Tuticorin will soon become Corporation

In a public meeting held at P&T Colony of Tuticorin, Mrs. Geeta Jeevan, State Minister andMrs. Kastuti Thangam, The Tuticorin Municipal Chairman collected the public requirements from the P&T Colony people and said that these steps are taken so that Tuticorin can satisfy all the needs to become a Corporation. She also said that Minister Stalin has promised that Tuticorin will be made a Corporation soon.

Tuticorin Port Deepens its channel to 14.7 metre

Baalu said the Tuticorin port has taken up a project to deepen its channel to 14.7 metres from the present 12.5 metres. The Rs 450-crore project assumes significance in the light of the ongoing Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project, scheduled to be completed by 2008 at a cost of Rs 2,427 crore.

Once Sethusamudram project in Palk Bay is completed, Tuticorin port is expected to become a port that would attract several bulk carriers that go to Colombo for transhipment, he said.

Tuticorin Airservice profitable from first day - says Air Deccan

Interestingly, Kumar informed that not all new routes take time to mature. Some of them are profitable from the first day or first week itself. Giving example of such routes, he said Delhi-Dehradun, Delhi-Kulu and Chennai-Tuticorin started generating profit on day one while Coimbatore-Hyderabad, an airbus flight, turned profitable in a week’s time.

Source: DNA

New Hi-Tech Shopping Complex in Tuticorin

The Tuticorin based, DSF(Diamond Sea Foods) Group that has many Sea Food Processing and Exporting Facilities in Tuticorin recently bought the Charles Theater in V.E. Road of Tuticorin and started the construction of their Shopping Complex there.

The new shopping complex is named as DSF Grand Plaza. It has 5 floors and an underground parking facility. The complex will incorporate Electronic Escalators which is first implemented in southern Tamilnadu for the first time.

The Plaza will include shopping malls and a 3 Star Hotel in it. Still the construction of this complex is being done and we can expect more features.

Tuticorin is now becoming more modernised like Chennai with the development of new Hi-Tech infrastructures.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court asks Collectors to remove encroachments in public places in regions within its jurisdiction.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday asked Collectors under its jurisdiction to strictly comply with its orders, passed on April 26 last year, to remove encroachments in public places.

Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram, Kanyakumari, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruchi and Karur come under its jurisdiction.

A Division Bench comprising Justice D. Murugesan and P. Murgesen pointed out that there had been large-scale shuffling of officers since the orders were passed and hence the incumbents should be made aware of the 2005 orders, which mandates filing of periodical status reports to the Registrar (judicial) of the Bench.

The judges said even now several writ petitions seeking to remove encroachments were being continually filed before the Bench, despite the categorical orders passed by a Full Bench.

The observations were made while hearing a writ petition seeking a direction to remove some encroachments adjacent to the Government Hospital at Tirupattur in Sivaganga district. The Collector, M.A. Siddique, was present during the hearing.

Initially, passing orders on a public interest litigation petition, a Division Bench of Justice P.D. Dinakaran and Justice Prabha Sridevan on February 17, 2005, directed the Collectors/ Municipal commissioners/ local body authorities in the 13 districts to take effective steps to remove the encroachments by following due process of law.

Pursuant to the Division Bench orders, numerous petitions were filed before the Bench alleging that the officials were evicting residents and demolishing structures by simply citing the High Court order without even issuing a prior notice.

Hence, a Full Bench comprising Justice P.K. Misra, Justice D. Murugesan and Justice A.R. Ramalingam was constituted to resolve the issue.

The Full Bench on April 26, 2005 laid down elaborate procedures to be followed under different statutes such as the Tamil Nadu Municipalities Act, National Highways Act, Tamil Nadu Public Premises (eviction of unauthorised occupants) Act and so on.

Session on human rights for tsunami-hit held at Tuticorin

A two-day `Human Right Defenders' (HRD) training for tsunami victims' organised by the People's Watch and Tsunami Legal Action Committee, both human right organisations, started here on Saturday.

A total of 40 persons from Vilathikulam and Ottapidaram taluks were imparted training on topics such as `Understanding human rights', `Tsunami issues from a right perspective', `Rights and challenges of coastal communities', `An introduction to coastal regulation zone', and `Effects of proposed Coastal management Zone on fishermen'.

