The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 02, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

Landslips disrupt traffic

By Our Staff Reporter

KODAIKANAL May 1. Massive landslips at two spots within a distance of four km from dum-dum rock on Kodaikanal-Batlagundu ghat road in the hills disrupted traffic for more than 12 hours.

Heavy rain in the wee hours of Saturday resulted in rise in flow of water in the forest stream leading to rocks being pushed on to the hill road. Huge mass of earth and stones slid on the Kodaikanal-Batlagundu ghat road. A bridge was also partly damaged. Traffic was completely paralysed and hundreds of vehicles came to a halt on both sides of the road.

More than 130 Highways department workers have been deployed to remove soil and rock and regulate traffic.

Meanwhile, buses proceeding to Dindigul, Madurai and Theni from Kodaikanal hills were diverted via Pannaikadu, Thandigudi, Pattiveeranpatti to reach Batlagundu.

After 12 hours, one way was cleared on the ghat road and vehicles proceeding to Kodaikanal hills were allowed. The Madurai Highways department Superintending Engineer, M. Balachandran, said incessant mild showers in the hills had disrupted work partially. However, major portion of work was completed and traffic was streamlined.

Low pressure well marked

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI May 1. The low pressure area over Southwest Bay of Bengal became well marked this evening. It is moving in a west-northwesterly direction, according to a special weather bulletin issued by the Area Cyclone Warning Centre tonight.

Under its influence rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at a few places over Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala with isolated heavy rainfall during the next two to three days.

Jennifer Chandran joins AIADMK

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHENDUR APRIL 30 . The former DMK Minister for Fisheries, Jennifer Chandran, and the DMK headquarters public relations officer, K. S. Radhakrishnan, joined the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the presence of the party supremo, Jayalalithaa, at an election meeting here lastnight. When reporters tried to have their reaction, they refused to comment.

Rajnikant fan assaulted

By Our Staff Reporter

Pondicherry May 1. Murugayyan, a volunteer of the Rajni Rasigar Mandram in Pondicherry, was allegedly assaulted by a three-member group today. According to a Mandram source, Murugayyan of Kombakkam, near here, was treated at the hospital and relevant medical report would be available tomorrow. A complaint was lodged with the police at Mudaliarpet. It was alleged that Rajni Shankar, secretary, Pondicherry State Rajni Rasigar Mandram, was scheduled to visit various villages for seeking support to the BJP candidate, Lalitha Kumaramangalam, in Mudaliarpet block. Murugayyan was making preliminary arrangements before Rajni Shankar`s visit. Upset over this, members of a rival group assaulted him, it is learnt.

Government staff manhandled

By Our Staff Reporter

Pondicherry May 1. A team of government staff led by a Village Administrative Officer was manhandled allegedly by a five-member group of a political party when they removed flags and festoons in a nearby village today.

The flags and festoons were erected to welcome the leader of a party at Abishegapakkam and Cuddalore main road junction near here. The officials reportedly received complaints that erection of flags and festoons was a violation of the code of conduct. Immediately, a five-member team of officials led by the VAO started removing them. A heated argument ensued between the party men and officials and it was alleged that the government staff were manhandled. Cases had been registered against five persons, it is learnt.

JIPMER entrance test on May 30

By Our Staff Reporter

Pondicherry MAY 1. Over 29,100 candidates will take an entrance test on May 30 for admission to MBBS in the Centrally-administered Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research here during 2004-05.

The examination will be held for two-and-half-hours from 10 a.m. in seven centres. Of the 75 seats in the JIPMER, the entrance test is confined to 46. The remaining seats will be filled through nomination by the Government of India (18 seats) and an all-India test conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (11).

The Dean, K. S. Reddy, said hall tickets were being despatched and details could be had on the institute's web site, www.jipmer.edu.

While 5,447 candidates would take the test in Pondicherry, the number in Chennai is 5,652, Hyderabad 4,085, New Delhi 7,705, Kolkata 3,390, Thiruvananthapuram 1,804 and Mumbai 1,025.

The system of selection through an all-India competition was introduced in the JPIMER in 1967. It is affiliated to Pondicherry University and is being managed by the Directorate General of Health Services.

