Source : Times of India

COIMBATORE: The city police on Tuesday arrested a Somayampalayam-based businessman for brandishing an air gun and attacking the chief manager of the Canara Bank’s Sungam branch after he allegedly refused to sanction a loan.
Police identified him as K Vetrivelan, 44, who runs a moulding unit at Somayampalayam. “He had obtained a loan of Rs 25 lakh from Andhra Bank a few years ago after pledging some property. But he could not repay the amount after suffering a huge loss. A few months ago, he decided to expand the business and repay the old loan by pledging some more property,” a police officer said.

But even after nine months, the loan was not sanctioned. “A few days ago, Chandrasekar informed Vetrivelan that he could not sanction the loan as senior officials in Chennai refused to process it. Vetrivelan asked Gunabalan to meet him at the bank branch on Tuesday. The tout reached the bank and was chatting with Chandrasekar when an angry Vetrivelan barged in around 11.20am. He thrashed the duo for refusing to sanction the loan. He also flashed an air gun at the men,” the officer told TOI.

Bank employees who tried to intervene, informed the Race Course (law&order) police. A police team arrested Vetrivelan and seized the air gun and pellets from him.

“Vetrivelan told us that he was planning to commit suicide after the loan application was rejected. Later, he decided to teach a lesson to the bank manager and the tout,” the officer added.

Police booked Vetrivelan under sections 352, 452, 420 and 506 (ii) of the Indian Penal Code and arrested him. He was remanded in judicial custody and lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison.

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Source: Times of India | Read More

CHENNAI: After a delay of three years, the state election commission on Monday announced polls to rural local bodies in Tamil Nadu in two phases on December 27 and 30. Polls to urban local bodies, such as corporations, municipalities and town panchayats, are likely to be held after Pongal.

The state election commissioner R Palanisamy said the election code of conduct had come into force immediately in all rural local bodies falling in 388 panchayat unions. “Due to administrative reasons, the polls for rural local bodies will be held first. An announcement will be made for urban local bodies soon,” the officer said, triggering sharp reactions from the opposition.

EPS refutes charge of oppn being kept in the dark

He said the separation of polls to rural and urban local bodies made a mockery of the elections and his party would take all efforts to ensure they areheldin a proper manner.

Palanisamy, who is also chairman of the delimitation commission, refuted the charge that political parties were not consulted ahead of notifying the delimitation and reservation of wards. Based on the draft delimitation carried out by the district authorities and collectors, the commission held a meeting in seven zones in the state between January and March last year and sought the views of parties and the public. “As many as 19,547 petitions were received and 7,785 accepted,” the commissioner said. The state issued an order recently that modification, if any, of local bodies in the newly constituted districts would be made after polls. Official sources said no panchayat or panchayat union was split when new districts were formed. Therefore, they were whole entities.

AIADMK sources said the election totheurban localbodies was put off as the party wanted to use its ‘resources’ in the rural areas. “The party wantstowin as many seats as possible in the rural areas and take up urban local bodies later with the same vigour to pull off wins like in the recent two bypolls. This may not be possible if rural and urban polls are held together,” said a minister seeking anonymity.

The party leaders pointed to the massive task of holding polls for 1.18 lakh posts in rural local bodies. At least 3.31 crore rural voters will have to elect four members — panchayat ward member and president on nonparty basis, and district panchayat ward member and panchayat union ward member on party basis. The commission woulddepute an election observer from theIAS in eachdistrictto oversee the elections.

Ref : Times of India | Read More

Coimbatore: Scientists of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University have bred and planted a specific bamboo species, ‘Beema Bamboo’, which is believed to be one of the fastest growing plants on earth. The species grows at a rate of one-and-half feet a day under the tropical conditions and has a capacity to produce 300kg of oxygen and absorb 400kg of carbon per year after its full growth.

The students and scientists of the university, along with members of Dalhousie University in Canada, established ‘oxgyen park’ by planting around 590 seedlings of the species across 1.45 acre in TNAU’s eastern farm block.

Scientists say Beema Bamboo is known to be an effective carbon sink for the CO2 emissions in the district. “Proper silviculture procedures like additional plant growth promoting bacteria, vermicompost, farmyard manure and bio-control agents were added while preparing the pits for planting, so these seedlings have the best chance of survival and fast growth,” said a university statement.

A bamboo tree when grown fully can generate about 300kg of oxygen a year, which is enough for a person for a year.

Agronomy director V Geethalakshmi organized the event and former principal chief conservator of forests S Balaji inaugurated it.

Ref : Times of India | Read More

Coimbatore: Crossing the traffic signal near the Government College of Technology on Thadagam main road in the city is an arduous task for motorists and pedestrians alike.
Chaos reigns as vehicles from every other direction vie with each other to cross the intersection simultaneously, with scant regard for rules and safety. The traffic signal that has stopped functioning long ago stands tall as a mute witness to the chaotic traffic as well as official apathy.

While some of them wait patiently, when the red light is on, others just jump the signal in a rush and hit other vehicles, he said. “However, no major accidents have taken place.”

