Three students of Government Higher Secondary Schools in Krishnagiri district secured State ranks in Telugu and Kannada.

M. Hemavathi of Government Higher Secondary School, Hosur, scored 96 marks in Telugu and was the state topper in the subject. She scored 97 in English, centum in mathematics, 92 in science and 97 in social science with a total score of 482. R. Navitha from the same school scored 95 and secured state third rank in Telugu.

Kannada

N. Thyagaraja of Government Higher Secondary School, Madhagondapalli near Hosur emerged state topper in Kannada with 94 marks. Thyagaraja had secured 431 out of 500 marks.

Rular Secure Topper in SSLC

Students from rural background performed well in the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examinations in Krishnagiri district.

District toppers

J. Jegan of Government Higher Secondary School, Uthangarai and S. Sarathy of Our Lady Higher Secondary School were the district toppers in the SSLC examinations with a total score of 491 out of 500 marks .

Jegan scored centum in mathematics, 97 each in Tamil and English, 99 in science and 98 in social science. While S. Sarathy scored centum in mathematics and science, 97 in Tamil, 96 in English and 98 in social science.

M. Karthick of Government Higher Secondary School, Velampatti, A. Imran Basha of Our Lady Higher Secondary School, Madhagondapalli, P. Hari Baskar of Government Higher Secondary School, Uthangarai and S. Reena of Anna Arivagam Higher Secondary School, Pochampalli and K. Sornamugi of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Uthangarai shared the second rank in the district with a score of 490.

The third place was shared by A. Vignesh of Government Boys Higher Secondary School, R.L. Deekshita and R. Sivasruthi of Government Girls Higher Secondary School. They had scored 489 marks.

Pass percentage

The pass percentage of the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Hosur, was 78.33 per cent.

Last year it was 67 per cent.

Hogenakkal project will be fast-tracked, says Minister

The Hogenakkal Drinking Water and Fluorosis Mitigation Project will be implemented as quickly as possible, said K.P. Munusamy, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, here on Saturday.

After taking charge as Minister, Mr. Munusamy visited his native district on Saturday.

He was given a rousing welcome at Velakalnatham, the district border with Vellore, Bargur and in Krishnagiri town.

He was received by C. Prakasam, Collector-in-Charge, at the Travellers Bungalow belonging to the Forest Department on Bangaluru Road. Police and district officials met the Minister at the bungalow for a brief period.

The Minister told reporters that the Hogenakkal Drinking Water and Fluorosis Mitigation Project was the brain child of former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran. Hence the scheme to benefit 30 lakh people of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri district would be implemented as quickly as possible with guidance from Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. The scheme would be inaugurated by the Chief Minister.

Earlier, Mr. Munusamy garlanded the statue of MGR at Bargur, Anna statues at Raasi Veedhi in Krishnagiri and at Kaveripattinam.

Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri students secure State ranks

Students from Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts bagged State ranks in the matriculation stream.

M. Anitha of Senthil Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Dharmapuri was one among the state toppers with a score of 493 out of 500 marks. V. Veenapriyalakshmi of the same school secured state second with a total of 492 marks.

S. Poongothai and C. Pavithra of Sri Vidhyamandhir Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Uthangarai are sharing the state third rank with a total of 491 marks.

M. Anitha, daughter of K. Mani, a Head Constable at the Police Control room in Dharmapuri town, wants to become a Cardiologist.

She dedicated her achievement to the school, parents and well wishers.

Second rank holder V. Veenapriyalakshmi wants to become an Astronomer.

She is planning to pursue Computer Science in Plus One.

Quarry workers seek protection from usurer

Family members of the quarry workers who were allegedly threatened by a gang involved in usury at Dharmaraja Nagar in Kallukurukki Village near Krishnagiri.

Six families hailing from Dharmaraja Nagar in Kallukurukki Village, hardly 8 km from Krishnagiri town, have alleged that they are living under constant threat from a gang involved in usury.

Easwaran, head of one of the six families, said that they worked as bonded labourers in a stone quarry owned by a gang involved in usury for the past 25 years.

Since the labourers wanted to provide quality education to their wards, they left the quarry three months ago and joined another quarry.

Irked by the decision of the workers, the gang had allegedly asked the families to return the paltry amount that they took as loan while working as bonded labourers.

The gang had reportedly taken their signatures on empty stamp papers and receipts stating that the workers had assured to pay the balance amount in three months. Mr. Easwaran said that he had repaid Rs. 55,000 for the Rs. 60,000 he took as loan. But the gang has asked him to pay Rs. 60,000 more.

