has a vision to become $1 trillion economy by 2030 and the Dak Niryat Kendras opened by India Post last year across the state could help it realise the dream.

Catering mostly to MSMEs and rural industries to access global markets, these kendras have already generated export value of Rs 3.11 crore, said Chief Postmaster General J Charukesi. The kendras have 315 registered exporters as on date. Initially, the soft launch of the kendras happened in December last year and since then it has been expanded, she says.

"Till August, 49 Dak Ghar Niryat Kendras were operational in the state and now it has 65 kendras which is likley to be expanded by the end of the financial year," says G. Natarajan, Postmaster General, Chennai City Region.

Neeraj P S,  Assistant Postmaster General ( Business Development) says that Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra serves as a one-stop destination for exporters, providing comprehensive assistance and streamlined processes for export-related documentation, logistics, customs procedures and packing. The centers offer valuable support to businesses, empowering them to navigate the complexities of international trade with ease.

Interestingly, these could slowly turn into export hubs, says Neeraj adding that the department is working towards popularising them in the state. "A majority of DNKs were added this year. We are trying to popularise them through youtube influencers and also through various other measures," he says.

Interestingly, the postal department is marking the National Postal Week starting from Monday with series of events. Charukesi told reporters that the celebrations of National Postal Week has been designedm in line with the emerging role of India Post in the socio and economic development of the country with a theme 'Together for Trust'.

Charukesi, highlighted that India Post is already on the way to achieve the targetted revenue of Rs 717.4 crore. It already has attained Rs 675.82 crore till september this year with six more months to go, said Charukesi. Migrating from 2G to 5G services, Charukesi vows that the issues  of connectivity would soon be resolved inthe state. She also said that Postal life insurance and rural postal life insurance has crossed Rs 1,000 crore in the state.

To a query on whether India Post is looking at drones to deliver mails across the state, she said it is a policy decision to be taken by Centre. Drones have been used in Gujarat during Covid-19, she said.

writingonblog uncensored: Searches on two educational institutions resulted ...

writingonblog uncensored: Searches on two educational institutions resulted ...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Several hundreds of crores worth unaccounted income have been detected by the Income Tax department during the sea...

Searches on two educational institutions resulted in detection of several hundreds of crores worth unaccounted income

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Several hundreds of crores worth unaccounted income have been detected by the Income Tax department during the searches conducted at two educational groups, according to income tax department sources.

Highlighting that the searches have got nothing to do with politics, sources highlighted that the two educational groups have been evading taxes while collecting huge amounts as fees from the students. One of the educational groups is run by DMK MP S Jagathrakshakan while the other is run by Saveetha group.

The searches were launched three days ago and the Income Tax department said that a huge amount of cash was found at both the educational institutions. "We found a huge amount of fee receipts that were not accounted for. Even a huge amount of jewellery was also found during the searches," Income tax department sources said.

During the searches, Income tax department sleuths also found that a huge amount of cash was also diverted from the Trusts of the institutions. Highlighting the searches were given a political colour, the Income tax sources said that the tax evasion which is considered to be huge is currently being scrutinised.

"We are currently scrutinising the tax evasion, which is likely to run to several hundreds of crores," the source said.

In the past also various educational institutions have been searched and the Income tax department has found a huge amount of unaccounted cash. It is learnt that Chief Minister M K Stalin dubbed the searches at DMK MP Jagathrakshakan's educational institutions as 'vindictive politics'.  

Also highlighting the searches on government contractor Chennai Radha Engineering, it is understood that Rs 15 crore worth cash was seized during the searches.

writingonblog uncensored: Two educational groups under Income Tax scanner

writingonblog uncensored: Two educational groups under Income Tax scanner:  CHENNAI: Two separate groups running educational institutions were searched by Income tax department on Thursday. The searches are being co...

Two educational groups under Income Tax scanner

 CHENNAI:
Two separate groups running educational institutions were searched by Income tax department on Thursday. The searches are being conducted in more than 20 locations.

The searches have nothing to do about politics, sources said. The searches are being conducted at Saveetha group of institutions and institutions belonging to DMK MP S Jagathrakshakan. 

 The former Union minister has been under the scanner of central agencies earlier also. In 2016, the former Union Minister was under Income tax department who then claimed to have evidence of Rs 650 crore tax evasion after conducting series of raids. The raids were conducted in the educational institutions run by his family including the Bharath University in East Tambaram, Sree Balaji Medical College in Chrompet and Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences in Puducherry

The DMK MP was also under Enforcement Directorate scanner in the year 2020 . The properties of the MP and his family members, worth Rs 89.19 Crore, were seized by Enforcement Directorate (ED) for acquiring foreign securities in Singapore based company in contravention of Section 4 of  Foreign Exchange Management Act.

Investigations then revealed that Ion June 15, 2017, Jagathrakshakan and his son Sundeep Aanand had subscribed to 70,00,000 shares and 20,00,000 shares respectively (valued at Singapore $ 1/- per share) of Silver Park International Pte. Ltd., Singapore, without obtaining the approval of Reserve Bank of India. Further, these unauthorized acquired shares were transferred by Jagathrakshakan to his family members in contravention of Section 4 of FEMA read with Regulation 3 of the Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Foreign Security) Regulations, 2004.

writingonblog uncensored: MTC struggling to operate bus services due to shor...

writingonblog uncensored: MTC struggling to operate bus services due to shor...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Bleeding financially, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation, the lifeline of Chennai commuters, is struggling to pr...

