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Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

Mild quake in Dharmapuri

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MARCH 22. An earthquake of slight intensity was recorded in the western region this morning.

The magnitude of the quake was 3.8 on the Richter scale with its epicentre at latitude 12.0 degrees north and longtitude 78.5 degrees east in Dharmapuri district. The epicentre was about 50 km from Salem, an Indian Meteorological Department spokesman said.

Such earthquakes occurred twice in the same region in recent years. In August 1998, a quake with a magnitude of 3.5 and another ith a magnitude of 3 on the Richter scale in January 2001 were experienced.

Tambaram halt for Pandyan

By Our Staff Reporter

MADURAI MARCH 22. From April 1, the Chennai Egmore-Madurai Pandyan Superfast Express will stop for a minute at Tambaram. It will leave Tambaram at 9.57 p.m.

The Chennai Egmore-Thiruvananthapuram-Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri Express will halt at Kadambur for a minute on a trial basis for six months from April 1, says a Southern Railway release.

Case against MLA

By Our Staff Reporter

VIRUDHUNAGAR MARCH 22. The Irukkangudi police have registered a case against the Sattur MLA and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam district secretary, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, and his supporters on the charge of burning an agricultural field belonging to an All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam district office-bearer.

The AIADMK MGR Youth Wing district deputy secretary, R. Valavandan, alleged that the MLA's supporters set on fire a motor shed and cotton and maize crops on Saturday night.

During an AIADMK public meeting on March 18, Mr. Valavandan warned that the MLA should not enter Sattur, if the DMK men continued to abuse Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. The act was in retaliation for his threat, he said.

IA flights to Bangkok

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MARCH 22. A triweekly direct Airbus-320 service in the Chennai-Bangkok-Chennai sector, thrice-a-week direct Airbus-320 service between Hyderabad and Singapore and a biweekly service between Hyderabad and Bangkok and between Bangalore and Bangkok are some of the highlights of the Indian Airlines summer schedule effective from March 27.

In the domestic sector, Alliance Air (IA subsidiary) will restore the Chennai-Raipur and Vishakapatnam-Raipur links, says a release.

Film producers' council plea

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MARCH 22. The Tamil Film Producers' Council has sought an order restricting cable TV operators from screening the latest Tamil movies.

T.G. Thyagarajan, president, in a statement, said certificates issued for showing trailers were withdrawn. The police could take action against the operators who were still continue the screening.

Apprenticeship training

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MARCH 22. The Board of Apprenticeship Training, Southern region, is organising e-placement for training engineering graduates, diploma holders and those who have qualified in the higher secondary school examination in the vocational stream. The period will be one year on a stipendiary basis.

Candidates and industrial units in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territories of Pondicherry and Lakshadweep can benefit from the scheme. The industrial units may project their requirement for apprentices to the Board through e-mail at boat_sr@vsnl.net or ntmisbat@vsnl.net. The candidates may e-mail their biodata in the prescribed format available on the board's web site: www.boatsr-apprentice.tn.nic.in.

The last date for the industrial units and the applicants to e-mail their responses is March 27. Placement of candidates through e-mail will be done from March 28 to 31. e-placement of apprenticeship training has been organised on a trial basis up to March 31.

`VAT implementation imperative'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI MARCH. 22. Industry representatives have expressed concern at the uncertainty over implementation of the Value Added Tax (VAT) system. The system is expected to be operational in States by April 1.

At an interactive workshop on VAT, `VAT's happening,' organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here, the CII (south) Economic Affairs and Taxation Sub-Committee chairman, K. Sridharan, said it was imperative that VAT be implemented in all States without delay. Any delay in Tamil Nadu would mean its losing out. For neighbours were going in for VAT.

Sachin Menon, partner, Ernst & Young India, said India had to set its house in order to become an economic power. Unless tax laws were fine-tuned, survival of manufacturing industries would be difficult.

Woman, child hacked to death

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI MARCH 22. An armed gang hacked to death a 25-year-old woman, Shanti, and her seven-month-old baby girl in their house at Melakasipalayam here today.

Shanthi's husband Sureshkumar and mother-in-law Pushpa, who were injured, are undergoing treatment in the Government Hospital here.

Police sources said, the gang, armed with `aruvals', came in an autorickshaw and attacked Shanthi and her child. While Shanthi died on the spot, the child died on way to the hospital. Sureshkumar who tried to rescue his wife sustained cut injuries.

The police said it was a love marriage between Shanthi and Sureshkumar, belonging to different communities. There was opposition to the marriage from Shanthi's family. Shanthi's brother, Manikandan, and three others have been cited as accused.

A senior police official said three teams had been formed to apprehend the accused.

Free Siddha medical camps

By Our Staff Reporter

THANJAVUR MARCH 22. Free Siddha medical camps will be conducted in Thanjavur district on March 24 and 27 to provide treatment to the tsunami affected people, according to a press release issued here by Dr. S. Rangarasan, District Siddha Medical Officer, Thanjavur district.

The camps would be held at Adaikathevan village in Sethubavachathiram Panchayat Union on March 24 and at Thiruvathevan village on March 27.

Siddha, Homeopathy and Ayruveda doctors would screen the people and provide treatment to all ailments. Counselling would also be rendered to them. Drugs worth Rs. 25,000 would be distributed free of cost in these camps.

Mettur level

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI MARCH 22. The water level in the Mettur dam stood at 53.10 feet today.. The inflow was 185 cusecs and the discharge 900 cusecs.

Two held

By Our Staff Reporter

TUTICORIN MARCH 22. Two youths were arrested here today on the charges of assaulting a furniture shop owner on March 20.

The police said Benjamin and Sunder Singh, both employees at the shop owned by Subbiah on Poolarayarpuram Main road, were sacked recently.

Owing to it, the duo had attacked Subbaih, inflicting injuries on him.

House burgled

By Our Staff Reporter

TUTICORIN MARCH 22. The Vilathikulam police are on the look out for some unidentified persons, who burgled the house of Arjunan at Kuraliampatti on Monday.

The burglars had gained entry by removing roof tiles and decamped with a five sovereign chain and Rs. 10,000 in cash, kept in a box.

Demonstration

By Our Staff Reporter

TUTICORIN MARCH 22. Demanding the authorities to fill vacancies in the Revenue Department immediately, members of TN Revenue Officers Association today staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate here.

They also demanded to put a stop to the practice of deputing the revenue staff to carry out electoral roll revision work. Instead, personnel should be recruited afresh for the purpose, they said.

About 100 employees took part in the demonstration.

`Do not privatise schools'

By Our Staff Reporter

TUTICORIN MARCH 22. About 85 cadres belonging to the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam staged a demonstration near the port here to protest the decision of Tuticorin Port Educational Agency to privatise the three schools run by it.

They urged the TPEA to reconsider its decision to privatise Harbour Primary School, Harbour Higher Secondary School and Harbour Matriculation School.

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