Sources said that those who got trained at the programme would in turn educate the entire tsunami-hit fisher folks in their respective blocks, who were yet to receive the relief packages from the Government, on their rights.

Christal Babitha, a lawyer and resource person, explained the salient features of the notification on Coastal Regulation Zone, an area which extends from the high tide line upto 500 metres towards landward area.

She said the proposed amendment on the CRZ notification to form an Integrated Coastal Management Zone (ICMZ) would affect the livelihood opportunities of the fishermen community to a great extent.

"The recommendations to constitute the ICMZ had not taken the housing rights of the fishermen into consideration and hence, it should be feared that they would be uprooted from their `traditional bases' (i.e., beaches), once it was declared as a zone," she added. Thus the notification would alienate the fishermen from their sources of livelihood.

Ms. Babitha said that under the circumstances, the proposed move by the Central Government to amend the CRZ notification was unwarranted.

Source: The Hindu

Man Detained under Goondas Act at Tuticorin

The Collector, R. Palaniyandi, on Tuesday ordered the detention of Chinnaraj (21), an accused in multiple cases, under the Goondas Act.

Aources said the detention was made on the basis of the recommendations by the Superintendent of Police John Nicholson.

Inspector Murugesan of Kovilpatti (west) police station served the order to Chinnaraj at the Central Jail in Palayamkottai, where he is currently undergoing sentence after he was arrested on October 1.

He is involved in 12 cases of murder, extortion and robbery.

Source: The Hindu

Water overflowing from Srivaikundam dam

The dam at Srivaikundam constructed across the Tamiraparani brimmed on Sunday, after water was released from various reservoirs in Tirunelveli district.

The water started overflowing from the dam, after the sluices of the Marudhur dam situated in the upstream were opened.

To avoid flooding in the downstream areas, the district administration immediately diverted a large quantity of surplus water from Marudhur dam to Sadayaneri channel.

This move controlled the water flow through the Srivaikundam dam.

The Collector R. Palaniyandi said the water diverted through the Sadayaneri channel was taken to Puthentharuvai tank situated in Sattankulam taluk, which was constructed primarily to recharge the groundwater table in the region.

The Collector said that the administration would chalk out a comprehensive plan to utilise the water that was drained without any use into the sea once it crossed the Srivaikundam dam.

"We would make efforts to conserve it for irrigation," he said.

A break in the overcast gave sunny spells in the town on Sunday, after incessant rain lashed over the last few days.

However, 25 houses in the district suffered damage, owing to heavy rain on Saturday and in the early hours of Sunday.

Of them, 18 houses situated at Ettayapuram, Kovilpatti, Tiruchendur, Srivaikundam and Tuticorin taluks, suffered partial damage, while one house at Sattankulam, and two houses each at Srivaikundam, Tiruchendur and Kovilpatti, were destroyed.

The district received a total of 293 mm rainfall, with an average of 15.42 mm, during the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday.

Following is the rainfall recorded (in mm) in different places: Tiruchendur-53; Kayalpattinam- 55; Kulasekarapattinam-40; Vilathikulam- 12; Kadalkudi- 16; Vyppar-10; Soorangudi- 16; Kovilpatti-7; Kayathar-11; Kazhugamalai- 5.2; Ottapidaram-2; Vedanatham - 5; Keezha Arasadi-6; Ettayapuram- 7; Sattankulam- 20; Srivaikundam- 11.4 and Tuticorin - 16.4.

Three girls drown in village tank near Tuticorin

Three girls drowned in a tank in Muppilipatti village near Oddapidaram in Tuticorin district yesterday, police said today.

According to police, five girls had gone to the tank for bathing. The tank was full following heavy rains the village and surrounding areas.

Three of them went to deep waters and drowned. The local people retrieved the bodies later.

Four passengers injured in a bus plying between Sayalkudi and Tuticorin

Four persons were injured when a bus plying between Sayalkudi and Tuticorin overturned near here on Tuesday. The injured were admitted to the Tuticorin Government Hospital.

The incident took place when the bus was crossing T. Saveriyarpuram, after the driver tried to give way to a van. According to sources, bus was overcrowded with about 70 passengers.

The Thalamuthu Nagar police have registered a case.

