Saravanan's Blog

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Feb 28, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Refugee-relocation-on-the-fast-track/367722.html CHENNAI: A relay-hunger fast agitation by five Lankan Tamil inmates of  the Chengalpet Special Detention Camp drew an official response on Monday, the eighth day of protest. According to sources, a team of 10 officials including the Revenue Divisional Officer and Tahsildar from Kancheepuram district and police officers from the Q-Branch and local police met the five fasting Lankans and promised to release them within 45 days from the special camp to normal camps. Seeking Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s intervention for their immediate relocation to normal camps from Chengalpet Special Detention Camp, fi ve inmates - Ramesh (Jaffna), Sekar (Mannar), Selvaraja (Mullaithivu), Sivakumar (Mannar) and Bismi (Kandy) - have been sitting on a relay-hunger fast since last Monday. Besides Bismi, who came to India for pursuing his higher ...

Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Corporation-plans-street-side-eateries/366085.html CHENNAI: In a first-of-its-kind move, the Chennai Corporation has planned to open 1000 street-side hygienic eateries in its limits to sell idli, meals, curd and sambhar rice at nominal prices.  On a trial basis, we would open about 200 such outlets in the first phase; depending on the response, more such eateries will be opened, Mayor Saidai Duraisamy told councillors during the Council meet on Wednesday. “The objective of these fast food centres is to provide quality food for Chennaiites and these food stalls will be named after Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa,” Duraisamy said amidst thundering applause from the ruling AIADMK councillors. The street-side food outlets will be a boon to school and college students from economically weaker sections, daily wage labourers and auto drivers in the city, the Mayor said. After a lengthy discussion, which only praised the Mayor for introducing th...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Feb 23, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/more-strays-under-abc-after-city-expansion/366031.html CHENNAI: The expansion of Chennai Corporation’s boundary from 174 sq km to 426 sq km might have brought cheer to lakhs of residents living in suburban areas, but not to the Veterinary Department of the Chennai Corporation, which now has a huge task at hand.  After the merger of 42 adjacent local bodies with the Chennai Corporation,  the department now has almost double the number of  stray dogs  to be covered under the civic body’s Animal Birth Control-Anti-Rabies (ABC-AR) vaccination programme. “We used to immunise about 1,000 stray dogs on an average every month for the past five to six years, but it has nearly doubled after the expansion of Chennai Corporation limits last October,” Dayalan, Veterinary Officer in Chennai Corporation, told City Express. “ While the figure was about 1,600 in...

Source:  http://www.pathivu.com/news/20049/57//d,article_full.aspx பலுசிஸ்தான் மாகாண மக்களுக்கு பிரிந்து போய் தனிநாடு அமைத்துக் கொள்ளக் கூடிய “சுயநிர்ணய உரிமை” என்று அமெரிக்க நாடாளுமன்றத்தில் கொண்டுவரப்பட்ட தீர்மானத்தால் அலறிப் போய் கிடக்கிறது பாகிஸ்தான். அமெரிக்காவின் இந்த நிலைப்பாடு அதன் இரட்டை வேடத்தையும், கபட நாடகத்தையும் அம்பலப்படுத்துவதாக உள்ளது. ஈழத் தமிழர்களின் தனி நாடு கோரிக்கையை ஏற்காத அமெரிக்கா இப்போது சுயநல நோக்குடன் பலுசிஸ்தான் தனி நாடாகலாமே என்று சப்பை கட்டுவதாக கூறப்படுகிறது. அமெரிக்க நாடாளுமன்றத்தில் கொண்டுவரப்பட்ட தீர்மானத்துக்காக பாகிஸ்தானுக்கான அமெரிக்க தூதரை இருமுறை அழைத்து அந்நாட்டு வெளியுறவுத்துறை அமைச்சகம் கண்டனம் தெரிவித்துள்ளது. பாகிஸ்தானின் பஞ்சாப் மாகாண சட்டப்பேரவையில் கண்டனத் தீர்மானம் நிறைவேற்றப்பட்டுள்ளது. PIC COURTESY: http://www.aboardthedemocracytrain.com/proxy-wars-fan-sectarian-massacre-in-balochistan பாகிஸ்தான் நாட்டு அனைத்து ஊடகங்களும் இத்தகைய தீர்மானங்களின் பின்னணியில் இந்தியா இருப்பதாகக் குற்றம்சாட்டி, அப்படியானால் இந்தியாவில் உள்ள ஜம்மு காஷ...

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Feb 20, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/vasan-hints-at-privatising-ports/365039.html CHENNAI: All major ports in the country are aiming at bringing structural changes in the administration to improve organisational effectiveness, Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan said. Inaugurating the eighth edition of the PIANC international conference on Coastal and Port Engineering in Developing Countries (COPEDEC-2012) here on Sunday, Vasan said, “In addition to capacity augmentation, all the (13 major) ports are planning towards implementing the landlord port concept, limiting their role to maintenance of (approach) channels and basic infrastructure,  leaving development, operation, management of (container) terminal and cargo handling facilities to the private sector. ” Besides aiming at progressive use of information technology to cover the entire gamut of operations, Indian ports are gearing up to meet the anticipated d...

Source: http://www.tamilkathir.com/news/5873/58//d,view.aspx "உலக வல்லரசான அமெரிக்கா நினைத்தால் ஈழத்தமிழ் மக்களுக்கு நிலையான நிம்மதியான தீர்வொன்றைப் பெற்றுதர முடியுமென்று இன்றுவரை தமிழ் மக்கள் நம்புகின்றனர்." ஜெனீவாவில் இம்மாத இறுதியில் இடம்பெறவுள்ள ஐ.நா மனிதவுரிமைகள் சபையின் கூட்டத் தொடரில் அமெரிக்கா சிறீலங்காவிற்கு எதிரான தீர்மானமொன்றை கொண்டுவரவுள்ளதாக வெளியாகியுள்ள செய்திகள் குறித்து ஈழத்தமிழ் மக்கள் சிறியதொரு மகிழ்ச்சியுடன் உள்ளனர் . இந்தச் செய்திகளின் தொடர்ச்சியாக அமெரிக்க இராஜாங்கத் திணைக்களத்தின் பூகோள குற்றவியல் நீதி விசாரணைக்கான தூதுவர் ஸ்டீபன் ரெப் இலங்கை வந்துள்ளமையும், அவர் தமிழர் பிரதேசங்களுக்கு வந்து மக்களுடன் கலந்துரையாடியுள்ளமையும் மக்களுக்கு இந்த நம்பிக்கையை கொடுத்திருக்கின்றது. ஆனால், அமெரிக்காவின் இந்த நகர்வு குறித்து தமிழ் மக்கள் அபரிமிதமான நம்பிக்கை கொள்ளவில்லை என்பதை யாழ்.குடாநாட்டு மக்களின் கருத்துக்கள் வாயிலாக அறியக்கூடியதாகவுள்ளது. 2008 ஆம் ஆண்டு தீவிரம் பெற்ற யுத்தம் 2009 ஆம் ஆண்டு இறுதி யுத்தமாக மாறி வன்னியில் தமிழ் மக்கள் கொத்துக்கொத்தாக கொ...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on February 19, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/sops-for-cruise-liners-at-chennai-port-to-stay/364849.html CHENNAI: With a view to wooing more cruise liners to the Chennai Port, its management on Saturday announced the continuation of concessions for such ships on vessel-related charges while docking. According to sources, the board of trustees governing the Chennai Port during a meeting held recently gave its nod for extending the concession for one more year for all cruise liners visiting the port in 2012. As part of the concession scheme, a flat 20 per cent discount would be offered  on vessel-related charges like port dues, berth hire charges and pilotage to all the vessels carrying passengers for an ocean trip taken for pleasure, excluding regular passenger vessels running between Chennai and Port Blair. In the past two years (till February second week), about 14 vessels operated by international...

