The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Killers on roads

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Monday, Oct 19, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Killers on roads

Many drunken drivers have been charge-sheeted by the police in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu tops the list of States in fatal road accidents.

More than a lakh people die in road accidents every year in India owing to rash and negligent driving and yet no one has been punished for culpable homicide.

If the traffic police are more vigilant and control drunken driving many lives can be saved.

It will not be unjust if people in charge of road safety are also booked for culpable homicide whenever a fatal road accident occurs.

V.S. Venkatavaradan,

Salem.

Power supply

Electricity supply in Salem is erratic. Apart from regular shutdown power goes off often and returns soon.

The sudden surge damages television, fridge and other electrical appliances when the power goes off and returns.

I propose to start a consumer forum to take up the issue of damages to equipment when there is a voltage fluctuation.

Probably a legal process may set the Salem electricity department and Tamil Nadu Electricity Board right. R. Rajaram,

Palaniappa Nagar, Salem.

Ration shops

This is with reference to Salem region Public Distribution System Joint Registrar Jogi’s recent talk about Tamilnadu Government’s intention to improve the infrastructure of ration shops while inaugurating a training camp for Salem taluk ration shop salesmen.

Mr. Jogi told the salesmen to update themselves academically and be friendly and sympathetic to consumers, especially to senior citizens.

One or two additional staff may be appointed to assist the salesmen in ration shops to meet heavy rush.

There can be a separate queue for the aged who come to buy ration supplies.

T.N. Arthanari,

Salem.

Monkey menace

Monkeys have become a menace for residents in First, Second and Third Avenues of Bhavanisagar.

Forest department officials should catch the simians and release them in thick forests.

G.N. Devaraj,

Bhavanisagar.

British legacy

This has reference to the report ‘A pleasant experience’ (October 11).

It is nice to hear that motorists from England and Australia who visited some places in South India, including the Nilgiris, not only enjoyed their trips to these places, despite the chaotic conditions of roads, but had some nice things to say about the people and the orderly manner in which students go to schools and also the way they wear their uniforms as against the students in England who are “becoming increasingly difficult to control....”

Ironically, the above said qualities of Indian students praised by the English visitors are a legacy of the British Raj!

P.U. Krishnan,

Udhagamandalam.

Care of senior citizens

It is the bounden duty of the government to care for senior citizens who have now made Coimbatore a preferred destination for settlement.

Colonies to house the aged have been built by public trusts like Brindavan on Thondamuthur Road.

But an asphalted access road is an urgent necessity for Brindavan.

District Collector Dr P. Umanath graced the function here on World Senior Citizens Day and honoured the eldest resident here, Vaidyalingam who is 97 years old.

An ex-document writer, Mr. Vaidyalingam’s zest for life is remarkable.

Dr. Umanath felt honoured to give a memento to a 97-year-old retiree and promised help to the aged.

Myself a senior citizen resident, aged 87, I hail his concern for the aged.

He is the first Collector to respond to my representation on hardships to senior citizens from poorly done road with big potholes off Thondamuthur Road.

Urgent steps are called for to asphalt the access road.

N. Hariharan,

Coimbatore.

Tamil scholar

The interview with Kovai Gnani was scintillating (Personality of the week, Sept. 30). Gnani is an erudite Tamil scholar, a great thinker, writer, journalist, socialist and above all, a true Marxist.

His love for Tamil has verily conquered his physical disability of loss of vision.

His monthly magazine Tamizh Neyam is a standing monument of his innate and never-ending passion for Tamil.

He is a great humanist who does not care for publicity.

A. Ranganathan,

Coimbatore.

Tourist-friendly autos

It is with deep disappointment that I went through the list of cities where the new tourist-friendly autorickshaws are to be introduced (Oct. 14).

Coimbatore is among the most favoured tourist destination in the south with its proximity to Udhagamandalam and a number of other tourist spots in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Besides, visitors to the city have been facing harassment at the hands of fleecing automen who have been resisting all attempts by the state government to correct the situation.

I hope those in power will look into this matter again, bring in the new autos to cater to the visitors and the residents alike and bring down the cost of auto ride here to match that in other large cities in the region.

Bernard Thangasamy,

Coimbatore.

Education facilities

Unlike the good old days, education has become very expensive these days.

Securing admission even for highly promising and bright children in good private schools - right from LKG - has become a major problem for their parents/ guardians for the simple reason that huge lumpsum payments - Rs. 30,000 and upwards under the guise of collecting money for building/infrastructure development fund - are insisted upon by the managements without taking into consideration the parents’ financial status.

Those belonging to the middle class are the worst affected by this because to ensure a bright future for their children, they take huge loans and become heavily indebted.

Government schools are invariably overcrowded and hence there is absolute need for government-recognised private schools everywhere.

The government should ensure that private institutions do not penalise parents/guardians unduly.

Talented children should be spotted, encouraged and provided with adequate facilities by the government.

K.D. Viswanaathan,

Coimbatore.

Pedestrian bridge

I wish to bring to your notice that people are at great risk while crossing Avinashi Road, especially near Nilgiris.

The traffic is heavy and the speed at which vehicles are being driven is scary.

It would be good if a pedestrain bridge is built to facilitate crossing.

Gita Parameswaran,

Coimbatore.

Unhygienic santhai