Govt will not spare userpers of state's wealth: Jaya warns

Chennai, Oct 29: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today told the State Assembly that action will be taken against those who would be found indulged in usurping the natural wealth of the state. The government would also take a policy decision on the issue, she said, during the discussion on the supplementary estimates. Listing out various steps taken by her government on the beach sand mining issue, the Chief Minister said she had banned all mineral mining activities in the state. Ms Jayalalithaa said a special team headed by Revenue Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi has been formed to inspect and verify the allegations of illegal mining in in Tuticorin district.

After Mr Bedi submitted a report to the government in this regards, the special team was also asked to conduct a study in Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Trichy and Madurai districts, where 71 quarries were operating. "Till then, I have ordered stopping of mineral mining activities," she added. Stating that the committee would submit its report soon, Ms Jayalalithaa said appropriate action would be taken against the wrong-doers and the government would take a policy decision on beach sand mining. She said her government would not be a mute spectator, if anyone found indulged in usurping the natural wealth of the State. The special team consists of officials of departments of revenue, police, environment and forests, geology and mining.

Petrol bombs hurled at 2 post offices in Chennai

Chennai, Oct 29: A four-member gang hurled petrol bombs at two post offices in the city in the wee hours of today. Police sources told UNI that no one was injured in the bomb attack that took place at Mylapore and Mandaveli post offices. Since the post offices were closed at the time of attack, some furnitures and digital boards and banners kept on the premises were damaged in the attack. Police said four bombs were hurled in the post offices. Another version said in all 15 bombs were hurled--nine in Mylapore and six in Mandaveli post office--of which a couple of them did not explode. The unexploded bombs were sent for forensic tests. Footages recorded in the CCTV cameras installed in the Mylapore post office revealed that four people were involved in the attack. Police have arrested one Umapathy, a functionary of the Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam, in connection with the attack on Mylapore Police station. A manhunt has been launched to nab the remaining three.

Police have tightened security in both the post offices following the attack. Security has also been tightened in other post offices and Central government installations, as the bombs were hurled in an apparent bid to exert pressure on the Centre to boycott the Commonwealth Meeting at Colombo next month. Several outfits have been staging various forms of agitations during the last few weeks to exert pressure on the Indian government to boycott the CHOGM meeting over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. Even political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the ruling AIADMK and its arch-rival DMK, the DMDK, MDMK and PMK, spoke in one voice, demanding that India should boycott the meeting. An unanimous resolution was also adopted in the State Assembly in this regard on October 24 in deference to the wishes expressed by various political parties. The resolution, moved by Chief Minister and AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa, urged the Indian Government to totally boycott next month's CHOGM meeting and take steps to expel Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth Committee till it devolves equal powers to Tamils on par with the Sinhalese. The resolution said there should not be even token participation from India and wanted India to convey its decision to Sri Lanka in this regard.

Sutta Kadhai: The surreal deal

Subu, the writer-director of Sutta Kadhai, has a superb eye for the absurd. The film is filled with borderline-surreal non sequiturs, some of which are downright Monty Pythonesque. A cop (Balaji Venugopal, who with his pencil moustache resembles a swashbuckling Ranjan-era villain) steps into the scene of a murder and gets down to his interrogation. His first question: What is your national bird? Elsewhere, another cop (Venkatesh Harinathan) asks the dead man’s offspring what the father was doing before he died. The answer: He was living.

We get comedies all year round, yet I manage — at most — a smirk, a grin, whereas I burst out laughing at the scene where the policeman played by Nasser sits down to demonstrate the drinking habits of people in Russia, Canada, South Africa... And the bits featuring re-enactments of scenarios from the Sambasivam Crime Comics are a scream. (The casting of the fearsome “Killer Kabali” is a sight joke in itself.)

The tea shop whose signboard in Tamil and English features slightly different names (Paradise/Paradesi), the obese man who asks his daughter if he is wearing a belt, the drunk at the bar who keeps slamming into a door... I could go on. The problem is that there’s no connective tissue. No, scratch that. The problem is that the director feels compelled to connect these bits through a “story,” and the plot, even at an hour and forty-five minutes, is a major drag.

We want more of those absurd sketches, and we’re saddled, instead, with a tribal woman (Lakshmi Priyaa) who wants to avenge her father, a quack (named Oliver Twist!) peddling potency pills, and a nutso “king” (MS Baskar) who’s a little too trigger-happy. Most unforgivably — especially given a sensibility so out-of-the-box — we get the old song-and-dance in a bar.

Still, I wouldn’t want to be too hard on a film that milks laughs from the ubiquitous P James. In a comedy culture that hinges almost entirely on one-liners, you’re grateful for something different, even if it’s only some of the time.

