Collector inaugurates fifth Uzhavar Sandhai near Hosur

Children enquiring rates of vegetables at the Uzhavar Sandhai
inaugurated at Avalapalli, near Hosur, on Sunday.

HOSUR: The sale of vegetables in Hosur Uzhavar Sandhai touched an all-time high of 29 lakh kg (Rs. 4.11 crore) during February. As many as 3.61 lakh consumers and 70,000 farmers have benefited from the Uzhavar Sandhai, said Collector V. Arun Roy here on Sunday.

Inaugurating the fifth Uzhavar Sandhai in Avalapalli village near Hosur, Mr. Roy said that the ‘Rajarajan 1000' method had got tremendous response from the farmers in the district with paddy cultivation being undertaken in 11,000 ha of the total 24,000 ha.

The new Uzhavar Sandhai with 20 shops was built at Rs. 22.50 lakh. It was the 169th Uzhavar Sandhai in the State.

Mr. Roy also declared open a Village Agriculture Marketing Centre at Thattiganapalli, constructed at a cost of Rs. 22.65 lakh, an Agriculture Marketing Procurement Centre at Gamonthotti and a cold storage facility for mango at Krishnagiri established at Rs. 1 crore.

Proposal to beautify 16 lakes in Krishnagiri (100 th post)

HOSUR: The Forest Department has proposed to beautify 16 lakes at a cost of Rs. 1.46 crore in Krishnagiri district, under the National Wetland Conservation Programme. The programme was drawn up essentially to protect the flora and fauna of water bodies in the district.

The proposal has been sent to the State Wildlife Warden in Chennai, to be forwarded to the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the Central government.

A.K. Ulaganathan, District Forest Officer, told The Hindu that the Hosur Forest Division's proposal would offer services such as flood water storage and control, recharge of aquifers, treatment of waste water, general water quality improvement, creating separate habitats for fish, wildlife as well as several other animals and plant species in these water bodies.

The proposal, for the year 2011-12, was prepared keeping in mind the invaluable benefits of the wetlands that offered several tangible and intangible benefits to the environment and the human population, Mr Ulaganathan added.

The water bodies were identified in Denkanikottai, Hosur, Krishnagiri and Uthangarai taluks in the district.

The lakes which would come under the beautification programme were Ramanaicken Eri, Dharga Eri, Thoddaseruvu Eri (Alasanatham lake), Therpet Eri, Thimmsandiram Eri, Namaleri, Eni Muchathiram Eri, Marasandiram Eri, Singarapettai Periya Eri, Marampatti Eri (Singarapettai), Avathanapatti Eri, Parur Eri,Thimmapuram Eri, Onnamma Eri, Thaly Perigoundan Eri and Veerarajan Eri (Devaganapalli).

The combined area of these lakes was 1191 hectares, of which 393 hectares were under the water spread.

The water bodies had abundant organic and inorganic nutrients and were a perfect feeding and spawning ground for fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic life forms.

The Forest Department's proposal comprises removal of silt, creating walk paths and benches along the bunds.

The Forest Department would also plant varieties of trees around the water bodies. For this purpose, an exclusive Wetland Conservation Committee (WCC), under a public-private partnership agreement, would be formed, it is learnt.

Members of the Federation of Higher Secondary School
Headmasters and Post Graduate Teachers' Association
staging a road blockade in Krishnagiri on Saturday.

KRISHNAGIRI/DHARMAPURI: Over 300 teachers, including headmasters, were arrested and released in the evening when they resorted to road blockade in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts on Saturday.

In Krishnagiri, 167 headmasters and post-graduate teachers, including 50 women, resorted to block the Road in front of the Revenue Divisional Office on Old Bangalore Road in Krishnagiri.

The State-in charge for the Joint Action Committee for the agitation, R. Radhakrishnan, presided in the presence of D. Manoharan, district convener. They were all taken to a marriage hall near Pazhayapet and let off in the evening.

In Dharmapuri, 143 headmasters and post-graduate teachers were arrested and let off in the evening.

The district secretary, Post-Graduate Teachers Association, Ponmudy, presided over the agitation on Dharmapuri-Salem Main Road, near Ganesh Theatre, in Dharmapuri. All arrested were taken to the Indian Medical Association Hall and released in the evening.

The Federation of Higher Secondary School Headmasters and Post-Graduate Teachers' Association had announced state-wide demonstrations in front of the District Collectorate on February 26 and 27 to draw the attention of the government for an exclusive directorate for higher secondary education.

14-point charter

of demand

The Federation, consisting of 23,000 post-graduate teachers and 4,000 headmasters, would go on an indefinite strike from February 28 if the Government failed to fulfil its 14-point charter of demands.

