Saravanan's Blog

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 31, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Traders-fret-as-Port-sleeps-over-surcharge/328286.html CHENNAI: Despite the exim traders in South India coughing up over Rs 200 crores in the name of ‘Chennai Trade Recovery’ surcharge for sending or receiving their containers via Chennai Port to vessel operators in the last two-and-half months alone (besides usual charges), Chairman of the port trust Atulya Misra is yet to take a concrete action to solve the burning issue . Though the port management organised a meeting of all stake holders on Saturday to persuade the vessel operators to stop collecting CTR from traders henceforth, it turned out to be a farce at the end of the day as the port officials were reluctant to understand the bleeding conditions of traders and representatives responsible for withdrawing CTR failed to make it to the meeting. Irked over the port trust’s attitude in the meeting that wa...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 30, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/sci-in-a-spot-over-possible-security-pass-misuse/328042.html CHENNAI: Barely a few weeks away from the third anniversary of (26/11) Mumbai attacks, sailing community in the west coast has issued an early warning to the national carrier Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) on a possible misuse of security passes issued by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) to SCI’s sailors to gain entry into its high-security off-shore oil installations. According to sources, ONGC has hired the services of SCI to maintain its 30-odd offshore support vessels (OSVs) used for highly secured oil platforms and rigs. The SCI has utilised the services of seafarers to run those vessels and all of them were given special security passes by the ONGC (after proper endorsement by the SCI) for entry and exit from its facilities. While the SCI claims to have a foolproof syste...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 29, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/exim-trade-bleeds-at-chennai-port/327706.html CHENNAI:  Export and import of various products in containers via Chennai Port has been badly affected for the past two months after a number of vessel operators had imposed ‘Chennai Trade Recovery’ (CTR), a hefty trade surcharge, to cope with their forced delays at the port.  Though the CTR surcharge was imposed on  traders after reports of congestion in the port two months ago, it’s still being collected from all importers and exporters even after the congestion has ‘officially’ gone. According to traders, the surcharge of 200 USD (over Rs 10,000) per container (Twenty-foot-equivalent-TEU) has robbed them off their profits and most of them are considering discontinuance of the trade from Chennai Port as it has become unviable . In the overall exports done in containers via ChPT, about 60 per cent ex...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 29, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/for-councillor-it%E2%80%99s-the-biggest-day-in-his-life/327714.html CHENNAI:  For AIADMK’s 145th Ward councillor P Benjamin, Friday was a historic day in his life as party  chief and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced his name for the prestigious Deputy Mayor post in the Chennai Corporation. “ It’s a dream come true for me. I will make a mark in my career with Amma’s blessings ,” Benjamin told ‘Express’ after being nominated to the post. Forty-two-year old Benjamin is the son of a retired Indian Air Force personnel and had studied BA in History. Father of two sons, Benjamin lives at Nolambur, a newly-added area in the expanded Chennai Corporation.  “ Though I missed a chance to contest from Maduravoyal constituency in the Assembly elections on an AIADMK ticket after the seat went to an alliance partner, Amma gave me a chance in the Chennai ...

Pic courtesy: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/52305563 By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 29, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/picnic-over-after-3-decades-corpn-breathes-easy/327710.html CHENNAI: It was a historic day for the city Corporation and its Commissioner D Karthikeyan on Friday after the civic body was finally able to reclaim its 13.5 grounds of land from Hotel Picnic after three decades of legal wrangling. “ It’s a historic day for the Corporation as we are able to reclaim the land that was in legal dispute for over three decades, ” jubilant Karthikeyan told Express. With the apex court’s deadline to hand over the land to the Corporation ending on Thursday evening, the hotel management returned the land to the civic body quietly on Friday. After the Supreme Court’s clear direction, the hotel authorities had removed all valuables from both the buildings in the premises. Victoria Public Hall Trust, which enjoyed the civic ...

