Pondy

March 20 2002

Nearly 800 CPI and CPM workers, including party leaders arrested at different venues in the Union Territory in protest against the private bus operators’ hiking fares, police said.

The agitators demanded that the fare be reduced since the price of diesel had been reduced in the Union Budget. The prices of tyres and spare parts were cheaper in Pondicherry than in neigbouring Tamil Nadu, they said.

Tension builds up in Cauvery delta areas

THANJAVUR

MARCH 20 2002

With the Govt ruling out reopening of the direct purchase centres and farmers gearing for the March 23 bandh in Cauvery delta areas, there is tension in the air and the mood is one of confrontation.

Though the Govt harps on procurement of 7.5 lakh tonnes in the districts of Thanjavur and Nagapattinam, the farmers say that more than half that quantity still remains with them. Nearly 3.5 to four lakh tonnes is lying with the farmers, while another one lakh tonnes is expected from the thaladi crop, which is now under harvest in many places. This will go on till March-end.

In the two districts, samba and thaladi were cultivated on nearly 4 lakh hectares. Apart from 8 lakh tonnes already procured, the paddy brought to the DPCs till March 15, for purchasing which tokens had been issued, was about 75,000 tonnes. Officials of the T. C. Supplies Corporation say that nearly 18,000 tonnes of this quantity was purchased in the delta districts on Tuesday.

Even if all stocks kept in front of the DPCs are purchased, those who have not moved paddy to the centres will be affected, say farmers. Moving paddy to the taluk godowns is impractical and the farmers will lose Rs. 40 per quintal given as incentive. The transport cost will also be higher, because the stocks have to be moved for a distance, from 10 to 30 km, depending on the location of the godowns, the farmers point out.

Imam’s trail

Madurai

March 20 2002

Six militants, who helped Imam Ali and Hyder Ali escape from police custody near here on March 7, were produced at the Tirumangalam court today and remanded to custody till April 3.

Police said the militants remanded were Akbar Sadiq, A Syed Ali, H Syed Ali, Sheikh Ali, Sulaiman, and Ibrahim Kani.

police, who had launched a manhunt for Imam Ali, claimed that the entire gang involved in the escape had been either identified or arrested.

Police, quoting intelligence sources, said Imam Ali was running out of cash and he could be arrested soon. He managed to give police the slip just as they were closing in at a place in Tuticorin. “Now we have got vital clues and his escape routes have been blocked,” the sources said.

Man damages Amman statue

Thanjavur

March 21 2002

A mentally-disturbed person was arrested on charges of causing minor damage to the statue of Lokanayaki Amman, near here, police said.

According to town DSP Moorthi Dharmalingam, the man was nabbed by the people after he damaged the nose and hand portion of the statue which was believed to be about 1,000 years old.