Semen bank building and an in-patient shed at a total cost of Rs 38.26 lakh, at Tuticorin veterinary hospital

Minister for Animal Husbandry, Geetha Jeevan inaugurated a semen bank building and an in-patient shed at a total cost of Rs 38.26 lakh, at a veterinary hospital, here on Tuesday.

While the semen bank building with 447.2 square feet area, was set up at a cost of 34 lakh, the in-patient shed with 220 square feet area was constructed at a cost of Rs 4.26 lakh.

The Semen building constitutes a lobby, a room for doctors, an office room, a laboratory, a storage room, a container room and a toilet.

The Minister, in his inaugral address, said that under the Tsunami Reconstruction Project, training would be imparted to as many as 1,200 farmers living along the coastal areas of the district, in various animal husbandry activities, to increase their income.

Source: NewIndPress

Madurai - Tuticorin NH Project Exempted from Standard Procedures to Speed-up process.

The Union Cabinet's Committee on Economic Affairs, which also met on Thursday, decided to exempt 12 sub-projects under the National Highways Development Project from going through the procedures of the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee as the bids for them had been either already decided or awarded.

The bids had already been awarded in the case of eight sub-projects: Gwalior bypass, and Tindivanam-Ulundurpet, Ulundur-Padalur, Padalur-Tiruchi, Thanjavur-Tiruchi, Madurai-Tuticorin, Jhansi-Lalitpur, and Lakhnadon-Madhya Pradesh/ Maharashtra border sections.

Source: PIB

Reliance plans to extend its prposed Pipeline project upto Tuticorin

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) plans to link Kakinada and Basudebpur, the landing points of its two mega gas sources --- the D6 block in the Krishna Godavari basin and the NEC-25 block off the Orissa coast -- with an 890-km pipeline.
While Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh is the landfall point for gas coming from the D6 block, gas from the NEC-25 block will land at Basudebpur in Orissa.

Going by discoveries already announced by RIL, the current estimated gas reserves from these two blocks stand at over 25 trillion cubic feet.

According to a plan submitted by RIL to the petroleum ministry, such a multi-source system will not only ensure continuity in supplies to consumers but also enhance their reliability and security.

RIL has planned a large network of pipelines to evacuate gas from these two gas sources. With an investment running into billions of dollars, the three mega gas pipeline projects proposed by the company include the 1,500-km Kakinada-Uran (Maharashtra), 1,400-km Kakinada-Chennai-Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) and the 1,100-km Kakinada-Basudebpur-Howrah (West Bengal) routes.

The petroleum ministry has already floated expressions of interest for booking capacities from these three pipelines, to be built on a common carrier basis.

In addition, Reliance also proposes to extend its pipeline from Chennai to Tuticorin, besides covering Bangalore and Mangalore.

Two more pipelines have been planned from Basudebpur to Cuttack in Orissa and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, and from Basudebpur to Howrah, Hooghly and Bardhaman in West Bengal. RIL has also written to the ministry to later extend them to cover Chattisgarh and Bihar.

Following the upscaling in production from its KG basin D6 block, from 40 mmscmd to 80 mmscmd, Reliance has for the time being put on hold plans to develop its NEC-25 offshore gas block in Orissa.

As a consequence, the markets of West Bengal, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, which Reliance had earlier proposed to supply gas from its offshore block, will now be fuelled by supplies from its D6 blocks from 2008-09.

Source: Finiancial Express

Reliance plans to extend its prposed Pipeline project upto Tuticorin

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) plans to link Kakinada and Basudebpur, the landing points of its two mega gas sources --- the D6 block in the Krishna Godavari basin and the NEC-25 block off the Orissa coast -- with an 890-km pipeline.
While Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh is the landfall point for gas coming from the D6 block, gas from the NEC-25 block will land at Basudebpur in Orissa.

Going by discoveries already announced by RIL, the current estimated gas reserves from these two blocks stand at over 25 trillion cubic feet.

According to a plan submitted by RIL to the petroleum ministry, such a multi-source system will not only ensure continuity in supplies to consumers but also enhance their reliability and security.

RIL has planned a large network of pipelines to evacuate gas from these two gas sources. With an investment running into billions of dollars, the three mega gas pipeline projects proposed by the company include the 1,500-km Kakinada-Uran (Maharashtra), 1,400-km Kakinada-Chennai-Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) and the 1,100-km Kakinada-Basudebpur-Howrah (West Bengal) routes.

