Tamil Nadu   

Briefly

Liberalised health scheme

CHENNAI: All retired railway employees with qualifying service period and who have not joined the Retired Employees' Liberalised Health Scheme (RELHS-97) earlier, are eligible to avail themselves of the last chance to join the scheme on or before December 31, 2005.

There will be a `lock in' period of six months from the date of joining the scheme, i.e.,

date of depositing the fees. During this `lock in' period, the employee can avail treatment in railway hospitals and other government hospitals, including Government owned autonomous hospitals and Government medical college hospitals only. They will not be referred to private hospitals, which are recognised for railway employees and other scheme cardholders. Reimbursement of claims for any private hospital will not be permitted under any circumstance or any medical condition.

The card will be issued by the personnel branch of the railway concerned. The scheme will not be extended further after December 31, 2005, under any circumstance, says a release. — Special Correspondent

Rs. 1.6 crore grant for highway near Palani

CHENNAI: The Central Government has sanctioned Rs. 1.6 crore for providing paved shoulders on certain stretches of national highway-209 near Palani.

An official release on Tuesday said the Union Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister, T.R. Baalu, accorded the approval. The volume of traffic on the road accounted for about 23,000 passenger car units in September. The traffic consists of considerable slow-moving vehicles and the proposed stretches are in an urbanised area with considerable local traffic. They are accident-prone due to inadequate paved width. During December-April, lakhs of devotees come to Palani, contributing to more congestion. Approval has been given to provide 375-mm crust thickness for paved shoulders with the existing crust, the release added. — Special Correspondent

MDMK leader

appears in court

CUDDALORE: State secretary of the propaganda wing of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Nanjil Sampath appeared before the Cuddalore District Sessions Court here on Tuesday, in connection with the "defamatory case" filed against him on behalf of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

According to T.S. Thirumarban, advocate of Mr. Sampath, the District Principal Sessions Judge G. Rajsurya, issued the "complaint copy" to his client and posted the case on December 21. The complaint filed by Public Prosecutor P.J.X. Vedanayagam alleged that Mr. Sampath had delivered a speech "defaming the Chief Minister" in a public meeting held at Neyveli on March 21, 2004. — Special Correspondent

Fishermen rescued

CUDDALORE: The mechanised boat carrying three fishermen reported missing from Friday last was traced near Parangipettai (Portonovo) on Monday night. However, due to squally weather, they could be rescued only on Tuesday morning, says G. Chandrasekaran, Assistant Director (Fisheries), who coordinated the rescue operation.

He said Arumugham of Thevanampattinam, Arumugham of Thammanampettai and Sundarraj of Suthukulam were found exhausted in the boat that strayed off its course and drifting in the sea, about two km off Portonovo.

Local fishermen with fellowmen from Thevanmpattinam set out in boats to bring back the trio. They were taken to a private hospital in Cuddalore, where they are recuperating now. — Special Correspondent

JD (S) plea for railway division

SALEM: The Salem district unit of Janata Dal (Secular) appealed to its president and former Prime Minister H.D. Deva Gowda to make efforts to establish a railway division in Salem.

In a memorandum to him, the district president of the party G. Velayudham said passengers and industrialists in seven districts would get benefits if a railway division was set up in Salem.-

Staff Reporter

Training programme

SALEM: The Salem Government Museum will organise a training programme on Lawn Art on its campus on every Sunday. According to the Curator of the Museum N. Sundararajan, persons of all ages, including students are eligible for the programme. No fee will be collected for the training. The last date for registration is November 30. - Staff Reporter

Seven-years RI for

72-year-old man

ERODE: The Erode District Principal Judge R. Mohandoss sentenced a 72-year-old man for seven years rigorous imprisonment for killing his son-in-law's father.

The prosecution case was that Subramani of Parapalayam in Uthukuli killed Palaniappa Gounder when he along with son Natarajan came to his house to discuss family disputes involving Subramani's daughter. During discussion, the duo beat Subramani and in a fit of rage he killed Gounder besides injuring Natarajan.

Man killed in accident

ERODE: A man was killed and three others injured when a car in which they were travelling collided with a lorry near Perundurai SIPCOT on National Highway on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Senthilkumar (33) of Tirupur. He, along with his relatives was on the way to Bhavani when the accident occurred. He died on way to hospital. Ponnusamy, Arunachalam and Muthuswamy, who were injured seriously, have been admitted to a private hospital in Perundurai.

