Four arrested for murder

As many as four people were arrested on Sunday in connection with a murder that took place in Sikkarimedu village, on the Krishangiri-Bangalore National Highways, recently.

According to police, Kannan (60), a security guard at a hotel in Bolupalli village, was found murdered in a mango orchard near Krishnagiri on December 17. The arrested were Babu (31) of Kattinayanapalli, his friend Vinoth alias Vinoth Kumar (32) and Sami alias Sathiyanarayana and Muniyammal. Kurubarapalli police have registered a case and are investigating.

Minister to distribute welfare assistance

Statesman C. Rajagopalachari’s 134th birth anniversary will be observed on Sunday at his residence in Thorappalli near Hosur. Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development K.P. Munusamy would participate in the function and distribute welfare assistance to the tune of Rs. 1.75-crore to 428 beneficiaries.

The Minister would distribute bicycles worth Rs. 38.70 lakh to 1,218 students at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Krishnagiri, Later he would distribute free home appliances to as many as 5,974 beneficiaries at Melsomarpet in Paiyanapalli village near Krishnagiri, Masinayakkanapalli, Govinda Agraharam, Sevaganapalli and Sathyamangalam. New Collector T.P. Rajesh, who will be joining duty on Sunday morning, will preside over the functions, says a release issued by the DIPR here said.

Banking services hit as employees go on strike

Vociferous opposition:Members of Bank Employees Federation 

of India (BEFI) and other unions staged a demonstration 

in front of the main branch of Indian Bank in Krishnagiri on 

Thursday, to protest against the passage of Banking Law 

Amendment Bill in Parliament. -Photo: N.Bashkaran

Opposition to passage of Banking Law Amendment Bill

Banking services were hit in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts on Thursday due to the strike call given by Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA) and National Union Bank Employees (NUBE) to protest against the passage of Banking Law Amendment Bill, thus increasing the voting rights of private capital in public sector banks increased to as much as 10 per cent from 1 per cent and 26 per cent from 10 per cent in case of private sector banks.

The bank unions were also opposing the merger of banks in name of functional improvement; opposing the schemes to bail out corporate defaulters and also to stop licenses to corporate houses to start their own banks.

As part of the all-India strike, the services in the nationalized banks and some of the private banks were totally hit except in the State Bank of India. A top official told The Hindu that though the doors of the all the branches of the commercial banks and Regional Rural Banks were kept open, only internal transactions took place with the help of the officials affiliated to other unions.

Money transactions i.e. withdrawals and payments in the banks were total hit in the commercial and Regional Rural Banks.

The cheque clearing operations were hit in the two districts, this resulted in over Rs. 20-crore business being affected in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts.

There were 134 branches of commercial banks including 16 Regional Rural Banks in which services were completed affected in Krishnagiri.

Operations in 80 branches of the commercial banks and also the Regional Rural Banks were affected, the sources said. A demonstration was held in front of the main branch of the Indian Bank in Krishnagiri. The demonstration was presided over by S. Hari Rao, Secretary, Indian Bank Employees Association (BEFI). Speeches were given by R. Senguttuvan (AIBEA), K. Agoram, State Vice President, TNGEA, and Thomas Suthanthiradoss, Branch Secretary, AIIEA. V. Sivaprakash, EC member, Indian Bank Employees Association proposed vote of thanks.

Funds sanctioned for medical treatment of revenue official

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa sanctions Rs. 2,99,210 towards medical expenses

A.R. Nagaraj (56), Divisional Excise Officer in the Tahsildar cadre, sustained severe injuries in a road accident on the Krishnagiri-Chennai National Highways on July 10, after inspecting a TASMAC shop.

Knocked down

He was knocked down by a car near the Collectorate and admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru for treatment.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has sanctioned Rs. 2,99,210 towards medical expenses incurred for his treatment at the hospital from the CM’s Relief Fund through GO (2D) No. 576 dated December 12 on the basis of the appeal given by the Tamil Nadu Revenue Officials’ Association (TNROA) through the then Collector C.N. Maheshwaran.

