Tamil Nadu   

Briefly

Staff Reporter

Five women killed in

van-lorry smash

TIRUPUR: Five women were killed and seven others injured when a van they were travelling in collided with a sand-laden lorry on the national highway at Mathappur near Palladam, 20 km from here, in the early hours of Sunday.

The police said the occupants of the van were on their way to the Kodumudi temple to attend a family function. The lorry was proceeding to Coimbatore from Karur.

Pazhanal (65), of Palladam, and her relatives from Tirupur, P. Ponnammal (46), Ponni (35), Nachammal (40) and K. Ponnammal (65) died on the spot. The injured, including van driver N. Gunasekaran (34), were admitted to the Tirupur Government Hospital.

Lorry driver John has been arrested. - Staff Reporter

Elephant camp begins

UDHAGAMANDALAM: With pachyderms from various parts of Tamil Nadu having reached Theppakadu in Mudumalai, the third rejuvenation camp for temple and private elephants is all set to begin on Monday.

In all, 65 elephants from outside and 24 from the Mudumalai sanctuary are expected to take part in the camp, which will be inaugurated by Forest Minister R. Vaithilingam.

Mr. Vaithilingam, who was on his way to Mudumalai, stopped at the Kunjapanai forest checkpoint on the Mettupalayam-Kotagiri highway and offered sugar cane and fruits to Rukku, Thiruvannamalai temple elephant, which had just entered the district border.

Forest Department officials said all arrangements had been made.

New currency notes

CHENNAI: The RBI will shortly issue bank notes in the denomination of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000, in the Mahatma Gandhi Series, without the inset letter in the numbering panel bearing the signature of Governor Y.V. Reddy.

All security features with illustrations are displayed on www.rbi.org.in.

All banknotes in the Rs.500 denomination issued after 1987 and Rs.1000 banknotes issued after 2000 will remain legal tender, says an RBI release.

The RBI will also issue banknotes in the denomination of Rs.100 with inset letter `E' in the numbering panel in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005 bearing the signature of the Governor.

— Special Correspondent

Meet on environmental safety

CHENNAI: The Enviro-2005 conference on environmental safety and health, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, will deliberate on environmental and sustainability issues that affect the competitiveness of industry.

The meet, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, southern region, will discuss environmental legislation; waste management solutions for industrial effluents; design, operation and maintenance of common hazardous waste incineration units; disaster management; corporate sustainability; and occupational health.

Besides officials of the state pollution control boards, Mike Whitaker of the urban sustainable infrastructure engineering project of the University of Colorado, Tony Caon, environmental scientist, Ford Motor Company, Australia, and Juergen Porst, senior adviser for the hazardous waste management project in Karnataka, will address.

— Staff Reporter

Journalist killed

CHENNAI: A 44-year-old journalist was killed in a hit-and-run accident in the early hours of Sunday.

S. Mohandas, who worked with the Daily Thanthi newspaper, was riding on a two-wheeler along the Maduravoyal-Tambaram 200 feet road, when he was hit.

Planetarium closed today

TIRUCHI: The Anna Science Centre - Planetarium will be closed on Monday owing to annual maintenance work of the equipment, Project Director R. Madhavan said.

Co-operative Week celebrated

PERAMBALUR: The all-India Co-operative Week celebration concluded here on Saturday. The Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, A. Arunachalam, said the cooperative banks in the district had waived interest and penal interest to the tune of Rs.4.47 crores on farm loans. He gave away loans for Rs.60.54 lakhs to 1,050 women members of self-help groups. The Collector, D. Vivekanandan, said the cooperative banks had so far released loans for Rs.16.9 crores to agriculturalists this fiscal. Mr. Arunachalam gave away shields to the best cooperative societies in the district.

Mettur level

TIRUCHI: The level in the Mettur dam stood at 119.64 feet on Sunday. The inflow was 10,786 cusecs and the outflow 16,016 cusecs.

— Staff Reporter

Three huts gutted

ERODE: Three huts were gutted when a transformer of the TNEB burst at Kaspapet on Saturday night. The oil from the transformer caused the fire. No one was injured. The Fire and Rescue Service personnel brought the fire under control.

Marathon race held

SALEM: The Holy Cross Matriculation Higher Secondary School conducted the annual 10-km marathon race in memory of Brother Gerard here on Saturday.

About 1,200 students from 37 schools participated in the race.