MTC struggling to operate bus services due to shortage of more than 600 drivers

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Bleeding financially, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation, the lifeline of Chennai commuters, is struggling to provide adequate bus services due to shortage of bus drivers.  It is learnt that MTC requires 8,487 drivers to operate 3,233 services. However, the corporation has only 7,885 drivers at its service.

According to official sources, due to shortage of drivers an average of 500 services are not  being run daily. It is learnt that the shortage of drivers would increase by the end of this year when 35 are going to retire from service due to superannuation.

Following complaints over non-availability of adequate bus services, drivers are being insisted to perform extra duties on an average of Rs 835 per driver per shift as extra duty wages but permanent drivers are unwilling to put in extra hours as a result it is impacting scheduled services, sources said.

As a result state transport units drivers have been engaged for a period of four months on daily wage of Rs 800 plus collection bata per shift to operate scheduled services. Since the four month contract is to come to an end on October 2023, it is learnt that the board is likely to decide on extension of the driver services for a further period of time.

It is not only a shortage of manpower, MTC is struggling financially to ensure operation of its regular services in the city. With an accumulated loss of Rs 14,229.73 crore, MTC's current liabilities exceeds its current assets by 3845 crore. The total liabilities of MTC is 12,771 crore backed by assets of Rs 696 crore. A shortfall of assets worth Rs 12,075 crore is noticed, according to an audit report.

Similarly, employees recruited on or after April 1, 2004 come under contributory pension scheme where in the contribution by the employee is 10% of salary while matching contribution is made by MTC recovering 10% salary from its eligible employers. This is transferred to the Pension Fund Regulatory Authority. As on March 31, 2023, the dues  on contributory pension scheme (employers and employees share) amounts to Rs 743 crore (in 2021-22 it was Rs 634.42 crore) in the book of accounts but payment has yet to be made following receipt of the government.

The government is also reimbursing MTC over the loss on issue of concessional tickets which comes to around Rs 876 crore. These include the  women free travel concession which comes to Rs 528 crore, concession for students (Rs 317 crore), transgender free travel (Rs 30.70 lakh), Disabled and escort free travel (Rs 3.59 crore), Senior citizen tokens worth Rs 19.58 crore and concession for physically handicapped and journalist (Rs 6.75 crore).

writingonblog uncensored: TN availing Rs 1305 crore to introduce urban plann...

writingonblog uncensored: TN availing Rs 1305 crore to introduce urban plann...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu government is eligible for funds worth Rs 1305 crore from the Centre to implement projects relating to ur...

TN availing Rs 1305 crore to introduce urban planning reforms

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Tamil Nadu government is eligible for funds worth Rs 1305 crore from the Centre to implement projects relating to urban planning reforms which includes creation of master plans for eight cities, urban forests and land pooling schemes, according to a report.

With 95 per cent of the state area being unplanned, the centre is providing Rs 400 crore to usher in the urban reforms. Initially, master plans for Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Erode and Tirupur are under preparation while master plans for Salem, Tirunelveli and Vellore are being prepared under AMRUT 1.0 sub-scheme.

The report, 'Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2023- 24' under urban planning reforms based on a meeting conducted by Ministry of Housing and urban Affairs Secretary earlier this month highlights thst the state will be focussing on four components while preparing the masterplan. These include a comprehensive mobility plan for eight cities similar to the transport roadmap being prepared for Chennai besides focussing on blue green infrastructure, which include identifying water bodies for preservation and declaring it in the masterplan.

Apart from that the focus will also be on the economy of the eight cities, which will be collected from the Industries Department and Industrial Associations. For secondary information Statistical Handbook prepared by the Department of Economics and statistics will be utilised. Based on these data economic activities and resource centers of the planning area will be identified and proposed land use plan will be prepared.

Similarly, based on the proposals identified under different sectors of the Master Plan such as Transportation, Economy, Housing, Environment, Infrastructure, Heritage and Culture, Tourism etc. the land use plan will be prepared for the planning area. Land Suitability analysis will be done to allocate land use in a scientific manner.

Currently, draft reports of the Master Plans of the eight cities are being prepared. Once completed they ill be presented before the Government by the Directorate of Town and Country Planning for its suggestions after which it will be modified. The draft final master plan will be submitted to the Government for consent under section 24 of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971  for notification and calling objections and suggestions from the public. It is likely the draft master plan for the eight cities would get the government nod by the end of this year.

Earlier this year, the Tamil Nadu government set up a 18-member state high level committee chaired by Chief secretary for drafting the state urban development policy.  The policy will cover vision, strategy for spatial development, legislative framework, institutional strengthening, inter departmental coordination, urban planning capacity and other related aspects of urban development.

TN unveils start-up policy; Rs 100 crore fund model designed to participate in VC funds

CHENNAI:

The Tamil Nadu Government will create a Rs 100 crore Fund of Funds, called the Tamil Nadu Co-Creation Fund, for investing in regional and thematic funds, according to ‘Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Policy 2023’ , which was unveiled by Chief Minister M K Stalin. The Fund, to be managed by respective investors and coordinated by StartupTN, is inspired by the Yozma (meaning ‘initiative’) model, established by the Israeli Government in the 1990s to kick-start innovative industries by investing n new venture capital funds.