The headmasters' association and two postgraduate teachers' associations claimed that there was a lapse in the Government provision that allowed those with lower academic qualification to become their administrative heads as District Educational Officers. A separate directorate would be a solution as the administrative postings would become an exclusive preserve of those with a minimum qualification of post-graduation. They also demanded announcement of recommendations by the one-member committee formed to study pitfalls in the GO 720; remuneration on a par with the Central Government employees; withdrawal of disciplinary action on heads and teachers of Adi Dravida schools; increment for those with over 30 years in government-aided schools; withdrawal of contributory pension scheme and service-regularisation of PG teachers appointed on contract basis in 1989 etc.

Traffic hit as students block Hosur-Krishnagiri highway

against apathy:Students blocking the Hosur - Krishnagiri National Highway,
near Sappadi village, on Friday

Over 300 students, including 200 girls, resorted to a road blockade on the Hosur-Krishnagiri National Highway, near Sappadi village, on Friday morning demanding that the authorities increase the frequency of town buses during peak hours.

Due to the agitation, traffic on the busy route was affected for over three hours from 8.30 a.m.

Traffic was diverted to Royakottai from Hosur and Krishnagiri towns.

This resulted in traffic jam on the Royakottai Road. Container lorries were seen lined up on the Royakottai State Highway up to the District Court in Krishnagiri.

Students studying in Government Higher Secondary Schools in Hosur from Sappadi, Kundukurikki and Attakurikki villages said they couldn't get into the crowded town buses during peak hours from Shoolagiri.

Pleas

As their repeated pleas fell on deaf ears, the students were forced to stage a blockade two days ago. However, it was thwarted by the officials.

This is the third time students squatted on the National Highway demanding increase in the frequency of town buses between Shoolagiri and Hosur and vice versa.

R.V. Ramya Bharati, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Hosur, and R. Mahendran, Divisional Manager, TNSTC, Krishnagiri rushed to the spot and assured the students that they would look into the issue.

The students dispersed after the officials gave an assurance on finding a solution to the issue.

Milk procurement increases

Even though the indefinite strike by the milk producers entered fifth day on Friday, the procurement of milk from the Primary Milk Cooperative Societies increased by 22,828 litres than Thursday.

G. Nainappan, General Manager, Aavin, told The Hindu on Friday that the situation had improved.

Meeting

Meanwhile, the office-bearers of the farmers' associations and milk manufacturers will meet on Saturday morning to chalk out next course of agitation.

World Bank team inspects various projects in Krishnagiri

A team of agriculture experts from World Bank - Edward Cook and Ben Oberiyan – inspected various projects being undertaken under the Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water-Bodies Restoration and Management (IAMWARM) projects through various departments connected with the agriculture in the district recently, says a release from N. Nachiappan, Personal Assistant to Collector (Agriculture) here on Wednesday.

Apprised

The team was apprised about various projects being implemented under the IAMWARM plan.

K. Rajan, Joint Director, Agriculture, Dr. Thangavel, Additional Director, Animal Husbandry, Dr. Mani, Head and Professor, Regional Research Station of TNAU at Paiyur among others accompanied World Bank team, the release added.

Arignar Anna Arts & Science College to be shifted to new campus

Students should become entrepreneurs, not job seekers, said M. Thambidurai, MP, here on Saturday.

Speaking at the college and sports day celebrations at the Arignar Anna Arts & Science College in Krishnagiri, Dr. Thambidurai called upon the students to come out with good performance and serve society.

He urged the students to start own business, as the region has abundant natural resources unlike in other parts of the state. It would be helpful for them to become entrepreneurs on their own and need not expect some one for job to earn money.

He also announced that the college would be shifted to a new campus with all the facilities for sports, fully-equipped libraries from the next academic year.

Principal P. Ponramu read the annual report of the college. He said that campus recruitment would be held during the second week of March. The college would be introducing PG courses from the next academic year. The new courses would be M.Sc., Mathematics and M.A. English. He said that the institution would also offer dual degree programme from the next academic year in association with the deemed-to be university St. Peter's University, Chennai.

During the academic year 2009-10, the college achieved cent per cent results in four undergraduates' streams such as BBA, Physics, B.Com. (Computer Applications) and BCA. Besides academic activities, the college also rendered various social service activities such as imparting vocational qualification programme for hair dressers on the campus. Through this programme as many as 205 hair dress workers from rural areas benefited. K. Mangayarkarasi, Faculty, Department of English, welcomed the gathering. M. Manimadhu, Faculty, Department of Tamil, proposed a vote of thanks.