Source: http://www.alaikal.com/news/?p=97228 ராஜீவ்காந்தியைக் கொன்றால் தமது இயக்கத்திற்கு பாதகம் வருமென்பதை உணராத முட்டாள் இல்லை பிரபாகரன் என அமைச்சர் வீரவன்ச, விடுதலைப்புலிகளின் தலைவர் பிரபாகரனைப் பற்றி புகழ்ந்துரைத்துள்ளார். ராஜீவ் காந்தி கொலைச் சம்பவம் தொடர்பில் கருத்துரைக்கையிலேயே அவர் இவ்வாறு தெரிவித்துள்ளார். பிரபாகரனுக்கே தெரியாமல், தமிழகத்தில் இருந்த விடுதலைப் புலிகள் இயக்கத்தினரை வைத்து ராஜீவ் காந்தியை அமெரிக்காதான் கொலை செய்துள்ளது. எனவும் அவர் தெரிவித்துள்ள கருத்து தற்போது பெரும் பரபரப்பை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது. இதுகுறித்து அவர் மேலும் தெரிவிக்கையில் அமெரிக்க உளவுப் பிரிவான சிஐஏ திட்டத்தின்படிதான் ராஜீவ் காந்தி படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளார். விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் தலைவர் பிரபாகரன் தானாகவே முட்டாள்தனமான தீர்மானங்களை எடுத்திருக்க மாட்டார் என நான் திடமாக நம்புகிறேன். ராஜீவை படுகொலை செய்வதன் மூலம் விடுதலைப் புலிகள் இயக்கத்துக்கு ஏற்படக் கூடிய பாதக நிலைமைகள் குறித்து பிராபகரன் கவனம் செலுத்தாமல் இருந்திருக்க முடியாது. பிரபாகரனுக்கு தெரியாமல் தமிழகத்தில் இருந்த தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகளிடம் ...

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on February 16, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/despite-fogging-mosquito-menace-thrives-in-city/363750.html CHENNAI:  Despite the Chennai Corporation’s ‘routine’ fogging and other such operations, mosquito menace continues unabated across the city. Barring a few posh localities, where the civic body gives more emphasis and regular fogging, considering the influence of high-profile residents, most parts of the Chennai Corporation, from Edayanchavadi in the north to Uthandi in the south, are reeling under the constant attack of these winged monsters throughout the day. According to sources in Ripon Building, out of the total complaints registered at the Corporation’s public helpline number (1913), about 70 per cent were mosquito related. Though most of the mosquito-menace reports (from January to April) used to emerge from areas of north Chennai in the previous years due to presence of water hyacinths on Captain Cott...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Feb 15, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Sigh-of-relief-for-EXIM-traders/363544.html CHENNAI: Hundreds of EXIM traders using the Chennai Port for export and import of various goods through containers will be heaving a sigh of relief from Wednesday as the illegal collection of ‘Chennai Trade Recovery’ (CTR) surcharge would be withdrawn with effect from February 15. At a marathon meeting organised by the Chief Commissioner of Customs, Chennai Zone, on Tuesday with all the stakeholders after the Madras High Court’s direction, a representative of the Chennai and Ennore Steamer Agents Association (CHENSAA) made the official announcement that the collection of CTR surcharge would be withdrawn from Wednesday morning. Sources in the EXIM trade estimated that t he shipping liners, under the guise of collecting trade recovery (from the Port users) could have collected about Rs 1,000 crore in the last six mont...

Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Relax-visa-restrictions-bring-people-closer/362819.html CHENNAI:  A Pakistani human rights activist on Sunday appealed to both the Indian and Pakistani governments to relax their visa restrictions to increase people-to-people contact between the neighbouring countries.  Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme organised at SRS Sarvodaya Girls Hostel here, Saeeda Diep, chairperson of Institute for Peace and Secular Studies (IPSS), said, “Relaxing the visa controls would go a long way in mending the strained relationship between the neighbouring countries. People on both sides are eager to increase their base-level people-to-people contacts. ” To prevail upon the Pakistani regime and its Prime Minister, the IPSS has recently launched a nation-wide signature campaign targeting educated youth in the country. “Within the two weeks into the campaign, we are getting good response from youths and we planned to collect about o...

CRICINFO REPORT ABOUT THE DISPUTED OVER Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/commonwealth-bank-series-2012/engine/current/match/518960.html End of over 29 (4 runs) India 126/4 (111 runs required from 21 overs, RR: 4.34, RRR: 5.28) MS Dhoni    6* (4b 1x4)      NLTC Perera    4-0-21-1 G Gambhir    63* (75b 4x4)      SL Malinga    4-0-23-1 29.1 Malinga to Dhoni, 1 run, 137.5 kph, opens the face of the bat and runs it down to third man 29.2 Malinga to Gambhir, FOUR , 135.8 kph, nicely controlled! Short delivery rising on the shoulder and Gambhir moved across and controlled the pull well down to fine leg on one leg 29.3 Malinga to Gambhir, 1 run, 138.2 kph, straight on the pads and he clips it away down to square leg 29.4 Malinga to Dhoni, 2 runs, 140.8 kph, low full toss on the pads and he clips it down towards deep square leg 29.5 Malinga to Dhoni, 1 run, 129.5 kph,...