Similar is the case with at least half of the traffic signals in the city. A total of 22 traffic signals have not been functioning due to technical issues for several months now.

Earlier, traffic signals were maintained by advertisers, who were allowed to install advertisement boards on traffic signal poles. They paid the electricity bills and fixed the faulty signals. But following the directions of Madras high court, owners of the road – city corporation, state highways and national highways – had removed the advertisements. Now, the payment of electricity bills has also been hit.

The traffic police are left to mend the faulty traffic signals, but they don’t have funds for the same. As such, the signals remain defunct. “Repairing the defunct signals is costlier than we expected. It will take about Rs 1.5 lakh just to fix one and the police department does not have provisions to repair or maintain signals,” said a police officer, who didn’t want to be named.

While some signals need replacement of worn out parts, bulbs and other electronic items, in certain cases the pole itself has become corrosive and requires replacement.

Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) R Mutharasu expressed hope that the signals would start functioning soon. He said the city corporation had agreed to maintain the signals, while Tangedco had come forward to deduct the electricity bill from caution deposits that were paid by the advertisers.

The police department had on November 3 submitted a proposal to the transport department to install new traffic signals at cost of Rs 4 crore. The new ones will have single source LED bulbs, which consume less power and have long durability, a source said. “Overhead cables would also go under the ground.”

Meanwhile, to mitigate the current situation, cops (law and order) have been deployed in congested areas during peak hours to man traffic along with the traffic police, the source said.

NEW DELHI: Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday hit out at the BJP for making "shameless attempts to subvert democracy in Maharashtra."
Addressing the general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party, Sonia slammed the Maharashtra governor for behaving in "an unprecedented and most reprehensible manner."

Sonia said BJP's pre-poll alliance in Maharashtra did not hold because of its own arrogance and over-confidence.

The interim Congress president also attacked the government over the country's economic condition.

"Growth is declining, unemployment is growing and investment is not happening," Sonia told the party MPs.

She added there is worsening distress among farmers, traders and small and medium businesses.

"Profit-making Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) are being sold to Narendra Modi's friends," said Sonia Gandhi.

Over the issue of WhatsApp privacy breach, she said that Narendra Modi government is taking away fundamental rights of the citizens.

"Political leaders of India were not allowed in Jammu and Kashmir but some European MPs were, it was a shameful act by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah," said Congress president.

Further, Congress party has given Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur's remarks in praise of Nathuram Godse in the lower house of Parliament. The Lok Sabha expunged her remark after Speaker Om Birla said her remark will not go into the records of the House proceedings.

Ref : Times of India | Read More

Coimbatore: After years of taking on parking issues, hoardings and illegal buildings in Chennai, social activist ‘traffic’ Ramasamy has now decided to turn his attention on parking charges at the Coimbatore Junction. Echoing thoughts of thousands of commuters who flock to the junction daily, Ramasamy said parking charges for both four and two-wheelers in the station were extremely high. While regular commuters agree that parking charges at the railway station are high, the railway authorities say the charges have been fixed taking into account long term inflation.
Ramasamy, who reached the city on Monday, immediately went around the front entrance parking lot, back entrance parking lot and the multi-level two-wheeler parking behind the station. He was seen demanding to meet the contractor and to see the bill books too. “I decided to visit the station after a YouTube video surfaced where a person based in United States said he was charged a high price for parking,” said Ramasamy.

Regarding the newly launched two-wheeler car park, which on its notice board say that it costs a minimum of Rs 10 and goes upto Rs 25 for 24 hours for a two-wheeler, it standardly charges only Rs 20 to every customer. “I don’t think they have given Rs 10 coupons to anyone. The contractor refused to show his bill book when I tried getting proof,” said Ramasamy.

Though the YouTube video is dated, many commuters who watched the activist on local news channels welcomed him for picking up the parking issue. “Rs 50 to park a car even for 15 minutes in a government compound, which sees so many middle class and lower middle class people, is extremely high. Its higher than what malls and multiplexes in the city charge even on a weekend or public holiday,” said T Rammohan, a businessman and regular train commuter.

The Salem railway division spokesperson said they had not received any complaints of the contractor overcharging passengers or users so far. “We have erected the rate chart boards on every storey along with a complaint number. We have not received any complaints and thus are sure that there is no issue,”.

“Our parking charges unlike private concerns can not be revised yearly. We sometimes issue three or five year contracts, where we can’t change the rates in between. So it is fixed keeping in mind long term inflation,” said a former commercial manager.

Ref : Times of India | Read More...

சென்னை,

பா.ம.க. நிறுவனர் டாக்டர் ராமதாஸ் வெளியிட்டுள்ள அறிக்கையில் கூறியிருப்பதாவது:-

சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டில் வழங்கப்படும் தீர்ப்புகளை தமிழ் உள்ளிட்ட மாநில மொழிகளில் வெளியிடுவது தற்காலிகமாக நிறுத்தி வைக்கப்பட்டிருப்பதாக தெரிகிறது. சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டு தீர்ப்புகளின் விவரங்களை ஆங்கிலம் தெரியாத வழக்குதாரர்களும் அறிந்து கொள்ளும் வகையில் சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டு தலைமை நீதிபதியின் முயற்சியால் தொடங்கப்பட்ட உன்னதமான திட்டம் தொடக்கத்திலேயே நிறுத்தப்படுவது வருத்தமளிக்கிறது.

சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டின் தீர்ப்புகளை தமிழ் உள்ளிட்ட மாநில மொழிகளில் வெளியிடுவதற்கு தனித்துவமான மென்பொருள் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டதாகவும், அதில் ஏற்பட்ட சில நடைமுறை சிக்கல்களின் காரணமாகத்தான் மொழி பெயர்ப்பு செய்யப்படவில்லை என்றும் அதிகாரப்பூர்வமற்ற செய்திகள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன.

தீர்ப்புகளை சட்டம் தெரிந்த மொழிபெயர்ப்பு வல்லுனர்களின் மூலம் மொழி மாற்றம் செய்வது தான் மிகவும் சரியானதாக இருக்கும். இதற்காக சம்பந்தப்பட்ட மொழி பேசும் மாநிலங்களின் உதவியைக்கூட சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டு கேட்டுப்பெறலாம்.

எனவே, சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டு தீர்ப்புகளை மொழிபெயர்ப்பதற்கான வல்லுனர்களை சம்பந்தப்பட்ட மொழி பேசப்படும் மாநில அரசிடம் இருந்து, அங்குள்ள ஐகோர்ட்டு மூலமாக சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டு கேட்டுப்பெற வேண்டும். அவர்களின் உதவியுடன் முக்கியத் தீர்ப்புகளை தமிழ் உள்ளிட்ட மாநில மொழிகளில் வெளியிட சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டு நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும். எக்காரணத்தை முன்னிட்டும் தீர்ப்புகளை தமிழ் உள்ளிட்ட மாநில மொழிகளில் வெளியிடும் திட்டத்தை சுப்ரீம் கோர்ட்டு கைவிட்டு விடக்கூடாது.

Ref : Daily Thanthi | Read More

கோவை

தமிழகத்திற்குள் தீவிரவாதிகள் புகுந்துள்ளதாக கடந்த சில நாட்களாக பல்வேறு இடங்களில் சோதனை நடத்தப்பட்டது. இந்த சோதனைகள் நடைபெற்று வரும் நிலையில் கோவை உக்கடம், கரும்புக்கடை, பிலால்நகர் உள்ளிட்ட ஐந்து இடங்களில் என்.ஐ.ஏ. அதிகாரிகள் சோதனையில் ஈடுபட்டு வருகின்றனர்.

In a relief for citizens, the Supreme Court indefinitely extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar with mobile phones, tatkal passports and for opening bank accounts from March 31, 2018 till the Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra pronounces its final verdict on the validity of the Aadhaar scheme.

Remarking that it has had enough of “piecemeal” notifications and legislations issued by the government to link one service or the other, Chief Justice Misra said it is time the court stepped in and stopped passing interim orders extending the deadline. There should be a sense of certainty that citizens would not be harmed or their services curtailed even as the very Aadhaar scheme is under the apex court’s microscope.

Linkage with PAN

On December 15 last year, the Bench had extended the Aadhaar linkage deadline from December 31, 2017 to March 31, 2018. It had however, even then concluded that the Aadhaar-PAN linkage was valid.

Tuesday’s order is more or less identical to the interim order passed on December 15 except for the fact that March 31, 2018 continues to be the deadline for linking Aadhaar to subsidies, benefits and services prescribed under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act of 2016.

‘Not all services’

Despite submissions made by senior advocate Shyam Divan and advocate Vipin Nair that the indefinite extension of the deadline should include all services, including those under Section 7, the court restricted its relaxation of the deadline to services outside Section 7.

The March 13 order itself does not dwell on why the extension was not made applicable to benefits under Section 7.

“On a query being made, Mr. K.K. Venugopal, learned Attorney General for India, submitted that this Court may think of extending the interim order. However, the benefits, subsidies and services covered under Section 7 of the The Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 should remain undisturbed. We accept the same,” the court said, dismissing the notion of including Section 7 benefits too.

Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act says that the Centre and State governments can insist on Aadhaar “for the purpose of establishing identity of an individual as a condition for receipt of a subsidy, benefit or service for which the expenditure is incurred from the Consolidated Fund of India.” To undergo authentication to access services under Section 7, an individual has to either produce his Aadhaar card or Aadhaar enrolment application.

Statutory protection

Lawyers for the petitioners hint that the court may have excluded Section 7 benefits from the extension because it is statutorily protected by the Aadhaar Act itself, whereas the other linkings like mobile phones are based on other statutes or even executive notifications.

The fact that time is running out for linking Aadhaar and citizens should not be left in a state of uncertainty was highlighted by one of the judges, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, on the Aadhaar Constitution Bench itself. “We are dealing with the entire financial system… We cannot let this state of uncertainty prevail… We cannot tell them, like on March 27, whether the deadline is extended or not… A banker cannot be expected to seek compliance from customers within seven days,” Justice Chandrachud had said on March 7.

Ref : The Hindu | Read More