Tuticorin needs Banking service from Citi Bank, HDFC and other International and nationalised banks

Tuticorin is one of the fastest growing industrial city in Tamilnadu and also contibutes a lot for the development of the Southern Districts of Tamilnadu. Many business people move in and out of the city from various places from the southern states of India like Kerala and Tamilnadu. Moreover, many people from Tuticorin are doing their their business in various other places and many are working in MNC in other cites in India and abroad.

So Tuticorin needs a banking infrastructure with all the nationalised and international banks to operate in the city. Since Tuticorin has unlimted growth opportunites and also the district with the Highest Per Capita Income in Tamilnadu, these banks will not lack behind in any means.

Tuticorin currently has branches of all Government undertaken Banks like Indian Bank, SBI, Canara Bank to name a few and private banks like TMB, ICICI.

Eventhough the HDFC and Citi Bank have their Credit and Financing division in the city, they donot provide Banking Services in Tuticorin. So people who work in MNCs in cities like Chennai, Bangalore and business people who've accounts in these banks suffer a lot without their banking service. The nearest barnch is located in Madurai, nearly 350kilometers from Tuticorin.

So let the Banks take this into their notice and take necessary action immediately to provide customers in Tuticorin and also utilise the devloping business opportunites in Tuticorin.

- Livingston Samuel JP

New Tuticorin Municipal Chairman

R.Kasthuri Thangam from DMK is elected as the Tuticorin Municipal Chairman.

She promised that she'll take immediade action to modernise and carryout beautification of Tuticorin City as high priorty.

Tuticorin - Tirunelveli 4 Lane Project Stopped

Activity of 4-laning of Tuticorin - Tirunelveli is almost stopped for the past few months. Reason for this is not clear.Meanwhile today in Tuticorin collectorate collector gave away money to whom they have given their land for this expansion. The actual expected date of completion is September 2006.

Hope the respective Government Departments and politicians take notice of this and take immediate measures to complete the work as soon as possible.

Current immediate Need of Tuticorin

• Undergroudn Drainage system ( This been discussed for the past many years but not much progress.)
• Proper Drinking water supply
• Proper Waste management
• Good Roads
• Early completion of 3rd gate over bridge
• Boat house at Roche park
• Maintanence of Rajaji park for public use
• Collective bus stand

The Municipal administration must take immediade action so that these thinks do not affect the growing opportunities of Tuticorin's development.

Paramount Airways to start service from Tuticorin

Paramount Airways proposed to expand its fleet from the present five to 20 by 2009-end, airways managing director M Thiagarajan said here today.

Announcing the acquisition of the fifth Embraer aircraft and putting it on air from today, Thiagarajan told reporters that with the arrival of the new aircraft, the airways would be operating to a total of 48 flights per day carrying 3,500 passengers.

Asked how the company proposed to fund the acquisition of new aircraft, he said 70 per cent would be through own funding and equity and balance through borrowings from international funding organisations. Around 500 million US dollars would be needed for purchasing the aircraft, he added.

He said within a short time, the airways would be covering Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram and Tirupati and would operate one more flight on the Chennai - Hyderabad sector taking the total to four flights per day.

From November 8, it proposed to operate services on the Bangalore - Chennai sector and from November 18, it proposed to operate one flight on the Coimbatore - Hyderabad sector and two flights on the Chennai - Thiruvananthapuram sector.

Thiagarajan said the carrier was also planning to operate flights from Tiruchirapalli. "We are also planning to cover Tuticorin and Salem," he added.

To a question, he said the Airports Authority of India had given the airways 10,000 sq ft space for a hangar, which would soon come at the airport here.

Source: Chennai Online

2,000 farmers to come under insurance cover

The Department of Agriculture plans to bring 2,050 farmers in the district under the ambit of National Agricultural Insurance Scheme. S. Subramaniam, Joint-director, said that the scheme could benefit farmers in the

CII to showcase southern districts

After one-and-a-half years of marketing its Southern Progress Through Enhanced Economic Development (SPEED) initiative to the State Government, the Confederation of Indian Industry, southern region (CII-SR) is taking its proposals to corporate investors.

