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  • PM Modi will address Mann Ki Baat today

    PM Modi will address Mann Ki Baat today

    At 11 a.m. on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak on the 99th episode of his monthly radio show, “Mann Ki Baat.” This will be his third speech to the country delivered via radio this year. PM Modi invited people to listen to his monthly radio address to the country, “Mann Ki Baat,” through a tweet.

    The PM stated that many nations around the world are drawn to India’s UPI in the final “Mann Ki Baat” episode, which aired on February 26. The UPI (Unified Payments Interface) system and the e-Sanjeevani App were cited by Modi as shining examples of the strength of Digital India in the 98th episode.
    Modi praised the eSanjeevani software, which is used for teleconsultation, and claimed that India had observed how the tool had proven to be a great help to the public during the Covid-19 pandemic. He continued that this is a shining example of the power of Digital India.

  • Annual book fair back in TN Perambalur after four-year hiatus

    Annual book fair back in TN Perambalur after four-year hiatus

    PERAMBALUR: The annual book fair is back in the district after a four-year hiatus, offering over a lakh books through over 100 stalls set up at the Perambalur municipal ground. The 10-day fair till April 3 was inaugurated by Minister for Transport SS Sivasankar in the presence of Collector K Karpagam on Saturday.

    With various factors, including paucity of funds, and not allowing the book fair to be held over the past four years, members of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association and activists submitted petitions to the Collectorate to resume it this year. The state government directive to hold book fairs in all districts and the collector’s efforts added to the push to bring back the fair, which had its first edition in 2012, this year.

    The district administration in collaboration with Perambalur Makkal Panpattu Mandram has brought in several publishers to set up stalls, among which are those by the Tamil Nadu Textbook and Educational Services Corporation and Integrated Child Development Services. K Kalairaja, an activist from Perambalur said, “We submitted a petition with the Collectorate on October 17, 2022, for the book fair. We are happy that it is back now. Last year Perambalur secured the first position in the Class 12 board examination performance and second position in the Class 10 boards. The fair will help students get the books they require to prepare for competitive exams. The district administration should hence conduct it regularly.”

    M Akshaya, a college student from Perambalur, said, “Usually if we need a book we go to Tiruchy and buy. A variety of books are, however, available in the book fair itself. By holding the fair, students’ reading habits will improve.” When enquired, Collector Karpagam said, “Reading is exercise for the soul like physical exercise is for the body. Reading habits can refresh the mind. We are hence hosting the book fair.”

  • Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister inaugurates multiple projects in Coimbatore

    Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister inaugurates multiple projects in Coimbatore

    COIMBATORE: TN Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise V Senthil Balaji inaugurated several projects completed by Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) worth Rs 4.75 crore in Coimbatore on Saturday. The minister also laid the foundation stone for new projects worth Rs 28.03 crore, which include paving of new roads. He inaugurated the new bus shelter near the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

    CCMC Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar, Commissioner M Prathap, Deputy Commissioner Dr M Sharmila, Deputy R Vetriselvan, and other officials were also present.Addressing the media, Balaji said, “Works worth Rs 32.78 crore have begun at 13 places in the city. So far, road works worth Rs 223 crore are ongoing and 70% of the works have been completed.”

    “Around 50% of the ongoing road works in the Edayarpalayam-Thadagam areas have been completed and the officials have been advised to complete the remaining works quickly. The Chief Minister has announced new projects for the CCMC, especially the Metro rail project and Rs 9,000 crore has been allotted for it. The work will begin after the DPR is approved.”

    “Semmozhi Poonga is an excellent project and the Chief Minister has allocated funds for updating the project, which was pending for many years. Another outstanding project is the ‘Ezhilmigu Kovai’. Currently, the Semmozhi Park works are being carried out in only one portion of the central jail campus. The rest of the work will take place after the prison is relocated,” he added.

  • CSG seizes one tonne of sea cucumber from Nagapattinam warehouse in Tamil Nadu

    CSG seizes one tonne of sea cucumber from Nagapattinam warehouse in Tamil Nadu

    NAGAPATTINAM: Coastal Security Group on Saturday busted an illegal warehouse containing sea cucumbers near Nagapattinam and arrested three people for allegedly processing and trying to smuggle them to Sri Lanka.

    The seized items, weighing about a tonne, are valued at about Rs 30 lakh and are worth several times higher abroad. The CSG received information that a large amount of sea cucumber (Kadal Attai) was stored illegally in a building at Thideerkuppam near Akkaraipettai.

    An eight-member team led by ADSP J Shankar and CSG inspector R Rajasekaran raided the building and found the sea cucumber being fermented and processed. The police apprehended three people under suspicion of smuggling and processing the sea cucumber, namely S Sabarinathan (40) from Nagapattinam, K Suresh (47) from Selloor and V Selvam (50) from Akkaraipettai. The police weighed the sea cucumber and found it to be around 1000 kilos, and their worth is estimated to be around Rs 3000 per kilo.