According to the Policy, released at the Secretariat here on Wednesday,  the state will contribute 40% (with a ceiling of Rs 10 crore) in Regional, Rural Impact, Women and Climate Action-focused funds and 20% (with a ceiling of Rs 5 crore) in other thematic funds promoted by the private sector. The fund size should be Rs 20 crore and above in case of a new fund. The Government will bear 75% and 50% of the fund setup costs, respectively,  for the above mentioned categories. The operations will be managed by the fund promoters.

The Chief Minister also handed over sanction orders for investments to the tune of Rs. 10.85 Crore in eight Tamil Nadu-based Startups that are run by entrepreneurs from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. The investment from the Government brings more credibility to the Startups, helping them acquire new clients and expand to more markets, a release stated.

Designed to nurture Startups, the policy, which has over 50 action points, will help the State become a leading Startup Ecosystem. It will accelerate start-ups growth, make them globally competitive and increase their share in the state GDP and social capital. It defines and strengthens the seven determinants of the Startup Ecosystem - Startup Literacy; Innovation Landscape; Startup Support Centres; Access to Market; Investment Ecosystem; Stakeholder Engagement and Equitable Growth.

Ther start-up has also been redefined under the policy. Ventures by persons from socially marginalised communities that apply proven innovative techniques in other sectors for the betterment of the socio-economic conditions of their communities will also beconsidered as Startups. This is in addition to the existing criteria of a Startup, according to the policy.

The state is also creating TANFUND, a Startup-Investor aggregator platform to connect national and international investment agencies with Tamil Nadu Startups, with structured back office facilitation. Besides the policy also highlights establishing ‘Global Coordination Centres’ in potential countries across the globe to connect resources including funding, mentorship and market access with Tamil Nadu Startups.

The eight start-ups include 70 MM DigiversePvt. Ltd (Rs 1 crore), a data asset management company for the entertainment industry, providing backup services at the production stage and archival services as well;  Lemurian Ventures Pvt. Ltd. (Rs. 80 Lakh, which specialises in packaging and selling dry fish sourced out of Ramanathapuram; Enthu Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Rs. 3.5 Crore) a start-up into research and development, and manufacture of IOT devices using the LORAWAN protocol; Auckam Technologies Pvt. Ltd, (Rs 2 crore) which designs and manufactures electronic products like water flow meters, home automation devices, IOT-based devices and industrial automation solutions.

The others include Vervai Food Products Pvt. Ltd. (Rs 25 Lakh), which is into up-cycling of second-grade and cosmetically-damaged vegetables into edible value-added products with an aim to improve farmers' income, while retaining the nutritive value of the products; KSU HarnexonPvt. Ltd.(Sector: Industrial Services) (Rs. 1.2 Crore), an industrial wire harnessing company, primarily for the manufacturing and textile industries; VayurathaPvt. Ltd. (Rs. 1.6 Crore), a 3-D printed and assembled drone manufacturer with a focus on the agricultural sector, specifically manufacturing drones for small-scale farmers; and  IcamTechnosysPvt. Ltd. (ST) (Rs. 50 Lakh), which creates a B2B e-commerce platform (Tribal Mart) for tribal-made products. This platform can potentially help the tribal communities earn more from their products.

writingonblog uncensored: TN unveils start-up policy; Rs 100 crore fund mode...

writingonblog uncensored: TN unveils start-up policy; Rs 100 crore fund mode...: CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will create a Rs 100 Crore ‘Co-creation Fund’, a unique fund-of-funds model designed to participate in private sector ve...

writingonblog uncensored: Kilambakkam bus terminus inaccessible for people w...

writingonblog uncensored: Kilambakkam bus terminus inaccessible for people w...: CHENNAI: Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). the city’s foremost government body for planning and layout approval, as well as...

Kilambakkam bus terminus inaccessible for people with disabilities, says report

CHENNAI:

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). the city’s foremost government body for planning and layout approval, as well as leading architectural firm C.R. Narayana Rao, have together created an almost ‘complete’ public transport terminal in Kilambakkam that violates the most basic accessibility requirements, according to Disability Rights Alliance.

 

Releasing Kilambakkam Bus Terminus Access Visit Observations report after the access audit of the bus terminus was conducted on September 15, DRA in a release states that ramps in Kilambakkam bus terminus not only fail compliance with Harmonised Guidelines 2021 - the Rights Of Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016 statuted standard, they also do not match the CMDA approved drawings either.

 

Vaishnavi Jayakumar, member, Disability Rights Alliance (DRA), told The New Indian Express that, "It is unfortunate that seven years after a similar access report with photo guidance for Chennai Metro Rail, DRA is highlighting same accessibility code violations for CMDA’s mega bus terminus project at Kilambakkam."

 

"While CMDA has set a good precedent in transparency by sharing some design drawings before the visit coordinated by Tamil Nadu’s disability department, it has remained silent since on quests for signage and wayfinding design report, specifications for lift, escalators, drinking water facility, linked chairs, bunk beds and battery operated car and drawings for prayer room, dormitories, bus fingers, bus bays,  and ticket booths," according to the statement from DRA.