In a press release that was issued here on Thursday, P. Vijayaragavan, District President, TNROA, thanked the Chief Minister for the help rendered to the family of the official who is on the verge of retirement.

Mr. Vijayaraghavan told The Hindu that the official was fully recovered and is undergoing Magisterial training for Tahsildhars.

Appeal

He recalled that the association had appealed to the Chief Minister to bear the entire medical expenses for the then District Collector Pooja Kularni, her personal clerk G. Jaishankar and the driver C. Sivanandam who were injured in the road accident that occurred near Anjaneyar Temple on the Krishnagiri-Chennai National Highway on December 1.

MDMK campaign seeks total prohibition

The cadre of Marumalarchi Dravidar Munnetra Kazhagam on Wednesday undertook a campaign urging the government to implement total prohibition.

The cadre, led by party district secretary T.G. Madhaiyan, distributed pamphlets about the evils of consuming liquor.

Party sources said such campaign and pamphlet distribution would be continued in all the 10 panchayat unions in the coming days.

Laptops distributed

The Backward Class Hostel for college girls in Krishnagiri will function soon, said C. Prakasam, Collector (in charge), here on Wednesday.

Distributing laptops to 451 students, costing Rs. 6.32 lakh at the Government Polytechnic College, Mr. Prakasam said that the students should use the gadget purposefully to enhance knowledge.

They can prepare themselves for the competitive examinations, he added.

Municipal Chairman K.R.C. Thangamuthu was present at the function.

K. Venkatraman, Principal, welcomed the gathering.

S. Maheshwaran, Tahsildar, proposed a vote of thanks.

No major projects for Krishnagiri

There are no major announcements that could rekindle the development activities in Krishnagiri district in the Chief Minister’s speech that was made at the end of the three-day conference of the District Collectors and Superintendents of Police in Chennai on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has announced that three temporary check-posts established by the police bordering Karnataka at Anekkal, TVS and either Poonapalli or Neralagiri would be made permanent and necessary structures would be provided.

The decisions were taken based on the request made by Superintendent of Police M. Ashok Kumar.

Thally MLA case transferred

The case relating to the murder of Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam district convener T. Palanisamy on July 5 this year was on Wednesday committed to a sessions court for trial.

The case was transferred to the District Sessions Court in Krishnagiri from the court of the Judicial Magistrate II.

Communist Party of India MLA from Thally T. Ramachandran, his brother T. Varadarajan, father-in-law Laghumiah and some others are among the 25 accused in the case.

All of them were brought from the Central Prison in Salem and produced before the Judicial Magistrate on Wednesday afternoon.

Ten more cases relating to threat to murder, assault and illegal granite mining against the MLA and other are pending in the Magistrate’s court.

75 revenue assistants posted

As many as 75 revenue assistants were appointed for the Krishnagiri district through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, says a release from the district unit of the Tamil Nadu Revenue Officials’ Association (TNROA) here on Tuesday.

P. Vijayaraghavan, District President, TNROA said that the candidates were selected through the Group II competitive examinations and the counselling conducted by the TNPSC. With this, the entire vacant posts in the revenue department were filled up in the district.

Students block road

Third year undergraduate students of the Government Arts College for Men staged a road blockade on Tuesday morning demanding free laptops. As many as 80 students squatted on the Bangalore-Chennai National Highways demanding the authorities to issue laptops immediately.

The college principal tried to pacify the students. Krishnagiri Tahsildhar Maheshwaran and Inspector Anbumani reached the college and held talks with the students.

The students said that if they were provided laptops it would be useful for them for project work.

‘Lock liquor shop’ agitation: Over 300 PMK cadre arrested

Over 300 cadre of Pattali Makkal Katchi were arrested when they resorted to lock the TASMAC shops demanding total prohibition in the state, police sources here said.

