Land grabbing: one more detained under Goondas Act

T. Raja Reddy alias Kulla Reddy (49) hailing from Kothur village near Mookandapalli in SIPCOT, Hosur on Thursday night. With this, the number of persons detained under Goondas Act relating to the land grabbing cases has risen to two in Krishnagiri district.

Earlier, Mr. Gnaneswaran of Pochampalli was detained under Goondas Act. A release from N. Kannan, Superintendent of Police said that the detention under the Goondas Act was recommended to the Collector, since the accused was found involved in many cases of land grabbing cases in the district. Based the recommendations, the Collector C.N. Maheshwaran has ordered to detain T. Raja Reddy under Goondas Act.

Four cases were registered against him by the Anti Land Grabbing Cell under sections 147 (unlawful assembly), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 447 (criminal trespass), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 420 (criminal conspiracy) and 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code.

He was arrested by the Anti Land Grabbing Cell last month and was lodged in Salem Central Prison. The detention order under Goondas Act was served to him at the prison on Thursday night.

Mr. S.R. Senthil Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police heading the Anti Land Grabbing Cell told The Hindu on Friday that the accused used to register valuable lands with forged documents in his name and then threatening the original owners and grabbed the land with meagre amount. Mr. Kumar said so fare 931 petitions were received by the special cell from the affected persons. On the basis of the prima facie evidence 21 First Information Reports were registered and 25 persons were arrested.

About ten acres of land worth Rs. 3.5-crores were retrieved and handed over to the aggrieved persons, he adds.

Bed and breakfast scheme to be expanded

he Tourism Department of the Tamil Nadu government has decided to expand the bed and breakfast scheme, under which domestic and foreign tourists are allowed to stay in the houses of residents in tourist spots. The scheme will cover the place of stay having excellent infrastructure facilities and who are willing to let tourists stay in their houses.

According to a release from the District Collectors, C.N. Maheshwaran (Krishnagiri) and R. Lilly (Dharmapuri), the tourists visiting both these districts were benefiting by the bed and breakfast scheme which was already introduced in Tamil Nadu.

The department has published a directory of house-owners who have expressed willingness to allow tourists to stay in their houses.

Having decided to expand the scheme, the Tourism Department has invited applications from house-owners in Krishnagiri/Dharmapuri district whose houses have all tourist infrastructure facilities such as air-conditioned rooms, telephone, clean drinking water, toilets and the facility of providing food if the tourists wish, to participate in the scheme.

On receipt of applications, the tourist officer would inspect their houses and send a report to the Commissioner of Tourism, Chennai. After getting the approval of the Commissioner, the houses of the applicants which have been selected, would be publicised in such a way as to benefit both the tourists and the house-owners.

Interested house-owners are requested to contact M. Rajadurai, Tourist Officer, Tamil Nadu Government Tourist Office, Fort, Vellore.

Burglary attempt at co-op bank

An attempt to burgle the Agricultural Cooperative Bank in Sapparam, near Kaveripattinam, in Krishnagiri district on Friday night was foiled as the burglar alarm went off.

The police sources said that as soon as the burglars broke open the main shutters, the alarm went off. On hearing the alarm, the villagers rushed to the bank and informed the police and the officials. Ravikumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, inspected the bank along with the Kaveripattinam police.

Further investigation is on.

Sangam plea to Chief Minister on rail line project

The Krishnagiri Rail, Bus Passengers Sangam has appealed to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to urge the Union Government to take up the long-pending Rs. 687.92-crore Jolarpet-Hosur broad gauge rail line project pending with the Railway Board.

In a petition submitted to the Chief Minister through Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development K.P. Munusamy, the Sangam urged the State Government to pressurise Centre as the project will stimulate the economic development of the district.

Over 2,000 industries, lakhs of people from different parts of the southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala would be benefited if the new rail line comes into existence, it said. The office-bearers told The Hindu that they were invited by the Minister to come to Chennai to discuss about the project before taking up the matter with the Chief Minister.

E.N. Mani, secretary of the Sangam, also enclosed a letter received from R. Ramanahan, Chief Administrative Officer, Southern Railways dated February 2, 2011. In his letter, Mr. Ramanathan had stated that the project cost was revised to Rs. 687.92-crore and sent for the decision of the Railway Board.

The Sangam staged a series of agitations jointly with the various traders' associations urging the Union Government to include the project in the last Railway Budget.

Over 1,300 idols to be immersed in water bodies by Tuesday

Idols of Ganesha being immersed at the Krishnagiri Reservoir Project near Krishnagiri by the devotees on Sunday. Photo: N. Bashkaran.

The air in the region bears festivity and zest as this year's Ganesh Chaturthi moves to a colourful finish by Tuesday, when about 1,300 idols would be immersed in water bodies of the district.

This is a first of sorts in the entire western region spanning Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Namakkal, Tiruppur, Coimbatore and the Nilgiris, as the number of idols that were immersed in the district in the last two days crossed the 1000 mark. Three hundred more idols of the elephant-headed God would be immersed into water bodies by Tuesday.

Idols were taken out in a procession through Krishnagiri, Hosur, Denkanikottai, Uthangarai and surrounding areas, and immersed in the water bodies allowed by the police. The processions passed through important thoroughfares .

People also immersed idols in Krishnagiri Reservoir Project in Krishnagiri, South Pennar River in Kaveripattinam, Arasampatti and Barur, Ariyakkal Eri near Maharajakadai, and Markandeya River in Veppanahalli.

The district administration has issued a warning that it would initiate legal action against those immersing idols made of plaster of paris and coloured /polished with paints, varnish, distemper or other chemicals in water sources during the celebrations. The police had made heavy security arrangements, and no untoward incidents were reported on Saturday and Sunday.

However, despite the warning, many in groups brought several idols made of plaster of paris and coloured/polished with paints for immersion.

Social activists say that eco-friendly practices while celebrating the festival could be brought about only by educating the public especially teenagers, who are now in the fore front of organising the Chathurthi festival in many parts of the towns and villages.

Cattle protection scheme will lead to “White Revolution”: Minister

Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development administering oral vaccination to a cow at Thimmavaram ,near Krishnagiri on Sunday. Collector C.N. Maheshwaran (right) and Uthangarai M.L.A. Ms. Manoranjitham Nagarajan are in the picture. Photo: N. Bashkaran

The cattle protection scheme announced by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa will lead to another “White Revolution” in the State, said K.P. Munusamy, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, here on Sunday.

Launching the scheme at Thimmavaram village near Krishnagiri, Mr. Munusamy said the AIADMK government was taking various steps to upgrade the standard of living of farmers and this scheme was the first step in this direction.

The Minister said 5,500 special medical camps for the cattle heads would be conducted in every nook and corner of the State at a cost of Rs. 2.31-crore during this fiscal.

Mobile veterinary team recently introduced in the district would come to the rescue of farmers over a phone call. The district administration was planning to introduce a toll-free helpline. Farmers' could make a request through the helpline, Mr. Munusamy said.

The Collector would initiate action against officials if they were not quick enough to attend the helpline calls from farmers.

Distribution of free milch cow and goat scheme to the landless farm labourers from September 15 would improve their economic conditions. Three female and one male goats would be distributed to rural women, Mr. Munusamy added.

Later, the Minister administered oral vaccination to the cattle heads and gave away prizes for the best maintenance of the cattle head.

V. Gnanaubakaram, Regional Joint Director, H. Arulmozhithevan, Assistant Director, Animal Husbandry Department, participated.