Israel man know-how on horticulture in india

An Israeli expert checked out this town on Wednesday, but the visit had nothing to do with the security scenario here.He was here to help the State give a big push to its horticultural sector. The visit was arranged by the Tamil Nadu Government through its horticultural department.Israeli horticulture expert Cliff Love, who is attached to his country’s ministry of agriculture and rural development, and specialises in subtropical orchards of mango, avocado and lychee, interacted with horticulture farmers in this district and shared his knowledge with them. With TN officials in tow, Love visited many mango groves at Bargur, Mathur, Ikadu and other places in Uthangarai and Krishnagiri on Wednesday. Love asked the farmers about the mode of mango cultivation in the Krishnagiri belt, which is the biggest producer of the fruit in it in the State. He tried to understand their problems and suggest solutions.Talking to Express, Love said he would check the suitability of high-density planting under rain-fed conditions. He would look into the possibility of implementing special practices for rain-fed conditions followed in Israel, in Tamil Nadu’s mango belt. Love would also chalk out methods for rejuvenating old orchards suitable for the area. There again, Love would try to implement the methods followed in Israel. Next only to ragi, mango is a major product in Krishnagiri district. The farmers have covered 30,017 hectares under mango cultivation. The entire stretch of Bargur, Uthangarai, Pochampalli, Krishnagiri, Mathur, Singarapettai and Veppanapalli has thousands of hectares under mango cultivation. In fact, the mango pulp industry in Krishnagiri district is the second largest in the country, the first being Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. The district accounts for around 30 per cent of the Rs 400 to Rs 500-crore foreign exchange earned through mango pulp exports every year. The National Horticultural Mission (NHM) has identified the region’s potential and has taken steps to promote mango cultivation here, said Subbian, Joint Director of Horticulture, who accompanied Love to the interior parts of mango groves in Bargur.Besides Tamil Nadu, Love has already visited the fields in Maharashtra and Haryana.

Nine killed in bus mishap

Nine people were killed and three others grievously injured in a road accident at Kollapallimedu near Hosur in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, today.

Reports received at the police headquarters here said the victims were travelling in a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Bus, which hit a tractor-trailer from behind at 0330 hrs.

The accident occurred as the driver of the Hosur-bound bus from Salem, reportedly dozed off. Nine people, including driver Dhanasekar and Conductor Kamaraj, died on the spot.

The bus was coming in top speed. Such was the impact of the accident that nearly half of the front portion of the bus got entangled into the rear portion of the tractor-trailer.

Authorities had to cut some of the mangled remains of the bus to retrieve the bodies. The injured were admitted to Hosur Government hospital.

Security forces gear up for Bargur by-poll

57 persons taken into preventive custody; six detained under Goondas Act Photo: N. Bashkaran

Reviews poll arrangements: Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) K. Radhakrishnan (centre) inspecting the polling booth at Chinna Bargur Panchayat Union Primary School in Krishnagiri on Saturday. Pramod Kumar, Inspector General of Police (Western region), (second right), K. Vannia Perumal, (second left), A.G. Babu (right), Superintendent of Police, Krishnagiri and R. Sudhakar (left), Superintendent of Police, Dharmapuri are in the picture. —

KRISHNAGIRI: Security forces in the district are fully geared up for the peaceful conduct of the bye-election to the Bargur Assembly constituency, K. Radhakrishnan, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), said here on Saturday.

Mr. Radhakrishnan held a brief meeting with A.G. Babu, Superintendent of Police, Krishnagiri, R. Sudhakar, SP, Dharmapuri, D. Magesh Kumar, ADSP (PEW), DSPs and Inspectors at the Bargur Police Station.

He inspected a polling booth at Chinna Bargur Panchayat Primary School in Bargur along with Promod Kumar, Inspector General of Police (Western Region) and K. Vannya Perumal, DIG (Salem).

Speaking to reporters he said that four Deputy Superintendent of Police, two Additional Superintendent of Police, 39 Inspectors, 1,200 police personnel and two companies of Tamil Nadu Special Police Battalion from Pochampalli would be deployed for poll security.

The constituency comes under eight police stations in the district.

Of this, seven police stations would be equipped with a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) with 10 police personnel and a Sub-Inspector.

There would be 49 mobile parties patrolling round-the-clock in the constituency.

All the booths would be manned by a policeman and in the case of hyper-sensitive booths two policemen would be deployed.

In view of the bye-poll, 57 persons were taken into preventive custody.

Of the total 567 arrest warrants issued by the courts, 284 persons were arrested. 548 licensed guns were surrendered and 4 illegal possession of guns were seized.

