The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Manimuthaaru revived

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 13, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Manimuthaaru revived

ATM facility

There is a tremendous increase in the number of tourists arriving Palani. It is only natural that tourists want to avail themselves of ATM facility in the vicinity of Palani bus stand. The facility offered by SBI and Indian Bank here poses security problem at unusual hours. The ATM should be set up in the vicinity of Palani bus stand for risk-free transactions.

M. S. Sankaran,

Palani

Plight of

tea growers

Finished tea goods fetch poor rate at auction centres. Factories pay a meagre amount to small tea growers in the Nilgiris district. The percentage formula stipulated for sold tea to be shared between small tea growers and factories is not implemented. Quality upgradation has been carried out for the last several months, but without returns. Neither the small tea growers nor consumers are benefited. A joint venture by small tea growers and tea plantation community is indispensable for a solution. There is a view that the Price Stabilisation Fund scheme launched by the Government is manipulated in fixing the average realisation cost for the green leaf.

K. Belli,

Udhagamandalam.

Educational loans

I applied for an educational loan on August 23 last from a nationalised bank for the PhD course that was offered to me by the University of Wales, Lampeter, UK (my course was supposed to start on October 1), and submitted all the necessary documents that were requested by the Branch Manager of Tatabad.

The application was forwarded duly to the Regional Office, where my loan has to be sanctioned.

Soon after, we had enquiries regarding the placement of jobs after the completion of my course. Duly, we furnished numerous evidences indicating the potentialities of placements after completion of the course. After nearly three months, with all the documents furnished, the Regional Office rejected my application. When my husband attempted to enquire the reasons for rejecting the loan, the officer-in-charge refused to discuss the matter and repeatedly stated that the loan cannot be provided to housewives.

With the interference of the Finance Minister's office, we received a mail from the bank stating that the Head Office has ordered an enquiry. Soon after, a letter dated November 8 was sent to us stating that the loan was again rejected placing the same reasons that was stated earlier (again we were denied the chance of explaining our side of arguments). On what grounds a "housewife" can be treated as a factor by which a loan can be rejected? Should a housewife continue to be a housewife and not eligible to upgrade her independent status?

Most importantly, when universities (national and international) do not reject a student's candidature on the grounds of a `housewife status', why should banks place this as an argument for education.

Uma Senthilkumaran,

Coimbatore.

Lethargic attitude

With underground cables, pipelines and drainage systems having become the order of the day, digging up roads for repairs, has become understandably inevitable.

However, the lethargic manner in which most of these works are carried out causes misery to the public. For days together, at times for even several weeks, the pits remain open, proving to be potential danger spots for road-users. Invariably, the situation continues to be so even after completion of the repairs, because of the indifference shown by the contractors in refilling, levelling and restoring the roads. Though the contracts relating to such repair works always contain a clause regarding proper restoration of roads to their original condition, the contractors, in several cases, manage to get their full payment without complying with this clause.

K.D. Viswanaathan,

Coimbatore.

Ordeal for licence

I am a student of a reputed engineering college in Coimbatore. I was asked to show the proof to get Learners Licence for a two-wheeler and a four-wheeler. My bank passbook, college ID card or old ration card were not considered as valid proof.

Officials said they would accept only the new ration card or passport or voter ID card.

I registered for my voter ID card last year, and have applied for the new ration card a few months ago.

We students are made to run from pillar to post for a Learners Licence.

K.R. Venugopal,

Coimbatore.

Subscriber woes

I am a BSNL Excel (post-paid) subscriber. I applied for change of plan on November 10, 2005. But the bill I received carried no changes. When I contacted the customer care officer at Central Telegraph Office, he said, they were busy altering the building, so I should continue to pay the bill amount received, till they found it convenient to attend to the matter.

A. Immanuel,

Coimbatore.

Satisfy water needs

People who reside in the Corporation limits alone are not contributing for the economy of Coimbatore city.

The middle class masses who live off the boundaries of the city are also equally contributing for the growth of the city.

Siruvani Dam is not the property of Coimbatore Corporation and there are also beneficiary local bodies, who have a right over water as per MoU drafted at the time of dam construction.

They should be allowed to have their share of water for which the TWAD Board and Government authorities should assist, and satisfy the growing water needs of the suburbs without any more delay.

Why should the dam be raised only to 3 feet? When the work is taken up, it should be raised to the projected level of 75 feet so that around 200 tmc ft of water can be stored more which will definitely benefit one and all.

P.S. Manian,

Vice-president,

Sivagami Nagar Welfare Association Veerakeralam,

Coimbatore.

(Readers can mail

to wscbe@thehindu.co.in)

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