    “We learnt that the suspects were processing the sea cucumber and planning on smuggling it to Sri Lanka via boats in sea route,” Inspector R Rajasekaran told TNIE. Sea Cucumbers are marine echinoderms classified as ‘Endangered Species’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Despite being banned from catching. they often get caught as ‘bycatch’ in fishing nets.

    They are often smuggled to foreign countries like Sri Lanka, where they’re in demand for alleged medicinal purposes and are sold at multiple times their price in the black market. The CSG personnel handed the sea cucumber to forest department officials in Nagapattinam, and a case was registered at the Forest Range Office in Nagapattinam under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. It is learnt that the sea cucumber would be destroyed after seeking permission from a magistrate.

  • Coimbatore corporation to get one more Deputy Commissioner

    Coimbatore corporation to get one more Deputy Commissioner

    Several municipal corporations across the state, including Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) have received a new Deputy Commissioner (DC) posting in addition to the existing DC posting.

    Erode City Municipal Corporation Commissioner Sivakumar has been transferred and posted as the Deputy Commissioner of CCMC in the newly created post. The move comes after all corporations across the state were allotted an additional deputy commissioner by the government. With this, the 20-odd municipal corporations in Tamil Nadu will get an additional deputy commissioner to manage the workload and carry out the development project works efficiently.

    The Director of Municipal Administration and Water Supply P Ponniah issued an order on Friday transferring around 10 officials from various municipal corporations across the state. Out of the 10, six have been transferred and posted to the newly created DC positions in addition to the existing ones in the municipal corporations.

    Sources said that the field of work or the subject for the newly appointed additional DC is yet to be finalised and a final call will be made based on the directions from the CMA and the government.
    “While the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has an additional commissioner, a joint commissioner, and two deputy commissioners with each one having a designated department of their own, several other corporations were demanding additional postings to sort out staff shortage and manage the workload of the existing employees. In view of this, the state government allotted additional DC postings for other corporations. However, the department that is likely to be allotted for the newly created postings is yet to be announced by the officials,” sources added.

  • Set-up Cauvery surplus water scheme: Tamil Nadu farmers

    Set-up Cauvery surplus water scheme: Tamil Nadu farmers

    DHARMAPURI: Farmers in Dharmapuri said that the government has failed to fulfil the long-term demand for setting up the Cauvery surplus water scheme and expressed dissatisfaction with the agriculture budget 2023-24, which was announced last week.

    Farmers have been urging the state government to announce the surplus water scheme in the district for over a decade. Under this scheme, the surplus water flowing during the monsoon will be diverted to lakes across the district and recharge groundwater levels. However, so far, no announcement has been made by the government.

    Speaking to TNIE, state president of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association SA Chinnasamy said, “The Cauvery surplus water scheme is the need of the hour as there are no perennial water sources in Dharmapuri. So far, the only source of water has been raining. Last year, the district received 1,025 mm of rain and most water bodies were filled. But there is no guarantee that the climatic conditions would remain the same. We need a permanent solution to solve the water crisis.”

    S Jayapaul, another farmer from Kambainallur, said, “The groundwater levels in parts of the district have sunk alarmingly low. Farmers rely on groundwater for cultivation and it needs to be recharged. If the Cauvery surplus water scheme is implemented, it can recharge the groundwater and farmers can have water even in the harshest summer.”

    Officials from the Dharmapuri administration said, “The request has been forwarded to the state government by various farming outfits in Dharmapuri.”

  • Elephant herd keeps Odisha villagers, forest officials on toes

    Elephant herd keeps Odisha villagers, forest officials on toes

    ANGUL: Panic has gripped residents of Bantala forest range area owing to the presence of a herd of around 30 elephants that has been wreaking havoc in the region since the last two months. Sources said locals living in the vicinity of Hindol range in Dhenkanal and Narsinghpur range in Cuttack district are more at risk since the pachyderms often intrude into their villages in the evening and damage crops and houses.

    The tuskers’ herd move between Hindol and Bantala forest ranges as a result of which villagers of these areas are always under threat. Three days back, an elephant after separating from its herd, killed a 75-year-old man Ganeswar Behera while he was in his paddy field. Disgruntled over Behera’s death, locals alleged the incident took place due to apathy of the Forest department.

    According to information, forest officials tried to chase the herd back into Hindol or Narasinghpur area but to no avail. “This tuskers’ herd has been causing damage to life and property. We tried to drive them away but haven’t been successful as yet. However, our squads are keeping an eye on their movement,” said forest ranger Niladri Sahoo.

    Officials are also asking locals not to venture into the forests. “As many as 26 staff are at work to track the tuskers’ movement but still there’s a shortage of manpower to effectively handle the situation in the area,” Sahoo added.

  • Cuttack Municipal Corporation to hike user fee for business establishments

    Cuttack Municipal Corporation to hike user fee for business establishments

    CUTTACK: In a bid to generate more funds for meeting the expenditure towards solid waste management, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has decided to hike the user fees of different categorised business establishments.In the first phase, the civic body in its Licence and Appeal Standing Committee meeting on Friday has increased the monthly user fees of kalyan mandaps from Rs 4,000 to Rs 7,500.