Five other workers were also going through a similar situation, he said.

Petition

The families have decided to submit a petition to District Collector V. Arun Roy during the grievance day meeting to be held today.

Police recover jewellery, four held

Prompt action:Krishnagiri Superintendent of Police C. Maheshwari (middle)
having a look at the recovered jewellery at the District Police Office on Saturday. —

KRISHNAGIRI: Police have recovered 39.5 sovereigns of gold jewellery and Rs. 35,000 cash that were stolen from the house of a Border Security Force constable M. Manohar in Shoolagiri on Wednesday night and from a private company official Thangaraj at Mathigiri and from his wife in the residence in Hosur on May 5.

Four persons were arrested in this connection.

Superintendent of Police C. Maheswari told reporters here on Saturday that five special teams were formed for investigation.

The culprits in the Shoolagiri house-breaking case were caught during a vehicle check near Kuruparanthapalli when they were going in a bike on the Bangalore-Krishnagiri National Highway in the early hours on Saturday. The jewellery pledged with one of their relatives was recovered and handed over to the owner. Those arrested are N. Anandakumar and P. Nagendran, both hailing from Shoolagiri.

During investigation, both of them confessed that they were also involved in another theft case reported in a locked shop in Shoolagiri from which Rs. 16,000 was looted.

The duo was produced before a local court and was remanded to judicial custody.

In connection with robbing at knife-point a private company official Thangaraj at Mathigiri and from his wife in the residence by masked men in Hosur on May 5, two persons R. Rajesh and his school mate A. Sudhakar were arrested by the special teams at Bharathi Nagar in Hosur on Friday.

The culprits were trapped with the help of the mobile phone they had used while robbing Thangaraj and his wife.

Ms. Maheshwari also gave away cash rewards to the special teams.

R.V. Ramya Bharati, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Hosur, R. Senthil Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police, and other police officials were present.

45 sovereigns of gold jewellery, cash stolen from house

For clues:Forensic experts taking finger prints from the house of a

BSF constable at Kamarajar Colony in Shoolagiri town on Thursday.

krishnagiri: Unidentified persons have stolen 45 sovereigns of gold jewellery and Rs. 7,000 cash from a house at Kamarajar Colony in Shoolagiri town. The incident came to light when the owner of the house G. Manohar, a Border Security Force constable, returned from a vacation along with the family.

Mr. Manohar told The Hindu that the family left for Coimbatore on Monday night and returned on Thursday. The burglary came to light when they entered the house and found the wardrobe opened and various items strewn around the room. The thieves gained entry into the house by breaking the iron rods of the ventilator in the kitchen. Sniffer dogs were pressed into service and forensic team took finger prints from the house. Shoolagiri police have registered a case and are investigating

Summer sports training camp

As many as 120 students participated in summer sports training camp organised by the Sports Development Authority of Tamilnadu (SDAT) at the District Sports Stadium for 15 days from May 2-16.

The students were given intensive coaching in the morning and evening as per their choice with three meals a day. Coaching was given in athletics, football, handball, taekwondo.

Collector V. Arun Roy gave away certificate to the participants at the valedictory function held on May 16 in the presence of L. Theerthos, District Sports Officer. The participants were also given track suits.

On this occasion a student of SDAT V. Sonia who won the Gold medal in the national level taekwondo competition for school students in 41 to 44 kg section was congratulated by Mr. Roy.

Distribution of applications begins for DIET

The distribution of applications for the diploma in teacher training education began at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Krishnagiri.

The applications will be issued up to June 3. Aspirants could obtain the forms by producing a DD favour ing Director, Directorate of Teacher Education Research and Training (DTERT), Chennai-6. before 5 p.m. on June 6.

22 goats die as lorry overturns

A total of 22 goats died as a lorry carrying 150 goats overturned near Krishnagiri on Thursday. Police sources said that the lorry carrying goats from Thavanagare in Karnataka to Salem lost control near Kaveripattinam in Krishnagiri district and overturned. The lorry driver V. Suresh from Salem was arrested

PU schools told to finish repairs before May

K. Allaudin (centre), Principal Secretary,
Rural Development Department addressing
a review meeting at the Collectorate in Krishnagiri on Friday.

Officials of the Rural Development Department have been instructed to finish repair works of the Panchayat Union schools before the end of May.

Addressing the review meeting at the Collectorate here on Friday, K. Allaudin, Principal Secretary, Rural Development Department, directed the officials to complete the repair works under progress before the reopening of schools in June.