This delay will only further postpone the inauguration of Kilambakkam bus terminus which cannot legally or morally take place till the possible retrofits are made and a fresh access audit approves the same for usage by all. In 2017, the cost of retrofitting seven brand new Chennai Metro Rail stations for basic accessibility compliance was Rs 90.3 lakh as per the status report filed at Madras High Court.

 

The status of DRA’s request for a similar exercise at Kuthambakkam Bus terminus, which is likely to be opened on December 2023. is unknown, the release stated. When TNIE asked CMDA member secretary Anshul Mishra on whether any preliminary audit was being done prior to the construction of the bus terminus, he said the bus terminus is under construction unaware of such audit required to be done.

One of the major concerns in the audit observation report is the bus depot design. The different types of buses (floor height, length, fuel type, deck, rear axle configuration and comfort) have not been factored in, leave alone diverse populations’ specific needs.

Similarly, bus terminals should have low floor buses for intra-city bus use and wheelchair lifts for intercity high floor bus use. This oversight is deplorable given the Madras High Court judgement which states bus stops should be scientifically designed to suit the requirements of the differently-abled.

The ramps not only fail compliance they do not match the CMDA approved drawings either. As per the approved drawing, the external straight ramps at the entry to the terminal building depict in-between landings. However these are not present in the executed ramps, the report states.

"We have provided as per the original drawings approved. After the audit, we will provide all the additional facilities as requested given that those are within the norms and guidelines." he said when highlighted about the concerns being raised by DRA.

 

Mamallapuram Seashore Temple becomes first green energy archaeological site in India

CHENNAI:

The iconic Mamallapuram Seashore Temple became the first green energy archeological site in India with the completion of Green Heritage Project. The temple will now be lighted up using renewable energy. Three 10-kw solar plants will  power the entire heritage site and feed the surplus energy back into the grid for future consumption.

The temple will also provide drinking water to tourists through solar operated reverse osmosis (RO) plant. The plant has three water kiosks with two inside the temple area thereby providing necessary water to the tourists and visitors.

The temple will also have electric buggies, operated for pregnant women/senior citizens/differently abled. They will be run by trained women from the local community. A parking shed with three charging units is also provided for easy maintenance.

The project, implemented by Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India (Renault Nissan Tech) in partnership with Hand in Hand India (HiH), was handed over to to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). A.R. Rahul Nadh, Chengalpattu District Collector, M Kalimuthu, Superintending Archaeologist, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Chennai, Hirotake Harada, Senior Vice President, Engineering, Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India and Dr. Kalpana Sankar, Managing Trustee, Hand in Hand India were present on the occasion.

The project marks a significant milestone in the enhancement of basic amenities and the implementation of green energy initiatives, setting a precedent as the first such initiative among India's 32 UNESCO-declared cultural archaeological sites.

writingonblog uncensored: Mamallapuram Seashore Temple becomes first green e...

writingonblog uncensored: Mamallapuram Seashore Temple becomes first green e...: CHENNAI: The iconic Mamallapuram Seashore Temple became the first green energy archeological site in India with the completion of Green Heri...

writingonblog uncensored: Rosenergoatom is ready to begin production of one ...

writingonblog uncensored: Rosenergoatom is ready to begin production of one ...:  Moscow: The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant, a branch of Rosenergoatom, has received official permission from Rostechnadzor to produce a new ...

Rosenergoatom is ready to begin production of one of the most popular isotopes in the world - lutetium-177, says Rosatom

 Moscow:

The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant, a branch of Rosenergoatom, has received official permission from Rostechnadzor to produce a new isotope - lutetium-177, which demonstrates high efficiency in the diagnosis and targeted therapy of a number of oncological diseases. Its production became possible at once at two power units of the nuclear power plant.

Lutetium-177 radiopharmaceuticals are used to effectively treat a variety of diseases, such as tumors that can appear in the stomach, rectum, pancreas, small and large intestine, adrenal glands and thyroid gland. They are also increasingly used in the treatment of tumors of the meninges - meningiomas and prostate cancer. Treatment with lutetium-177 also works well for cases where the disease is in an advanced stage, there are metastases, in particular, with cancer that is resistant to hormonal drugs and chemotherapy, and also if the tumor cannot be removed surgically.

Despite external restrictions, the domestic economy is increasing its export potential, supplying goods, services and raw materials around the world. Rosenergoatom (Electric Energy Division of the State Corporation Rosatom) is expanding its line of production of radioactive isotopes at nuclear power plants.

At the moment, Rosenergoatom has the ability to rhythmically produce at the power reactors of the Leningrad NPP: molybdenum-99 (activation), iodine-125, iodine-131, samarium-153, used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases.

At the request of Russian and foreign manufacturers of radiopharmaceuticals, Rosenergoatom is expanding the range of isotopes produced in power reactors.

At power units No. 3 and 4 of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant, the necessary technical and organizational measures were taken to commission four additional irradiation channels. With the receipt of licenses, new production facilities will allow Rosenergoatom to produce the lutetium-177 isotope, unique in its properties, which is necessary to save the lives of cancer patients.

“In January 2023, we submitted to Rostechnadzor all the necessary supporting documentation on the production of lutetium-177 to amend the licenses for the operation of a nuclear installation and the handling of radioactive substances during production, transportation and storage at power units No. 3 and 4 of the Leningrad NPP. High-quality prepared materials, as well as many years of practical experience in the safe production of isotopes at the Leningrad NPP, made it possible to obtain a decision from RTN on including the production of lutetium-177 into the terms of the current licenses within the regulatory time frame,” noted Arkady Sokolovsky, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Leningrad NPP.