It will hold an exposition-cum-conference called SPEED 2006 to showcase the strengths of Tamil Nadu's southern districts in Madurai from December 1 to 3. SPEED 2006 chairman and Thiagarajar Mills managing director T. Kannan expects the southern districts to attract fresh investment in infrastructure and manufacturing which will have the potential to create 80,000 new jobs over the next three years.

In March 2005, CII presented the results of a study covering the "unexplored opportunity" in seven districts and proposed a four-pronged strategy: to create a manufacturing hub in Madurai, with satellite hubs in Virudhunagar, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin; an export-cum-services hub at Tuticorin; knowledge corridors at Madurai, Virudhunagar and Tirunelveli; and tourism corridors at Madurai, Karaikudi, Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari.

The plan called for large infrastructure investments by the Government. Mr. Kannan says there have been two rounds of talks with the departments concerned and the proposals have been received well. However, several senior CII leaders admit that the pace of progress has been slow, and that "the ongoing process" could take 3 to 5 or even 10 years to show results.

Now, SPEED co-chairman and TVS executive director R. Dinesh says the conference will provide a platform to present its initiative to corporates and harness new investment.

The conference will be inaugurated by Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is also likely to participate. Key leaders from Indian industry have also been approached, including Infosys' Nandan Nilekani, United Breweries' Vijay Mallya, Ashok Leyland's R Seshasayee and HCL's Shiv Nadar.

Source: The Hindu

SPIC Corporate Functions Shifts to Tuticorin

The SPIC is in the process of shifting its key corporate functions from the plush Spic House in the heart of metropolitan Chennai to its unit in Tuticorin.

Red sanders seized at Tuticorin

Customs officials had seized 12.58 tonnes of Red Sanders, worth about Rs. 20 lakh in the international market, from a container that arrived at the Tuticorin port a few days ago for export to a European destination.

Two persons were arrested.

Bomb hoax in Tuticorin school

A bomb threat to A.M.M. Chinnamani Nadar High School here created a flutter on Tuesday.

Superintendent of Police John Nicholson said an anonymous person had made call to the office of the orphanage-cum-hostel situated on the premises of the school at 8.15 a.m. and threatened that a bomb was planted inside the school compound.

The call was received by Santana Lakshmi, warden.

Prior to the call, Ms. Lakshmi received two more calls at the same telephone number, one at 7 p.m. on Monday and another at 7.30 a.m. on Tuesday, asking her whether the school would function on Tuesday.

The warden told the police that the voice of caller was identical and sounded boyish.

The police along with the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad evacuated all the 1,600 students from the school and sealed the premises.

However, a search revealed that no explosives had been hidden anywhere on the premises. An investigation is on.

Source: New Ind Press

`Kappaphycus alverizii' is cultivated near along Tuticorin coast

Unscientific culture of exotic seaweed species, `Kappaphycus alverizii' near Tharuvaikulam, along the Tuticorin coast, as a commercial venture is affecting the growth of many indigenous seaweed species in the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve. This came to light in a survey conducted by a team of fisheries scientists, led by J. D. Jameson, head, Department of Fisheries Environment, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tuticorin.

Institute Dean V. K. Venkataramani said the team made the assessment after studying the occurrence of `Kappaphycus alverizii' in large quantities along the coastal waters and the beaches near the Tuticorin harbour, the Hare Island and the adjacent areas.

"The study found that 20-50 kg of this exotic seaweed species was washed ashore in the beach near the Harbour alone every day, besides the load that got entwined in fishing nets. This is due to the prolific growth when it is cultured in the sea using rafts," he said.

He said the presence of exotic seaweeds would destroy the coral base as well as organic nutrients and minerals in the Gulf, which in turn would affect the livelihood of native fish.

Furthermore, exotic seaweeds could stunt the growth of other fauna, including indigenous seaweeds, which too were favoured by the marine organisms. "Hence the cultivation of this exotic species should be confined to ponds... ," Mr. Venkataramani said.

Source: The Hindu

Tuticorin youth creates AIDS awareness

To achieve something notably through serving the society, a 30-year-old youth from a village near Sattankulam is pedalling his way through the State creating awareness among the rural people of HIV/AIDS.

