Saravanan's Blog

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on April 29, 2011: Source:http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/cheque-payment-for-relief-irks-fishermen/269916.html CHENNAI: More than 1.43 lakh fishermen families living in the state’s 13 coastal districts are up in arms against the government after it decided to distribute the fishing-ban-period relief assistance of Rs 1,000 through cheques this year instead of the widely accepted cash payment . “The state Fisheries Department should reconsider its decision to distribute cheques to fishermen families, as encashing it in banks is a tedious process since most of them are uneducated and had never stepped into banks in their life,” K Bharathi, president of South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association told Express.The distribution of the dole is scheduled to begin in another couple of days, sources said. Though Fisheries Department sources maintained that the move was to stop chances of malpractice during distri...

Source: http://kavishan.blogspot.com/2011/04/196.html ஐ.நாவின் 196 பக்க அறிக்கை தமிழில் மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. பெரும்சிரமத்துக்கு மத்தியில், ஆங்கிலத்தில் உள்ள அந்த அறிக்கையை தமிழ் மக்களும் படிக்கவேண்டும் என்ற நோக்கத்தோடு சில உணர்வாளர்களால் இது தமிழாக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டு வருகிறது. இருப்பினும் இதில் உள்ள சாராம்சத்தையும், முக்கிய குறிப்புகளையும் நாம் இங்கே தருகிறோம். சுருக்கமான தமிழாக்கம் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ள 196 பக்கங்கள் கொண்ட அறிக்கையின் மொழிபெயர்ப்புக்கு உதவிய ஊடகவியலார்களளுக்கு நாம் எமது நன்றிகளை தெரிவித்துக்கொள்கிறோம். ஐ.நாவின் போர்க்குற்ற ஆலோசனைக்குழு சமர்ப்பித்துள்ள அறிக்கை: சிறீலங்காவில் இடம்பெற்றபோரில் இடம்பெற்ற மனித உரிமை மீறல்கள் மற்றும் போர்க்குற்றங்கள் தொடர்பில் ஐ.நாவின் குழு மேற்கொண்ட ஆய்வுகளை தொடர்ந்து சிறீலங்காவில் பெருமளவான போர்க்குற்றங்களும், மனித உரிமை மீறல்களும் நடைபெற்றுள்ளது கண்டறியப்பட்டுள்ளது. எனினும் 2008 ஆம் ஆண்டு செப்ரம்பர் மாதத்தில் இருந்து 2009 ஆம் ஆண்டு மே மாதம் வரையிலும் இடம்பெற்ற மனித உரிமை மீறல்களை நாம் அதிகமாக ஆராய்ந்துள்ளோம். வன்னியில் 330,000...