At present Rosenergoatom is one of the key producers of medical radioisotopes for the Russian market. In addition, the generating company produces about 30% of the world's sterilization cobalt-60 consumption from nuclear power reactors.

Production of the first pilot batches of lutetium-177 is planned until the end of 2023. As part of the current Rosatom project, following the Leningrad NPP, the experience of producing isotopes for medical purposes is planned to be applied at the Kursk and Smolensk nuclear power plants.

The development of radiation technologies today is one of Rosatom’s strategic goals. The market for the development of such technologies in the future is assessed by business experts as comparable to the nuclear energy market: this includes modern diagnostics in medicine, transport security systems, new means of water and air purification, microelectronics, light industry, metallurgy, and many other areas.

writingonblog uncensored: Two senior planners of CMDA booked by Central Crim...

writingonblog uncensored: Two senior planners of CMDA booked by Central Crim...:   C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Two senior planners of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority haver been booked in a alleged forgery case and ...

Two senior planners of CMDA booked by Central Crime Branch for fraud

 

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Two senior planners of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority haver been booked in a alleged forgery case and fraudulent transaction of property worth Rs 2 crore by Central Crime Branch following the direction of Metropolitan Magistrate Central Crime Branch and CB-CID Special Court Egmore.

The duo --- Ravikumar and Anusuya have been booked for cheating a techie working in a US based firm through alleged fraudulent transaction of his prime property in Kilpauk after threatening him and filing a fabricated criminal case against him. The charges were later dropped by the duo during the hearing at the court. They also did not return the money worth Rs 60 lakh borrowed from the techie which was spent on their daughter's medical expenses in the United States apart from borrowings worth Rs 40 lakh on earlier instances.

Interestingly, the property of Vasudevan was acquired by Ravikumar through unaccountable assets, which comes under the offences punishable under Tamil Nadu Government Servants conduct rules. Since Ravikumar purchased the property from unknown source of income, the property purchased from unknown source of income is considered disproportionate asset and comes within the purview of Prevention of Corruption Act.

The FIR was filed against the duo on the direction of Metropolitan Magistrate, who had stated that the offences committed by the accused are cognizable in nature with the available prima facie evidences. Interestingly, this is the second such case against CMDA employese. Already a superintending engineer is under the purview of Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) under the Prevention of Corruption Act for causing loss to the State government in a allotment case in Koyambedu.

When CMDA member secretary Anshul Mishra was contacted on whether CMDA is taking any action against the three persons, he said that,  "CMDA will wait for the details to be communicated formally to us."

According to FIR copy accessed by The New Indian Express, senior planners Ravi Kumar and Anusuya were booked on a complaint by R Sridhar Raju, who holds the power of attorney of Ramesh Vasudevan, a process architecture engineer in System Analysis Programme Development, a firm located in the United States.

Vasudevan was on a business trip to Saudi Arabia in September 2019 when Anusuya and Ravi Kumar, who were his close friends, reached out to him for financial help as their daughter, a post graduate vocational programme student in University of Berkley in US had health issues and was admitted in El Camino Psychiatric Hospital in San Francisco.Vasudevan incurred medical expense of Rs 60 lakh for the treatment for which the parents promised to pay back in six months. Ravikumar and Anusuya also borrowed Rs 40 lakh on various dates by way of cash and way of transfer to their account since September 2021 onwards.

According to the FIR, rather than paying the amount, the duo filed a fabricated police case allegedly for offences punishable under various sections under Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act at K6-TP Chattram Police station. Vasudevan was arrested on November 28, 2021 and remanded in prison for 25 days. While Vasudevan was in judicial custody, Ravikumar and Anusuya threatened the family members and forcibly took away identification cards and other documents from his home.

'Using the documents, the duo allegedly prepared property transfer documents of his flat situated in Kilpauk Garden Colony, When Vasudevan came out on bail, he was made to sign on blank papers. The duo then forced him to give write-off for all the loan amounts owed by them and execute the sale deed of the property in their favour at a cost of Rs 1.04 crore after threatening to file more crimnal cases. The amount was not paid to Vasudevan, the FIR stated.

After getting the sale deed in their favour, the duo appeared before Vth Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore as witness in the criminal case and said they have not filed any complaint and disowned the contents of the complaint filed against Vasudevan by the police. In July, 2022, Vasudevan was acquitted in the case as the charges were found not to be proved.

The judge observed that Ravikumar and Anusuya have abused the court of law for the sole purpose of grabbing the property of Vasudevan unlawfully.Ravi had purchased the property fraudulently for 1.04 crore plus stamp duty and registration charges which went to more than Rs 5 lakh. The court said that Vasudevan tried to file a case on February 8, 2023 against the duo to prosecute them under the law but the complaint was not taken then by Chennai Police Commissioner. Following which he approached the court. The court has directed the police to fle an FIR and submit a report before the court at the earliest.

writingonblog uncensored: TN goes for a vertical factory in Hosur; Four-stor...

writingonblog uncensored: TN goes for a vertical factory in Hosur; Four-stor...: CHENNAI: Scarcity of land in the state is likely to see vertical growth of factories taking place. The government in order to support and me...