The police said that the agitation was held in about 19 places including Krishnagiri, Hosur towns in the district.

The cadre raised slogans against the government and accused of encouraging the people to become liquor addicts.

The arrested were taken to a marriage hall and released in the evening, police said.

Preventive arrest

As a preventive measure, the police on Sunday night arrested 52 PMK cadre including State Deputy Secretary of the party T.G. Madheswaran. They were lodged in Salem Central Prison.

Forest officials rescue ant eater

It was taken to Forest Rangers Office for protection

A three-month-old Indian female Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) was rescued by the forest officials behind the Government Arts College for Men on the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway on Saturday morning.

Local people noticed the ant eater and informed the Forest Rangers Office in Krishnagiri.

A. Babu, Ranger, Krishnagiri Forest Range told The Hindu that the pangolin was brought to the Rangers Office.

Mr. Babu said that Manis crassicaudata is the biological name of the species.

It is categorized as Schedule I animal and belonged to an endangered species.

The number of these animals has been coming down fast owing to illegal hunting for medicinal value.

Hunting of the animal will attract a minimum punishment of three years imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 10,000 as per the Wildlife Protection Act. The Forest Department was taking efforts to protect the animals and prevent them from being decimated.

Over the last two years, three pangolins had been rescued in a village near Bargur and in Pazhayapet area in Krishnagiri town, Mr. Babu said.

New Collector for Krishnagiri district

T.P. Rajesh (49), a 2004 batch IAS officer, has been appointed as the seventh Collector for the Krishnagiri district on Sunday.

Takes charge

Collectorate sources told The Hindu that the new Collector took charge at the Secretariat immediately after the appointment.

He earlier served as the Director of Town Planning in Chennai.

Mr. Rajesh joined the government service as Group I officer in the year 1995, sources said.

Mr. Rajesh replaces Pooja Kulkarni, who sustained injuries in a road accident in Krishnagiri on December 1.

Man surrenders in court

Mohan Kumar of Krishnagiri town surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate Court-V in Vellore on Saturday in connection with the murder of Sayeed Aslam (23) of Pudupettai in Krishnagiri district, police said.

Aslam was found murdered with his throat slit at the ‘dhobi ghat’ at Erikodi in Tirupattur on November 20.

DYFI cadre undertake padayatra

Urging the State Government to fill vacancies in various departments and to highlight various other demands, the cadre of Democratic Youth Federation of India began ‘padayatra’ from eight locations in the State on Sunday. The yatra began simultaneously in Chennai, Kanyakumari, Coimbatore, Puducherry, Tiruvallur, Rameswaram, Hosur and Theni.

As part of the call given by the party’s State unit, the padayatra in Krishnagiri district began at Denkanikottai on Sunday and reached Shoolagiri on Monday noon. The yatra was expected to reach Krishnagiri on Tuesday (December 11).

The cadre would converge in Tiruchi on December 18 via Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal and Karur district, organisers said.

The padayatra at Denkanikottai was lead by the party’s state deputy secretary K. Prabhakaran and State Committee member S.K. Sekkar.

The yatra was flagged off by D. Ravindran, State General Secretary, Tamilnadu Sugarcane Farmers’ Association. M. Annamalai, Party's district president, L. Aswath Narayanan, district secretary and others participated.

Speaking to The Hindu K. Prabhakaran said that there are over two lakh posts vacant in various government departments and urged the State to take steps to fill the posts.

Krishnagiri Collector injured in road accident and her aide dead

Add caKrishnagiri Collector injured in road accident and her aide dead

Krishnagiri Collector Pooja Kulkarni’s duffadar G. Muniraj (55) died while the Collector and two others suffered injuries in a road accident here on Saturday. 

The Collector suffered a fracture on the nose. Her Personal Clerk G. Jaishankar (36) and driver C. Sivanandam (46) are the other injured persons, the police said. 