    At present, of the 64 kalyan mandaps enlisted with the civic body as many as 26 have complied with the new policy and guidelines approved by Orissa High Court. The status of others particularly with regard to parking area, dumping of waste, installation of CCTV, fire safety certificate, security etc., are being assessed by CMC.

    It was also decided to regularise CMC’s market complexes after some shops were found to have been occupied in unauthorised way and some are even reportedly sub-leased to third parties. The CMC owns around 506 shops in 10 to 12 market complexes.

    As per the decision in the meeting, the civic body will start repairing and renovating some market complexes which are in a dilapidated state. CMC has decided to hike user fees of other business establishments which include the nursing homes, clinic and diagnostic facilities.

    “We are going to revise Schedule 1 of CMC’s Solid Waste Management bylaw to hike the user fee of other business establishments and the revision process is under consideration,” said CMC deputy commissioner Amiya Kumar Panda.

  • Odisha CM writes to Gadkari, seeks NH 55 completion

    Odisha CM writes to Gadkari, seeks NH 55 completion

    BHUBANESWAR: Concerned over the inordinate delay in the completion of the Cuttack-Angul-Sambalpur section of NH 55, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sought the intervention of Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for early completion of the important highway project.

    Writing a letter to the Union minister, he said, it is a matter of great concern that the rehabilitation and upgradation of the 265-km highway to a four-lane carriageway being carried out by NHAI since 2017 is yet to be completed even after more than five years.

    “NH 55 serves as a lifeline to millions of people of western Odisha. Haphazard construction activities and the miserable plight of the road causes frequent accidents leading to the loss of human lives. As many as 399 accidents have taken place causing 196 fatalities during the last two years. There is public agitation and discontentment among people for inordinate delay in completion of the road work,” Naveen pointed out.

    The chief minister said the concern of the state government on this count has been communicated to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways earlier and despite regular review of the progress of the project with the regional authorities of NHAI, no satisfactory outcome is visible.He urged Gadkari to intervene in the matter for early completion of the project, which will go a long way in redressing the pending demand of people of the state.

    On March 6, The New Indian Express had published a detailed report titled ‘From Cuttack to Sambalpur, the unending NH 55 pain’ highlighting the factors behind inordinate delay in completion of the highway expansion work. Two senior NHAI officials, including a project director (technical), were suspended over irregularities and tardy progress of the construction work.

    One of the most significant highways of Odisha, the NH 55 has long been a crucial connection between coastal, central and western regions of the state. Completed, the highway would link industrial corridors with the ports by providing an uninterrupted connectivity and accelerating movement of mining and industrial traffic.

    Started in three phases between March 2017 and March 2018 at a cost of Rs 2,367 crore, the project is incomplete due to delay in completion of bridges, vehicle underpasses (VUPs) and animal underpasses (AUPs). The project estimate has almost doubled at Rs 4,482 crore after five years but only about 60 per cent work has been completed so far.

    The project taken up on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) mode was delayed as the construction agency Hyderabad-based Gayatri Projects Ltd went into a severe financial crisis a year after it bagged the contracts.

  • Mahanadi tribunal to make field visits in two phases

    Mahanadi tribunal to make field visits in two phases

    The Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal will undertake a field visit to Chhattisgarh and Odisha in two phases to study the water flow downstream and storage of water at various barrages. The decision to conduct a field survey was taken by the tribunal during a hearing on the water disputes between Odisha and Chhattisgarh in New Delhi on Saturday.

    As per the decision, a team of the tribunal will undertake a five-day visit to Chhattisgarh from April 17 to 21 in the first phase. Technical teams from the two states will assist the tribunal members during their field visit.In the second phase, the tribunal members will visit Odisha from April 29 to May 3. The study will mostly cover the water flow to the lower basin of the Mahanadi river during the non-monsoon period.

    The decision of the tribunal to conduct a field study came at a time when there is a drastic fall of water in the Hirakud water reservoir. The current live water storage in the dam is 48 per cent of the full reservoir level (FRL). The live storage this year is 10 per cent less than in the same period last year. The reservoir level of Hirakud on Saturday was 616.81 ft as against 620.62 ft this day in 2022. The full reservoir level of the dam is 630 ft.

    The Mahanadi water dispute rocked the Assembly with the Opposition blaming the state government for the declining water level while the ruling BJD held the Centre responsible. Leader of the Congress legislature party Narsingh Mishra said the state government has miserably failed to resolve the issue.

    He said two committees were set up – one headed by the chief minister and another by Speaker of the Assembly – to take up the issue with the Centre. The two committees did not convene a single meeting to discuss the issue. Now the result is for everyone to see, he added. Expressing concern over the water level in Hirakud, senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra said if the trend continues, it will come down to the dead storage level.