TN goes for a vertical factory in Hosur; Four-storey complex to house 69 MSME units

CHENNAI:
Scarcity of land in the state is likely to see vertical growth of factories taking place. The government in order to support and meet the prime needs of new MSME units and start-ups in Hosur has approved the the project proposal of Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation Limited (Tansidco) for construction of multi-storied flatted factory complex at Zuzuvadi Industrial Estate in Krishnagiri district at a cost of Rs 26.24 crore with financial assistance from SIDBI.

The state of the art plug and play flatted factory building comprises stilt plus four floors to accommodate 69 MSME units of each 406 square feet size along with common infrastructure facilities like power connection, water supply, goods life, passenger lift, heavy vehicle parking, CCTV, fire safety etc. This project will help to provide new employment to 350 persons directly and 200 persons indirectly, a government release stated.

The decision to go vertical comes as land is scarce due to rapid growth of industries in Hosur and also due to high cost of land. Seeing that horizontal growth of industry is not possible, the government felt that vertical growth is the only option left, the release stated.

A large number of MSMEs are functioning in and around Hosur that are involved in manufacturing of variety of products for Automobile, Defence, Medical, Electrical and Electronic industries. Earlier TNIE has highlighted that the state is looking at high rise buildings for industrial purposes. The Rule 39 of Tamil Nadu Combined Building Rules 2019 is silent on it resulting in the Industries department seeking clarification from the Housing department.

It is learnt that Rule 39 of TNCBR 2019 prescribes the planning parameters for high rise buildings which exceed 18.3 metre height. But the confusion is that the guidelines for high rise buildings are not specified based on usage such as housing, institutional buildings and industries. The move by the Industries department seeking clarification is that the new age factories are being designed differently unlike in the past where in the Industrial buildings were flat buildings. The rules framed then did not take these into account.

It is learnt that the Industries department has sought clarification on Rule 39 that high rise buildings can be used for industrial purposes and that the conditions prescribed for high rise buildings would be applicable to industries as well. Industrial buildings are a typical factory or other larger facility that serves one or more business purposes such as manufacturing, remodeling, power generation, repair, and cleaning.

Sources said that the housing department is planning to issue clarification on Rule 39 that high rises could be used for industrial purposes and conditions prescribed for high rise buildings will be applicable to industrial buildings as well.

TN to become R&D hub to help find solutions in making production of Hydrogen cheaper

CHENNAI:
Production of Green Hydrogen is still a costly affair and globally it is yet to be produced at a large scale despite investors making promising investments in the state. However, there is hope for the fuel of future, as IIT Madras in Chennai along with various other partners under Hydrogen Valley Innovation Cluster in Tamil Nadu' (HVIC-TN) initiative is working towards bringing green hydrogen at an economical price and scale.

Under the initiative, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras along with IIT Madras Research Park will work with Industries on research and development and developing testing or validation standards in ‘Green Hydrogen.

This initiative is expected to contribute significantly towards the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
In keeping with the Department of Science and Technology's (DST) vision to transform India into an energy-independent nation by 2047, it is providing funding for Research, Development and Demonstration activities essential for small-scale demonstration by enhancing the readiness of technologies in the green hydrogen value chain.

“The establishment of HVIC is in line with Tamil Nadu’s goal of manufacturing electrolyzers, exporting green hydrogen or its derivatives and developing hydrogen economy in the State. There is a huge capability in the State for electrolysers but they need a testing facility, which HVIC must provide. Tamil Nadu power is already 50% green and HVIC will improve this further with green hydrogen," said Industries Minister TRB Rajaa during a HVIC-Tamil Nadu stakeholders meeting was held at IIT Madras recently.

The minister also emphasized the importance of creating skilled human resources and talents to meet with the requirements of green hydrogen industries. He highlighted the opportunities available for entrepreneurial activities through various state government’s start-up initiatives.

The HVIC-TN initiative, which comprises nearly 30 companies working in the hydrogen sector, is to make the state the hub of industrial research and development. The HVIC-TN will cater to the needs of green hydrogen ambitions of the State and the country by providing technological solutions, support on research and development, skill development, infrastructure building, techno-economic feasibility, and policy/regulatory recommendations.


Prof  V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “HVIC-TN will act as a platform for stakeholders in the hydrogen sector to network and enable faster green hydrogen adoption and transition. The cluster will also serve as a nodal agency, think tank, and knowledge partner in the State to attract or support any initiatives in the hydrogen sector."

Prof. Raghuram Chetty, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “The main purpose of this meeting was to bring all the stakeholders to a common platform and to discuss ways and means to accomplish the green hydrogen value chain in Tamil Nadu and the plans to demonstrate the readiness of the associated technologies.”

writingonblog uncensored: Kilambakkam bus terminus design not too friendly f...

writingonblog uncensored: Kilambakkam bus terminus design not too friendly f...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: The Rs 393.74 crore Kilambakkam bus terminus catering to south-bound buses may have quality ambience but the design ...

Kilambakkam bus terminus design not too friendly for people with disabilities

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:

The Rs 393.74 crore Kilambakkam bus terminus catering to south-bound buses may have quality ambience but the design is flawed when it comes to accessibility for persons with disabilities as per the Harmonised Guidelines standard required by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, according to an access audit carried out on the bus terminus on Friday.

The joint inspection was conducted by the Access Audit Team with the officials of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, which built the bus terminus and the assistant director of the Directorate for Welfare of the Differently Abled along with the representatives from the Organisations for Persons with Disabilities and Empanelled agency.

The audit team, comprising users with different disabilities, found multiple errors in the bus terminus design - including continuity and reach of the tactile path for visually impaired passengers, long, unsheltered ramps without landings and toilets which do not allow bilateral transfer for wheelchair users.

"A ramp should have an incline not steeper than 1:12 gradient. Secondly when the ramp is longer than nine metres, it should have a landing point as it would be easier for the wheelchair to move. But the audit found that at some places, the ramp is 25 metres long but it has only one landing point. This would make the movement of wheel chairs difficult, said Gnana Bharathi, president of Spinal Injured Persons Association (SIIA), who was part of team that carried out the audit.

Similarly, it was found that the tactile path is designed in such a way that it grants limited access to blind persons. It just grants them access to the terminus and stops short at the entrance to the bus fingers. They don't get access to features like shopping or access to the food joints.

"On the first floor, where there are other amenities like dormitories, there is no tactile guidance," said Sudha Ramamoorthy, member, Disability Rights Alliance. She also bemoans the usage of the deadly polished granite floor which proved too slippery for crutch users on the team who had to sit down exhausted very soon.
The ticketing counter design could be made dual height so that it is accessible to all, including persons of short stature as has been recommended for the Chennai Metro retrofits. This does away with the Railway phenomenon of a separate counter for disabled passengers that is always locked.

Disability rights activist Vaishnavi Jayakumar was upset that no arrangements had been made for level boarding of passengers with locomotor disabilities at the bus bays, contrary to the Madras High Court judgement in June 2023 which held "bus stops should be scientifically designed to suit the requirements of the differently-abled and henceforth, any development or reconstruction or repairing or improvement in any of the bus stops should include and focus in making it differently-abled friendly, with due  cility for the wheel chair to go into the low floor bus, directly from the platform;"

CMDA member secretary Anshul Mishra said that nine recommendations were put forth after the Access Audit team. "These are welcome suggestions. Most of these are doable and we will ensure that Kilambakkam bus terminus is one of the most disabled friendly bus terminus across India," he told The New Indian Express.

writingonblog uncensored: CMDA dismantles 29 shops of Koyambedu vegetable ma...

writingonblog uncensored: CMDA dismantles 29 shops of Koyambedu vegetable ma...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has started dismantling 29 shops which were built on space allocated for ...

CMDA dismantles 29 shops of Koyambedu vegetable market after HC directive

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority has started dismantling 29 shops which were built on space allocated for loading and unloading of goods in the Koyambedu market. The decision to dismantle the shops was taken following a Madras High Court order passed in the month of July.

Initially, the 29 shops built on the loading and unloading area near Gate Number five were to be used as service shops. The decision was challenged by Koyambedu Kaai, Kari, Malar Viyabarigal Nalasangam president M Thiagarajan, who filed a petition in the Madras High Court.

However, in the Madras High Court, CMDA submitted a status report which stated that it does not want to go against the original plan and bring about changes in the master plan or to alter the plan and utilise the space for putting up construction for the government agency or for service shops as the demand for space for loading and unloading inside the market area is on the rise.

Hence to minimise the congestion in the market area, the open space for loading and unloading as per the masterplan is required," CMDA submitted in the court.

Traders allege that the market was not built as per the original plan which had gone missing as such there had been many diversions. Currently, many shops have been bifurcated into five or even 11 sections where in hotels and other shops are sublet. They also informed that there had been regular complaints and issues before the court. CMDA tried to regularize all the illegal shops three years ago as per new drawings and the site condition, it was alleged.

Meanwhile, the work to dismantle the 29 shops is likely to ber completed by the end of this week following which the site will be used for loading and unloading operations, an official overseeing the demolition work said.

writingonblog uncensored: TN departments face ED heat; WRD department search...

writingonblog uncensored: TN departments face ED heat; WRD department search...: CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu government departments continue to face the heat from the Central government investigative agencies after the Enforcemen...

TN departments face ED heat; WRD department searched; sand mining barons under scanner

CHENNAI:

Tamil Nadu government departments continue to face the heat from the Central government investigative agencies after the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday entered into the Water Resources Department's engineer-in-Chief premises in Chepauk along with Central armed police force and took away files pertaining to sand mining operations in the state.

This is the second time a government department was searched in the last one year. Earlier this year, jailed minister Senthil Balaji’s office was searched by the Enforcement Directorate for his links in a cash for jobs scam.

Sources said that searches by the Enforcement Directorate were also conducted in 30 places, including the residences and sides of sand baron S Ramachandran and Dindigul Rathinam.

Water Resources Department officials said that the searches in the department happened to ascertain the  link of Balaji to the sand mining barons. “Few files have been taken. One of the engineers was also taken for questioning,” said the official.

He also said that three quarries in Trichy and two in Chennai region were also searched. The officials at the Enforcement Directorate could not be contacted.

Dindigul based industrialist Rathinam's residence and office, situated near GTN Road in Dindigul and that of his close aide Govindan were searched. Rathinam also runs education institutions in Dindigul and Pudukottai districts.  He is also into real estate.

