Tamil nadu itinerary

The Southern Regional Power Committee (SRPC) has sought comments from other constituent States and the Union Territory in the region with regard to Tamil Nadu’s request for 100% allocation of power from Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) Units III and IV (1,000 MW each). The commissioning of Unit III is expected to take place by May 2025, and that of Unit IV by December 2025, according to the additional agenda items included for the 193rd meeting of SRPC’s Operation Coordination Sub Committee, to be held on August 10. SRPC cited a letter from the Union Ministry of Power (MoP), dated August 3, sent to the Central Electricity Authority in this regard. Tangedco requested MoP for 100% allocation from Units III and IV for catering to the increasing power demand in the State. “It is therefore requested to provide the comments to the Ministry urgently,” the letter said. On July 13, 2022, Tangedco’s Chairman and Managing Director Rajesh Lakhoni wrote to the Union Secretary for … [Read more...] about Tamil Nadu seeks 100% allocation of power from KKNPP Units III and IV

Actor Rajinikanth met Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi at the Raj Bhavan in Chennai on Monday. While Mr. Rajinikanth was quick to dismiss speculation that he was once again considering entering politics, he admitted that he discussed politics. “It was a courtesy call. I met him for 25-30 minutes. Despite living in North India for most of his life, he has loved Tamil Nadu and its people. He said he likes the honesty and hard work of people here along with the spirituality that exists in the land,” Mr. Rajinikanth said. He added that Mr. Ravi told him that he was ready to ‘do anything for the good of Tamil Nadu’. Asked to comment on the Central government’s decision to raise the Goods and Services Tax for essential products, Mr. Rajinikanth said he had ‘no comments to make’. “We did speak about politics, but I cannot disclose what we spoke,” he said, and once again reiterated that he had no plans to enter politics. In December 2020, Mr. Rajinikanth had cited COVID-19 pandemic as … [Read more...] about Rajinikanth meets Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi

Keen on altering Tamil Nadu’s bipolar political landscape, which is dominated by the DMK and the AIADMK, the BJP is aggressively projecting itself as a bankable alternative through a twin strategy. Firstly, party State president K. Annamalai is laboriously trying to showcase the BJP as the main opposition party by frequently taking on the ruling DMK. Second, post its national executive meeting in Hyderabad last month, as part of ‘Mission South’, the BJP has begun groundwork to highlight Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “benevolence” towards Tamil Nadu. After tasting marginal but noticeable success on the BJP’s own strength in February’s urban civic elections, Mr. Annamalai is leaving no stone unturned to expand the party’s base. He tours districts on most days, holds meetings with functionaries of the party’s numerous wings, and makes random stopovers to mingle with people of different sections. He also does not lose an opportunity to put the DMK on the defensive by levelling charges … [Read more...] about In Tamil Nadu, BJP’s strategic moves

Firefighters in Tamil Nadu managed to save a worker buried under 15 feet of sand for an hour and a half, close to Mallippatinam in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur district. On August 1, the earth was dug up to 15 feet at a house for concrete casing for a sewage tank. Chithravel, 45, and four other members were involved in the work. He was removing sand from the pit and bringing it up with a basket after the soil had been mined. The sand above abruptly gave way and tumbled into the pit, while Chithravel fell and was buried. The other workers started to clear the soil to rescue Chithravel and also alerted the Peravurani fire brigade at the same time. Five firefighters reached the location with the help of station officer Ramachandran from the fire and rescue operations department. A tense crowd of onlookers gathered and stood there praying for the worker’s rescue. Firefighters took part in the effort to rescue Chithravel from being buried in the sand. After a struggle that lasted nearly an … [Read more...] about Tamil Nadu: Firefighters Rescue Labourer Buried 15 Feet Deep in Sand for Over an Hour

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches at half-a-dozen locations in Tamil Nadu in connection with its money laundering probe into a case of alleged irregularities in the issuance of visas to 263 Chinese nationals in 2011, that also involves Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, officials said. The premises of some companies and their promoters are being raided in Chennai and nearby areas, they said. The ED had initiated a probe in May and filed a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after taking cognisance of a first information report (FIR) registered by the CBI in the same case. The case pertains to allegations of Rs 50 lakh being paid as kickbacks to Karti and his close associate S Bhaskararaman by a top executive of Vedanta group company Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd. (TSPL), which was setting up a power plant in Punjab, as per the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR. The CBI had raided the premises of the Chidamabram family and arrested … [Read more...] about ED Conducts Raids in Tamil Nadu in Chinese Visa ‘Scam’ Case