                                          PIC-courtesy: http://www.onlineworldtraveler.com Source: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=23025 There are few national anniversaries in Burma more significant than the one it commemorated on Sunday. It was on this day 65 years ago that Burmese independence leader Aung San and his Shan, Chin and Kachin counterparts signed the Panglong Agreement, which served as the basis for the creation of a federal Union of Burma. But Union Day is not just one of Burma's most important occasions—it is also one of its most bizarre. After all, a military coup that ended parliamentary rule just 15 years later also effectively nullified this historic agreement. Fifty years after taking power, the military continues to impose its own narrow notions of “unity” on the country's many ethnic minorities. However, the fact that Burma still marks Union ...

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_chennai-student-stabs-strict-teacher-to-death_1647890 By Kumar Chellappan Tamil  Nadu , a state known for its model teacher-student relation, went chillon Thursday when a 15-year-old schoolboy murdered his Hindi teacher in the class room in front of his classmates. Thirty-nine year old  Uma   Maheswari , the Hindi teacher of the St Mary’s Anglo Indian School , situated just opposite to Madras High Court, was stabbed in the neck, stomach and back by the student (name withheld as he is a minor). Father A  Bosco , the school administrator, told reporters that the incident took place at 10 50 in the morning. Though  Uma   Maheswari  was rushed to General Hospital, she had succumbed to the wounds. The boy, who rushed out of the classroom was overpowered by the school staff and handed over to the police. He had been sent to the juvenile home. According to Father  Bosco ,  Uma   Maheswari  used...

By G Saravanan Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Feb 8, 2012: Source: http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/soon-gis-based-survey-of-property/361369.html CHENNAI: With a view to streamline its property tax assessment and collection system, the Chennai Corporation will soon launch a comprehensive field survey of properties in the Adyar Zone using GIS-based property tax information system. According to sources, the civic body will soon call for tenders to conduct the comprehensive field survey of properties in the Adyar Zone, comprising 13 wards (from 170 to 182) to implement the technology-enabled system. The work covering about one lakh property tax assessees in the zone would be completed in three months, sources said. Adyar Zone has been identified for the pilot project as it has the largest number of property tax assessees among the civic body’s 15 zones. After completion of the survey work in this residential zone, the civic body will implement the system in all 15 ...

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2868662.ece?homepage=true In a dramatic development, Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed announced his resignation over television on Tuesday. Vice President Dr.Waheed will hold reigns till a new arrangement is made. A new arrangement is expected to be in place over the next few days. In a message to the people, Dr.Waheed said: “During this dangerous situation facing the nation it is my duty to say a few words. I support the peaceful efforts of a large number of Maldivians trying to protect the Maldives constitution and religion. At this time I call upon all the institutions especially law enforcement agencies (the military) to uphold the constitution and the laws of the country. Refrain from obeying unconstitutional and illegal instructions. During this difficult time no chance should be given to anyone trying to hurt the people of our country or damage their property, especially no room should be afforded to those who would...

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/full-text-2g-court-order-on-plea-against-pc/227197-53.html "As per Cabinet note dated 31.10.2003, the decision regarding spectrum pricing was to be taken by Finance Minister and MOC&IT and after this decision was taken, Mr. P. Chidambaram agreed that it would be the price as discovered in the year 2001 and also told Mr. A. Raja that there is no need to revisit the same. This decision was subsequently conveyed to the Hon’ble Prime Minister also. To that extent, there is material on record." ALL ALONG UPA MAINTAINED THAT PC WAS NOT PART OF ANY DECISION-MAKING IN 2G PRICING. HOWEVER, SAINI HAS CLEARED MENTIONED THAT HE WAS INDEED PART OF THE PRICING... "One may be acting innocently and other may be actuated by criminal intention. Innocuous, inadvertent or innocent acts do not make one party to the conspiracy." CC No. 01(A)/11 Dr. Subramanian Swamy Vs. A. Raja & others 04.02.2012 Present: Complainant Dr. Subramanian S...