8/6/2019 The ruptured Railway Water Tank

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Crackdown on filth to make Chennai cleaner●MINISTER DIRECTS CORPORATION OFFICIALS TO IMPROVE HYGIENE, KEEP TABS ON ALL PUBLIC AMENITIES

DC CORRESPONDENTCHENNAI

July 21: Local administra-tion minister K.P.Munusamy instructed civicofficials in the city to pre-pare a detailed plan for san-itation and hygiene in thecity to be reviewed andimproved on a regular basis.

In a sign that the govern-ment is serious about clean-ing up Chennai, the ministerhas directed that existingconservancy facilities,slaughterhouses and com-munity health centresshould be the primary focusof the department, officialsources said.

These facilities will besubject to periodical reviewto ensure that Chennai is asclean as the best maintainedmetros in the country.

The officials will soonreview civic amenitiesalong Marina Beach andalso examine the toilets andquality of drinking waterfacilities provided for thepublic, local administrationministry sources said.

The minister visited theabattoir at Perambur andother public facilities inCentral Chennai andordered that drasticimprovements be made insanitation at these placesand directed the corporationto enhance public hygiene,corporation commissionerD. Karthikeyan said.

Exnora International jointgeneral secretary R. Govin-daraj said around 10 lakhpeople pass through Chen-

nai every day, but they donot have adequate toilets orprovisions for drinkingwater.

“There are no publicamenities in congested partsof the city,” he said. “Thesituation is worse in con-gested and commercialsareas like T Nagar andBroadway. The few facili-ties that are looked after bythe corporation are poorlymaintained and expose thepublic to infections.”

“With the incidence of diabetes rising in Chennai,there is an urgent need formore public toilets,” a citycorporation medical officersaid.

Petition seeks direction

to state against freebies

Heritage tank ignored by railways ruptures

Cricket nets on retrieved landDC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

July 21: The city corpora-tion has cleared encroach-ments on eight grounds of land on Greams Road nearThousand Lights to estab-lish a cricket net facility,said mayor M. Subramanianafter inspection of construc-tion work at the site.

The total value of theencroached land is around

 ` 50 crore. The corporationwill spend  ` 12 lakh to estab-lish the facility.

“Students of corporationschools and youngsters whoare willing to use the facilitymay approach the stadiumofficer of the corporation toget permits. The facility willbe open for use shortly,” themayor said.

“The corporation has spent ` 9 lakh on the project sofar,” he added.

According to corporationsources, the civic body hadalso established a swim-ming pool at Myladys Park near Chennai Central andcoaches have been hired totrain youngsters to competein national-level swimmingcompetitions.

Swimming coaches whohad been recruited for theMarina Beach swimmingpool have been shifted to thenew pool.

Final planto expandcity ready DC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

July 21: Corporation of Chennai is ready to submitits final report on theexpansion of the civic bodyto Greater Chennai within amonth. The corporation isnow in to the process of finalising the details relat-ing to new electoral rolls,solid waste managementand the number of workersto be added to the new cor-poration limits.

According to civic bodysources, the corporationwill conduct awarenessprogrammes for the publicahead of the creationGreater Chennai. If required, public representa-tives and elected memberscan also approach the cor-poration for further clarifi-cations.

Review meetings arebeing held with govern-ment representatives of the42 local bodies that will beannexed by the corporationand local bodies are gearingup for the elections.

Unconfirmed reports indi-cate that the governmentwould consider amendingthe rules for direct electionsto the post of mayor andlocal body heads.

Policemenheld forgambling

Specialtrains forAadi fest

Villupuram: The Villupu-ram town police on Thurs-day busted a gambling denon Villupuram NationalHighway and arrested ninepersons including a sub-inspector of police and ahead constable. Accordingto police sources, the raidwas conducted on the basisof a complaint that somemen were gambling at alodge located on the NH.When they reached the spotthey found nine personsgambling with money.

Among those arrestedincluded traffic SI Ramara-  jan and head constableRajkumar attached to theProhibition EnforcementWing. Senior police offi-cers later ordered the sus-

pension of the two.

Chennai: Southern railwayhas announced special pas-senger trains in connectionwith Aadi-Krithigai festivalat Tiruttani on July 25. Thespecial trains will be oper-ated on the Arakkonam-Tiruttani-Arakkonam,Ara-kkonam-Renigunta-Arakk-onam lines from July 23 toJuly 25.Train no. 56006 Arakkon-am-Renigunta special willleave Arakkonam at 11.30am and arrive Renigunta at1.30 pm. Train no. 56005Renigunta-Arakkonam willleave Renigunta at 2 pmand arrive Arakkonam at4.05 pm. Six EMU passen-ger specials will be runbetween Arakkonam-Tirut-tani-Arakkonam.

Train no. 43407 Arakkon-am-Tiruttani from Arakko-nam at 10.30 am. Train no.43418 Tiruttani-Arakkon-am from Tiruttani at 11 am.Train no. 43411 Arakkon-am-Tiruttani from Arakko-nam at 1.10 pm. Train no.43420 Tiruttani-Arakkon-am from Tiruttani at 1.35pm. Train no.43413Arakkonam-Tiruttani fromArakkonam at 2.45 pm.Train no. 43422 Tiruttani-Arakkonam from Tiruttaniat 3.15 pm.

Bail plea

 by SaxenadismissedDC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

July 21: A sessions courthas dismissed the bail peti-tion filed by the Sun TVNetwork Ltd chief operat-ing officer Hansraj Saxenain connection with a  ` 3.37crore cheating case. Saxenahas been arrested afterbeing charged in severalcases of cheating.

Principal sessions judge P.Devadoss dismissed thebail petition of Saxena.

Public prosecutor I. Sub-ramaniam submitted thatthe petitioner had cheated afilm producer to the tune of  ` 3.37 crore. Petitioner hadcriminally intimidated thecomplainanat Nemichandand also created a psycho-logical fear that he willdrive him away from cinefield.

The judge said, “In thefacts and circumstances of the case, we cannot brushaside the arguments of thepublic prosecutor.”

“It is true that there is adelay of three months andnine days for filing thecomplaint. However, theallegations made againstthe petitioner are borne outof records and documentsand considering the aboveand the serious nature of allegations and the amountinvolved, the petitioner isnot entitled to bail,” the judge added.

Saxena has been chargedwith at least four cases of 

cheating.

S. SASIDHARANDC | CHENNAI

July 21: CMDA and thetransport department havein a combined effort finallysorted out the traffic con-gestion problem at ChennaiMofussil Bus Terminus(CMBT) in Koyambedu.

The authorities have shift-ed the parking bay of express buses at CMBT inKoyambedu to platforms 5and 6, close to the exitpoint, from platforms 1 and2. The link road to the ter-minus will also be closed asthe work to lay a new roadhas gained momentum.

Koyambedu bus stand,one of Asia’s biggest busterminals, has been of lateplagued by a congestionproblem, with buses jam-ming the entry and exitpoints. During the recent

summer vacation and onfestivals, the congestion atCMBT seriously affectedtraffic on a stretch of theInner Ring Road from AnnaNagar to Ekkattuthangal.

The implementation of thenew arrangement at CMBThas significantly reducedthe overcrowding of thebusy stretch.

“Long distance buses, par-ticularly SETC vehicles thatcame to the terminal in themorning, earlier parked inthe terminus through theday as they had to leaveonly at night, causing aspace crunch and forcingother corporation buses thatenter during the day to park near pavements on the roadoutside. This caused unnec-essary congestion,” aCMDA official said. “It alsoresulted in delays for busesleaving the terminus.”

Relief finally as bay plan works

Due to the Metro Rail project, work on new link roadthat connects Koyambedu mofussil bus terminuswith the Inner Ring Road has gained momentumover the past few days. — DC

Women stop to admire a street artist’s chalk drawing of Lord Hanuman inMylapore. —DC

hand work 

DC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

July 21: The state govern-ment on Thursday informedthe Madras High Court thatit was at liberty to select andappoint any one of the threesenior most officers empan-elled by the Union PublicService Commission andaccordingly, after due con-sideration, it selected andappointed Letika Saran asDGP.

The home secretary statedthis in the counter affidavitfiled in response to the peti-tion filed by Letika Saran,

which sought to quash theorder of the Central Admin-istrative Tribunal (CAT),setting aside her appoint-ment as DGP and directingthe government to considerthe claim of R. Nataraj tothe post.

The counter said followinga direction from the highcourt on October 8, 2010,the government carefullyconsidered the panel con-sisting the names of Nataraj,K. Vijayakumar and LetikaSaran recommended by theUPSC and after due consid-eration selected LetikaSaran to the post of DGP

and appointed her onNovember 27, 2010. Thecompliance order was alsofiled before the high courton December 8, 2010.

Hiring for yogacollege stayedThe Madras High Court hasrestrained the director of indian medicine and home-opathy, Chennai from con-ducting interview for the 11posts of assistantlecturers/assistant medical

officers in GovernmentYoga and Naturopathy Col-lege in Chennai.