Six persons were arrested under Goondas Act. Five cases were filed against the political parties for violating model code of conduct.

Standing panels formed to monitor code of conduct

Three standing committees have been formed to monitor the model code of conduct for the Bargur Assembly bye-elections which goes to poll on August 18.

A. Anbarasu, Revenue Divisional Officer, would head the committee would also function as liaison officer for the District Election Officer and Returning Officer.

Tahsildhars A. Chandramohan, Pochampalli; K. Rajagopal, Krishnagiri and M. Theerthagiri, Uthangarai would function as members of the panel at the taluk-level and another committee at the Firka level under the Zonal Deputy Tahsildhars has been formed here on Saturday.

The members of the committees would monitor the implementation of the model of code conduct and violation if any would be reported to the district-level officers for further action.

Polling booths

Out of the 230 polling booths in Bargur assembly constituency, 71 have been identified as hyper-sensitive and the remaining 151 identified as sensitive booths. Elaborate security arrangements have been made by the district administration to conduct the bypoll in a free and fair

Para military forces would be deployed in the hyper-sensitive and sensitive booths.

Check posts

Twenty-two check posts have been formed in the state, district and constituency borders to prevent infiltration of anti-social elements during the time of election.

Nine check posts in state borders with Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, five in district borders of Dharmapuri, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and eight in constituency borders were set up.

Booth inspection

Meanwhile, the District Election Officer V.K. Shanmugam inspected 11 booths in Kunnthur, Vaduganur, Pasandhi, Kumarampatti, K. Ettipatti and Samalpatti villages in Mathur block on Friday.

Bankers strike

Banking operations remained crippled in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts as the nation-wide strike of bank staff entered the second day on Friday.

Over 60 employees staged a demonstration in front of Indian Bank Regional Office in Dharmapuri on Friday. Ramanathan, Regional Secretary, AIBOC; N. Ramamurthy, District Secretary AIBEA; P.S. Satyanarayana, Assistant Secretary, BEFI; S. Hari Rao, Executive Committee member, BEFI; participated. P. Dilli Babu, MLA, spoke.Ten members of All India Insurance Employees Union staged a demonstration in front of LIC office in Dharmapuri on Friday to show solidarity to the striking bank staff.

Campaigning intensifies in Bargur; DMK not taking chances

Bargur is considered to be a high profile constituency after E.G. Sugavanam defeated Jayalalitha in the 1996 Assembly elections by a margin of 8,366 votes.

The election was necessitated after M. Thambidurai, AIADMK’s Propoganda Secretary and MLA was elected to Lok Sabha.Three Ministers – E.V. Velu, K. Ponmudi and T.M. Anbarasan are camping in the constituency. DMK has divided the constituency into nine zones for campaigning.

Each zone is headed by a district secretary

Many district secretaries who took part in the first public meeting of UPA conducted in Pochampalli have promosed the party high command that they would work vigorously.

As the opposition AIADMK was boycotting the polls, DMK thought it is a cake walk for them after the rejection of the DMDK candidate V. Chandran’s nomination. The DMDK appealed to the Election Commission of India for a re-scrutiny of the nomination papers. Then Chandran was announced as an Independent candidate and got ‘Murasu’ as his symbol, which incidentally is the DMDK’s symbol.

DMK, DMDK, BJP and CPI have opened their election offices in Bargur in addition to their party offices in the district headquarters.

Two-day seminar

A two-day seminar on the South Pennar Delta Civilisation will be held here on October 10 and 11.

Those interested in submitting papers can approach the Personal Assistant to the Collector (General), floor I, room no: 83, Collectorate in person or through post.

They can also register their names over phone by dialling 04343-239200.

Essays should be relevant to Krishnagiri district, a press release said.

Interested persons can contact Prof. T. Govindan, 5/139B Illakkiampatti, Dharmapuri - 5. Telephone: 04342-230867, mobile: 94425 30867, the release added.

Forest guard shot at by four poachers

Injured forest guard Govindan at the Salem GH on Sunday.

Express News Service

First Published : 03 Aug 2009 04:53:00 AM IST

Last Updated :

HOSUR: Four poachers fired at forest guards, leaving one grievously injured in Krishnagiri forest region on Sunday.Two forest guards of Krishnagiri Forest Division saw some poachers with country guns when they were on patrol in Neranahalli forest region on Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border. The guards tried to nab the poachers when they were cutting sandalwood trees, sources said.But in the melee, the poachers fired at the forest guards and fled. Govindan, the forest guard, who was grievously injured, was taken to Salem Government Hospital. Krishnagiri Police have registered a case and a police team lead by Krishnagiri Superintendent of Police Babu visited the spot. The police are also investigating whether naxalites are involved in the incident. It may be noted that Krishnagiri district was once a hot bed for naxalites and the State government has taken all measures to prevent naxalites from entering Tamil Nadu from Andhra through Krishnagiri district.