Grievances day

ERODE: At the grievances day held here on Tuesday petitions were received for improving sanitary conditions. Residents of Kuyavanthittu on Jeevanandham Road asked authorities to provide a toilet. Some health department workers demanded that the municipal administration instruct Sanitary Inspectors not to misuse their powers and allow health staff to do their work only.

Illegal manufacture of rifles: one more held

THENI: Vikkiraman of Pooparai in Kerala was arrested in Theni on Tuesday on the charge of illegally manufacturing country-made rifles.

A case has been registered in this connection.

The police had arrested Ramakrishnan (29) of Nadungandam in Kerala on the charge of having country-made rifle without valid licence last night.

It is now learnt that Vikkiraman manufactured the rifle and handed it over to Ramakrishnan. — Staff Reporter

Insurance office burgled

THENI: United India Insurance Company office near Alli Nagaram police station was burgled on Monday night and Rs.10,500, kept in a locker, was taken away.

Acting on a complaint lodged by the branch manager Kannabiran, the police have registered a case and are investigating. — Staff Reporter

Library Week celebrated

MADURAI: The Speaker, K. Kalimuthu, has assured to take steps to provide a computer to the District Central Library here.

Speaking at the 38th National Library Week celebrations held on the library premises on Monday, Mr. Kalimuthu expressed the hope that the computer would come in handy to the library authorities in digitising the titles and utilising it as ready reference to locate the books and periodicals.

The Speaker released a collection of verses in Tamil under the title, `Nee, Naan, Kaadal,' authored by Tamil Priyan and Rajasekar.

K. Nagarajan, District Library Officer (in charge), and N. Pandurangan, librarian, were among those who spoke. — Staff Reporter

Lottery tickets seized

Tuticorin : The police seized lottery tickets from various parts of the town on Sunday and arrested five persons.

They said Saravanan (26), Annadurai (53) and Sudalaimadan (60) were arrested when they tried to sell lotteries at the bus stand. Chandrasekaran (53) and Rajendran (38) were taken into the custody from Doovepuram area when they were in possession of 548 lotteries. — Staff Reporter

Man commits suicide

Nagercoil: A man committed suicide at his mother's house on Monday. According to police, Kumar (35) of Kottar was running a bakery unit near his house. He used to go to his mother-in-law's house at Krishnankovil daily after closing the stall. However, Kumar went to his mother's house on Monday and took the extreme step. The police rushed to the spot, recovered the body and sent it for post-mortem. — Staff Reporter

Welfare aid distributed

Tuticorin: District Revenue Officer, R. Selvaraj, gave away welfare assistance worth Rs. 59,036 to two persons at the grievance day meeting held here on Monday.

Bhagyaselvam, a sophomore at the Tirunelveli Medical College, received Rs. 9,036 as educational assistance after he brought his plight to the attention of the administration. He gave away Rs. 50,000 the kin of Sudalaimuthu of Srivaikuntam Taluk, who was electrocuted recently at Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district. — Staff Reporter

Demonstration

Tuticorin: Communist Party of India (Marxist) cadres staged demonstrations at various parts of the district on Monday demanding speedy implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women. Police said about 150 cadres took part in the demonstration held in Tuticorin, Kovilpatti and Muthiapuram. — Staff Reporter

Warning to fishermen

PUDUKOTTAI: Fishing activity came to a halt as fishermen did not venture into the sea for the past two days because of depression in the bay. An alert has already been sounded to the fishermen not to venture into the sea on Wednesday too. .

Two killed in accident

KARUR: Two lorry drivers were killed and their two assistants injured when two lorries collided on the Karur-Coimbatore highway near here on Tuesday.

S. Rangasamy of Coimbatore, driving a sand-laden lorry bound for Coimbatore and G. Venkatesan (34) of Kuppamettupatti in Dindigul district, driver of the other lorry coming to Karur, were killed when the two lorries collided at Nallipalayam near Thennilai on the Karur-Coimbatore highway. Rangasamy's son Saravanakumar (23) and Sathyamurthy (35), assistants travelling in the vehicles, were severely injured and have been admitted to the Karur Government Hospital.

— Staff Reporter

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