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Friday, Apr 30, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

Affidavits on official web site

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI AprIl 29. Affidavits filed by candidates contesting in the 39 Parliamentary constituencies in the State, were today posted in the State Government's official web site (www.tn.gov.in) .

The link provided in the site (www.tn.gov.in/elections) features the list of all the 39 seats from where one can `go' to the individual constituencies and then on to respective candidates. The entire set of affidavits filed by candidates as part of their nomination papers, containing details of their personal assets and their spouses as also the affidavits filed under Rule 4A (of the election rules - Form 26) containing details of the criminal and other cases filed against them, have been put on the web site.

May 10 holiday

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI AprIl 29. The polling day, May 10, has been declared a holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act.

The Labour department has advised industrial and commercial establishments to declare the day as a paid holiday as per Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, says a press release.

Security discussed

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI AprIl 29. Paramilitary forces will be used as striking force and mobile patrol in the State for the Lok Sabha elections.

This was decided at a meeting the Chief Electoral Officer, Mrutyunjay Sarangi, had with senior officials here today. Among those who participated in the meeting was the Special Observer, A.K.Basu.

Deployment of police force and a detailed plan to be drawn up for bandobust were discussed. Sensitive constituencies would be identified on the basis of past history, political problems and contesting candidates. Stern action would be taken against unscrupulous elements if they attempted to disrupt the poll process.

Flag marches would be taken out whereever necessary. Vehicles would be watched on the polling date to check entry of outsiders. Lodges, choultries and marriage halls would be checked to prevent outsiders staying in a constituency. Vehicles found carrying voters would be seized. Adequate number of State police/special police/paramilitary forces would be deployed to ensure free and fair poll, according to an official release.

New facets of human rights

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI APRIL 29. While discussing human rights, the new dimensions of the subject should also be considered, the Madras High Court Chief Justice, B.Subhashan Reddy, said today. The subject ``grows day by day because of the problems we face,'' he told a seminar on ``Human rights-New Dimensions'', held under the auspices of the Indian Officers Association here.

All human rights problems were caused by population explosion. Because of population increase, availability of water and oxygen had gone down and pollution had increased. ``Human rights should not be a fashionable word''.

The new dimensions should be considered and studies and research conducted so that measures were taken to redress people's grievances. A.K.Rajan, High Court judge and association president, said human rights did not mean protection of the limb alone. The new dimensions included the right to live, the right to clean air, the right to nationality and the right to dignity. He said people had the right to water their fields from their wells. ``Can the water be sold?''. This was a new facet of human rights.

4 held for distributing handbills

By Our Staff Reporter

Coimbatore AprIl 29. The Tirupur police have registered cases against four youths of a minority community owing affiliation to a religious outfit on charges of distributing handbills aimed at creating communal hatred. According to the police, five persons were found distributing handbills with inflammatory speeches and slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party near Kumaran Nagar in the hosiery town.

While one managed to escape, the police have picked up four others. Cases have been registered under Sections 147 (unlawful assembly), 153 B (uttering imputations, assertions, prejudicial to national integration and communal amity), 505 (statements aimed at conducing public mischief) of the IPC.

119 civil judges transferred

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI AprIl 29. The Madras High Court Registry today transferred 119 civil judges (junior division/first class judicial magistrates), including nine from Chennai alone. Only a couple of days ago, more than 40 senior division civil judges transferred. Six magistrates/district munsifs in Madurai and four in Coimbatore also figure in the transfers.

Boy dies in pillar collapse

By Our Staff Reporter

Dharmapuri AprIl 29. A 14-year-old boy died and another person was seriously injured in a temple pillar collapse following gusty winds at Bommidi here on Wednesday. The police said Gnanasekar and Nagendiran were taking shelter from the rain in the temple. Gnanasekar died in hospital.

Sanctuary to reopen on May 1

By Our Staff Reporter

Pollachi AprIl 29. The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary at Top Slip at Anaimalai will reopen on May 1, a release from the Wildlife Warden, V. Ganesan said today. Owing to summer and the resultant acute water scarcity the sanctuary was closed for visitors and tourists from February 16.

The recent summer showers helped in renewal of ground vegetation, besides improving water availability in the sanctuary.

`Sacrifice' in court complex

By Our Staff Reporter

SALEM AprIl 29. A few goats were reportedly ``sacrificed'' in the Salem Court Complex here today ``to ward off evil spirits''.

Court sources said ``a pinch of kumkum with smears of goat blood'' was found near the Statue of Justice installed this morning. Later, it was covered with sand, they claimed. No one, however, came forward to confirm the act that reportedly took place in the early hours.

When contacted, the Salem Bar Association president, P. N. Mani, said, to my knowledge, ``no such thing had ever happened on the campus.''

Dismissing the claims of sacrifice as rumours, the Bar president said the members had last night held a dinner inside the association office and ingredients for vegetarian and non-vegetarian food were brought from outside. ``It is the usual dinner for which willing members pay and participate.

No seriousness should be attached to it,'' he said.

Child workers rescued

By Our Staff Reporter

COIMBATORE AprIl 29. Labour department officials today rescued 13 children from eateries and commercial establishments located in Pollachi, Udumalpet, Valaparai and Coimbatore city.

The raid was conducted in 50 commercial establishments and 18 eateries, says a department release.