Genre: Absurdist comedy

Director: Subu

Cast: Balaji Venugopal, Venkatesh Harinathan, Lakshmi Priyaa

Storyline: A murder investigation... or something.

Bottomline: A drag of a story livened by some great absurd bits.

Big hopes from small buses in Chennai

Residents welcome mini bus service; seek prominent display of routes and timings

A day after the mini buses hit the streets of the city and its suburbs, residents are largely happy with the new service, while some concerns have been raised. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, on Wednesday, launched 50 buses in 20 routes.

While commuters who come within the operational area of the routes are happy that the ‘small buses’ ply through lanes neglected by the regular buses, some residents felt that the display of routes and timings could be more prominent.

Residents of the southern and western suburbs said the services should be extended to their areas as well.

The light green buses look neat from inside, with 27 seats. Separate seats have been allocated for women, the elderly and disabled. The height of the seats is less compared to that of the regular buses.

“The vehicle is comfortable and the buses stop wherever we hail them or want to get down,” said A. Govindarajalu, who was heading to Kumananchavadi from Perambur bus depot in bus route S61 which plies between Madhavaram and Retteri Junction.

K. Meena, who was travelling in S2 bus at Chromepet, felt that these services were long overdue. “Until now, regular bus services plied only till Hasthinapuram. Many like me would get down at Hasthinapuram and either take an autorickshaw or walk,” said the homemaker who lives in Tirumalai Nagar.

The drivers and conductors of the buses said that they have been getting a good response from commuters, especially during peak hours.

“We have been asked to drive the bus through the streets like an autorickshaw and stop whenever the commuter asks us to,” said A. Singaravadivelu, a driver on bus route S61.

Though the timings have not been fixed, there will be buses at least once every half an hour, said sources. “We did not know the route through which the bus travelled and the timing. They could have taken a few more days and launched the buses with boards, displaying the routes,” said Joshua, a college student at Perambur who boarded the mini bus.

Many residents complained that their localities had been left out. Residents of Chitlapakkam claimed that none of the new services connected their locality with Tambaram Sanatorium railway station. Similar is the situation in Nanganallur.

These residents have been making representations to the government, especially the Transport Department.

“We seek the restoration of the original services that connected the heart of our town with Tambaram Sanatorium and subsequently East Tambaram and Medavakkam,” said K.Narasimhan of Tirumagal Nagar, Chitlapakkam.

Emerging roads lure adventure bikers

Not very long ago, East Coast Road (ECR) was an automatic choice for most bikers seeking a short motorcycling adventure.

Now, it has to compete with a raft of roads that have come up in the suburbs.

The increase in roads suited for pleasure rides has influenced the way these bikers ride and bond with one another. It has led to more breakfast and night rides, which are short trips squeezed into brief breaks between busy schedules.

Bharath, a member of Nathari Sangam, a motley group of motorcyclists that swears by various two-wheeler brands, has noticed the Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road spur an interest in such rides among many of his comrades.

According to this 30-year-old software engineer, this road combines many advantages a biker can hope for. “It is wide and safe, free of traffic snarls, cut off from the bustle of city life, yet incredibly connected to arterial roads,” he says.

This stretch, which metro watchers count among roads that will trace the course of development in the suburbs, enables easy access to GST Road, OMR and ECR, and most importantly, ‘the new roads on the block’ — namely Vandalur-Walajabad Road and Outer Ring Road (ORR).  

Only a portion of the 62-km ORR project is complete and open to motorists, but weekend bikers are already drawn to the motorable stretch. Subhash Chandra Bose, a 63-year-old Bullet rider with 46 years of motorcycling memories with him, recently went on a group ride down the completed section of ORR from Vandalur to Nazarethpet. He thinks having an option of such roads adds zing to day trips.

Forty-five-year-old Sathish, a member of Roaring Riders, a Jawa and Yezdi group, has ‘discovered’ his stretch. “After travelling down GST Road, take a left at Singaperumal Koil and you have a road that seems made for quiet moments with your bike,” he says.

David Ebenezer, who rides with the Madras Bulls, enjoys night rides down OMR, but his adventure culminates in a cruise down the Chengalpattu bypass, which begins at Thiruporur.

WATER LOGGING IN CHENNAI BECAUSE NORTH EAST MONSOON RAINS

Parts of Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, experienced heavy rains under the impact of the North-East monsoon, which has set in at least two days in advance, on Monday. 

 

With water logging in many parts of the city, traffic was worst-hit at the Old Mahabalipuram Road stretch where vehicles were stranded for between 8-9 am. A side of the road was waterlogged and drains needed to be cleared. 

 

Though schools and colleges were given a day off in the city and adjoining districts due to the monsoon alert issued by the Met department, most people who used buses and trains had a torrid time owing to the flooded roads. Between the entrance to CMBT and Egmore station, several station roads from Kodambakkam to Pallavaram was submerged till about mid-day.

Sachin announces retirement from Test cricket

New Delhi, Oct 10 : 

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar today contacted the BCCI President N Srinivasan and requested the national cricket board to release the statement announcing his retirement.

Following are the contents of the statement:

''All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years. It's hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it's all I have ever done since I was 11 years old. It's been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test Match on home soil, as I call it a day.

''I thank the BCCI for everything over the years and for permitting me to move on when my heart feels it's time! I thank my family for their patience and understanding. Most of all, I thank my fans and well-wishers who through their prayers and wishes have given me the strength to go out and perform at my best.

Sachin Tendulkar

Cyclone 'Phailin': 64,000 people to shift to safer places in AP

Hyderabad, Oct 11 : 

At least 64,000 people residing in North coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh will be evacuated to safer places by this evening in view of the impending severe cyclonic storm "Phailin which is expected to hit the Bay of Bengal coast between Srikakulam and Gopalpur in Odisha by tomorrow evening.

Gales with a speed of 205-215 kmph are expected when the cyclone crosses the coast, Andhra Pradesh Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy told reporters here today. "Sometimes the gale speed may even touch 235 kmph while heavy to very heavy rainfall of up to 25 cm is also likely under the impact," he said.Evacuation process will begin in Northa coastal areas of Andhra and the people residing in North coastal districts will be moved to cyclone shelters by this evening.

'Phailin' currently lay centred about 500 km off Visakhapatnam. "The sea tides may rise to a height of three metres," he said . The Minister said he spoke to Collectors of Coastal districts and have put them on high alert. "People need not panic as the government is fully geared up to meet the eventuality," the Minister added.

Presidency College, Chennai

Presidency College is an arts, law and science college in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. Established as the Madras Preparatory School on October 15, 1840 and later, upgraded to a high school and then, graduate college, the Presidency College is one of the oldest government arts colleges in India. It is one of the two Presidency colleges established by the British in India, the other being the Presidency College, Kolkata.

History

At the behest of Sir Thomas Munro, a Committee of Public Instruction was formed in 1826. In 1836, the duties of the Committee were taken over by a "Committee of Native Education". The plans drawn up by the Committee did not commend themselves to the Governor of Madras, Lord Elphinstone, who in turn proposed nineteen resolutions which were passed unanimously. As first Principal, the choice of Elphinstone fell on E. B. Powell, a University of Cambridge Wrangler in Mathematics, who accepted the post. Powell reached Mumbai(Bombay) on 20 September 1840 but did not arrive at Chennai(Madras) until 24 November, the journey from Bombay to Madras taking some four weeks. In the mean time, the Committee had invited a Mr Cooper, from the Hoogly College, Kolkata(Calcutta), to carry out the duties of Principal temporarily, at a salary of Rs. 400 a month. Cooper accepted the invitation and came to Chennai(Madras). He and his staff opened Presidency School, a preparatory school, in a rented building in Egmore known as Edinburgh Home on 15 October 1840. Cooper remained in the preparatory school for only a few months. Soon after Eyre Burton Powell's arrival and before the opening of the High School department in April 1841, he returned to Kolkata(Calcutta). The preparatory School was shifted to Popham's Broadway in 1841.

The schools grew into Presidency College. When the University of Madras was founded in 1857, Presidency College was affiliated to it.

In 1870, the college moved to its present location in Kamaraj Salai, opposite Marina Beach.

Graduate courses

Arts

• History [English and Tamil]
• Political Science [English and Tamil]
• Economics [English and Tamil]
• Economics [English and Tamil] (with vocational subject)
• English Literature [English]
• Tamil Literature [Tamil]
• Hindi Literature [Hindi]
• Malayalam Literature [Malayalam]
• Urdu Literature [Urdu]

Sciences

• Mathematics [English and Tamil]
• Statistics [English]
• Physics [English and Tamil]
• Physics [English and Tamil] (with vocational subject)
• Chemistry [English and Tamil]
• Botany [English and Tamil]
• Zoology [English and Tamil]
• Geology [English]
• Geography [English]
• Psychology [English]

Commerce

• Corporate Secretaryship [English]

Post-graduate courses

Arts

History, Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, Tamil, Telugu, English and Sanskrit

Sciences

Computer Science (MCA), Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Geology, Geography, Applied Microbiology and Psychology

Philosophy

There are M.Phil courses in English, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, Tamil, Telugu, Sanskrit, Mathematics Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Geography and Commerce.

Doctorate courses

Facilities for research leading to the Ph.D. degree are available in the Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Geology, Geography, History, Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, Commerce, English, Tamil, Sanskrit and Telugu departments.

List of Principals

• E. B. Powell (1840-1862)
• Edmund Thompson (1862-1884)
• David Duncan (1884-1899)
• J. B. Bidlebeck (1899-1906)
• J. H. Stone (1907-1915)
• E. W. Middlemast (1915)

Chennai rumbles to the exhaust notes of 300 harleys

This morning, the picturesque city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu witnessed 300 Harley-Davidson bikes roaring through the city to Mahabalipuram, to celebrate the 2nd Southern H.O.G. Ride. The sheer camaraderie and brotherhood amongst the riders fuelled the tempo of this milestone journey.

H.O.G. chapters across India, from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Indore and Kochi came together with their families making this one of the biggest zonal rides hosted by Harley-Davidson India.

The second southern H.O.G ride was held from the 28th to 30th of September. The three day event, organized, exclusively for Harley owners had live music, the newest Harley-Davidson merchandise on display, a tattoo parlor and a “Swap Shop” where riders could exchange motorcycle accessories and install them on the spot.  A ride was also planned on the evening of the 29th where almost all of the 300 riders took part. The evening will also had a contest among riders to award the “best customized” motorcycles at the rally.  

As the ride came to an  end, emotions ran high amongst the H.O.Gs as they bid adieu to new found friends and held on to the memorable experiences  of the 2nd Southern H.O.G Ride.

“The Southern H.O.G Ride has always been one of my favorite regional rides. I attended the first Southern H.O.G Ride in 2012 which was nothing short of fantastic. This year’s edition has been equally fabulous if not more. These three days passed in a flash, as I made new friends, shared my riding stories and will now be riding back home with a whole new set of brothers” Bala Chandrasekharan, Director, Coromandel H.O.G, Chapter, Chennai. Coromandel Chapter is the host chapter for the Second Southern H.O.G. Ride. 

“Ganesh and I recently set out on a 9200 kilometer, one month long ride from Bhubaneswar. We plan to ride to Kanyakumari and from there to Chail in Himachal Pradesh. It’s been great riding with Ganesh who is 69 years young and is one of the most passionate Harley riders I’ve ever met.  Riding along the Coromandel Coast line and visiting the Mahabalipuram temples just added another flavor to the whole ride. The icing on the cake was the parade where almost 300 of us rode together for the first time ever. A surreal experience indeed” Samit Patra, Bengal H.O.G. Chapter.

The Harley Owners Group in India encompasses the true spirit of brotherhood and camaraderie, something that Harley-Davidson is renowned for, world over. Local H.O.G rides are conducted at regular intervals, for customers to meet, ride together and experience the freedom of the open road.

Harley-Davidson customers don’t buy a bike but actually buy into a culture and lifestyle offering that few brands can offer today. With presence in over 120 countries and 1.3 Million members from across the world, H.O.G is one of the largest and most successful global communities bound together through common beliefs and a passion for biking. With participation from H.O.G chapters across India- Banjara Harley-Davidson in Hyderabad, Bengal Harley-Davidson in Kolkata, Capital Harley-Davidson in Delhi, Coromandel Harley-Davidson in Chennai, Nine Bridges Harley-Davidson in Ahmedabad, Seven Islands Harley-Davidson in Mumbai, Spice Coast Harley-Davidson in Kochi, Himalaya Harley-Davidson in Chandigarh, Tiger Harley-Davidson in Indore and Tusker Harley-Davidson in Bangalore, the Southern H.O.G Ride was a pan-India phenomenon.

Railways to introduce Tatkal Scheme in passenger trains

New Delhi, Oct 2: 

The Ministry of Railways has now decided to introduce Tatkal scheme in reserved classes of passenger trains also, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Railways said yesterday. The Tatkal scheme in the passenger trains will be available in the reserved classes (2nd AC, 3rd AC, 3rd AC Economy, Chair Class, Sleeper Class and 2nd reserved sitting). For this purpose, Zonal Railways will identify the passenger trains and earmark Tatkal accommodation in that train/class in which average utilization during the previous financial year has been more than 60 per cent.

The extent of accommodation to be earmarked will be the same as applicable in case of normal Tatkal scheme. The minimum Tatkal charges prescribed for different classes will be applicable as flat Tatkal charges. All other conditions applicable to normal Tatkal scheme will be applicable in case of identified passenger trains. The Zonal Railways will issue train specific notification and date of effect of this scheme at their own level. The Tatkal scheme was initially introduced in 1997 with a view to provide reservation to those passengers who have to undertake journey at short notice and to save such passengers from the clutches of unscrupulous elements/touts. At present, this scheme is available in almost all Mail/Express trains and in all reserved classes except First Class and First AC Class.