Source: http://democracyforburma.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/burmamyanmar-urgent-humanitarian-intervention-needed-for-jailed-monk-ashin-gambira/ An Open Letter from the Asian Human Rights Commission to the President of Myanmar/Burma U Thein Sein President of Myanmar President Office Office No.18 Naypyitaw, Myanmar Dear Mr Thein Sein MYANMAR: Urgent humanitarian intervention needed for jailed monkI am writing to you with an urgent humanitarian request concerning the current conditions of detention for Shin Gambira, a monk whom, as you will be aware, was imprisoned for his part in street demonstrations during 2007. The Asian Human Rights Commission has been concerned about Shin Gambira's health since we received information that  he had been assaulted at the during a prison transfer and that he had been assaulted repeatedly at the Khandi Prison over the course of about a month, due to which he has been suffering from head and back injur...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 26, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/jaya-frowns-on-idolisation/327009.html CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday t urned tutor to a newly-elected AIADMK councillor, C Selvam, (Ward-2 in Thiruvottiyur zone) after he fumbled with right choice of words while taking the oath of office at Ripon Building. When Selvam was asked to take oath of office, he, instead of using the customary words ‘... do swear in the name of God ’, said ‘... do swear in the name of Amma - kaaval deivam.’ Noticing the mix-up of words, the CM intervened and asked Selvam to take the oath once again in front of Commissioner D Karthikeyan and told him to use only those words given in the swearing-in format. Barring K P Shankar, a DMK councillor from Ward-5, who is in prison on murder charges, all other 199 newly-elected councillors, including 24 DMK members, took the oath of office. AIADMK members booed down a...

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 26, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/chennai-gets-its-1st-aiadmk-mayor/327004.html CHENNAI: Opening a fresh chapter for the ruling AIADMK in the Chennai Corporation, the party’s Saidai S Duraisamy on Tuesday morning assumed charge as Mayor at the Ripon Building. His work seemed cut out even on day-1, as pouring rains in the morning inundated several parts of the city on Tuesday. While the mood inside the Council Hall of the Corporation was jubilant, it was anything but that for the hundreds of motorists who had to wade through knee-deep water stagnated on most arterial roads and low-lying areas in the city after the torrential rains overnight. Most commuters were seen fuming over the lethargic attitude of the Corporation authorities in draining out the water. Chief Minister J Jayalali­thaa, who was at Ripon Building, along with a group of ministers and MLAs, especially to witness the swearing-in of her party’...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 25, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Neel-Metal-Chaps-make-a-stinking-statement/326715.html CHENNAI: Even before taking up the mantle of Mayorship in Chennai, AIADMK’s Mayor-elect Saidai S Duraisamy has received a Deepavali ‘gift’ from Neel Metal Fanalca — a city stinking with heaps of garbage. An unannounced mass absenteeism, over unpaid Deepavali bonus, by Neel Metal Fanalca’s (NMF) 2,500-odd employees for more than a week coupled with the new assignment for the Corporation’s 10,000-odd sanitary workers during the civic body elections has created garbage mounds across the city. NMF is responsible for removing garbage from four zones — Triplicane (zone-6), Adyar (zone-10), Kodambakkam (zone-8) and Pulianthope (zone-3). While, civic body staff are entrusted with the remaining six zones. However, garbage removal operations have been hit for the last two weeks in those four zones, as NMF workers b...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 25, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Jaya-to-attend-Mayor%E2%80%99s-swearing-in/326717.html CHENNAI: Elaborate  arrangements have been made at the Ripon Building, Chennai Corporation’s headquarters, to host the swearing-in ceremony of AIADMK’s Saidai S Duraisamy as the Mayor of the city on Tuesday. The ruling AIADMK, for the first time in the Corporation’s 323-year history, won the prestigious post. Security has been beefed-up as Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and a posse of her ministers are expected to witness the ceremony at the Council Hall at 11 AM. A special police squad sanitized the building in the morning. According to Corporation sources, Ripon building has been provided with five-tier security cover for Jayalalithaa and her ministers. Separate pandals have been erected on the building lawns to host relatives of the newly-elected 200 Councillors, who will also take oath on Tuesday....

