The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Reconsider rejection of STF promotions: Jayalalithaa

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 08, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Reconsider rejection of STF promotions: Jayalalithaa

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, FEB. 7. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today requested the Centre to reconsider its order turning down the State Government's decision to promote three IPS officers, who led the Special Task Force that killed forest brigand Veerappan.

Winding up the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address in the Assembly, Ms. Jayalalithaa said even Madras High Court judges, who heard a public interest litigation petition, commended the State Government for having felicitated the STF personnel. But the "bitter truth" was the Centre had not commended them, she said. Barring the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, no one congratulated the STF or even spoke to the officers on phone to convey their regards.

The State Government promoted K. Vijaykumar DGP and Senthamaraikannan and Shanmughavel DIGs, after Veerappan was killed.

As they were IPS officers, the promotions needed to be ratified by the Centre. But the Union Home Secretary wrote to the State Government on January 4, 2005, informing it of the decision rejecting the demand. After this, the Chief Minister wrote to Union Home Minister on January 27. She said she was yet to receive a reply.

Awards recommended

Ms. Jayalalithaa said the Government had recommended that Mr. Vijaykumar be awarded Padma Shri and Mr. Senthamaraikannan Ashoka Chakra. She had recommended Keerthi Chakra to S. Velladurai, M. Saravanan and V. Kumaresan. But none of the STF personnel figured in the list of awardees announced on Republic Day. "The Assembly should reflect if the STF commandos are ineligible to receive the awards when all sorts of people have been receiving the Republic Day awards," she said.

"Crime rate down"

The Chief Minister denied that there was any increase in the crime rate in the State.

In fact, in 2004, murders were down by 4.6 per cent, dacoities by 17 per cent, thefts and robberies by 10 per cent and crimes against women by 0.68 per cent.

Mettur water

On the plight of delta farmers, she said that between June 1, 2004 and February 3, 2005, the State realised 158.271 tmcft in the Mettur dam. It should have received 196.331 tmcft during the same period. Even the realisation in Mettur came from a surplussing Kabini reservoir in Karnataka.

Foodgrains production in the State this year was 90 lakh tonnes, thanks to a good northeast monsoon.

Pat for sanitary staff

The Chief Minister praised the efforts of 4,799 sanitary staff members from local bodies for having buried bodies in the tsunami-affected areas. Each of them would be given a cash incentive of Rs. 2,500. This would cost the Government Rs. 1.2 crores.

The Chief Minister said two phases of the post-tsunami relief work were over. The second phase began in the State on December 30, even when other places hit by the disaster were still struggling to come to termswith it.

The aim now was to restore the means of livelihood for fishermen and other affected communities early and ensure that their housing needs were taken care of. She said all organisations and political parties should join in the rehabilitation endeavour.

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