The petroleum ministry has already floated expressions of interest for booking capacities from these three pipelines, to be built on a common carrier basis.

In addition, Reliance also proposes to extend its pipeline from Chennai to Tuticorin, besides covering Bangalore and Mangalore.

Two more pipelines have been planned from Basudebpur to Cuttack in Orissa and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, and from Basudebpur to Howrah, Hooghly and Bardhaman in West Bengal. RIL has also written to the ministry to later extend them to cover Chattisgarh and Bihar.

Following the upscaling in production from its KG basin D6 block, from 40 mmscmd to 80 mmscmd, Reliance has for the time being put on hold plans to develop its NEC-25 offshore gas block in Orissa.

As a consequence, the markets of West Bengal, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, which Reliance had earlier proposed to supply gas from its offshore block, will now be fuelled by supplies from its D6 blocks from 2008-09.

NLC to invest Rs 4,500 cr to set up a 1,000 MW plant in Tuticorin

State-run Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd on Tuesday said, it plans to invest Rs 4,500 crore to set up a 1,000 MW power plant in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu.

"We have received approval from our Board to set up a lignite-based power plant. In a week's time, we will send the proposal to the Union Power Ministry for clearance," NLC Chairman and Managing Director S Jayaraman told PTI.

Jayaraman said the company would finance 30 per cent of the project cost from its internal accruals, while the rest would be borrowed from the domestic market.

The company hopes to receive all the necessary approvals in the next six months.

"We have started working on the tendering process," he said, adding the company would place orders for machineries after getting Government clearance.

NLC has already signed an MoU with Tuticorin Port Trust for the project that would come up on a 200 acres of land.

The company would feed the plant with its captive lignite mines. Lignite is known to have far lower ash content than coal and, so, becomes a clean option for thermal energy.

The project has also received clearance from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, he added.

"The project will be completed in 42 months from the zero date of construction work," he added.

NLC currently generates 2,490 MW of power.

Source: Businness

Tuticorin-Chengalpattu BG line doubling in phases

Doubling and electrification of the Tuticorin-Chengalpattu broad gauge line will be done in phases, Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said here on Saturday.

Flagging off the Chennai Central-Coimbatore (weekly) and Central-Mangalore (tri-weekly) superfast expresses, Mr. Velu said preliminary work on doubling the Madurai-Dindigul section had begun. Sanction had been given for the Chengalpattu-Villupuram section. Doubling of the remaining stretches between Villupuram-Dindigul and Madurai-Tuticorin was under consideration.

Mr. Velu said doubling of the BG line from Chennai Egmore to Tuticorin had become imperative in view of the growing passenger traffic. Southern Railway had to run special trains during festival and peak seasons on the sector.

He said in the last two years 40 new trains were introduced, services of 20 others extended and frequency of nine trains increased. As the zone was passenger oriented, the Ministry wanted to provide additional amenities. In the current financial year, the zone had been permitted to spend about Rs 40 crore.

Responding to State Transport Minister K.N. Nehru's demand for bullet train services from Chennai to Madurai and Coimbatore, the Minister said a policy decision had to be taken for introducing bullet trains.

Earlier, Mr. Nehru said the State Government would soon introduce feeder bus services from major railway stations in the State for the convenience of passengers from the North.

Source: The Hindu

17 houses damaged due to rain in Tuticorin

Seventeen houses were damaged in the heavy rain that lashed district on Friday night and in the early hours of Saturday.

Of this, 13 houses situated at Srivaikundam, Sattankulam and Tiruchendur blocks were partially damaged, while the remaining were fully destroyed.

Meanwhile, pulses such as blackgram and greengram cultivated over 400 hectares were submerged in the district owing to heavy rain the last few days.

Of the total 400 hectares, 80 ha falls at Thenthiruperi village, 70 ha at Gurukatoor, 150 ha at Thurayoor, 20 ha at Suganthalai and 80 ha at Rajapathi village.

S. Subramaniam, Joint Director of Agriculture, the loss could be estimated only after the water got drained from the fields.

