The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 10, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Briefly

By Our Special Correspondent

Minor reshuffle of IAS officers

CHENNAI APRIL 9. N. Govindan, former chairman and managing director of Tamil Nadu Minerals Limited, has been posted as Special Commissioner and Commissioner of Rehabilitation, in a minor shuffle of IAS officers today. Hitherto, K. Nanda Kishore was holding additional charge of the post.

On reversion to the State cadre, Kannegi Packianathan, former director, National Commission for SC, State Office, Chennai, will be the new Director of Tribal Welfare, vice Santhosh Babu, holding additional charge.

The Government transferred M. Malik Feroze Khan from the post of Additional Commissioner of Labour and posted him as Joint Secretary, Industries department in the place of Ashok Ranjan Mohanty.

10-year RI for transporting ganja

CHENNAI APRIL 9. The Special Judge for NDPS Act cases, Nazir Ahamed, has sentenced Periakaruppan of Usilampatti to rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and slapped a fine of Rs. 1 lakh for transporting 45 kg of ganja in June 2003.

Pandi and Pandian, of Usilampatti, were sentenced to five-year rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs. 25,000 each for transporting 30 kg of ganja, says a press release.

Award for Mandolin Srinivas

By Special Correspondent

CHENNAI APRIL 9. Sri. Thyagaraja Festival Committee, Tirupati, has selected Mandolin U. Srinivas, for the Sapthagiri Sangeetha Vidwanmani award.

It will be given away at a `Sadas' to be held during the annual festival of music and dance from July 25 to August 5 at Tirupati.

According to the committee secretary, K.V. Ranganathan, Srinivas is the youngest recipient of the award, which was so far given to 40 artistes.

Held for possessing explosives

By Our Staff Reporter

ARIYALUR APRIL 9. A special police team has arrested Arulmani alias Arul (22), an alleged member of the banned outfit, Tamizhar Viduthalai Iyakkam, and charged him with possessing explosives.

The team was conducting vehicle checks along the Jayamkondam-Ariyalur Highway on Friday night. Arulmani was intercepted for riding a two-wheeler without number plate. Upon interrogation, he is reported to have said that he carried the explosives — five gelatine sticks, five detonators and battery cells — to blow the Marudhaiar Railway Bridge in protest against the State ban on the outfit.

MLA's son arrested for murder

By Our Staff Reporter

THANJAVUR APRIL 9. Six persons, including Santhi Hussain, son of the Thanjavur MLA, S.N.M. Ubayathullah, were arrested here today for allegedly murdering Senthil Kumar.

The others who were arrested are Senthil, Ilangovan, Murthy, Arumugam and Muniyandi.

The police recovered the decomposed body of Senthil Kumar from an unused well in Neithalur near Thittai near Thanjavur on Friday.

According to the police, Senthil Kumar of Pudupatti, was Santhi Hussain's driver. On January 29, some persons went to Senthil Kumar's house and said Hussain wanted to meet him. He did not return from the alleged meeting. Two months later on April 5, his brother, Rajasekaran filed a complaint that his brother was missing with the Sengipatti police.

A special police team, headed by Inspector Devan, was formed to investigate the case. The police nabbed Arumugam and, following the information he gave, recovered Senthil Kumar's body. Following this, the police arrested the other five.

Rs. 1 crore for cancer institute

CHENNAI APRIL 9. The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) today donated Rs. 1 crore to the Adyar Cancer Institute for building an Intensive Care Centre.

Handing over the cheque to the chairman, V. Shantha, A.K. Balyan, Director (HR), ONGC, said the ONGC decided to set aside 0.75 per cent of its net profit for its corporate social initiative. Of this, 40 per cent would be spent in the actual areas of operation of the ONGC and the rest on national initiatives. The ONGC was interested in three core sectors: education, especially IT-based; women health and serious diseases; and water management and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Shanta said the intensive care centre planned at the institute, a "bacteria free life-island", would comprise intensive cardiac, renal care, stem cell and marrow transplant care and anti-infection care.

Papanasam dam crosses 100-ft mark

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUNELVELI APRIL 9. The Papanasam dam today crossed the 100-feet mark, thanks to the recent rain in the Western Ghats, particularly the catchment areas of major reservoirs in the district.

After the catchment areas of the Papanasam dam experienced 450 mm of rainfall recently, the water level rapidly went up.

Though the inflow dwindled significantly, the storage level of the Papanasam dam touched 100.30 feet, while its `sister' reservoir, Servalar dam, had 114.50 feet. The Manimuthar dam, another major reservoir in the district, had a storage level of 96.13 feet.

Girl falls into `sambar' vessel

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUNELVELI APRIL 9. A first standard student sustained burns as she accidentally fell into a vessel containing hot `sambar' prepared in her school.

The police said M. Esakkiyammal of Subramaniapuram near Puliyangudi rushed to her home during the lunch interval on Friday to take a plate for getting noon meals being served in her school. On entering the school, she fell into the vessel and suffered burns.

She has been admitted to the Tenkasi Government Hospital.

Hide seized, two held

By Our Staff Reporter

TUTICORIN APRIL 9. Forest Department officials seized a tiger skin and a deer skin kept at Ettayapuram near here and arrested two persons. On a tip-off that Anathakrishnan (52) and Jaiganesh (24) were in possession of the hides, a team on Wednesday arrested them. They were remanded.