Source: http://www.athirvu.com/target_news.php?getnews=news&action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=1563 தமிழீழவிடுதலைப் புலிகளின் கிழக்கு மாகாண சிறப்புத் தளபதி கேணல் ரமேஷ் வதைகளுக்கு உள்ளாக்கப்பட்டு, அடித்துக் கொல்லப்பட்டிருப்பதாக புதிய போர்க்குற்ற ஆதாரங்கள் வெளியாகியுள்ளதாக, தமிழ்நெட் இணையம் சற்றுமுன்னர் செய்தி வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. நிழற்படத்துடன் வெளியிடப்பட்டுள்ள இந்தச் செய்தியில், குறிப்பிட்ட படத்தை தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் முன்னாள் போராளி ஒருவர் அடையாளம் காட்டி உறுதிசெய்திருப்பதாகவும் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது . போரின் இறுதிக் காலப்பகுதியில் மக்களுடன் மக்களாக, அல்லது சரணடையச் சென்ற பா.நடேசன் ஆகியோருடன் இலங்கைப் படையினரது கட்டுப்பாட்டுப் பிரதேசத்திற்குள் சென்றதாக நம்பப்படும் கேணல் ரமேசை படையினர் தடுத்து வைத்திருக்கும், மற்றும் கடும் தொனியில் விசாரணை செய்யும் காணொளிகள் முன்னர் வெளிவந்திருந்தன. இராணுவத்தினர் அவரிடம் விசாரணை நடத்தும் காணொளிகள் வெளியாகியுள்ள நிலையில், இப் புகைப்படமானது வெளியாகியுள்ளது. கேணல் ரமேஸ் உயிருடன் இருக்கின்றரா இல்லையா என்ற சர்ச்சை நீடித்துவந்த பின்புலத்தில...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on April 28, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/three-bridges-likely-to-be-inaugurated-in-june/269495.html CHENNAI: Three more bridges, being constructed jointly by the Chennai Corporation and the Railways at Monegar Choultry Road (vehicular subway), Rangarajapuram near Kodambakkam (flyover) and Villivakkam Level Crossing-2 (vehicular subway) are nearing completion and expected to be thrown open by the first week of June . According to sources, one of the two stretches in Rangarajapuram flyover connecting the Kodambakkam railway station road and Bazullah Road will be ready to be opened for traffic movement in the first week of May itself.  The remaining works will be completed by May-end, sources added. Though these three vehicular carriageways had seen several ‘deadline revisions’ over the past few months, about 90 per cent of works have been completed so far. Civic officials said that by May-end, all th...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on April 28, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/seafarers-unions-express-anguish-take-rally/269591.html CHENNAI:  Hundreds of mariners affiliated to various  seafarers’unions and ship owners associations on Wednesday took out a rally in the maritime capital of the country, Mumbai, and submitted a petition to the Directorate General of Shipping demanding that steps be taken to protect Indian seafarers from pirates. Abdul Gani Serang, general secretary of the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), who spoke to Express over phone from Mumbai, said, “ We demand that the government take more effective measures to combat piracy. The matter has to be addressed at the level of the United Nations.” Meanwhile, about 100 mariners gathered at the Seafarers Club here and expressed their anguish over continuing piracy incidents. They also s ent a detailed representation to their colleagues in Mumbai to add w...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on April 27, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/massive-rally-of-mariners-in-mumbai/269280.html CHENNAI: As a mark of protest and to show solidarity with the seven seafarers, who were held hostage by Somali pirates in retaliation to the action of Indian authorities on pirates, the mariners have planned a massive march in Mumbai on Wednesday to appeal to the government to take immediate steps to secure their release. At the march, the seafarers bodies -- National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), Maritime Union of India (MUI) and Ship Owners associations Indian National Ship Owners’ Association (INSA), Foreign Owners Representative and Ship Managers Association (FOSMA), Maritime Association of Ship Owners, Ship Managers and Agents (MASSA) and other stakeholders -- are scheduled to take part. In support of the peaceful march in Mumbai against the hostage-taking of Indian seafarers in Somalia, the shipping co...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on April 26, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/metro-rail-leads-to-shrinking-green-cover/268884.html CHENNAI: For Kaushik, a class five student of a city Corporation-run middle school in Shenoy Nagar, Metro Rail is the latest villain in his life, which has robbed him off his leisure. The proposed Metro Rail alignment has led to a closure of his favourite Thiru-vi-ka Park where he used to spend his vacation days. For the past few years, Kaushik used to spend most of his mornings and evenings during the long summer break at the sprawling park. Coming from a family that struggles to make ends meet, Kaushik’s best memories summer holidays have come from the Thiru Vi Ka Park, his favourite place. T he inconvenience is not exclusive to Kaushik; thousands of visitors who throng the green lung space located in Shenoy Nagar every day echoed the same feeling. Many of them even pull up the authorities of the Chennai C...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on April 25, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/untimely-rains-pause-civic-restoration-works/268624.html CHENNAI: The off-season rains in the past few days may have provided relief from the heat to city residents, but it has also hampered the developmental works undertaken by the Chennai Corporation. The showers have put brakes on the road laying works that began in the city a few days ago. The re-laying of bus route roads (BRR) and interior roads was suspended by the Chennai Corporation since March 1 when the model code of conduct came into force. After polling was over on April 13, the Election Commission gave its green signal to restart the stalled works just a few days ago by relaxing the model code of conduct. Though the Corporation has completed the re-laying of 138 bus route roads, out of the planned 154 under Rs 60-crore special fund before the model code of conduct came into force in March, the re...

Source: http://expressbuzz.com/nation/vips-anger-babas-devotees/268823.html PUTTAPARTHI: As thousands of devotees stood in serpentine queues through the night and early Monday outside Prashanti Nilayam for a glimpse of their 'god' Sathya Sai Baba lying in an air-conditioned glass casket, scores of VIPs, including politicians, celebrities, stars and top officials had the privilege to enter Kulwant Hall through the back door to see his frail body. The brazen discrimination by the Sai Trust and the high-handed policemen was not confined to VIPs entry into the hall on the sly, but also to their vehicles that were allowed till the iron gates, while d evotees had to walk a few kilometres to reach the Nilayam in this pilgrim town, about 150 km from Bangalore. Though Baba's body was brought from the Satya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences to his abode eight hours after he breathed last around 8 a.m. Sunday, humble devotees, including men, women and children, had to wait f...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on April 23, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/a-tale-of-potholes-and-neglect/268071.html CHENNAI: Motorists using the stretch of Dr Ambedkar College Road near Pulianthope slaughterhouse would perhaps be cursing the civic authorities every time they passed by. Full of gaping potholes, the road offered a bumpy ride that would be a litmus test for any vehicle’s shock absorbers, not to speak of the motorists’ backs that invariably bore the brunt. A 50-metre stretch of the road, starting from Corporation’s Zone-III (Pulianthope) office up to Ganeshapuram subway, had been fully battered with potholes at many places for the past three months. “Few months ago, when Chief Minister M Karunanidhi’s convoy passed through the stretch when he visited parts of north Chennai, the civic body had done an elaborate but temporary patchwork at these spots to hide the actual condition of roads,” said Moideen, a resident of the ...

