The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Readers' Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 25, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Readers' Mail

Who are they trying to fool?

Sir, — A lot has been said and written about video piracy and the Chief Minister has announced stern measures to curb the phenomenon.

The Tamil film producers/exhibitors would do well to ponder the following points.

(a) Why is there no such hue and cry over video piracy in Bombay or in Hollywood? Is it not strange that video piracy affects only Tamil films?

(b) How is it that several Tamil films have had a remarkable run in the theatres, despite pirated VCDs flooding the market? To cite a few: Saamy, Ghilli, Autograph, Vasool Raja. The list is fairly long.

(c) Why is it that theatres in the city, which charge very high admission rates, are maintained so poorly — congested entry/ exit/ parking lots, uncomfortable seats, air-conditioning that works in fits and starts, narrow aisles and stinking toilets?

Mr. Kamal Hassan's is the lone, sane voice in this din. Video piracy or not, good films will succeed and bad films will flop. Producers of third-rate films and owners of lousy theatres are trying to take refuge in the clamour to curb video piracy.

V. Vedagireeswaran,

Mylapore

A stinking road

Sir, — One has to literally hold one's nose while passing the `MGR Nedunchalai' in Nagelkeni, Chromepet. The road leads to leather tanneries and shoe factories. This is because there is no proper road, which connects the factories with Anna Salai, Nagalkeni. To makes matters worse, owners of roadside shops, tea stalls, throw refuse everywhere.

There are many leather export companies in and around this area, who make a lot of money. Leather is exported to the U.S., U.K., Germany and Italy and foreign delegates and business executives often visit the area. When they pass through the stinking road, they cringe in discomfort. As a concerned citizen, I request the authorities to lay a proper road immediately.

K. Chandramohan,

Villivakkam

Extending EMUs

Sir, — The statement of Mr. R. Velu, Minister of State for Railways, that the conversion work from Tambaram to Chennai Egmore will be over by October and train services will be resumed from November 1, is most welcome. That the frequency of services will be 10 minutes (or even less) during peak hours is gratifying.

Similarly, we, as commuters who travel beyond Tambaram and up to Chengalpattu, are eager to know from the Minister the frequency in train timings in the Chengalpattu-Tambaram section. It will be good if a train can be run once every 20 minutes during peak hours, taking into account the number of rail users along this stretch.

S. Desikan,

Perungalathur

Shoddy service

Sir, — I reside in Guduvancherry. My telephone (BSNL: 268874) has been out of order since September 16. I have met the junior, senior and divisional engineers, to seek early restoration. I have complained to Mr. Nazir, General Manager, BSNL, Chengalpattu division (whose office is in Teynampet), of the torment inflicted on me by BSNL. Despite all this, the telephone remains dead. But the BSNL has sent the bimonthly bill without any deduction.

Does BSNL really care about its subscribers?

M. Kasiraja,

Guduvancherry

Appeal to BSNL

Sir, — On a recent trip to Bangalore, Mysore and other small towns in Karnataka, I saw innumerable Coin Collecting Box (CCB) type PCOs, installed by BSNL in almost all the shops in the markets and bazaars. One has to insert a one rupee coin for a making a local call. The shopkeepers get some percentage of the money as commission. This type of PCOs are, however, rare in Chennai.

I request BSNL as well as Bharti, Tata and Reliance telecom operators, to instal similar CCB-PCOs (in large numbers) in Chennai and the rest of the State.

B. Chandrasekar,

Amaipakkam township, Kalpakkam

EB pensioners

Sir, — The Third Pay Commission has stipulated that whenever the scales of pay for Government employees are revised, the pensioners are also eligible for 50 per cent of the increase in pay as pension and this was being followed scrupulously. The Chief Minister's announcement of bonus and interim relief at Rs. 250 a month from September 1, 2003, to the employees of State Transport Corporations, TNEB and Civil Supplies Corporation, does not say anything about the EB pensioners. According to the procedure that was being adopted, Pongal gift in lieu of bonus and 50 per cent of interim relief (that is Rs. 125 a month) is due to EB pensioners. Will the Chief Minister do the necessary?

P. C. Subramanian,

Chromepet

Subway needed

Sir, — Commuters at Mambalam railway station cross the track at the northern end of the platform near the Duraiswamy subway at grave personal risk. I would like to suggest that a subway be constructed at the northern end of the platform.

K. Janani,

West Mambalam

Road neglected

Sir, — The civic authorities pay scant attention to Ramakrishna Mutt Road in Mylapore. The local shop owners and the residents seem resigned to the reality. While the metro buses and other vehicles frequently pass through the road these raise a cloud of dust.

Many government offices including that of the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum are situated on the road.

T. Mohan,

Ambattur

Discipline them

Sir, — It is common to see cyclists pedalling fast without brakes and lights on the 100 feet road, connecting Padi, Korattur with the Ambattur dairy farm. Two temples, a church and a community hall are situated at one end of the road. Elders taking a stroll and women going to places of worship with children are often knocked down by these cyclists. This is so especially in the evenings.

Mani Natarajan,

Korattur

Woes unlimited

Sir, — Commuters from Perambur Loco Works and Tiruvallur depend on trains to reach their workplace. The train from Avadi to Chennai Beach station, scheduled to arrive at Loco Works at 9-10 a.m. arrives anytime between 9-20 and 9-50. On the way, the trains are often detained for long. This imposes indescribable hardship on daily wage-earners and those who have to be at their work place on time. Unlike trains between Tiruvallur and Central that keep to schedule, those running between Tiruvallur and Beach rarely run on time.

There was a train from Beach to Villivakkam at 4-30 p.m. After 3-20 p.m. there is no train towards Avadi till 5-20 p.m. We request the railways to introduce a train between these places at 4-00 p.m.

Priya Rajagopal

and others,

George Town

Any solution?

Sir, — The residents of Coral Merchant street in George town, especially those living between Ebrahimji Sahib and Salai Vinayagar koil streets are affected by frequent disruption of power supply. Power that goes off at 2.00 a.m. is restored only at night (after about 16 hours). Even if it is restored in the afternoon it lasts only a few minutes. Instead of 220 volts of power we get only 50 volts.

For the past year we have been seeking redress from the offices of TNEB in Thambu Chetty Street, High Court and TNEB fuse call centres. But no relief is in sight. Overloading of transformer, cable fault are the reasons cited for the problem. Senior officials in TNEB say there is no cable, no spare transformer, no fuse box etc., Is it fair?

T. Manian,

George Town

CMWSSB reply

With reference to the letter in these columns on October 4, about misuse of Metro water, Mr. P. Swaminathan, Public Relations Manager, CMWSSB writes.

In this regard, it is to be stated that the premises mentioned by the writer, namely, 70 Rangarajapuram main road, Kodambakkam, is being demolished. Hence, his remarks in the letter are not correct. Only 4,500 litres of water per day is supplied to the residents of Rangarajapuram main road. On enquiries, the water supplied at this location, is reported to be not misused and fully utilised by the residents for drinking and cooking only.

With reference to the news item `providing drainage facility to the slum in Thiruveedhiamman Koil Street, Tiruvanmiyur', in The Hindu of September 6, Mr. P. Swaminathan, Public Relations Manager, CMWSSB writes:

It is to be informed that the above said street is having a sewer main that is functioning well. The residents have been advised accordingly to get house sewer connection to their premises. Further, it is informed that the existing public convenience in the above said street is being maintained by the Corporation.

(Letters for this column can also be sent by e-mail to letters@thehindu.co.in with full postal address. They should be marked `Readers' Mail')

Mylapore

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