Similarly, Ramachandran's house located in Muthupattinam village and his office located at Nijam Nagar in Pudukkottai town

The duo are part of SRS mining and were earlier arrested in December 2016 along with Sekar Reddy, who was facing investigation in a money laundering case.
 

According to Central agencies the duo buy the sand at cheaper rate from the government mines and do the second sales at stackyard without any receipts thus avoiding value added tax and other taxes paid to the government. A total of 400 cubic feet of sand being sold in the government mine is worth approximately Rs 1,300. However, it is learnt that sand is unofficially sold for more than Rs 10,000. The sale depends on the size of the vehicles and per load is being sold at Rs 10,000, Rs 8,000 and Rs 6,000, sand mining sources added

 

In Vellore, searches were carried out at the Kanthaneri Palaru River's Public Works Department (PWD) sand quarry which has been under scrutiny since its establishment in March 2021.The quarry was leased by one Karigalan and Ramachandran. Permission was for sand mining up to a depth of 3 feet over a 5-acre stretch along the adjacent river. The operational logistics involved daily sand transportation from a distant mooring line, located 2 kilometers away, utilizing a fleet of over 500 tractor and tipper lorries. The sand was stockpiled within the quarry premises and subsequently sold at the government-prescribed rate of 6,300 rupees per unit.

 

Allegations, however, have arisen regarding the quarry exceeding its sanctioned sand extraction limit and encroaching on several additional acres of land. Furthermore, concerns have been raised about fraudulent receipts being used to sell three units of sand for 10,000 rupees each. During the search,  documents and a pen drive were seized.

The ED's investigation into the sand mining was triggered by allegations of money laundering and substantial tax evasion. It is alleged that while sand was officially sold online with an e-receipt provided at the sand mining depots, there were significant offline sales of sand that weren't consistently recorded

writingonblog uncensored: Tamil start-up reality show launched

writingonblog uncensored: Tamil start-up reality show launched: CHENNAI: ‘Startup Thamizha’ a first-of-its-kind Tamil Startup reality show launched by Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN)...

Tamil start-up reality show launched

CHENNAI:
‘Startup Thamizha’ a first-of-its-kind Tamil Startup reality show launched by Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN).

The show will be instrumental in bridging the gap between Startups and investors while creating awareness about Startups across the State, in the march towards making Tamil Nadu one of the top 20 Global Startup destinations.

StartupTN, functioning under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department, conceptualised ‘Startup Thamizha’ as a television reality show with the primary aim of sensitising Startup founders and aspirants by showcasing Startups pitching their Innovations before global investors and successfully raising funds.

It will play an essential role in creating awareness of how entrepreneurs and innovators with a novel and scalable product or solution could make a big dream come true, without worrying about their biggest challenges. The show will also throw light on the new-age investment opportunities available for potential investors unaware of such novel avenues for investing. Details of the application process for Startups to get a chance to pitch in Startup Thamizha will soon be published on the StartupTN official website: startuptn.in/, the release added.

writingonblog uncensored: Travel behaviour of Chennaites to be mapped for pr...

writingonblog uncensored: Travel behaviour of Chennaites to be mapped for pr...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Chennaites travel behaviour will be mapped using a new software by Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority ...

Travel behaviour of Chennaites to be mapped for preparing transport roadmap for 25 years

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Chennaites travel behaviour will be mapped using a new software by Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA) to prepare a revised transport roadmap for the city for the next 25 years.

Systra, the consultant appointed by CUMTA, will come out with a transport model which will integrate household activities, land use patterns, traffic flow, and regional demographics. The model would be able to estimate travel behaviour in response to economic conditions, network conditions and facilities, the residential and employment location, land use and adaptive behaviour in response to transportation system changes.

Sources said that the consultant would develop the 4-stage transport demand model using Vissum, one of the world's leading transport planning software. The travel demand model would be based on the data collated from primary surveys and secondary resources for the entire Chennai Metropolitan Area (5904km).

The software will be capable of multi-modal split, transit assignment, and assessing the variations in speeds and frequency due to changes in overall traffic volume, and fares. It should also reflect the impact of new land-use developments or control policies.

It is learnt that an inception report of revised comprehensive mobility plan, prepared by the consultant,  was submitted to the government recently. Sources said that it will be reviewed by a high-level committee to work out other strategies. It is learnt that the revised CMP focusses on Green, Resilient, Inclusive, Development focused and Safe (GRIDS) principles focusing on the movement of ‘people’ instead of vehicles. The plan will look at mass transit options that will complement the proposed metro alignment. It could be another light rail system or a Bus Rapid Transit System, sources said.

BRTS, a dedicated lane for buses, was mooted nearly eight years ago but it never took off depite a detailed project report for five corridors was taken up. Compared to all other proposed transportation networks, BRTS costs the least, as it does not require commissioning of crores worth new infrastructure. Experts believe that the system could help increase patronage of public transport from the present 27 per cent to 40 per cent.

Apart from that the CMP is also looking at Metro Lite, an upgraded tram like mode. Metrolite, which will cost around 40-50 per cent of Metro Rail System, could link metro rail corridors under Phase I and Phase II which are five to six kilometres apart.  The Comprehensive Mobility Plan is being revised after the final draft was finalised in February 2020 during an authority meeting of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority.