'Vande Mataram' jwel launched

Tiruchi:N. Gopaldas and Co., city-based diamond jewellers, has launched ‘Vande Mataram,’ tricolour diamond collections, marking the 60th year of Independence.Launching the collections here on Monday, Managing Partner Diljit D. Shaw said the coloured diamond jewellery was “new entrants” to south India.Since the naturally coloured diamonds are rare and expensive, the white diamonds were subjected to high-pressure colour treatment to make them cost-effective. It was completely “dosham-free,” Mihir D. Shaw, one of the partners, said.

Students gained fire fighting tech

Tiruchi:Students and teachers of the Government Special Higher Secondary School, Mathur, Pudukottai district, gained first hand knowledge of fire fighting techniques, when the Lions Club of Mathur conducted a special fire awareness programme on the school premises recently. The programme was conducted in connection with the 60th Independence Day celebrations.Led by Suri Narayanan, Fire Officer, Ordnance Factory, Tiruchi, and Venkataswamy, a fire-safety engineer and a member of the Lions Club, conducted a live demonstration. They were imparted training in handling the fire extinguishers and other equipments.The Zonal Chairman of the Lions International, P. S. P. Palaniappan presided. The president of the Lions Club of Mathur, M. Muniappan and the assistant headmaster of the school, Sivakumar spoke.

Identity cards issued to 10 lakh agricultural workers

Tiruchi:I. Periasami, left, Revenue and Law Minister, distributing assistance to a beneficiary in Tiruchi on Monday. (From left to right) Transport Minister K.N. Nehru and Collector Ashish Vachhani are also seen.The Tamil Nadu Agricultural Labourers’ Welfare Board has issued identity cards to as many as 10 lakh farm workers across the State, the Revenue Minister, I. Periasami, said.

Speaking at a meeting to review the Board’s performance in the region comprising Tiruchi, Perambalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts here on Monday, Mr. Periasami said that the board extended several welfare assistances to its members. In Tiruchi district, 2,000 workers were sanctioned Old Age Pension.He urged officials to identify all eligible farm workers and enrol them as members for the issue of identity cards.He also asked them to sanction assistance to the needy without any delay.On suggestions made by office-bearers of the board for improving its performance, the Minister said that he would apprise the Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, of the same.

The Transport Minister, K. N. Nehru, called upon officials to extend their cooperation for the success of the scheme.The Collectors of Tiruchi and Perambalur, Ashish Vachhani and Anil Meshram respectively, were among those who participated.Earlier, Mr. Periasami gave away assistance to the tune of about Rs.15.85 lakh to 87 members of the region.The Minister also gave away house-site pattas to 23 beneficiaries residing on the ‘porambokke’ land for more than a decade.

78 beneficiaries get artificial limbs

Tiruchi:A beneficiary being guided on the use of an artificial limb in Tiruchi on Sunday.For 53-year-old G. Baskar of Puthur in the city, a congenital abnormality made life miserable. Born without both legs, he has been forced to live with wooden limbs which, because of their weight, do more harm than good.“We were not aware of the availability of light-weight artificial limbs until we reached the artificial limb fitment camp held in the city last week,” says his wife, Gandhimathi.The camp was organised jointly by Rotary Club of Tiruchi Midtown, Rotary Club of Coimbatore Midtown, Sri Gopaldass Kikani Limb Centre and the Tiruchi Naidu Mahajana Sangam. Measurements for making the limbs for each disabled person were taken during the camp by the mobile artificial limb unit of the Sri Gopaldass Kikani Limb Centre.

In all, 78 beneficiaries, including 14 women and three children got the artificial limbs on the conclusion of the camp here on Sunday.“More than the disability and the ordeals it causes, lack of awareness on advanced artificial limbs has been a major impediment in getting relief,” observed B. Kannan, district chairman of Rotary Club of Coimbatore Midtown, which has started the Sri Gopaldass Kikani Limb Centre to exclusively serve such people.The Rotary International had donated US $ 30,000 to the Limb Centre in 2000 for making and donating the limbs in coordination with the Rotary clubs in South India. The next camp would be held in Mannarkudi on August 11.The president of the Rotary Club of Tiruchi Midtown, P. Mahendrakumar, said that most beneficiaries had lost one of their legs in mishaps. They were also trained in the use of the artificial limbs.The service projects chairman of Rotary Club of Tiruchi Midtown, D. Thirunavukarasu, said that the beneficiaries eked out their livelihood by engaging in some trade. The former district governor, J. Sambabu, presented the artificial limbs to the beneficiaries.

New seating arrangement at railway station

Tiruchi:New seating arrangment at the Tiruchi railway station.The Tiruchi Division of the Southern Railway has further improved the seating arrangements in the Tiruchi Junction by providing stainless steel chairs on Platform No. 1 and in the PRS (Passengers’ Reservation System) centre. About 60 chairs had already been provided in the PRS and Platform No. 1.It has planned to provide 90 more chairs at the Booking Office area at the main entrance. The new chairs will be provided at the Booking Office area after the completion of the improvement works currently in progress, according to railway sources.

The provision of additional seating arrangements forms part of observance of 2007 and 2008 as ‘Passengers Amenities Years’ by the Railway Ministry.Only recently the Tiruchi Division commissioned a new facility — Electronic Fare Repeater System — at the reserved and unreserved ticket booking counters in the Tiruchi Junction.The Railways has also planned to open more automated teller machines (ATM) at the Junction premises. The ATMs of ICICI Bank and State Bank of India have already been commissioned. The Canara Bank is commissioning its ATM at the Junction premises on Sunday.

NCC Tiruchi Group emerges overall winner

Colonel A. P. Singh, Station Commander, Station Headquarters, Tiruchi, (centre), handing over the trophy to the Tiruchi Group in Tiruchi on Wednesday.The NCC Tiruchi Group emerged as the overall winners in the 12-day State-level inter group competitions organised here to select the senior and junior division cadets to represent the Tamil Nadu Directorate for the Thal Sainik Camp to be held at New Delhi in the last week of September.

Colonel A.P. Singh, Station Commander, Station Headquarters, Tiruchi presented the trophy to the Tiruchi Group at the valedictory function of the combined annual training camp cum inter group competitions organised at Jamal Mohamed College here on Wednesday.As many as 50 cadets from Madras A, B, Pondicherry, Tiruchi, Madurai and Coimbatore Groups out of the total 90 cadets who took part in the competitions were chosen.They will represent the Tamil Nadu Directorate for the all-India level Thal Sainik Camp.Around 360 cadets from various schools and colleges in Tiruchi and Dindigul districts participated in the combined annual training camp, organised by the 2 (TN) Battalion NCC, Tiruchi.

Distributing the trophies, Colonel Singh said that the NCC develops character, a sense of responsibility and leadership qualities among the cadets.It also opens up avenues for the cadets to join the armed forces, which offers excellent opportunities to the young minds, he added.Presiding over the event, Colonel M.N. Nath, Officiating Commander, NCC Group Headquarters, Tiruchi said that the NCC helped the cadets in becoming good professionals besides making them good human beings.The Principal, Jamal Mohamed College, M. Sheikh Mohamed, Lieutenant N. Abdul Ali, Associate NCC Officer of the college and the Deputy Camp Commandant, spoke on the occasion.Prizes were distributed to the cadets who emerged winners in the various competitions conducted as part of the camp.

Tiruchi mayor's address

The Mayor, Sarubala R. Tondaiman, addressing a council meeting in Tiruchi on Tuesday.The Tiruchi Corporation will desilt all drainage channels in the city ahead of the monsoon as a preventive measure against flooding, the Mayor, Sarubala R. Tondaiman, has said.While major channels will be desilted using earthmovers, minor ones would be manually cleared, she informed the councillors at an ordinary meeting of the Corporation Council here on Tuesday. Major drains including the Kottai, Kathirikai, Karumandapam and G.Corner vaicals would be desilted within a month.

The Commissioner B. Balachandran said a list of all drains is being taken in each zone and the desilting operation would commence within a week.The Corporation had taken up a similar exercise last year after the first rains of the monsoon exposed the inadequacies of the city’s drainage network. Later the council approved a resolution for construction of retaining walls along the Kottai Vaical at a cost of Rs.15 lakhs.Speaking on the issue, A. Joseph Gerald of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam urged the officials to take steps for widening the Keezhpokki (vents) near the Uyyakandon river, which drains the rain water from the Karumandapam area.