Man found dead

By Our Staff Reporter

Tuticorin April 9. An unidentified body of a male aged about 60 years was found near the Tiruchendur Temple on Friday.

The police said the deceased had died after consuming some toxic substances.

The Tiruchendur Temple police have registered a case.

Chains snatched, one arrested

By Our Staff Reporter

Tuticorin April 9. One Isaki Muthu was arrested here on Friday on a charge of snatching chains at various places. The police said the accused snatched chains belonging to one Vijayalakshmi and Albert Raja on Thursday night.

Residents stage road roko

By Our Staff Reporter

Tuticorin April 9. Residents of Nalatinpudur today staged a road roko, protesting the construction of a water tank by the TWAD board in the area.

The residents said the tank was not needed. The road roko took the police and revenue officials by surprise, as it was staged without prior announcement.

The crowd dispersed only after they had been given an assurance from the authorities that the work would be stopped for the time being and the matter would be discussed.

Sports kits distributed

By Our Staff Reporter

Nagercoil April 9. The Collector, Sunil Paliwal, gave away sports kits worth Rs50,000 to 12 community mobilisation teams working among the tsunami-affected fishermen community particularly children on Friday.

The kits were distributed on behalf of Child Relief and Voluntary Health Association of Kanyakumari.

The 12 community mobilisation teams, which were functioning in the tsunami-affected villages of Kottilpadu, Melamanakudi, Keelamanakudi and Arockiapuram had been distributing nutritious fruits to the tsunami-affected children.

Teachers observe fast

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE APRIL 9. More than 100 members of the Zone IV, Association of University Teachers (AUT) observed fast today before the Government Headquarters Hospital, demanding Erode Arts College management to revoke the suspension of a Selection Grade Computer Science Professor of the college.

They demanded the college management to consider all the genuine and reasonable demands of the teachers.

The Aided College Teachers Association (ACTA) urged the college management to revoke the suspension.

Encroachments removed

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE APRIL 9. The Revenue Department officials today demolished a compound wall of a college at Rangampalayam, which was constructed unauthorised. The officials stated that the college management had encroached

six acres of poromboke land on which they had constructed the wall.

Obscene film seized

By Our Staff Reporter

ERODE APRIL 9. The Erode South police arrested two film operators of a cinema theatre situated between NGGO Colony and Surampatty on Thursday night when they screened obscene films. According to the police, based on an information, the Censor Board Vigilance squad personnel paid a surprise visit to the theatre and noticed the screening. The police arrested the operators and seized the film.

Review meeting

By Our Staff Reporter

SALEM APRIL 9. With six days left for the completion of the intensive electoral rolls revision work, the district officials today conducted a review meeting and discussed the ways to cover the left-out parts in the four assembly constituencies in the city limit.

The Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) for the Salem - II, Panamarathupatti and Veerapandi constituencies and for Salem - I constituency took part in the meeting. Voters, whose names were omitted in the rolls, could contact EROs at phone number 2452004 (Salem - II, Panamarathupatti and Veerapandi) and 2213996 (Salem - I) respectively for inclusion of their names.

`Fair trade, justice'

By Our Staff Reporter

Udhagamandalam April 9. Under the aegis of the Nilgiris District Women's Collective (NDWC), the international week for `Fair Trade and Justice' would be observed in various parts of the Nilgiris district between April 10 and 16.

Talking to mediapersons here today, the president of NDWC, K. Saral, said that during the campaign, the consequences of globalisation would be highlighted in various ways and the focus would be on the amended Seeds Protection and Patent Act.

A rally and a public meeting would be held in Ooty on April 18.

Four get life term for murder

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGAPATTINAM APRIL 9. The Nagapattinam District and Sessions Judge, M. Mohamed Essath Ali, on Thursday convicted and sentenced four Al-Umma activists, Samsudeen (28), Sarfudeen (28), Amanullah (29) and Hakeem (26) of Coimbatore, to life imprisonment for murdering Sayeetha Bheevi, wife of Alim of Nagore in Nagapattinam district in 1996. The judge acquitted two Al-Umma activists, Abbas and Mohamed Ali.

According to the prosecution, all the accused, angered over alleged anti-Islam activities of Alim, entered his house with deadly weapons and attacked him. While Alim escaped with injury, his wife Sayeetha Bheevi, who came to the rescue of her husband, was hacked to death.

The Nagore police had arrested Samsudeen, Sarfudeen, Amanullah, Hakeem, Abbas and Mohamed Ali and filed a case in the Sessions Court. Abbas and Mohammed Ali were, however, not released as they were also accused in the Coimbatore serial blast case.

`Fortified' biscuits distributed

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGAPATTINAM APRIL 9. The Dr. M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation has distributed nearly 28 tonnes of `fortified' biscuits to students in 27 schools in the tsunami-hit areas.

V. Palaniappan, advisor of the foundation's Village Resource Centre at Thiruvaiyaru, said on Friday that 200 tonnes of fortified biscuits were given for free distribution through the World Food Programme to schoolchildren in Standards V, VII and VIII in the tsunami-affected areas in Tamil Nadu.

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