Written test

A preliminary written test and new inventions in science will be conducted on July 19 to select boys and girls aged between 9 and 16 for the ‘Balashree’ award at the Jawahar Bala Bhavan housed in the District Music School in Krishnagiri.

A release issued by the Project Officer P. Kathirvel, Jawahar Bala Bhavan, said that the award being given to the children every year by the National Bala Bhavan

For details, contact: 98407 24673, says the press release.

Exhibition on environment

Commissioner of Museums T.Sri. Sridhar inaugurated an environment awareness exhibition at the District Museum on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Krishnagiri on Friday.

Mr. Sridhar said since Krishnagiri shares border with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala, it was an important base for commercial activities in the past. Urban citizens are inhaling polluted air because of heavy traffic, hence it is essential to teach children keep the environment clean.

In Krishnagiri district, there are many old inscriptions, stone slabs and special drawings. It is our duty to safeguard these inscriptions, Sridhar added.

Additional Collector (Development) Darez Ahmed, Chief Education Officer, M. Baskaran, UNICEF district coordinator Mr. Ganesamoorthy participated.

R.T. Thulasi Brinda, Curator, Krishanagiri Government Museum welcomed the gathering. Ashok, Technical Assistant proposed a vote of thanks.

Later, he along with the Collector visited Periya Kottapalli hills where they inspected rocks having Brahmi inscriptions.They also visited Chinna Kothur village, as it was once the capital city of Hoysala Prince Veeraramanathan. They inspected the Kuntheeswar temple.

Will AIADMK boycott Assembly polls, asks DMK

Will the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam boycott the 2011 Assembly elections in the State, asked E.V. Velu, the Food Minister, here on Friday.

He was here to address at the United Progressive Alliance’s meeting held in Pochampalli in Krishnagiri.

He said by-elections were the litmus test for the ruling and Opposition parties. If Jayalalithaa do not believe in Electronic Voting Machines, will she take the same stand in 2011?

He asked the DMK and its alliance party workers not to take the boycott by AIADMK alliance in a lighter manner. “We should remain alert and work for the victory of DMK,” he said.

Law Minister Durai Murugan questioned Jayalalithaa’s demand for cancelling the by-elections and use the money to provide basic amenities.

He asked if she was really worried about the people she would not have fielded the former Bargur MLA M. Thambidurai in Karur Lok Sabha constituency.

The by-election was necessitated because of Thambidurai’s resignation.

Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veerasamy said the BJP was obstructing the Rs. 2400-crore Sethu Canal project and the Left was opposing the Nuclear agreement.

Both did not want the nation to develop

Rs. 1,084-crore Annual Credit Plan released for Krishnagiri

The Annual Credit Plan (ACP) for Krishnagiri district for the financial year 2009-10 envisages a total outlay of Rs. 1,084.74 crore, which is 16.20 per cent (Rs. 151.11 crore) higher than that of the previous year.

Indian Bank Chairman and Managing Director M.S. Sundara Rajan released the ACP here on Thursday and Collector V.K. Shanmugam received the first copy.

Agriculture gets the lion’s share of Rs. 646.26 crore, which accounts for 59.90 per cent of the total outlay benefiting 1,73,071 beneficiaries. This is 85.81 per cent higher than the previous year’s outlay.

The projected crop loan will be Rs. 352.52 crore, 44 per cent higher than that of the last year. A sum of Rs. 232.78 crore has been earmarked for agriculture term loan and for agriculture allied sectors it is Rs. 60.96 crore (18.74 per cent higher than last year).

Besides these, an amount of Rs. 157.92 crore has been allocated for Small Scale Industries, which is 4.78 per cent higher than the last year.

An outlay of Rs.280.56 crore has been projected for other priority sectors such as transport, retail trade, small business professional and self-employed, housing and education loans. This is 60.52 per cent higher than the last fiscal.

Indian Bank Assistant General Manager G. Muthappan, Lead District Manager B. Vadivel and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Assistant General Manager V. Thirumalai participated.

SHG fair

Later, Mr. Sundara Rajan inaugurated an exhibition of products by the women Self-Help Groups from Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.

More than 15 groups participated in the exhibition and showcased their productes.

He also honoured 26 toppers of SSLC and Plus Two exams from both the districts.

All of them were given cheques ranging from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 at a simple function organised in Krishnagiri.