A six-gram gold coin was given as first prize, four-gram coin as second prize and two-gram coin as third prize to winners. Motivational prizes were given to 20 students and certificates to those who had completed the race within 50 minutes. T-shirts were presented to about 750 participants who had completed the race within the set timeframe.

Superintendent of Police R. Arumugam inaugurated the race. The principal of the school John Britto presided.

Awareness rally

Ramanathapuram : More than 100 students and officials took out an awareness rally here on Sunday in connection with the National Land Resource Protection Week.

Collector K. Sellamuthu flagged off the rally at palace. The participants went through the Roman Church, the Government Hospital, Vazhividumurugan temple, Vandikara Street, and culminated at the palace entrance.

The Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority and the Rotary Club of Ramanathapuram organised the rally. — Staff Reporter.

Fine Collected

DINDIGUL : A special squad in TNSTC (Division-IV) Limited had collected Rs.1,104 as fine from 81 passengers for having travelled without valid tickets during surprise check in 898 buses operated in Dindigul and Theni districts recently, according to a release from the Corporation on Saturday. — Staff Reporter.

Lok Adalat held

THENI : A sum of Rs.72,000 has been collected on the spot and 12 accounts for Rs.1.90 lakhs pending in nine branches of Canara Bank in the district were settled at the Lok Adalat organised by the Canara Bank held in Periakulam Sub Court on Saturday.

The Adalat had sent 228 summons covering Rs.36 lakhs. About 35 members took part.

Sub-court Judge T. Ponprakash and retired judge B. Ramalingam conducted the Adalat.

Staff Reporter.

CPM workers stage demo

DINDIGUL : About 220 members including 50 women of the Communist Party of India (Marxists) on Saturday staged a demonstration before the Dindigul Municipality, condemning attack on a party functionary in Batlagundu.

The demonstrators demanded that the police take action against the persons behind the attack.

CPI(M)'s state secretary N. Varadarajan and Dindigul Balabarathi and others took part.

An unidentified gang attacked Susai Mary, CPM party functionary at Vakkampatti near Batlagundu and snatched gold chain from her recently. — Staff Reporter.

Road roko seeking

bus service

Nagercoil: Around 100 people from Peruvilai near Parvathipuram resorted to road roko on Sunday demanding resumption of bus service from here to Peruvilai for the benefit of students and villagers.

The State Transport Corporation had stopped operation of bus service from Nagercoil to Peruvilai few months ago.

On hearing the agitation, officials rushed to spot and persuaded the villagers to withdraw their agitation. After getting assurance from the officials that immediate steps would be taken to resume bus service, the villagers lifted their agitation.

The panchayat president of Peruvilai, Sukitha, led the agitation. — Staff Reporter

Commits suicide

Nagercoil: A man committed suicide by consuming poison on Sunday. According to police, Rajakumar of Melasankarankuzi near Vellichanthai used to drink liquor and harass his wife Rajeswari regularly. When his wife refused to give him money for buying liquor, he took the extreme step. — Staff Reporter

Road accident

Nagercoil: An aged man was killed on the spot in a road accident on Sunday.

According to sources, Ashok Kumar (62) of Parvathipuram was trying to cross the road when a motorcyclist hit him killing him on the spot. — Staff Reporter

Two held near Tuticorin

Tuticorin: Sounderarajan (33) and Senthil Kumar (30) were arrested on the charge of possessing IMFL bottles at Threspuram near here on Saturday. Altogether 63 brandy bottles were seized.

A team led by Inspector Anil Kumar was on patrol duty when they saw two persons standing under suspicious circumstances with a bag. On questioning, it was found that they were in possession of brandy bottles brought from Goa. It was also found that contents of the bottle were adulterated. — Staff Reporter

Power shutdown

TIRUNELVELI: Power supply in the following areas will be affected on November 22 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. in view of maintenance work, to be carried out at the Old Pettai sub-station: Old Pettai, Tirunelveli town, Gandhi Nagar, Pettai Nagar, Thiruppanikarisalkulam, Pettai Industrial Estate and Vaagaikulam.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Reassessing technical education crisis
One out of 10 children sexually abused: study
Residents "satisfied" with relief measures
Ophthalmic centres of excellence strike common cause
Honour for Kannadigas
Overseas education broadens outlook, says Mike Connor
Briefly
In Salem Today

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu