Tamil Nadu   

Neglected area

Karkapalli-Vachikolli hamlets of Padanthurai revenue village are underdeveloped and covered by the urban selection grade Devarshola Town Panchayat. More than 4,000 peoplelive here. A mini bus, which used ply from Gudalur town to Chundavayal, was cancelled abruptly and diverted between Alavayal and Moochikandy citing bad condition of the road as reason though the road between Moochikandy and Chundavayal is far better than the waterlogged stretch at the Alavayal and Ponvayal area. The cancellation of the bus has hit the poor people of Moochikandy hard. Their mass petition to the District Collector and other district officials seeking restoration of the bus service up to Chundavayal or a government bus to the area has not got any response.

C.R. Krishnan,

Gudalur.

Even though the use of cell phone while driving has been banned, the practice continues. The recent accident in Erode, in which a mini bus ran over a 14-year-old girl because its driver was talking over cell phone while driving, should serve as an eye-opener to all. Authorities should enforce the ban strictly.

C. Bhaskaran,

Erode.

The report on chaotic traffic system in Erode town was apt. Two-wheelers use ‘chest indicators’ while taking turns and ride freely on the right side of the road giving anxious moments to others. Unless this trend is checked, the accident rate in Erode will continue to be on the increase.

Radha Bhaskaran,

Erode.

There is a feeling that matriculation schools collect a hefty amount as fee from students. This is true to some extent. But some schools grant full fee concession to meritorious students. The concession is irrespective of caste, religion and income. I request private engineering colleges too to give full fee concession to students who secure good marks in the Plus-Two examination.

V.S.K. Manian,

Bhavani.

A computerised reservation centre was inaugurated by S.K. Sharma, divisional railway manager, Palghat, on March 24, 2004. At present the centre has only one active counter working from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 12.30 on Saturdays. Even though there are two counters, invariably only one is active. Namakkal has a lot of business activity and hence mobility of people here is on the rise.

The existing timings for reservation are not sufficient to meet the demand from this area. I request the railway authorities to offer full-day reservation facility with one more active counter.

A. Natarajan,

Namakkal.

Most of the medical colleges in the State do not have enough teaching faculty. There are very few staff in anatomy, physiology, pathology, bio-chemistry departments.

There are no rehabilitation medicine specialists at Madurai, Tanjore and Salem Medical Colleges. Without rehabilitation treatment will not be complete. I request the State Government and Dr. M.G.R. Medical University to do the needful so that both students and patients are benefited.

B.R. Ramasubramanian,

Salem.

The stupendous work by RAAC to stop use of plastics will be remembered by the Coimbatore people for another 1,000 years. The campaign launched by college and school students against plastics and is laudable indeed.

The public response too was overwhelming. We hope the unstinted efforts by RAAC to remove plastics will continue till the Government comes out with a permanent solution by law.

S. Mariappan,

Kavundampalayam.

Mr. Yoganathan’s deep love for Nature is astonishing (Personality of the Week, June 23). His action in catching the young minds to nurture Nature is laudable. We can ensure that our rich natural habitat continues to prosper by planting trees and keeping our surroundings clean. Otherwise we will be handing down a desert to the next generation. Mr. Yoganathan’s feeling that animals and birds also have a right to lead a life free from pain and suffering is understandable. He regrets that they are denied their habitats.

B. Sripada Rajan,

N.G.G.O. Colony.

Kavundampalayam which is a fast growing town needs the amenity of a public park where people can enjoy fresh air, stroll and relax away from the hustle and bustle of the town. A park is the lungs of the town and its decoration too. A suitable piece of land can be earmarked for the purpose and developed into a scenic delightful spot that will be a feast to the eyes and solace to the mind.

S. Venkatachalam,

Kavundampalayam.

Some days ago a few constables from Singanallur police station came in search of my father-in-law who is 80 years old and bedridden. They were holding a notice from BSNL, Coimbatore, demanding arrears in its telephone bill for Rs. 10. This telephone (Number 2318642) connection was surrendered in 2004 and full settlement made. However, I went to BSNL’s Mettupalayam Road office to pay the outstanding amount and complete formalities. But to my surprise an official informed that BSNL had not sent any notice as my father-in-law’s account showed ‘nil’ balance. I have collected a certificate from BSNL and submitted it to the police station. This incident, however, caused unnecessary strain on us.

R. Chandramohan,

Coimbatore.

Six-lane Avinashi Road project is progressing fast. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 3,400 crore. The highways department has surmounted all difficulties involved in such a massive work. Economic development of a country hinges on an impeccable transport system. A six-lane road facilitates uninterrupted flow of vehicles and quick transportation. Those working in the project are doing a commendable job. The project once completed will be the pride of Coimbatore.

S.P. Krishnan,

Coimbatore.

The health insurance scheme introduced by the Tamil Nadu Government for its employees is a laudable and humanitarian measure. Can the Government, being the guardian of all citizens of Tamil Nadu, not offer this scheme to all its citizens with necessary checks and balances? Almost all the public sector insurance companies participate in this scheme. I, a senior citizen, am a victim of a raw deal by one of the public sector insurance companies because of all sorts of restrictions it imposes on health insurance policy holders and the excessively high premium rates it charges.

P. Hariharan,

Coimbatore.

Fuel prices have gone up and the common man has to bear the brunt. Autos and call taxis all over the country have hiked fares. In Tamil Nadu there is no regulation of meter rates and auto drivers fleece customers. Call taxis were launched to provide service at reasonable rates by reducing empty running through the use of a wireless communication network. However, in the absence of any regulation this system is used only in Chennai and elsewhere a higher fare is taken from customers to compensate for the empty running. A minimum fare should be fixed keeping in mind the average fare elsewhere in the country where auto fare is lower than that in Tamilnadu.

V. Shankar,

Ganapathy.

(Readers can mail to cbereaders@thehindu.co.in with address and phone number)

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