A. Madasamy of Nedungulakam in Tuticorin district began his campaign from the Sattankulam Government Library on September 29 and has been distributing AIDS prevention materials and carrying on a information dissemination campaign in right earnest as he moves from one district to another on his bicycle. Though Mr. Madasamy could not say the distance he has covered so far, he says that he has covered Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Thiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Tiruvallur, Vellore, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Perambalur and Tiruchi districts before arriving in Karur on Monday. Pat from Collector


The enterprising youth met the Collector, T.N. Venkatesh, who appreciated his efforts and urged him to continue contributing for societal welfare. The Collector handed over AIDS/HIV awareness materials to be distributed among the masses besides presenting a cash reward to Mr. Madasamy in appreciation of his endeavour.

Source: The Hindu

Heavy rain claims a life in Tuticorin

Valliammal (65) was washed away when she tried to cross a jungle stream near Pasuvanthanai, along with Lakshmanan (42) and Poovammal (65), on Saturday night. The other two managed to escape.

All the three were returning home after witnessing Skanda Sashti festival at Lord Subramanyaswamy temple in Tiruchendur.

Meanwhile, the district received a total of 110.3 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. on Sunday.

Following is the rainfall recorded (in mm) at various rain gauge stations: Tiruchendur — 4; Kayalpattinam - 7; Kulasekarapattinam - 10; Kovilpatti-36; Kazhugamalai — 5.2; Maniyachi - 6; Keezha Arasadi - 6; Sattankulam - 16; Srivaikundam - 3.9; and Tuticorin Harbour — 16.2.

A search for talent held at Tuticorin

A talent search examination for school students, jointly organised by the State Bank of India and Sakthi Vinayakar Hindu Vidhyalaya, was held here on Sunday.

In all 1,032 students from 17 schools wrote the examination, which tested their skills in Mathematics, Social Science, Current Affairs, General Aptitude, Language and literature.

The examination was held in two categories, of which Category A was meant for students of Class VI to IX and Category B for students studying in Class X to Class XII. The results of the exam would be published soon. The winners of Category A and B will be awarded Rs.750 and Rs.1,000, respectively. The runners-up of Category A and B will receive Rs.500 and Rs.750 respectively.

DMK victorious in six panchayat unions in Tuticorin

In the elections held to the posts of Chairman of 12 Panchayat Unions in the district on Saturday, the DMK came out victorious in six unions, the AIADMK in three unions, the Congress in one and Independents in two unions.

While DMK candidates became Chairmen in Tuticorin, Karungulam, Srivaikundam, Alwarthirunageri, Tiruchendur and Kovilpatti panchayat unions, the AIADMK men registered victories in Sattankulam, Vilathikulam and Pudur unions, and Congress won in Udangudi.

Independents tasted victory in the elections held in Ottapidaram and Kayathar unions.

V. Karunakaran of the DMK was elected Chairman of Tuticorin union, after he upset the applecart of V.P.R. Suresh of the AIADMK, who was Chairman in the previous term, by the closest margin.

Mr. Karunakaran won by a 13-12 score in the union council, which had 25 ward members.

Following are the other victors: Karungulam - Avanna Kosalaram Raja (DMK); Srivaikundam - A Selvi (DMK); Tiruchendur - S Umadevi (DMK); Udangudi — Y Rajaratinam ( Congress); Sattankulam- Anantharaj (AIADMK); Kovilpatti - V Murugesan ( DMK); Kayathar- A Perumal ( Independent); Vilathikulam - S Amudhavalli (AIADMK); Pudur - V Markandeyan (AIADMK) and S Sukirta (Independent).

Among the winners, S. Umadevi, Anantharaj, Murugesan and Perumal were elected unopposed.

The elections to the post of vice-chairmen to the respective unions were held in the evening. The elections at Ottapidaram were postponed since there was no quorum.

In the elections to the post of presidents to 19 Town panchayats in the district, DMK and AIADMK candidates shared five each, Congress men won in two and Independents succeeded in seven.

Following are the winners: Tiruchendur — M. M. Mahendran (AIADMK); Arumuganeri — S. Ponraj (AIADMK); Authoor — A. N. S. Sheikh Dawood (AIADMK); Eral — M. R. Kannan (Ind); Ettayapuram - T Rajendran (Ind); Kazhugamalai — A Subbramanaian (Ind); Nazareth — S Mamannan (Ind); Sattankulam - P. Thangathai (Congress); Sawyerpuram - D. Ponsekhar (Ind); Srivaikundam - Kandasiva Subbu (DMK); Udangudi - Shahul Hameed (Congress); Vilathikulam — M. Bhuvaneswari (DMK); Alwarthirunageri — C. Athinathan (AIADMK); Kadambur - M Rajarajeswari (Ind); Kayathar - P Arumugan (DMK); Pudur — V. Jeyavel (Ind); Kanam — V. Senthamiz Sekhar (AIADMK); Perungulam - T Sivakumar - (DMK); and Thenthiruperi — P. Chandran ( DMK).

The Collector R. Palaniyandi told mediapersons that a special officer was appointed to govern the Sivagnanapuram village panchayat, as no election was conducted to the posts of panchayat president as well as ward members owing to non-filing of applications.

Source: The Hindu

Victory for AIADMK in Tuticorin

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance retained supremacy in the district panchayat elections, as N. Chinnadurai (AIADMK) was elected Chairman of District Panchayat defeating his rival, C. S. Raja (DMK) by 10 votes to eight here on Saturday.

The council has a total of 18 members including seven each from the AIADMK and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, three from the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and one from the Congress.

Official sources told mediapersons that Tuticorin was the only district in the State where the AIADMK got supremacy in the District Panchayat elections.

The elections to the post of District Panchayat Chairman were held at the Collectorate during the first council meeting of the newly inducted district panchayat on Saturday morning.

Mr. Chinnadurai and Mr. Raja submitted their nominations to the Collector R. Palaniyandi, the Returning Officer for the elections.

The Project Officers of District Rural Development Agency and Mahilar Thittam, A. Palanisamy and Madasamy, were present to ensure smooth polling.

As the results were announced in favour of Mr. Chinnadurai, AIADMK cadres led by former Minister and Tiruchendur MLA, Anitha Radhakrishnan, rushed to the Collectorate and garlanded the victor.

Source: The Hindu

Rs.50-lakh facility for Tuticorin hospital

A new maternity ward will be established on the Tuticorin Medical College and Hospital premises, on an outlay of Rs.50 lakh, according to V.K. Subburaj, State Health Secretary.

The construction would commence this financial year and the facility would start functioning in the next fiscal.

Speaking to The Hindu here on Friday, he said that the present maternity ward with 100 beds was insufficient to cater to the increasing number of in-patients.

The department would distribute quality mattresses and bed linen for all the 600 beds at the hospital.

Work on the proposed Rs.19-crore super-specialty block at the hospital would commence this financial year and completed within a year.

Modern canteens would also be established — one near the hospital and another near the hostel for house surgeons.

On the large number of posts lying vacant at the hospital, and reported to be crippling its effective functioning, he said that steps would be taken to fill the 200-odd vacancies.

He said that instructions had been issued to the Director of Medical Education, Director of Public Health and Director of Medical Services to fill the vacancies at the earliest.

Source: BombayNews.net

Widespread rain in Tuticorin

Rain lashed the district on Wednesday night and in the wee hours of Thursday. A total of 338.2 mm rainfall, with an average of 16.97 mm, was recorded in the district during the 24 hours ending 8 a.m. on Thursday. The Minister for Animal Husbandry, P. Geetha Jeevan, visited George Road, which was flooded in the overnight rain and supervised steps taken by the municipal administration to drain the water.

Following is the amount of rainfall recorded (in mm) at different stations:
Tiruchendur 15; Kayalpattinam 9; Kulasekarapattinam 11.2; Vilathikulam 8.4; Kadalkudi 16; Soorangudi 17; Kovilpatti 9; Kayathar 58; Kadambur 47; Ottapidaram 13; Maniyachi 48; Vedanatham 7; Keezha Arasadi 14; Ettayapuram 20; Sattankulam 2; Srivaikundam 7.4; Kazhugamali 8.2 and Tuticorin 12.2.

Uniforms for special school inmates

The National Child Labour Project (NCLP) plans to distribute new set of uniforms to the 1,650 rescued child labourers studying at various special schools run by it in the district before November 30. M. Nallaperumal, Project Director, NCLP, said the government has sanctioned Rs. 1.35 lakh towards procurement of clothes and stitching charges.

The boys would get a set of polyester-combined cotton white shirt and khaki shorts, and the girls a set of blue-casement skirt with blue blouse and blue half-sari. Cloth materials would be bought from `Co-optex' brand of the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers' Society for stitching uniforms.

Mr. Nallaperumal said that four child labourers were rescued in the district since the government order prohibiting employment of children below the age of 14 years came into effect on October 10. The four children were rescued from non-hazardous establishments at Kovilpatti. While Sankaralingam (13), Ravikumar (13) and Rajan (13) were rescued from textile shops, Satish (13) was rescued from a fruit stall.

A team of officials from the NCLP and Labour Department inspected about 550 roadside eateries, teashops and recreational centres, following the new Government Order, but did not come across any child labourer in these establishments, he said.

On children employed as domestic help, Collector R. Palaniyandi said that the district administration did not receive any complaints in this regard till date. We would inspect the houses only when we get specific complaints. The public could register complaints to the help-line centre at the Collectorate at 0461-2340606, if they found children employed as domestic help, he said.

Official sources said efforts are under way to establish a residential school for child labourers at Kovilpatti. It is expected to start functioning this academic year itself. It would be set up by integrating child workers studying at 10 special schools run by the NCLP in and around Kovilpatti.

Presently, the NCLP runs 33 special schools in the district, of which 10 are at Kovilpatti, 11 at Kayathar, one each at Kadambur, Kazhugumalai and Vaippar, two each at Vilathikulam and Pudur, and five in Tuticorin.

Once the children are enrolled in the residential school, dropout rates will come down, it is expected.

Source: The Hindu

3,936 persons assume office in Tuticorin

A total of 3,936 persons who successfully fought the local body elections held recently, assumed offices at swearing-in-ceremonies conducted at different parts of the district on Wednesday.

Of them, 2,932 persons took charge as village panchayat ward members, 405 persons as presidents of village panchayats, 186 as panchayat union ward members, 18 as district panchayat ward members, 290 as town panchayat ward members, 87 as councillors in Tuticorin and Kovilpatti municipalities and 18 as councillors in the third grade municipality at Kayalpattinam.

Four town panchayat ward members, who could not assume office on Wednesday, were expected to do so on Thursday.

Tuticorin municipality

At a glittering ceremony held at the municipal office in Tuticorin, Municipal Commissioner K. Kanagaraj administered the oath of office and secrecy to all the 51 councillors.

The first councillor to take the oath was R. Selvakumar of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who got elected from ward 1 defeating his nearest from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Murugan, by a margin of 177 votes. He was followed by councillors who were elected from ward 2 to ward 51 in a chronological order.

The strength of the DMK in the house went up to 28, after five Independents joined the party a few days before the swearing-in-ceremony.

They included K. V. K. Samy, who got elected from ward 11, P. Delwin of ward 14, S. Rexlin of ward 20, P. Isaballah of ward 34 and A. Sankaralingam of ward 44.

Minister for Animal Husbandry P Geetha Jeevan was present.

District panchayat

All the 18 members who got elected as ward members in the district panchayat assumed office at a function held at the Collectorate.

The eldest member, Mavelraj (65) of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who got elected from ward 18, took the oath of office first, in the presence of the Collector R. Palaniyandi.
Subsequently, he administered the oath to the other members, which included Manoj, Thiruparakadal, K. Revathy, P. Selvakumar, Athishtaraj, N. Chinnadurai, Aavudiammal (all AIADMK), Vidyasagaran, T. Emi, A Bhramasakthi, A Bhupathi, C.S.Raja, Uma devi, Navaneethalingam (all DMK), Rajathi (Congress) and Subbulakshmi and Ramesh (both MDMK).

While the Executive Officers of 19 town panchayats administered the oath of office to the ward members at their respective headquarters, village panchayat presidents administered oath to respective village panchayat ward members.

Source: The Hindu