Speech triggers tension

By Our Staff Reporter

SALEM MAY 1. Tension prevailed in the Kannankurichi residential area here when a group objected to a speech by S.S. Chandran, comedy actor and Rajya Sabha member of the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, tonight.

Sources said the residents objected to certain words he used during the campaign speech. Those who accompanied Mr. Chandran picked up a wordy duel, which ended in a free-for-all. In the melee, the windowpanes of a few vehicles including that of Mr. Chandran were damaged. An injured resident was admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital here. Mr. Chandran accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam of having created trouble.

Talking to The Hindu, Police Commissioner Sunil Kumar said the situation was under control. Heavy police pickets were posted in the locality. The police also registered cases.

`Fill up teacher vacancies'

By Our Staff Reporter

Coimbatore May 1. The Association of University Teachers (AUT) has requested the Government to fill up vacancies in Government-aided arts and science colleges.

In a statement here, the AUT president, N. Senthamarai, said there were now over 2,000 vacancies in 162 colleges throughout the State. Claiming that the outlay for filling these posts would be "negligible" compared to the total budget of the Government, the association noted that most of the students who joined aided colleges were first generation learners who needed guidance.

Half-kg heroin seized

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL May 1. The NIB personnel today arrested two persons and seized half kg heroin. Another person, who tried to escape, died when he jumped out of the third floor of a lodge. According to official sources, based on information that a few persons were selling narcotics at a lodge at Kanyakumari, the NIB personnel went to the sport to arrest them. The police were conducting an enquiry with Radhakrishnan (33) and Packiyam (38) when Lal (30) of Thiruvananthapuram knocked the door. On seeing the NIB personnel inside, he tried to escape by jumping from the third floor. He sustained critical injuries and died on way to the hospital.

Found dead

By Our Staff Reporter

Tirunelveli May 1. The body of M. Radhakrishnan (35), of Mehalingapuram near Tirunelveli Junction, an autorickshaw driver, was recovered from his vehicle with cut injuries here this morning.

On information from the public, the police sent the body to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for post-mortem, according to police sources.

MBA results

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI May 1. The results of the Master of Business Administration, non-semester examinations, conducted by the Directorate of Distance Education of the Madurai Kamaraj University in February 2004, have been published.

The results are available at the university buildings, Palkalainagar, according to a release issued by A. Srinivasan, Additional Controller of Examinations in-charge.

Water level

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI May 1. The level in the Periyar dam today stood at 109 feet with an inflow and discharge of 100 cusecs. The level in the Vaigai dam was 22.67 feet with an inflow of 16 cusecs and discharge of 30 cusecs. The combined Periyar credit was 830 mcft.

The amount of rainfall registered at various places (in mm) is ending at 8.30 a.m. today was: Manjalar Dam - 64, Marudhanadi - 51, Periyar dam - 9, Shanmuganadi - 3 and Vaigai dam - 0.5 mm.

Ex-servicemen for poll duty

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE May.1. All the ex-servicemen registered in the district would be taken up for election bundobust duty, said the Collector, K. Balachandran today. He said they would be taken for duty from May 8 to May 11. He urged the ex-servicemen to approach the Assistant Director, Ex-servicemen Welfare Board for details.

The Collector also said the Central, State Government employees and teachers and others deployed for poll duty should report for duty on May 9 and May 10. Absentees would be dealt with through their respective departments.

The Collector said all the poll arrangements are in progress. The setting of candidate's names in the EVMs would be undertaken in a couple of days. The three election observers are going round the Gobichettipalayam Parliament constituency regularly.

Seven held

By Our Staff Reporter

Dharmapuri May.1. Seven persons, including two women, were arrested by the Prohibition Enforcement Wing Personnel here on Friday on a charge of distilling arrack. Police said that in a raid held at Gundalpatti and Madikonpalayam areas seven persons were arrested and 200 litres of arrack and 800 litres of fermented wash destroyed.

Arrested

By Our Staff Reporter

Dharmapuri May.1. A person, along with his parents, was arrested for demanding dowry by the Dharmapuri All Women Police Station here on Friday. Police said that Ashtalakshmi was married to Palani, who along with his parents, Kandasamy and Palaniammal demanded his wife to bring more dowry. Following this Ashtalakshmi filed a complaint with the Dharmapuri All Women Police Station.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu