The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : New system of holiday for industries till April 30

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Friday, Mar 28, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

New system of holiday for industries till April 30

Special Correspondent

They can then revert to weekly holiday on Sunday

PMK urged not to oppose Vellore airport expansion project
Heated debate on construction of check dam in Tuticorin

CHENNAI: The new system of holidays for industries, being followed in view of the power shortage, will be in force till April 30.

After this, all industrial units can have Sunday as their weekly holiday, Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veeraswami told the Assembly on Thursday. Replying to Congress legislator E.S.S. Raman during Question Hour, he said the State had been divided into six zones and each assigned a specific holiday. When all units together observed Sunday as their holiday, 1,500 megawatt of power went unutilised.

Later, responding to observations of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam member R. Vaithilingam, Mr. Veeraswami said the State was meeting the demand of 8,600 MW from its sources and purchasing 500 MW from other States.

Human rights course

To a suggestion from Viduthalai Chiruthaigal member D. Ravikumar that the course in human rights being taught in schools under the control of the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department could be extended to schools under the control of School Education Department, Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister A. Tamilarasi replied that the issue would be taken up with the Minister concerned. There was no such proposal now with the government. The course began in 2002. In 2005, it was renewed for three years.

Participating in the debate on the Budget, C. Gnanasekaran (Congress) urged the Pattali Makkal Katchi not to oppose the Vellore airport expansion project.

T. Velmurugan (PMK) replied that it was not the intention of his party to express its objections for the sake of expressing them. It did not want the depressed classes to be subjected to any hardship while pursuing development projects.

The House witnessed heated discussion between treasury and Opposition benches on the construction of a check dam across the Vaippar in Vilathikulam constituency in Tuticorin district.

The AIADMK’s P. Chinnappan contended that the check dam, constructed 1.5 km west of the area identified originally, would not help arrest salinity intrusion.

Public Works Minister Durai Murugan said the structure , built at a cost of Rs.7.2 crore, was completed in the middle of February and commissioned. It was taken up under the tsunami emergency project with the support of Asian Development Bank.

Speaker R. Avudaiappan expunged some words used by the MLA and the Minister.

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