The official was informed that there were 173 works under progress at a cost of Rs. 1.24 crore.

He also advised the Collector and Additional Collector to inspect the repair works periodically for a quick finish.

Mr. Allaudin reviewed the works being implemented under Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (AGAMT), Namakku Naame Thittam, Road works under NABARD scheme, Rural Roads scheme, Kalaignar Veetu Vasathi Thittam, works implemented under the MPLAD, and MLALAD.

Mr. Allaudin said under the AGAMT, 69 development works such as digging of ponds, laying roads, building libraries and Anganwadi centres were finished at a cost of Rs. 3.38 crore.

Under the Member of Paliament's Local Area Development fund, 125 works were taken at a cost of Rs. 2.1 crores.

Of this, 98 works were completed and under the Member of Legislative Assembly's Local Area Development scheme, 598 works were under at a cost of Rs. 7.75 crores. Of this, 434 works have been completed.

Officials also informed Mr. Allaudin that under the scheme to improve rural amenities, 1269 works were undertaken at a cost of Rs. 12 crore. Of this, 948 works have been finished, and under the Namakku Naame Thittam, 61 works have been planned at a cost of Rs. 1.51 crore.

Of this, 44 works have been finished. The Commissioners of the Panchayat Unions have been asked to finish the works under progress before the onset of monsoon i.e. before June end.

He was also apprised about the development works regarding the establishing of new Samathuvapuram at Kathavanai in Uthangarai Panchayat Union.

Mr. Allaudin also reviewed the operations of the Mahalir Thittam such as training programmes for self employment and whether the loans to the SHGs are distributed properly.

Later, Mr. Allaudin inspected the construction work of Panchayat Union Building at a cost of Rs. 2.45 crore at Krishnagiri, road laying works in Krishnagiri, Hosur and other parts of the district.

TANGEDCO's OHT wires stolen

KRISHNAGIRI: Unidentified miscreants toppled nearly 15 Low Tension and High Tension electric posts in Nachikuppam Eri on Wednesday night and stole near four km length of OHT wires used for transmitting power.

Worth

The worth of the stolen aluminium wire roughly cost Rs. 1 lakh, officials of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) said.

Earlier, such thefts have happened in and around Berigai and Shoolagiri.

Officials suspected that the same group might have indulged in power line theft this time, too.

A complaint was lodged with the Veppanahalli police station, the sources in the TANGEDCO said.

Staff for counting to be selected through randomisation

KRISHNAGIRI: The staff for counting of votes polled in the Assembly elections to be held on May 13 at the Government Polytechnic College in Krishnagiri town will be selected through randomisation method, V. Arun Roy, Collector and District Election Officer, said here on Wednesday.

Addressing the returning officers and other district officials regarding the arrangements for the counting, Mr. Roy said, each table in the counting centre will be manned by a monitoring officer, an assistant and a micro-observer. The staff for the counting duty would be selected through a computerised randomisation method.

The returning officers were instructed to begin the process of selection of staff and other arrangements for the counting centre as there is only nine days left.

The meeting was attended by the C. Prakasam, District Revenue Officer, G. Lakshmi Priya, Additional Collector (Development), DRDA, K. Ramesh, Personal Assistant to Collector (Elections), returning officers of the six constituencies, and T. Manoharan, Public Relations Officer, DIPR, says a release.

14 injured as police lathicharge

As many as 14 villagers, including four women, were injured in a police lathicharge when they protested against drawing of overhead power line in a small lane in Erikollakodu village in Sigaralapalli Panchayat, near Bargur, on Saturday.

They were arrested by the Bargur police and remanded in custody for 15 days by Krishnagiri Judicial Magistrate I V. Sundararajan.

A case has been registered against them under sections 147, 341, 294 B, 353 and 506 (1) of IPC.

9 girls rescued from mill

Nine girls, including four child workers, who were tortured mentally and threatened at work in a spinning mill at Kunnathur, have been rescued and handed over to the police.

They have been rehabilitated at a women's home at Thirumurganpoondi here by National Child Labour Project (NCLP) officials.

The girls hailing from Krishnagiri, were brought to the mill by an agent recently.

They were threatened by the manager for some reasons. The girls managed to escape from the mill premises and were wandering around. Members of the public sought police assistance on learning about the plight of the girls.

Rain with gusty winds lashes Krishnagiri

Rain accompanied by gusty winds lashed Krishnagiri town and surrounding areas on Saturday afternoon. Due to this, people were forced to wade through knee-deep water in many low-lying areas in the town for about an hour.