Justice N. Kirubakarangranted the interim injunc-tion and posted to July 25,further hearing of a petitionfiled M. Hemachand, aphysically challenged can-didate.

Hemachand’s counsel M.Ravi submitted that the peti-tioner successfully complet-ed the degree course of naturopathy and yoga. The  judge said the court wasinclined to grant interimstay on the hiring of lectur-ers in the college.

DC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

July 21: An advocate hasapproached the MadrasHigh Court, to restrain thestate government from dis-tributing freebies likeblenders, grinders, fans,gold cash, houses, cattle andsheep, rice and laptops.

A division bench compris-ing Justice Elipe DharmaRao and Justice M. Venu-gopal before whom the PILfiled by advocate S. Subra-maniam Balaji came up forhearing, ordered notice,returnable by two weeks, tothe state and union govern-ments, Comptroller andAuditor General of India,Accountant General andElection Commission of 

India.

The petitioner also prayedthe court to declare the dis-tribution of freebies as ultravires of the constitution.

According to petitioner, hehad challenged the free dis-tribution of colour TVs in2006 and the appeal waspending in the SupremeCourt. The state governmenthad on June 3 hadannounced free distributionof various goods and incen-tives as promised by theAIADMK alliance duringthe assembly elections2011. Tenders for free lap-tops, grinders, mixers andtable fans were opened onJuly 11 but the award of thetender was currently pend-ing and the free distributionof grinders, mixers, fans andcattle and sheep were slated

on September 15, he added.

He said the chief ministerrecently sought centralassistance to the tune of more than Rs 2 lakh crore.The chief minister has stat-ed that the financial positionof the state was precariousand that the total debt hasexceeded Rs 1,45,000 crore.The present package of intended free distributionwould add another Rs 1 lakhcrore to be paid of theexchequer of the state. Boththe offers of the DMK andAIADMK amounted tobribery as defined under thehead of ‘corrupt practices’listed in section 123 of theRepresentation of PeopleAct. Hence, On March 22and 29 he made complaintsto the Election commissionof India. But, there was no

response, he added.

GEORGE ADIMATHRA

DC |CHENNAI

July 21: The nonchalanceof some Indian Railwaysofficials is not limited to laxservices on certain routes.They have been grossly neg-ligent in the upkeep of her-itage structures belonging tothe railways across thecountry.

A huge iron tank erectedby the railways to storewater at Ayanavaram in1930 burst on Saturday dueto wear and tear and pro-longed neglect. Three peo-ple suffered minor injuriesand the railways playeddown the incident.

A marvellous piece of engineering, the tank wasmanufactured at ArakkonamRailway Engineering Work-shop. In the 1930s the tank used to cater to the waterneeds of the RailwayColony and Railway Work-shop.

“With the lethargic atti-tude of the railways and lack of maintenance, local resi-dents were expecting some-thing like this to happen,”said K. Ramdoss, a civicactivist.

The 80-foot-high tank rup-tured around 7.30 am onSaturday. Had it happenedan hour earlier,it could havebeen a major mishap as sev-eral apprentices and work-shop employees were pass-

ing by after finishing their

shift.According to residents, the

incident left two railwayapprentices and an elderlyperson with minor injuries.The tank has a capacity of 1lakh-gallons.

“Some of my friends whowere at the site when theincident occurred saidApprentice Avenue nearbywas waterlogged after thetank burst. The waste of water could have been

avoided had the railways

maintained the tank,” saidPencilliah, a resident of Railway Colony.

Mr Ramdoss recollectedthat the tank had been left torot since the 1950s whenSouthern Railway startedborrowing water from thecity corporation. “Residentshave long demanded that the80-year-old overhead watertank be maintained. Thereare four other tanks that arealso in terrible shape and

could also rupture,” he said.

Stuck to norms on DGP, says TN

OFF TRACK

The ruptured overhead iron tank — DC

Chennai mayor M. Subramaniam tries his hand at batting during an inspection ofthe cricket practise facility at a ground retrieved by the corporation on GreamsRoad in the city on Thursday. —DC

Thefacilities will be

subject toperiodicalreview to

ensure thatChennai isclean like

other

metros

Chennai ● Friday ● 22 July 2011

Ex-RBI guv Y.V.Reddy deliversconvocationaddress atIIT, Madras.

5

City P. KaruppiahlaunchesHepatitisawarenessprogramme.

 V.S. Vijay launchesmulti-lingual roadsafety awarenessleaflets on Chennai-Bengaluru highway.

DC

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