Source: http://www.dinamalar.com/splpart_detail.asp?id=68 மடியில் கனமில்லைன்னா...? தாய்லாந்திலிருந்து சுற்றுலா கப்பல் ஒன்று, சமீபத்தில் சென்னைத் துறைமுகம் வந்தது. இதுபோல் கப்பல்கள் வரும்போது, அதுபற்றி படத்துடன் செய்தி வெளியிடுவதை வழக்கமாகக் கொண்டுள்ள பத்திரிகையாளர்கள், துறைமுகத்திற்கு சென்றனர். துறைமுக பி.ஆர்.ஓ., அலுவலகத்தில், முறையான அனுமதி கோரினர்.  "உங்களை படம் எடுக்க விட்டால், எடுக்க வேண்டியதை எடுக்காமல், எதை எதையோ படம் எடுத்து, "நிலக்கரி மாசு, இரும்புத்தாது தூசு...' என்று படம் போட்டு, செய்தியை வெளியிட்டு, துறைமுகத்திற்கு கெட்ட பெயரை ஏற்படுத்துகிறீர்கள். அப்புறம் எப்படி உங்களை உள்ளே விட முடியும். இந்த முறை அனுமதியில்லை' என, "கறாராக' கூறினார், பி.ஆர்.ஓ., ஜான்போஸ்கோ.  சேர்மன் உள்ளிட்ட அதிகாரிகளும், தொடர்பு எல்லைக்குள் சிக்காததால், பத்திரிகையாளர்கள் வேறு வேலையைப் பார்ப்போம் என, புறப்பட்டனர். மூத்த போட்டோ கிராபர் ஒருவர், "மடியில் கனமில்லை என்றால் வழியில் பயமிருக்காது... இங்கே எல்லாமே கோல்மால்தான் போலிருக்கு... அதான் உள்ளே விடமாட்டேங்கிறாங்க...' என...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on April 21, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/ripon-building%E2%80%99s-annexe-to-be-ready-by-september/267361.html CHENNAI: The construction of the Rs 22-crore annexe for Ripon Building , which would house all the departments of the historic Chennai Corporation on its completion, has been put on top gear and the new jewel in civic body’s crown is expected to be completed by September. There have been delays in construction in the past due to various reasons, including heavy water logging in the basement, unscheduled holidays by workers, and due to the Assembly election. But it has gained momentum in the recent days and the civic officials said that the project was well on target to be completed before the local body elections.  Though about 150 workers are now engaged for different works at the site, it would be increased to beyond 200 in the coming days to speed up the construction.   The build...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on April 21, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/%E2%80%98no-damage-to-ripon-building-due-to-metro-work%E2%80%99/267425.html CHENNAI: Ruling out possibility of any damage to the Ripon Building due to Metro Rail works, expected to begin soon, Commissioner of Chennai Corporation, D Karthikeyan, on Wednesday said, “Nothing will happen to the century-old heritage building. ” Speaking to reporters after a routine assessment along with Metro Rail officials on Ripon Building premises, he said, “ Since their (Metro Rail) work involves just a tunnelling to excavate earth to set up facilities inside the Ripon Building compound, it will not affect the historic structure in any manner. ” Besides, fixing of air ventilation shaft, which will be done at the end for the metro station, was also seven-metre away from the basement of the building. Hence, there was no chance of any kind of damage to the Ripon Building, he assur...

By G Saravanan Pictures by P Anand Kumar Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on April 20, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/a-neglected-football-ground/267051.html CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation’s only playground in Ward 32 (Vyasarpadi South), home to several budding footballers from the Vyasarpadi slums who have represented the country in various international events, is now in a state of disrepair due to lack of maintenance. While the facilities were always bare minimum at the ground, construction of a health care centre by the Chennai Corporation on Sathyamurthy Nagar main road about a year ago made things really worse. The ground was used for dumping sand and construction material, reducing the play area for the footballers . Besides, lorry movement on the ground caused damage to the turf and has created undulations in several places. After the construction was over, the contractor did remove the materials, but the damage was done. “Now, they need to ...

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on April 20, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/port-officials-shut-doors-on-journos/267096.html CHENNAI: In a sudden move that caught media persons by surprise, the Chennai Port Trust on Tuesday denied entry to newsmen over what they called ‘ continuing negative publicity ’ about the Port in the local media. “ You people never do your duty in a perfect way and always give negative publicity to the Port” - this was the sarcastic reply given by John Bosco, the Public Relations Officer,  while denying entry passes to photo journalists from leading dailies in the city, who arrived to cover the arrival of a cruise vessel from Thailand at the port on Tuesday. Despite news photographers’ plea for passes, an adamant Bosco asked all journos to leave the premises. “ When we allowed you (media) last time to cover such an event, instead of publicising the port as a cruise tourism destination, the media projected us as a dirty f...