DMK opposes But Tamil Manila Congress supports
Chennai
July 3 2002
Reaction to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa ' s letter to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani warning that the govt would have no option other than arresting MDMK chief Vaiko under POTA was sharp in political circles today with the DMK opposing the invocation of POTA or TADA for political reasons and the TMC openly supporting such a move.
Not surprisingly, the BJP State unit ' s Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan was evasive in his replies and kept on repeating that he can not react without knowing what Vaiko had actually said and under what circumstances he had made such a statement.
However he made it clear the BJP was against the LTTE and opposed to it giving roots in Indian soil. The opposition to the Sri Lankan miliant organisation had been made very clear after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, he said.
TMC president G K Vasan and the party ' s leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly S R Balasubramanian were categorical in the response with both of them saying that they supported the govt stand.
They said the govt could not watch silently when such statements that went against national interest were made in public. Even if others were hauled up for making similar statements, the TMC would stand by the government, Balasubramanian said.
DMK president M Karunanidhi said he was against the arrest of anybody under POTA or TADA and recalled that DMK leader Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan and her husband Jagadeesan were arrested earlier under TADA and detained for one year.
Referring to the government warning to Vaiko, Karunanidhi recalled some remarks made by MDMK leaders after his arrest last year and said that he was not hard-hearted to react like them. He said MDMK Ministers had spoken in public that he acted better than Sivaji Ganesan.
Meanwhile, State Home Secretary, Naresh Gupta, left for New Delhi today. Though no reason was cited for his sudden trip to the national capital, speculation is rife that it could be to pursue the case against Vaiko.
Muslims too contribute for annadhanam at Tamilnadu
Chennai
July 3 2002
Following the appeal of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to contribute liberally towards the Annadhanam scheme launched by her in various temples , donations are being received from Muslim brethren also.
Ministers, AIADMK functionaries and industrialists donated around Rs 35 lakh yesterday itself towards the scheme and among them were Haji A M Abdul Khader and Haji A M Junaith, rice millowners from Virkudi in Tiruvarur district.
Abdul Khader and Junaith handed over a cheque for Rs one lakh to the Chief Minister at the Secretariat and she lauded their gesture. It may be recalled that Muslim leaders had made donations towards the scheme when Chief Minister Jayalalithaa during her campaign for the bye-elections to the Vaniyambadi constituency recently.
L Krishnamurthy from Kalapatti village in Coimbatore district handed over a cheque for Rs 45,000 towards the Chief Minister ' s Public Relief Fund.
Tamil Nadu.. Warrant on Actress Roja withdrawn
CHENNAI
July 3 2002
The arrest warrant against popular south India film actress Roja was withdrawn by a city court today after she appeared before it in connection with a cheque bouncing case.
Roja, along with her advocate Siva, appeared before the Saidapet 23rd Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Bose, who had issued the arrest warrant on Friday last.
When the Magistrate asked why she did not appear on June 28, the actress said her advocate had not informed her of the date. At this, Mr Siva apologised before the court.
The judge then cancelled the arrest warrant and posted the case to July 26 for further hearing.
It may be recalled that Roja was involved in a similar case a couple of months ago and Madras High court had directed her to offer community service in an Orphanage after settling the dues.
Conservancy staff go on strike at Pondy
Pondicherry
July 02 2002
Conservancy staff in the Pondicherry Municipality went on strike today demanding a full-fledged probe into the circumstances that led to the death of a worker on duty in the bazaar area on June 29 2002.
The Pondicherry municipal conservancy staff association called for indefinite strike until justice was rendered. A communication from the general council alleged that some anti-social elements, in the garb of merchants, were indulging in activities that were posing threat to workers. The worker, S.Velu, who was removing garbage, was pushed down by a merchant .The worker succumbed to injuries at a hospital.
The workers staged demonstrations in the Bharathi park and at the municipal office today.
Sai Baba to fund lining of Telugu Ganga canal
Hyderabad
July 02 2002
The 158km stretch of the Telugu Ganga Project canal from Kandaleru reservoir to the Poondi lake near Chennai is to be concrete-lined to prevent leakages and seepages, with funds promised by Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi.
The Principal Secretary, Irrigation, Andhra Pradesh, J. Harinarayana, said here on Monday that the State Govt has accorded permission to Sai Baba, as sought by him, to undertake the work independent of any Government involvement "except for supervision here and there''. The cost is put at Rs. 150-200 crores.
Sources in the Govt said the Tamil Nadu Govt approached Sai Baba for funds to make the specified portion of the canal leak-proof.
Larsen & Toubro, which will implement the work, has almost completed the survey. As per the agreement signed by Andhra Pradesh, Karnakata and Maharashtra, the three States have to part with 5 tmcft. each of Krishna waters for the Telugu Ganga to supply drinking water to Chennai, as per the Bachawat Tribunal.
Although the canal has been built to a length of 408 km from Srisailam to Poondi, it has not been able to carry sufficient waters from Kandaleru due to leakages
The canal, built six years ago, was designed to carry 12 tmcft. up to Poondi with 3 tmcft. out of the total 15-tmcft. allocated expected to be lost because of evaporation and other losses. But all these years, it has not been able to deliver even 5 tmcft. a year.
Right now, a quantum of 1,000 cusecs is being discharged from Kandaleru but the realisation at Poondi is hardly 50 per cent, according to information available with the Telugu Ganga office here.
Railway Minister from Tamilnadu
CHENNAI
July 2 2002
After nearly four decades, an MP from Tamil Nadu, has been given the Railway portfolio.
It was in the Jawaharlal Nehru Cabinet, the late O.V. Alagesan was the Deputy Minister for Railways from 1952 to 56. Lal Bahadur Sastri was then the Railway Minister. Though Ministers from Tamil Nadu were allotted the key portfolios of Defence, Finance, Commerce or Industries, nobody got Railways.
Now A. K. Moorthy of the PMK, elected from Chengalpattu, has been made Union Minister of State. Members of Parliament from the other Southern states have held the portfolio often. They have all utilised the opportunity to either get new projects for their States or complete on-going projects, pumping in additional funds. The question now is whether Mr. Moorthy, will be able to influence the Rail Bhavan to push on- going projects in the State.
PMK rally for Cauvery water at karaikal
Pondicherry
July 01 2002
The Karaikal unit of the PMK took out a rally today in Karaikal to urge the Administration to initiate steps to tackle the crisis in the region following the non-availability of Cauvery river water. N. G. Panneerselvam, organising secretary, said in a communication today that nearly 1000 volunteers participated in the rally. A party delegation called on the Regional Administrative Officer later and presented a memorandum seeking relief to farmers and farm labourers during the current critical condition in the region. About 22,000 acres of farm lands had been hit.
Panneerselvam said a committee comprising political leaders and farmers should be sent to the Centre and Karnataka to talk with ministers on release of Cauvery water, as Karaikal relies on Cauvery for its irrigation requirements. It is entitled to 6 tmc ft of water as per the interim award of the tribunal, he said.