Special magistrates

By Our Staff Reporter

Ramanathapuram April 29 . The Government has appointed special and sectoral magistrates in all sensitive villages throughout the Ramanathapuram constituency to maintain law and order, the Collector, S.Vijaya Kumar, said.

In a release, he said the Assistant Collector (Trainee), Suji Thomas, and the Deputy Collector (Trainee), Sivarasu, had been appointed as special magistrates. Others in the rank of deputy collectors, thasildhars and deputy thasildhars had been appointed as sectoral magistrates to ensure free and fair election. They would visit each and every village along with police personnel and conduct peace committee meeting if necessary. They had been empowered to take stern action against those who indulged in creating violence and anti-social activities, the Collector said.

Old man killed in mishap

By Our Staff Reporter

Ramanathapuram April 29 . An aged man was killed in road mishap at R.S.Mangalam today.

According to the police, Muniyandi (70) of Kothidal was going towards his house along with his cow, when a van hit him. The cow was killed on the spot. Muniyandi died on way to hospital.

The police have registered a case and are investigating.

Six held for selling lottery tickets

By Our Staff Reporter

DINDIGUL April 29 . The police arrested six persons on the charge of selling other State lottery tickets here today.

The arrested were Sakthivel (35) of Vallampatti in Natham, Murugesan (30) of Sanarpatti, Sivasakthi (28) of Kambiliyampatti, and Shanmugam (49), Abdul Khader (23) and Thulasi (30) — all belonging to Dindigul. They were produced before the Judicial Magistrate Court and remanded to 15 days' judicial custody.

Air Deccan flights rescheduled

By Our Special Correspondent

MADURAI April 29. The Air Deccan has rescheduled the timings of its Chennai-Madurai-Chennai flights with effect from tomorrow. According to Air Deccan officials, the Chennai-Madurai flight will leave Chennai at 3.15 p.m. and reach Madurai at 4.30 p.m. In the return direction, the Madurai-Chennai flight will leave Madurai at 4.50 p.m. and arrive Chennai at 6.05 p.m.

IMA conference from May 1

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL April 29 . The 58th state conference of the Indian Medical Association, Tamil Nadu chapter, titled `Trisea IMACON - 2004', will be held at Kanyakumari from May.1. The two-day conference would be inaugurated by P.V. George, the national president of IMA.

The event will also mark the installation of K. Vijayakumar as the president of the TN chapter of IMA for the year 2004 - 2005.

Takes charge

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI April 29. Abhash Kumar, a 1990-batch IPS officer, took charge as Commissioner of Police of Madurai city yesterday.

A native of Patna (Bihar), Mr. Abhash Kumar has served in different capacities, including Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Administration), Deputy Commissioner of Police (Chennai), Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Tamil Nadu and Superintendent of Police (Virudhunagar).

He replaces Vijay Kumar, who was transferred recently.

`Adhere to EC norms'

By Our Staff Reporter

THANJAVUR April 29 . The Collector and returning officer for the Thanjavur Lok sabha constituency, S. Kosalaraman, today instructed officials on poll duty to adhere strictly to the model code of conduct announced by the Election Commission and any deviation on their part would result in stern action.

Addressing officials on poll duty at the Collectorate today, he said parties should not write graffiti on the walls of government buildings. For using private buildings, they should get written permission from house-owners. He asked them to erase completely graffiti written on government buildings and the expenses should be borne by them.

Rajaram, District Revenue Officer, P. Rajendran, Project Officer, District Rural Development Agency, Lakshmi, PA to Collector (elections), Jayakodi, Executive Engineer, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, Navaneetha Krishnan, Joint Director of Agriculture and other officials participated in the meeting.

300 staff on poll duty in Nagapattinam

By Our Staff Reporter

Tiruvarur April 29 . Nearly 3000 staff will be on poll duty in the Nagapattinam Lok sabha constituency according to G. Sundaramurthy, Collector and returning officer.

He told presspersons at Tiruvarur today that 990 polling booths would function. Training would be given to staff on poll duty in the operation of electronic voting machines and managing of polling booths on May 2 and May 6.

Earlier addressing political party representatives, the Collector said they should submit accounts of their poll expenditure to the observer for poll expenditure every four days.

J.R.Gazta and P.Sureshkumar, observers, attended the meeting.

Directive on campaign vehicles

By Our Staff Reporter

PUDUKOTTAI April 29. The candidates for the Pudukottai Parliamentary constituency should seek approval of the District Election Officer and Collector to use vehicles for campaign.

An official release issued here today said the approval letter should be pasted on the windscreen of the vehicles. Action would be initiated as per rule if vehicles were used for campaign without obtaining the approval.

The release said the Election Observers would periodically inspect the vehicles. On the day of election, the candidates were entitled to the use of seven vehicles, one for themselves to tour the entire Parliamentary constituency and one each for the six Assembly segments, after obtaining due approval.

The rent for the vehicle as well as the fuel expenses should be included in the election expenditure of the candidates, the release added.

IMFL shops to be closed

on May 3

By Our Special Correspondent

PUDUKOTTAI April 29 . All India-Made Foreign Liquor retail shops in the district will remain closed on May 3 in connection with the Meeladunnabi celebrations, a release from the District Collector, Hiteshkumar Makwana, issued here today said.

Mettur level

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUCHI April 29 . The level in the Mettur reservoir stood at 26.06 feet today. The inflow was 261 cusecs and discharge 145 cusecs.

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