The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Briefly

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Monday, Jan 31, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

NLC employees to go on strike

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE JAN. 30 . Around 15, 000 employees of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation have decided to go on a one-day strike on Monday night to press their demands.

The strike will commence at the end of the second shift at 10 p.m.

S. Raja Vanniyan, general secretary of the Labour Progressive Front, the only recognised union, said employees affiliated to other unions would also participate.

The unions' demands include the withdrawal of the contract system for removal of overburden at the north flank of Mine II, move to privatise some sectors be given up, jobs for the children of employees and conveyance allowance.

A round of talks held yesterday did not result in a consensus.

The management is said to have issued a notice that for a day's strike, eight day wages would be cut and disciplinary action taken under the Industrial Disputes Act.

Security on the NLC campus has been tightened.

Ferry service to resume

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL JAN. 30. The ferry service to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the Tiruvalluvar statue will resume on February 5, the Collector, Sunil Paliwal, said today.

Speaking to presspersons here after inspecting the boat jetty, he said Rs. 6 lakhs was spent on repairs to boats, `Tamirabarani' and `Pakeerathi'. A trail run would be conducted on Monday.

He said Rs. 4 lakhs was allotted for laying an approach road and for constructing a temporary queue shed and a retaining wall near the boat jetty. The Government allotted Rs. 2.5lakhs to provide tourist infrastructure at Vavuthurai.

The Collector distributed relief materials to 100 families staying in a temporary shelter at Kanyakumari.

NGO to build houses for victims

By Our Staff Reporter

VELLORE JAN. 30 . The Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT), a non-governmental organisation recognised by the United Nations, plans to build 100 houses at Nambiar Nagar in Nagapattinam district, hit by the tsunami. It also plans to take care of 100 children in the affected areas. The Government has given permission to the AMURT to proceed with the work.

A.C. Chittaprabhananda, district secretary, AMURT, said in a release that the AMURT recovered 285 bodies in Nagapattinam after the tsunami strike. It conducted counselling for traumatised children and women and distributed tents, new clothes, foodgrains, footwear and medicine to the affected.

Tourist commits suicide

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL JAN. 30. A tourist from Kerala committed suicide by hanging in a private lodge at Kanyakumari on Sunday.

The police said Chandran (45) of Vadakarai had been staying in the lodge for more than three days. When his room was not opened till 11.00 a.m., the manager informed the police. The police recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem.

Farmers observe fast

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY JAN. 30. Volunteers of Makkal Shakthi Iyakkam, farmers associations and tank users associations observed a fast here today, demanding that all rivers be interlinked.

The Makkal Shakthi Iyakkam president, S. Lakshminarayanan, who led the agitation, said the project to interlink rivers would help to solve the water crisis in the country.

Sarvodaya fortnight begins

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI JAN. 30. The Governor, Surjit Singh Barnala, today stressed the need for preserving Gandhian ideals of peace and non-violence while striving to help the nation achieve the pride of place in the comity of nations.

Inaugurating the Sarvodaya fortnight and flagging off the campaign for violence-free society at the Gandhi Mandapam here, he said: "Gandhiji's philosophy is beyond all frontiers and religions and is relevant to the entire humanity."

He suggested that the Gandhi Mandapam here be put to optimal use, besides giving it a more impressive look. "Perhaps, we should also contemplate to have a bookshop here and a full-fledged Gandhian Museum to spread the ideals of Gandhiji among the youth."

The chairman of the national campaign committee, N. Radhakrishnan, said the volunteers of Violence Free Society, would tour all four southern States and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, carrying the message of peace and non-violence. They would return to Chennai on April 26.

The CHIPKO Movement leader, Sunderlal Bahuguna, and joint convener of the campaign, P.N. Srinivasan, participated.

Six arrested

on theft charge

Tuticorin Jan.30. Six persons were on Saturday arrested on a charge of stealing a motor on Saturday.

The police said Arulmani, Neethirajan, Rechiamuthu, Suresh, Ganesan and Kumar stole the motor from a house at Pudukottai near here.

Contribution

to relief fund

Tuticorin Jan.30. The staff members belonging to the Public Health and Preventive Medicines department in the district contributed Rs.2,87,333 to the Chief Ministers Public Relief Fund.

According to sources, the amount was generated, contributing their one day's salary including the contributions from those employed at 47 Public Health Centres falling under the ambit of the department.

Two inspectors promoted

Tuticorin Jan.30. Two inspectors of police were promoted to the rank of a deputy superintendent of police, according to a communiqué received here today.

Mohammed Ghori, attached to the Special Branch here, was promoted and posted as DSP (Special Task Force) in Erode, while M. George, inspector, Alwarthirunagiri, was posted as the Assistant Commissioner (town) in Tirunelveli, in the rank of a DSP.

Body found

Tuticorin Jan.30. The body of a man aged about 35 years was found near the Narayanaswamy Temple at Tiruchendur on Saturday.

The police began an investigation on the basis of a complaint lodged by Muthukrishnan, Village Administrative Officer of Keela Tiruchendur.

Fast observed

Tuticorin Jan.30. Members of the Makkal Sakthi Iyakkam today observed a day fast here, urging the Centre to link major rivers in the country. The police said 50 cadres took part in the agitation.

Water level

MADURAI JAN.30. The level in the Periyar dam today stood at 112.20 feet with an inflow of 69 cusecs and a discharge of 250 cusecs.

The level in the Vaigai dam was 31.23 feet with an inflow of 63 cusecs and a discharge of 30 cusecs.

The combined Periyar credit was 1290 mcft.

The sky remained cloudy in the Periyar dam catchment areas. However, no rainfall was reported.

Death of cattle causes flutter

NAGAPATTINAM JAN.30. The sudden death of a cow and a bull in Andikulam at Nagore on Saturday caused a flutter among the local people.

The Collector, J. Radhakrishnan, who rushed to the spot immediately after the incident, said that the cow and the bull might have eaten leaves in the garbage where fly repellent was sprayed by the municipal sanitary staff.

He advised the people not to be panicky.

Meeting

NAGAPATTINAM JAN.30 . The Collector, J. Radhakrishnan, convened a meeting of fishing boat and net manufacturers here on Friday and discussed supply of new boats and nets to fishermen in the district.

He told the manufacturers that the administration was in need of the best quality, ordinary, mechanised and fibre-glass boats, and nets.

He asked them to manufacture boats as per the specification of the fishermen.

Ranvirprasad, Additional Collector (relief), K.Bhaskaran, District Revenue Officer, Mohanasundaram and Sathyamurthy, Joint Directors of Animal Husbandry Department, attended the meeting.

Essay competition

Thanjavur Jan.30. Rotary Club of Thanjavur and Thanjavur Environment Education Centre are jointly organising competitions for schoolstudents at Sir Sivasamy Iyer Higher Secondary School at Thirukattupalli on February 2, says a press note from the Thanjavur Environment Education Centre.

The essay competition is on tsunami. The topic for oratorical contest is `Is television useful or not.' There is a contest on rendering couplets from Thirukural.

Students of high and higher secondary schools can participate in the contest and each school can send five students.

There will be no entry fee. Students can send their applications to V.A.Ilavazhagan, 209, Pushpam Colony, Arulananda Nagar, 10th street, Thanjavur before February 4.

Mettur level

TIRUCHI JAN. 30. The level at the Mettur reservoir stood at 55.27 feet today. The inflow was 116 cusecs, and the discharge nil.

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