Official sources said the district received an average of 30.1 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. Following is the rainfall recorded (in mm) at various places during the period: Tiruchendur - 32; Kayalpattinam - 70; Kulasekarapattinam - 37; Vilathikulam - 22; Kadalkudi - 38; Vyppar - 6; Soorangudi - 8; Kovilpatti - 43; Kadambur - 16; Kazhugamalai - 52.4 mm; Ottapidaram - 4; Maniyachi - 62; Vedanatham - 7; Keezha Arasadi - 16; Ettayapuram - 22; Sattankulam - 10; Srivaikundam - 121 and Tuticorin - 4.7.

Source: The Hindu

Strategies to eradicate child labour reviewed at Tuticorin

The Collector, R. Palaniyandi, reviewed the strategies adopted to eradicate child labour in the district after the State Government prohibited child labour in `home and hospitality sectors' from October 10, at a meeting of officials from various departments here on Friday.

He asked officials from National Child Labour Project (NCLP), Labour Department and other line departments to step up the vigil and prevent employment of children below 14 years in houses, resorts, road-side eateries, spas and other recreational centres across the district, with the help of a detailed action plan.

"The notification for the ban on child labour in these sectors was an important step since youngsters employed in these occupations have long working hours and live in extremely difficult conditions without basic amenities like toilet facilities and place for resting," he added.

Such employment forces the children to undertake many hazardous activities, which would affect the psyche and health of them.

"At times, they were even subjected to physical violence, psychological trauma and sexual abuse, which otherwise might go unreported," Dr Palaniyandi said.

Reiterating the need for convergence of services to achieve the newly set goals in the eradication of child labour, he said departments of Education, Labour, Factories, Social Welfare and Rural Development should join hands to conduct awareness campaigns on a massive scale.

The Collector instructed the officials to enforce the Child Labour Act, Factories Act, Catering Establishment Act, Minimum Wages Act and Motor Transport Workers Act, more stringently without any impediment.

He also gave directions to them to conduct exclusive meetings for flat owners associations, NGOs, and hotel owners associations, to sensitise them to the provisions of Child Labour Act.

"A survey on child workers in respect of domestic employment should be conducted, to find out the prevalence of children in such occupations, if any," he said.

Dr. Palaniyandi warned that a fine of Rs 20,000 and imprisonment would be awarded to those who employed children below 14 years in the `home and hospitality sectors'.

The Collector urged the public to report the cases of child labour to the special cell set up at the Collectorate. (Telephone numbers: 0461-2340606 and 2335095)

M. Nallaperumal, Project Director, NCLP, and senior officials from various departments attended the meeting.

Source: The Hindu

High Court Bench restrains Tuticorin Collector from handing over the keys for Tsunami Relief House

The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has restrained the Tuticorin District Collector from handing over the keys of 75 houses constructed for tsunami victims at Vembar village in Vilathikulam taluk.

A Division Bench comprising Justice N. Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice P. Murgesen granted the interim injunction on a public interest litigation petition moved by a villager.

The petitioner, K.S. Rajagopal, said that the Revenue officials had evicted fishermen living on the Vembar seashore during December 2004, when tsunami struck the coastal areas of the State. The officials promised to build houses for all those who had been displaced.

Subsequently, 75 houses were constructed with the assistance of a non-governmental organisation and they were now ready for occupation. But the list of beneficiaries for whom the houses had been allotted included only 26 families living within 200 metres from the seashore and 32 families dwelling beyond 200 metres. The rest of the houses were allotted to the families from other districts, the petitioner said and alleged that many deserving families did not find a place in the list.

Source: The Hindu

New chairman of Thoothukudi district panchayat assumes office

The newly elected chairman of Thoothukudi District panchayat, N Chinnadurai, assumed office, here at the district panchayat council hall in the District Collectorate, on Friday, in the presence of District Collector R Palaniyandi, Secretary of the panchayat Mahadevan Pillai.

Chinnadurai of AIADMK was elected as the chairman of Thoothukudi District panchayat along with MDMK’s Mavelrajan as the deputy chairman in the indirect election held on October 28.

Former minister and the sitting Tiruchendur MLA, Anitha R Radhakrishnan along with other AIADMK MLAs, Sathangulam panchayat union chairman, Anandaraj, Thoothukudi Muncipal councillor, Suresh Kumar and the MDMK district panchayat councillors, participated in the function.

Speaking to reporters, he said that he would strive for the development of the district by giving priority over the basic needs of the people like drinking water and road.

Source: New Ind Press