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 25, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/corporation%E2%80%99s-council-hall-renovated-and-ready!/326656.html CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation’s Council Hall has undergone a sea change. Not only has the hall been renovated to welcome the new Mayor, but it has also been equipped with additional seating arrangement for councillors. After the recent expansion of the city, the number of councillors has gone up to 200 from the earlier 155. The renovation has been completed and the historic House is all set to host the installation of Saidai S Duraisamy of AIADMK as the new Mayor on Tuesday. According to sources, the swearing-in ceremony is expected to start by 10 am and the Commissioner D Karthikeyan is to administer the oath of office to Duraisamy as Mayor. Duraisamy would become the third directly elected (by people) Mayor of the Chennai Corporation; the DMK’s M K Stalin was voted directly to the coveted...

By G Saravanan & Saptarshi Bhattacharya Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 24, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/They-have-promises-to-keep/326397.html CHENNAI: The first AIADMK Mayor of Chennai, Saidai Duraisamy, has had a decisive mandate in the just-concluded elections. It’s now time to deliver. His party boss and Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa set a challenging agenda before him for the city’s development during the run up to the polls. For his part, Duraisamy said he would do his best to live up to her expectations and deliver on her promises of a clean city and a clean administration. “As per the instructions of Amma, I would concentrate on fulfilling all requirements of basic amenities of the people on a war footing ,” he told Express over phone. But look at the challenges before him. While a clean and transparent administration depends solely upon the leadership, a clean city is something that is not easy to achieve. The Chennai Co...

Pics by P Jawahar By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 22, 2011: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/edayanchavadi%E2%80%99s-new-honour/325794.html CHENNAI: Call it history in the making or simply a stroke of luck. Whatever you choose to call it, it is a new recognition for about 200 families in Edayanchavadi, a tiny desolate village located on the banks of Kosathalayar River in Minjur limits. The village, along with a few more villages within the Edayanchavadi Village Panchayat limits, officially became part of the historic Chennai Corporation recently. For the village, which lacks all basic amenities, including proper supply of drinking water, primary health centres and sanitation, the recognition has opened up opportunities. The village has become the Chennai Corporation’s northern boundary in the expanded city. While the elderly residents of the tiny village were skeptical about speedy implementation of any development work on a par with other p...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 22, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/aiadmk-majority-in-corporation-council/325832.html CHENNAI: Continuing its winning streak, AIADMK on Friday recorded an impressive win in the Chennai Corporation Council elections as the party was able to bag 168 wards out of a total of 200. While the DMK was able to win only 24 seats, the Congress bagged two seats and the PMK, DMDK and MDMK came victorious in one each. Thirumavalavan-led Viduthalai Chiruthaigai Katchi (VCK) recorded its first win in the Chennai Corporation by winning a seat. Two independent candidates have also made it to the Corporation Council. In the last Chennai Corporation Council, t he DMK had 93 members, Congress 35, PMK 13, DMDK 4, Bahujan Samaj Party 1, Communist Party of India 2, CPIM 1, MGR Kazhagam 1, Tamil Maanila Desiya League 1 and two seats were represented by independents. Two seats were vacant. While four of the AIADMK’s ...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 22, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/ripon-building-in-amma%E2%80%99s-pocket/325827.html CHENNAI: It was a double whammy for the ruling AIADMK in the Chennai Corporation, as the party’s Mayoral candidate Saidai S Duraisamy wrested the prestigious seat from DMK with a margin of over five lakh votes . The party for the first time in the civic body’s history has won 168 seats (out of 200) in the Corporation Council. Since the trends started coming in at the Loyola College Counting Centre in the morning, Duraisamy maintained a healthy lead over DMK’s M Subramanian. His numbers were on an upward trajectory until the results were out in his favour at 9.45 pm. Duraisamy polled a whopping 12,40,340 votes and defeated his nearest rival from DMK, M Subramanian with a huge margin of over 5.19 lakhs. Of the total 21 lakh votes polled, Subramanian got 7,20, 593 votes, DMDK’s G Velmurugan secured 1,42, 203 v...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 20, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/ChPT-ducks-from-giving-info-on-curbing-pollution/325090.html CHENNAI: Chennai Port Trust’s decision not to disclose the expenditure incurred to control pollution from handling of coal inside its premises in response to an RTI query has raised doubts among its employees of possible fund embezzlement by the management. In an RTI plea filed by R Santhanam, general secretary of the Port and Dock Labour Union, an affiliate of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) avoided giving a direct answer and vaguely replied: “The details (of expenditure) are being verified and will be sent in due course (to the petitioner).” Besides other queries, Santhanam in his RTI petition had asked the ChPT to disclose its monthly collection of levy for handling coal as well as expenses towards minimising pollution due to coal handling inside the port since 1991....