Earlier, piqued over a plethora of complaints against the civic administration by councillors Mr. Balachandran pulled up the Assistant Commissioners and expressed dissatisfaction over their performance. Assistant Commissioners should take note of the complaints aired by the councillors and ensure that they were rectified. “You should extract work from the officers serving under your control,” he told the Assistant Commissioners.The Commissioner’s comments came after Ibrahim Pitchai of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam complained that over 15 handpumps in his ward were in disrepair. Some councillors complained of inadequate water supply to their wards. The Mayor too expressed dismay when an official came up with a ‘routine answer.’ M. Venkatraj, Independent, said the Corporation’s Citizen Charter, which stipulates the number of days to be taken for various services, was hardly being enforced.

DMK councillor T. M. Ranga drew the attention of the Mayor to widespread complaints that a “fixed rate” (bribe) was being demanded from residents for services such as name transfer and tax assessment. Mr. Balachandran said action would be initiated against specific complaints.Earlier, the council approved a resolution for setting up a gasifier-based crematorium at Karumandapam burial ground.The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam floor leader Mariam Pitchai demanded a similar facility at the Manalvarithurai burial ground, while O. R. Sriraman of the Communist Party of India sought a crematorium at the Konakkarai burial ground.

A health camp of Southern Railway

A medical team of Southern Railway examining an employee on the platform at the Thiruthuraipoondi station.A train that the Tiruchi Division of Southern Railway operated on July 28 and 29, between Tiruvarur and Karaikudi, showcased its compassion for the employees.The special train that functioned as a mobile health camp was Southern Railway’s attempt at catering to the health and well-being of the employees posted at the stations en route.

A team of doctors of the the Goldenrock Railway Hospital screened their family members, too, on the train which also presented an exhibition highlighting the safety measures the public ought to take, especially when they cross unmanned level crossings.The exercise benefited 423 employees and their families at Mavur Road, Tirunellikaval, Alattambadi, Tiruthuraipundi, Tillaivilagam, Muthupet, Adiramapattinam, Pattukottai, Peravurani, Ayingudi, Aranthangi and Kandanur Puduvayal.

One hundred and thirty-three people, who were suffering from asthma, diabetes, heart problem, blood pressure, eye defects and dental defects, were referred to the Railway Hospital.Divisional Railway Manager R. C. Jat, who travelled in the train along with the senior officials, visited the staff quarters in all the stations to find out the requirements of the residents.
He directed the officials to fulfil their needs.

IT park, SEZ will boost job opportunities

Transport Minister K.N. Nehru handing over a cheque to an unemployed woman in Tiruchi on Sunday.The mega industrial projects proposed to come up in Tiruchi and in neighbouring Perambalur will create more job opportunities in the coming years, the Transport Minister, K.N. Nehru, said on Sunday.Launching the third phase of distribution of unemployment dole to beneficiaries of the district at a function held at Srirangam here, Mr. Nehru said that the establishment of Information Technology Park in Tiruchi, the setting up of a Special Economic Zone in about 5,000 acres in Perambalur, a tyre manufacturing unit in about 300 acres in Perambalur, besides expansion of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited would all generate new employment opportunities in the near future.

The Government had created various welfare boards for the benefit of the working class involved in different types of trade.It had hiked the Old Age Pension.The promises made during the Assembly elections were all being implemented by the State Government, he said.A total of 1,570 new beneficiaries identified during the third phase were given unemployment assistance to the tune of Rs.9.39 lakh.The District Collector Ashish Vachhani said in all 20,400 beneficiaries in the district were given assistance to the tune of Rs.3.48 crore under the unemployment assistance scheme.The Tiruchi Member of Parliament L. Ganesan, MLA Anbil Periyasamy and district panchayat chairman V. Sangeetha spoke.

Allsec Tech to Open its center at Trichy ..

Business process outsourcing firm, Allsec Technologies has reported 32 per cent decrease in net profit at Rs 4.57 crore for the quarter ending June 30, compared to Rs 6.77 crore during the same period last year.

The decline in revenue and profitability was mainly on account of appreciating rupee, a release said here today. Gross revenue for the quarter stood at Rs 26.99 crore, compared to Rs 28.75 crore last year, falling six per cent.

