The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Reader's Mail : Questions and students

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Monday, Jan 05, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Reader's Mail : Questions and students

The article, ‘Spirit of enquiry unquestionable need’ (December 24) has highlighted the importance given in schools to the questions from students. The difference in approach by the teacher and the taught in the State and Central board schools is clearly shown by the comments of the students and the teacher. Even in ‘Pan IIT,’ this subject is discussed. Rahul Gandhi touched on the topic in October last. While he was studying at St. Stephen’s College, “Asking a question was not good in our class and one was looked down upon if you asked too many questions,” he said. As commented by the management, the system has changed now. Rahul Gandhi would be happy to note that in the Central board schools in Chennai, students are encouraged to ask questions and get reasonable answers without being looked down upon by teachers.

T.S. Gopalakrishnan

T.Nagar

Extension of bus services

The Metro Transport Corporation has introduced two services connecting Chengalpattu with the High Court (500B) and CMBT (500C). New low-floored buses have been put into service from December 1 last. This is a long-felt need of commuters from Chengalpattu visiting the Government General Hospital, the High Court, the Secretariat and other establishments located on Mount Road and at Paris Corner. But these services are being terminated at Mahindra City, instead of Chengalpattu, owing to the objections raised by the TNSTC, Villupuram. These services are convenient for the elderly.

I request the Transport Minister to extend these up to Chengalpattu. A few buses plying on Route 21G, from Broadway to Tambaram, may be extended up to Chengalpattu as 521G.

M. Yuvanshankar

Ganesapuram

Train halt at Beach station

The departure and arrival of the Chennai-Dadar-Chennai Express and Chennai-Kakinada-Chennai Circar Express were shifted from the Chennai Central to Egmore. Apart from these trains, the Chennai-Kachiguda-Chennai Express now leave from Egmore.

All the trains from the south are halted at Tambaram, as it is the starting point station for suburban trains. The Dadar Expresses, the Circar Expresses and the Kachiguda Expresses can be halted at Beach for passengers proceeding to Gummidipoondi, Arakonam and Tambaram to board the suburban trains.

S.Y. Narayanan

Choolaimedu

Footpath

The GST Road from Guindy to Tambaram is accident-prone. One of the reasons is that the road is hemmed in by residential colonies. Shopping complexes, hotels, theatres, marriage halls, hospitals and garage line both sides of the road at Pallavaram, Chromepet, Sanatorium, Kadaperi and Tambaram. Customers of these shops park their vehicles haphazardly, occupying even the carriage way. None of these establishments have earmarked any parking lot. The widening of the road has never helped the pedestrians. Neither the Pallavapuram and Tambaram municipalities nor the Chitlapakkam panchayat nor the Highways Department seems concerned about this. The traffic police feel helpless. If the local bodies, with the help of the Highways Department, do not evict the encroachments on the pedestrian path, fatal accidents will continue. We appeal to the Suburban Commissioner of Police to convene a meeting of the owners of business establishments and the local bodies to find a solution to the problem.

V. Santhanam

President People Awareness Association Chromepet

Vehicle headlights

Headlights of cars, buses and two-wheelers are not masked, causing trouble to vehicles coming from the opposite direction.

Some years ago, the upper half of the lights were masked. But this practice has now been given up.

I request the authorities concerned to resume the practice. This will help to prevent accidents that take place due to poor visibility.

K. Seshadri

Srirangam

Flood relief

Ours is a residential complex, comprising 28 flats, situated on Motilal Street, T. Nagar. When the rain lashed the city for four days from November 26, the residents were put to immense hardship.

Owing to lack of stormwater drains, water from the street inundated the ground floor.

When water level rose to knee-height, we requested the Electricity Board to switch off the power.

The stagnated water was mixed with sewage and the residents were forced to move in along with the first floor residents.

When rain abated on November 30, we pumped out water from our premises. The water in our well was contaminated owing to a block in the main sewer lines on Motilal Street. Even when we pumped out the water, the level kept raising, both in the well and the sump, as sewage from blocked drainages flowed in. We spent Rs. 35,000 to pump out water from the well and the sump for three days and to sanitise our premises. The situation improved when Metrowater attended to the clogged sewer lines. However, the water from the well and the sump emits a foul smell even now.

We made an appeal to the Corporation through the councillor, who took up the matter with the Mayor. We were told that there were lots of people who were yet to receive flood relief and the matter was being discussed at the Corporation Council meeting. We request the Corporation and the State government to provide us flood relief.

V. S. Jayaraman,

T.Nagar

BSNL’s unjust formula

The BSNL under its type and category HC-NYT-GEN respectively was charging a monthly rent of Rs. 475 and allowing 500 free calls every month.

With effect from June 11, 2008, they reduced the monthly rent to Rs. 425 but reduced the free calls to 400 calls.

Thus, a customer gains Rs. 50 in rent and loses more than Rs. 100 (100 calls x Rs. 1.10 per call) and the BSNL loses Rs. 50 and earns more than Rs. 100 (100 calls x Rs. 1.10 per call).

I request the BSNL to restore 500 free calls, reduce the rent from Rs. 425 and arrange to refund the amount of free calls so recovered under the new formula.

Syed Abdul Bari

Ellis Road

Stray dog menace

Stray dog menace is on the rise around Sri Parthasarathy Temple and the main roads. Many of them suffer from skin diseases. Besides troubling those who visit the temple, the dogs disturb the residents’ sleep at nights with their howling.

Many of the dogs are fed by beggars, hawkers, and platform dwellers.

Being an animal lover, I request the Corporation and the authorities concerned to treat the dogs and ensure that they are made healthy and harmless.

P.V. Suresh Babu,

Triplicane

Negligence of officials

A wild militant tree of Chennai Corporation in the public by-lane on Dr. Radhakrishnan Fourth Street, so close to my front compound wall, with its roots penetrating into the very foundation of the wall, with its army of huge branches, protruding into my compound, was a threat to the life and property of this octogenarian. From 1998, the media highlighted the potential danger. Innumerable pleas were forwarded to the Mayor and the Commissioner. A lawyer from Madras High Court, and Tamil Nadu State legal services authority served notice on the Commissioner. Our Chief Minister’s help was repeatedly sought to save me. On November 15, 2008, a petition was given to Local Administration Minister . All efforts proved futile.

Finally, on November 25, 2008, the tree collapses demolishing my compound wall, destroying my garden, cracking my building. The police alerted Corporation officials, who arrived on the morning of November 26, 2008 . They pressured me, a dementia patient to part, with an A/c. payee cheque for Rs. 3,000, without mentioning the name of the payee. The The Hindu dated November 26, 2008, carried a report about the damage.

Subsequently, an advocate, Sakunthala Sundaram, called on me, and detected the cheating, since the Corporation had to bear the entirety expenses for removal of their tree in entering my premises. At her insistence, I stopped the payment. Had the cheque been encashed, my S.B. Account balance would have been wiped out. The gigantic root of the tree still remains in the by-lanes. Two appeals to the Commissioner to get it removed from my compound have fallen on deaf ears.

Will the government take action against all the officials who erred and indulged in negligence, and reimburse the compensation for losses inflicted on me ?

K.N. Narayana Pillai,

Mylapore

Streetlights not functioning

Two streetlight lamp posts fitted at Jaganathan Street at Madipakkam are not functioning for the past six months. Several complaints have been lodged with the Madipakkam panchayat. But no action has been taken. Senior citizens find it difficult to walk in the locality owing to the lack of light. I request the authorities to repair the two lights.

M.Kumar

Madipakkam

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