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has filed a clarification petition in the Madras High Court stating it will not be possible to ply 100% low floor buses in Tamil Nadu since the bus stop platforms, road gradient, speed breakers, bridges and other infrastructural requirements are not conducive for such buses. MTC Managing Director A. Anu Abraham said the court had on July 5 disposed of a public interest litigation petition filed by activist Vaishnavi Jayakumar with a direction to ply all government buses in conformity with the Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities, 2016. As per the harmonised guidelines issued by the Centre, the buses should be low floor, their doors should be at least 1200 mm wide, they must have handrail and footlight and an apparatus such as a hydraulic lift or pull-out/foldable ramp installed in the doorway for mobility aided users/prams. They should also have space for wheelchairs. … [Read more...] about Not possible to ply 100% low-floor buses in Tamil Nadu: MTC tells Madras HC

The Tamil Nadu government has set up an expert committee to investigate human-elephant conflicts (HEC) in the Gudalur area of Nilgiris and develop comprehensive solutions, officials said on Friday. The decision came after several people were killed in elephant attacks between May and June at O’Valley in Gudalur. To study the man-animal conflict, the committee has already started talking to the locals and tea plantation owners. The team is aware of the demands by locals for the construction of physical barriers to stop elephants from entering the human settlements. The committee has made the decision to first examine the surrounding area and issues causing elephants to wander into residential areas before making decision on setting up barriers. According to official data, man-animal conflicts have resulted in 50 deaths and 82 injuries in the Pollachi division of Coimbatore district in the last ten years. The majority of victims were labourers of tea and coffee estates on 200 sqm … [Read more...] about Tamil Nadu Govt Sets Up Expert Committee to Study Human-Elephant Conflict in Nilgiris

As a child G. Thilakavathi, born in 1952 in Kumarasamypettai village in the backward Dharmapuri region, displayed an extraordinary aptitude for academics. She was enrolled in school early. With accelerated promotions, she progressed to higher classes, rubbing shoulders with children much older than her. At 16, her parents pulled her out of the first year of her B.A. Economics course in Auxilium College, Katpadi, and married her to a man, who turned out to be an abusive husband. Pregnant with her first child, she was subjected to domestic abuse at her matrimonial house, prompting her father to bring her back. With a baby in hand and enduring a broken marriage at 17, Ms. Thilakavathi managed to graduate. She and her aunt, moved to Madras and rented a house in Valluvar Kottam, leaving her infant daughter in the care of her parents. “I was desperate to find a job to support myself and my family. My mother preferred I take up ‘light’ jobs, such as teaching or clerical positions in … [Read more...] about G. Thilakavathi, Tamil Nadu’s first native woman IPS officer

The Directorate of Collegiate Education (DCE), on Tuesday, August 2, has directed principals of all Arts and Science colleges in the State of Tamil Nadu to announce the rank list, today on August 3, and conduct the first counseling on August 5. The DCE has given colleges instructions to post the rank list on their websites by August 3 and notify the DCE office of this. The TNGASA UG Merit list 2022 will be available on www.tngasa.in. As per the notice, candidates should be immediately notified of their rankings through email and mobile number. Further, on August 5, colleges should also start the counseling process, added the DCE order stated this. The colleges are asked to adhere to the proper reservation standards. The DCE has also asked the colleges to encourage students to take up Computer Literacy programmes, Soft Skill training, and other add-on courses provided in the colleges. TNGASA Rank List 2022: How to download? After the list is out, candidates can follow these … [Read more...] about Tamil Nadu’s Arts & Science Colleges Rank Lists Today, Counselling From August 5

Tamil Nadu logged 1,211 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, taking the tally till date to 35,49,406. Of the 38 districts, 11 had fewer than 10 cases each. In Chennai, 268 persons tested positive for COVID-19, while there were 131 cases in Coimbatore and 104 in Chengalpattu. There were 64 cases in Salem and 62 in Erode. Krishnagiri logged 49 cases. Another 1,616 persons, including 378 in Chennai, 177 in Chengalpattu and 169 in Coimbatore, were discharged after treatment. With this, the recoveries stood at 35,00,386. The active cases fell to 10,987 in the State. Chennai accounted for 3,743 active cases followed by Coimbatore (1,015) and Chengalpattu (1,010). As many as 29,557 samples were tested in the State. So far, 6,82,63,311 samples have been tested. The overall test positivity rate stood at around 4%. At present, 524 beds— 209 oxygen-supported, 269 non-oxygen supported and 46 intensive care unit beds— were occupied in COVID-19 health centres and hospitals across Tamil … [Read more...] about Tamil Nadu logs 1,211 fresh COVID-19 cases