The company was setting up a new 200 seater facility at Trichy, which was expected to become operational in the second quarter of 2007-08, it release said.

Special camps for patta transfers

Tiruchi:The district administration will organise special camps for patta transfers in various places from July 24 to 30.The camps would be organised on July 24 at the office of the Revenue Inspector at Navalpattu, Srirangam, V. Periyapatti, Manachannallur, Thuraiyur and Thatheingarpettai. It would be held on July 25 at Tiruchi Town, Valanadu, Keezhanbil, Amur and Thottiyam.

The camps would be conducted on July 26 at the Revenue Inspector offices at Lalgudi, Erakudi and Elurpatti, while it would be organised at Pannapatti, Kannanur and Pulivalam on July 27.On July 30 the camp would be held at Kariamanickam.An official press release issued here on Monday said that the public could submit petitions connected with patta transfer in person. The patta transfers would be effected after verification of the original documents from the petitioners.

New water supply augmentation scheme

Tiruchi:The Rs.99-crore drinking water supply augmentation scheme, which is to be executed soon, would ensure equitable supply to all parts of the city, especially the newly added residential colonies, the Mayor Sarubala R.Tondaiman has said.Interacting with residents of Aishwarya Estate, Aishwarya Garden and Aishwarya Extension areas in Golden Rock zone here on Monday, Mrs.Tondaiman said steps would be taken to supply water through tankers wherever there was short supply.

This would be a temporary arrangement till the scheme was executed, she said responding to complaints from residents that water was being supplied through public tap in the area only for limited periods.The Mayor also instructed the Corporation officials to take steps to identify private donors for renovating and maintaining the Kamaraj Park near Airport in the city. She directed the officials to expedite the blacktopping of the kutcha roads in some areas sanctioned at a cost of Rs.35 lakh.

Trade centre is must at Tiruchi

Tiruchi:The Tiruchi District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (TIDITSSIA) has impressed upon the Small Industries Development Corporation of Tamil Nadu to set up a trade centre in the city on the lines of the one at Coimbatore.The request was put forward by a delegation of the TIDITSSIA, led by its president S.Sridharan, to SIDCO Managing Director G.Santhanam, who visited the city recently. The association members have also impressed on him the need for setting up a training centre for existing entrepreneurs so that they could go in for technology upgradation to meet global competition.

The training centre could also be utilised for skill upgradation of manpower, especially for the fabrication industry of Tiruchi which is currently facing an acute shortage of trained manpower.The SIDCO could sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the industry associations for management of the facilities.It was also suggested that a corpus fund be set up for maintenance of the SIDCO industrial estates so that the proceeds from the same could be used for their development.TIDITSSIA representatives said Mr.Santhanam had agreed to the suggestions in principle.

Sopt loan by SBI

Tiruchi:About 30-crore worth on-the-spot loan sanctions were made at the property fair organised by the State Bank of India.It was organised as a part of the three-day ‘home loan festival’ that concluded on Sunday.As part of the function, the rate of interest for home loans has been reduced to 10.75 per cent from the existing 11.25.The processing fee has been reduced by 50 per cent, making it 0.25 per cent of the loan’s amount.

Into its third year, the fair had over 400 enquiries this year, the Regional Manager Mohamed Abu Kalam said.The trend has been the same for the last three year and the hike in the home loan interest this year has not dampened the spirits of the applicants, he observed.“We have made an extensive analysis of the real estate trend and the market for it remains to be at a premium. The loan mela is a platform for the people to learn all about fresh home loans and shifting the loans from other banks and financial concerns,” Mr. Kalam added.

Special action to clear Pending passport's

A double shift system has been introduced at the Tiruchi Regional Passport Office as part of a special drive to clear pending passport applications.The average time taken for issue of fresh passports will be reduced to 30 days, from the date of application, by October. Currently, fresh passports are issued in about 68 days and this would come down to 50 days by the end of this month, the Passport Officer S. Balachandran told The Hindu on Wednesday.