M. Ashok Kumar, Superintendent of Police, told The Hindu that the accident took place near the Anjaneyar Temple on the Bangalore-Chennai National Highway. 

He said the driver of the Collector’s official vehicle swerved to the left and rammed a stationary bus while trying to avoid colliding with a car that took a U-turn and came in the opposite direction. 

Sources in the district administration said that the Collector was heading for Morur, the native village of the District Revenue Officer C. Prakasam, whose father died on Saturday morning. 

Doctors at the Government Headquarters Hospital here said that in addition to the treatment for the fracture in the nose, Ms. Kulkarni underwent a computed tomography (CT) scan, which did not reveal any serious head injury. She was, however, referred to a hospital specialising in neurology in Bangalore for a detailed evaluation. 

Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development K.P. Munusamy also rushed to the Krishnagiri hospital and made arrangements for shifting the Collector to the Bangalore hospital. 

Driver C. Sivanandam was treated for cut injuries on the cheek. Both of them were said to be out of danger. 

The body of the dufedar was handed over to his family members after post-mortem at the Krishnagiri GH.

Chief Minister announces relief

Expressing shock over the incident, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced in a press release that Rs. 1 lakh would be provided as relief to the accident victim’s family.

AIADMK Councillor attends meeting called by Opposition

L.S. Sigikrishna (AIADMK), Councillor, on Friday attended a ‘parallel’ meeting of the Hosur Municipal Council called by the Opposition at the Tamil Nadu Hotel, which ‘passed’ a resolution condemning the actions of the Municipal Chairman.

A copy of the resolution was sent to officials and the Minister concerned.

The meeting was attended by 20 Councillors.

The meeting was convened in protest against non allocation of funds to Wards represented by Opposition Councillors. K. Subramani alias Ellora Mani (Ward 33), a senior Councillor, ‘chaired’ the meeting.

In the meantime, the meeting convened by P. Balakrishna Reddy, Council Chairman, was attended by 24 Councillors.

Some of them complained that some construction companies were selling house properties without permission to the people.

Mr. Balakrishnan promised to take appropriate action.

A monthly council meeting convened at the Krishnagiri Municipality was reportedly cancelled by Chairman K.R.C. Thanga muthu on Thursday. The meeting was called at 4 p.m. Opposition councillors came to the meeting at 3.45 p.m. But no official or the chairman turned up for the meeting. Municipal staff told the Councillors that the meeting was cancelled by the chairman in the morning itself. Angered over this, some of the Councillors threw chairs and left the council hall shouting slogans against the chairman’s attitude.

Earlier, the Councillors had met the District Collector and had submitted a petition against the autocratic behaviour of the Municipal Chairman during council meetings. They said many resolutions were passed without discussion.

Wild elephant problem continues

The menace of wild elephants in the vicinity of the Denkanikottai, Anchetti, Sanamavu and Nagonur reserve forests in Krishnagiri district continues for the past 15 days.

Even as a team of forest officials and employees chased away a herd of 34 wild elephants from Sanamavu and Podur Pallam reserve forests adjoining the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway a few days ago, another herd consisting of 12 elephants entered Podur Pallam in Sanamavu forest on Monday night and damaged the ragi crops in Jingiripalli and its surroundings.

A pair of elephants camping in Podur Pallam area for the past five months was not in a position to accept the new gang and hence, the pair tried to chase away the new herd. People living in the surrounding villages are living in fear over the clash among the elephant groups.

A.K. Ulaganathan, District Forest Officer, told The Hindu on Wednesday that a team of officials and employees were on the task of chasing away the new group. Meanwhile, the survey on the crop damage would be done by the officials soon and the compensation would be disbursed to the farmers, Mr. Ulaganathan added.

Steps to bring Krishnagiri under rail network, says Governor

“Jolarpet-Krishnagiri-Hosur rail service will be expedited”

Governor K. Rosiah (second right) distributing ‘Mother Teresa Insurance Policy for Self-Help Groups’ in Krishnagiri on Saturday.

