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Saturday, Apr 24, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

2 held for boycott campaign

By S. Prasad

Dharmapuri April 23. The Dharmapuri police foiled the efforts of activists of the Vivasayigal Viduthalai Munnani to organise a poll boycott by arresting two activists here yesterday. The two, owing allegiance to extremist organisations, were allegedly carrying on a campaign asking people to boycott the Lok Sabha elections by distributing literature and pasting posters in Dharmapuri town. Following a tip-off, the police who had been closely monitoring the activists, arrested Madayan (40) and Chinan (34).

According to police sources, ``activists of the People's Democratic Youth Organisation in and around Dharmapuri town and Nayakankottai were also involved in asking the public to boycott the polls.''

`Vote against AIADMK, BJP'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI April 23. The All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has appealed to women to vote against the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha election.

In a statement, the association pointed out that in the last five years of National Democratic Alliance Government led by the BJP, over two lakh women were thrown out of employment, especially in agriculture sector, and were deprived of their employment opportunities owing to economic liberalisation. It failed to meet the aspirations of women on issues such as 33 per cent reservation and recommendations of the National Women's Commission.

The statement was signed by 10 members of the association.

`TNEB violating poll code'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI APRIL 23. The general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Electriticy Board Workers' Progressive Union today accused the TNEB of violating the Election Commission's code of conduct by announcing concessions with regard to remittance of power charges in the State.

In a statement issued here, the general secretary, S. Rathinasabapathy, said the TNEB had given ``oral instructions'' to its nearly 2,400 branch offices to allow the consumers including farmers to pay their electricity bills till the end of the month. The TNEB personnel had been instructed not to collect re-connection charges or the surcharge on belated payments, he said, adding the move had come against the backdrop of the Lok Sabha poll.

The EC should either take action against the TNEB authorities or allow the public to pay the bills throughout the month hereafter, he said.

Registration for poll duty

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI APRIL 23. Service personnel who have retired after May 1, 1999, belonging to Kancheepuram and willing to serve as special police officers for the Lok Sabha polls, should register at the Office of the Assistant Director of Ex-servicemen's Welfare, 2, GST Road, Tambaram. They have to carry with them their discharge certificate and identity cards, says a press release.

60 houses gutted

By Our Staff Reporter

VELLORE April 23. Sixty houses in the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees colony at Abdullapuram near here were destroyed in a fire tonight. Fire units from Vellore Fire and Rescue Services reached the spot to put out the fire. The cause of the fire is yet to be established.

Held for bid to smuggle ganja

By Our Staff Reporter

Tirunelveli April 23. The Perumalpuram police have arrested a woman on charges of trying to smuggle in ganja for her husband, lodged in the Palayamkottai Central Prison.

According to prison sources, M. Jainambu (35) of Shencottai had come to the prison on Wednesday to meet her husband, Maideen. When she gave him a biscuit packet, the prison officials found that she had concealed ganja in it.

New general manager for ICF

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI April 23. Shivendra Kumar has taken charge as general manager, Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Perambur.

An officer from Indian Railways Stores Service, Mr. Kumar had served as executive director in the Railway Board, general manager, Centre for Railway Information System, and executive director, Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES), New Delhi.

Medical varsity exam results

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI April 23. Results of the first and second year M.Sc (Nursing) degree course examinations, conducted by the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University in March this year, are available on the university web site, tnmmu.ac.in.

The results are also available on Southindia.com and AirTel mobile phone, according to a university release.

Tax cell to function today

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI APRIL 23. As the last date for filing of service tax returns for the half year ended March-2004 falls on April 25, the service tax cell of the Chennai-II, Central Excise Commissionerate at Nandanam will function tomorrow for the convenience of assessees. The assessees are requested to use this opportunity for filing their returns after payment of service tax, according to a press release from Heera Radhakrishnan, Commissioner of Central Excise, Chennai-II.

All-party meet on elections

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL April 23 . An all-party meeting on elections was held at the Collectorate here on Thursday and representatives of parties were exhorted to strictly adhere to the Election Commission norms.

The three central observers — Baijendra Kumar, Director of All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, Anurac Srivatsava, Special Secretary to Education Department, Uttar Pradesh and Manika Datta, Commissioner of Income Tax, New Delhi, attended the meeting, presided over by the Collector, Rajesh Lakhoni. The party representatives were told to direct their candidates to submit the accounts of the election expenditure incurred by them on three occasions between April 29 and May 10.

Theft in jewellery showroom

By Our Staff Reporter

TUTICORIN April 23 . The Mullakkaadu police are looking for a culprit, who stole gold ornaments, worth Rs. 90,000 from a jewellery showroom today.

The police said an unidentified person came to the shop of A. Karthikeyan (29) of Mullakkaadu today and left the shop after looking at some models of gold ornaments. When Mr. Karthikeyan checked the stock of the ornaments an hour later, he found that chains, necklaces, bangles, and baby bangles weighing about 26.250 sovereigns of gold ornaments were missing.

The Mullakkaadu police are investigating.

Four country bombs recovered

By Our Staff Reporter

TUTICORIN April 23 . The Kayathaar police have recovered four country bombs from the thorny bushes.

According to the police, the explosives were found in the thorny bushes near the house of one Periasamy of Chettykurichi near Indra Nagar. On an information from the public, the police recovered the bombs.

The Kayathaar police are investigating.

Brandy bottles stolen

By Our Staff Reporter

Tirunelveli April 23 . The Palayamkottai police are looking for the persons, who stole nine cartons of brandy bottles from a lorry, worth Rs.25,000.

The police said the liquor-laden lorry was proceeding from Kancheepuram on Wednesday night to supply IMFL varieties to the shops of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation at Nagercoil. When the driver, D. Kannan of Chennai, parked the lorry near the Government College of Engineering, Tirunelveli on the Thiruvananthapurm highway, some unidentified persons took nine cartons of brandy bottles.

Based on a complaint from the driver, the Palayamkottai police have registered a case.

Prisoner escapes

By Our Staff Reporter

Madurai April 23. A prisoner escaped from police custody at the Madurai railway station here on Wednesday night. According to the police, S. Jaya alias Jayaraj (28) of Madurai gave a slip to the police personnel when they were escorting him to the Vellore Central Prison after producing him in a city court in connection with a robbery case.

Two held for

assault bid

By Our Staff Reporter

PERAMBALUR APRIL 23 . A man and his son, who allegedly prevented the Karai village panchayat president from inspecting a site for drilling a well on Thursday, have been arrested.

The panchayat president, Sundararaju, along with experts, was inspecting the site, when Moovan (78) and his son, Padmanabhan (35), attempted to attack him, protesting the selection of the site.

The Padalur police arrested them, on a complaint from Sundararaju.

Temple festival

By Our Special Correspondent

PUDUKOTTAI APRIL 23 . A large number of devotees from different parts of the district witnessed the `poochoridhal' festival at the Pidariamman Temple at Annavasal near here on Thursday. Special abishekams were performed to the presiding deity.

Mettur level

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI APRIL 23 . The level in the Mettur dam stood at 25.71 feet today. The inflow was 161 cusecs, and there was no discharge.

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