The office has started issuing tokens from 7.30 in the mornings so that applicants need not have to wait in long queues to enter the office for submission of applications and payment of fees. “All public transactions will be completed by 1.30 p.m. so that the rest of the afternoon is exclusively used for back-office operations,” Mr. Balachandran said. Additional staff has been deployed at the counters for the purpose. Eight data entry operators will be recruited shortly to expedite the issue of passports.Online system

In an attempt to encourage applicants to use the online system of filing applications, the Passport Office has persuaded a couple of ex-servicemen, who are authorised to fill-up the application forms on behalf of the applicants in front of the office, to purchase laptop computers through which they would assist the candidates to file their applications. Applicants can file the applications online with the help of the ex-servicemen and appear at the office the same day for verification of certificates along with the print outs of the registration numbers. The system, to be introduced soon, would reduce the queue and the workload of the Passport Office employees as the data is directly uploaded on to the computers.

The office, which issued three lakh passports last year, has issued 1.22 lakh passports so far this year. Passports have been issued with respect to all eligible applications received by the office till May 3, 2007.

Importance of police-public interaction stressed

Past governors of Rotary districts, P.S.D. Chandrasekaran, right, and A. Alagappan, centre, presenting the ’Award of Vocational Excellence’ to the Commissioner of Police, Tiruchi, Shankar Jiwal, on Sunday.The police will accord a thrust to police-public interactions with a view to reinforcing the people-friendliness of the department, Commissioner of Police Shankar Jiwal said.He was addressing the members of the Rotary Clubs here on Saturday after receiving the ‘Award of Vocational Excellence’ from the Rotary Club of Tiruchi Central, at a function organised to mark the installation of Club’s new team of office-bearers for 2007-08.

The former Rotary district governors, Alagappan (RI district 2980) and P.S.D. Chandrasekaran (RI district 3000), presented the award to Mr. Jiwal in the presence of S.A. Clements, the newly elected president of the Club, and S. Selvam, Secretary, to appreciate the progressive steps taken by the police to in the recent past.Referring to a survey, Mr. Jiwal said that most of the respondents had stated that they did not have a favourable impression about the police at the outset; but towards the end had answered that they had not yet interacted with police personnel or visited any police station. Frequent police-public interactions would help in rectifying the negative perceptions, he said.Delivering the key-note address earlier, Mr. Alagappan said the Rotary Movement must adapt to the changing situations. Leadership should be ever progressive, he said.

A sharp, short training in short-film making

One of the students framing a shot at the Bonsai Short Film Society’s training workshop in Tiruchi on Friday.This time last year, S. A. Subramanian was not much into the idea of involving amateur short-films.“I’m against the idea of taking filmmaking as a hobby. I wanted people to consider short-films as a serious medium. I thought amateurs usually took to this just as a pastime.”That was before he had a discussion with his likeminded members of their Bonsai Short-Film Forum, a Chennai-based film club.

When one of the members mooted the idea of training visual communication students in the budding genre, Mr. Subramanian got into the act.“It sounded so inspiring. Short-films can be razor-sharp medium to reach the masses. And what better way to popularise it than involve students into it.”That’s how the magic of moving pictures was unfurled at the four-day training workshop for short-film making in the city.Along with his member-friend Ramachandran, he invited filmmakers, journalists and assistant cinematographers to train the 45 participant team consisting of over 40 students and few working men.

After their dynamic first day stuffed with ice-breaking sessions, seminars and short-film screenings, the participants took to camera on second day of their training.“No tripods, please,” Mohamed Farhan, an assistant cinematographer to Ravivarman, began his class, to the students who took shelter in the available tree shades of seared grounds.“Short-films are mostly taken without tripods and sophisticated equipments. These people should learn to balance the camera on shoulders and hands,” he explained.It is striking that how some seemingly simple shots could actually involve neck-wracking off-camera works. He made the participants run, walk, crouch and pose for the swinging angles of the camera, handled by their counterparts. More to follow in practical training, Mr. Subramanian says. After the string of sessions on filmmaking on rest of the days, the sessions would wrap up on Sunday, with certificates of participation and an extra dose of filmmaking tips.

‘Clean drive’ reaches a significant milestone

Mayor Sarubala R.Tondaiman inspecting the integrated sanitary complex on Damodharan Eda Street in Tiruchi on Thursday.Damodharan Eda Street, near Palakkarai in the city, was declared the 100th open defecation-free zone on Thursday as part of a joint initiative of the Corporation and voluntary organisations — Gramalaya, Wateraid and Alaigal Women’s Federation.The initiative, started in 2003-04, has covered 100 habitations in various parts of the city. Open defecation has been eradicated in these areas by handing over public toilets to women self-help groups for maintenance.


The public toilets have been renovated wherever necessary by the Corporation. Special groups, called Sanitation Hygiene Education Teams, comprising the stakeholders have been formed in the localities to create awareness. The Integrated Sanitary Complexes at these places have also been provided child-friendly toilet enclosures.The Water Partners International extended revolving fund for the families in the localities for getting water connections and construction of household toilets. Last year about 551 families were provided Rs.45 lakh as revolving fund and another 1,000 families would get the fund this year.


Out of the 186 habitations identified for the project by Gramalaya, 100 have been covered so far and the remaining would be declared as open defecation-free zones by March next year.Speaking at a function to mark the declaration, the Mayor Sarubala R. Tondaiman said that the Corporation constructed 67 integrated sanitary complexes in the city in the last five years at a cost of about Rs.6 crore. Besides, there were about 291 Corporation-built toilets in the city which were being handed over to voluntary organisations for maintenance. She called upon the voluntary organisations to participate in the solid waste management initiative of the Corporation. Self-help groups could be involved in manufacturing compost from solid wastes, she suggested.The Commissioner, B. Balachandran, stressed the role of voluntary organisations in improving sanitation in the city. The Ariyamangalam zone chairman, Jerome Arockiaraj, commended the area residents and Gramalaya for successfully implementing the project.


The Executive Director of Gramalaya, J. Geetha, said that the number of slums in the city has now increased to 211 and hoped that the Corporation would support the organisation to extend the project to the newly-identified areas also. So far, 34 out of the 44 slums in Ariyamangalam zone of the Corporation has been declared open defecation-free zones and the remaining areas would be covered by August 15.The City Engineer, Raja Mohammed, and others participated.

Fertilizer testing lab soon

Tiruchi:The Government has sanctioned Rs.352 lakh for setting up fertilizer testing labs in 16 districts in the State this year, the Director of Agriculture S. Kosalaraman has said.The Government would also establish six pesticide testing labs in six districts at a cost of Rs.300 lakh, he said at a seminar on multi-disciplinary agriculture organised by the Department of Agriculture here on Saturday.

Eleven districts will get soil testing labs at an expenditure of Rs.77 lakhs, while eight existing labs would get Atomic Absorption Spectro Photometers to test the soil nutrients at a cost of Rs.80 lakh.The Government has also allotted Rs.10 lakhs for issuing soil health cards to 10 lakh farmers in the State this year.About 1,200 farmers interest groups will be set up in the State and they would be provided training, office and libraries. The groups will get a financial assistance of up to Rs.12,300 each and the Government has allotted Rs.147.6 lakh for the purpose. Already 1,200 groups have been formed during the pervious year.

The Government has also earmarked Rs.2 crores for creating ‘seed villages,’ for producing quality seeds.The Government will provide 50 per cent subsidy for setting up the seed villages.All the subsidy schemes would be implemented in a time bound manner and farmers should utilise the same, he said.

Kendriya Vidyalaya in Pudukottai soon

Tiruchi: The decks have been cleared for starting Kendriya Vidyalayas in Perambalur and Pudukottai districts from the current academic year.Temporary buildings, with the requisite facilities, have been identified in these districts for commencing classes for Standard I-V.In Perambalur, the temporary building for the school has been located at Madanagopalapuram within the town limits, while in Pudukottai, the building of the Public Works Department opposite the government hospital has been approved.

To begin with, there will be single section classes in Perambalur district and two-section classes in Pudukottai district, says K.V. Jayajothi, Principal, Kendriya Vidyalaya-1, Tiruchi, who recently inspected the facilities and approved them.The schools will subsequently be shifted to permanent buildings in sites allotted by the district administration.Teachers will be transferred to the new schools from the nearby Kendriya Vidyalayas, and contractual appointments will also be made.The initiative is in keeping with the Centre’s policy of starting a Kendriya Vidyalaya in each district.The sponsoring agency — the State Government — will enjoy a quota of 10 seats in each section.