Meena Krishnamoorthy, eye-witness to war crimes (pic courtesy www.tamilnet.com) http://www.athirvu.com/target_news.php?getnews=news&action=fullnews&showcomments=1&id=927 இறுதிப் போர் நடைபெற்றவேளை அவுஸ்திரேலிய தமிழ் பிரஜையான திருமதி மீனா கிருஷ்னமூர்த்தி தனது நேரடிச் சாட்சியத்தைப் பதிவுசெய்துள்ளார். அவருடன் டாக்டர் சாம்பவியும் இணைந்து அவுஸ்திரேலியாவில் 3 பேருக்கு எதிராக வழக்கு தொடுக்க முனைப்புகளைக் காட்டியுள்ளனர் . இதனை அவுஸ்திரேலியாவின் முன்னணி தேசிய தொலைக்காட்சியான எ.பி.சி ஒளிபரப்பியுள்ளது . சுமார் 9 நிமிடம் ஒளிபரப்பப்பட்ட இந்தக் காணொளியால் அவுஸ்திரேலிய மக்கள் ஆடிப்போயுள்ளனர். மீனா தனது அனுபவத்தை விவரிக்கையில் தாம் முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் வரை சென்று எவ்வாறு உயிர்பிழைத்தேன் எனக் கூறியுள்ளார். வைத்தியசாலைகளை நோக்கி இலங்கை இராணுவம் ஏவிய ஏவுகணைகள் தொடக்கம் கடலில் நின்ற இலங்கைக் கடற்படையினர் தம் மீது தாக்குதல் நடத்தியது தொடக்கம் இவர் விவரித்துள்ளர். இலங்கையின் முன்நாள் கடற்படை தளபதி தற்போது அவுஸ்திரேலியாவுக்கான இலங்கைத் தூதுவராக இருக்கிறார். இவருக்கு எதிராகவும் இலங்கை மற்றும் அவுஸ...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on October 19, 2011: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/campaigning-goes-on-even-after-phase-i/324744.html CHENNAI: Though campaigning and polling for the post of Chennai Mayor ended on Monday, Mayoral contestants from the DMK, PMK and DMDK have continued their ‘campaign’ on Tuesday as well; only that this time, the audience was different. In contrast to their campaigns, atop vehicles, M Subramanian, sitting Mayor, from the DMK, A K Moorthy of the PMK and G Velmurugan of the DMDK met the TN State Election Commissioner S Ayyar separately on Tuesday afternoon. T hey submitted a list of allegations of rigging and booth capturing at many polling booths in the elections held on Monday. Subramanian and Moorthy also moved petitions at the HC seeking justice on the alleged booth capturing and rigging. Party sources said that, Subramanian has spent most of his time since Monday evening collecting evidence to present before ...