Governor K. Rosaiah has said that Krishnagiri town and the industrial town Hosur will be brought under the railway network.

Distributing ‘Mother Teresa Insurance Policy for Self-Help Groups’ of the United India Insurance Company Limited at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Krishnagiri on Saturday, Mr. Rosaiah said that he will do everything possible to bring rail service to Hosur via Krishnagiri.

He assured the people that he will speak to Surya Prakash Reddy, Minister for Railways, to expedite the Jolarpet-Krishnagiri-Hosur rail service as early as possible.

Mr. Rosaiah said that insurance was a social protection, all sections should have insurance policies. People have invested around Rs. 54,100 crore in the insurance sector.

The insurance sector had improved 23 per cent last year and it was around 18 per cent during the current year. As many as 24 companies are in life insurance business and 27 companies are engaged in general insurance sector.

The pros and cons of the insurance should be properly explained to the youth and the general public in such a way that they understand it.

The United India Insurance Company Limited had 24 micro branches in remote areas in the State to serve the rural masses.

It is implementing the Chief Minister’s Special Medical Insurance Scheme for the poor in the State.

Mr. Rosaiah also said that the benefits of the insurance sector should reach all sections of the society.

Earlier, he distributed 5,500 policies. A total of 45 differently-abled, 200 NCC cadets, 3,772 women, and 1,306 men from SHGs were issued policies on free of cost.

C. Narasimhan, former MP, Chairman and Managing Director, Raasi Group of Companies, had sponsored the policies for the poor. Mr. Narasimhan welcomed the gathering. Milind Kharat, Chairman and Managing Director, United India Insurance Company Limited, participated.

Minister inaugurates road works

Local people seek improvement of basic amenities

Lending them an ear:Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development K.P. Munusamy interacting with local people after inaugurating road works at Agasipalli village near Krishnagiri on Sunday. -Photo: N.Bashkaran

Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development K.P. Munusamy inaugurated ten road works under the Pooled Assigned Revenue Scheme for 2012-13 and also under the Tamil Nadu Village Habitations Improvement (THAI) scheme for 2012-13, costing Rs. 2.11-crore.

Mini pumps

He also commissioned three mini pumps with plastic tanks for drinking water at a cost of Rs. 4.5 lakh under the Panchayat Union Central Fund for 2011-12 in the Krishnagiri Panchayat Union on Sunday.

On the occasion, people made various pleas to improve basic amenities such as provision of roadside drainage and community hall.

He directed the Block Development Officer to look into the issues raised by the people and asked him to prepare estimates for the demands of the public.

The Minister asked the president of the Kattiganapalli panchayat to replace the damaged overhead tank at Tiruvalluvar Nagar.

Community hall

Residents of the new TNHB Colony requested the Minister to take steps to construct a community hall at a public place for the benefit of the local people.

Mr. Munusamy said the request would be considered.

He also inaugurated water supply through plastic tanks attached with mini pump and bore well at a cost of Rs. 4.5 lakh at Kittampatti Colony, Madamandai village and Mecherikottai village.

K. Ashok Kumar, Chairman, District Panchayat and officials from the District Rural Development Agency accompanied the Minister.

Indian Bank opens branch in Hosur

Indian Bank, the Lead District Bank in Dharmapuri circle comprising Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, opened its 49th branch in the circle, the second in Hosur, on Bangalore Road on Saturday. Collector Pooja Kulkarni inaugurated the branch in the presence of P. Arivanandam, General Manager (Credit), and R. Kirlosh Kumar, Joint Commissioner (CT), Large Tax Payers Unit, Chennai.

Rs. 37 lakh allocated for laying road in Police Housing Colony

Facilities at Armed Reserve Police Grounds to be upgraded

Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural DevelopmentK.P. Munusamy  inaugurating the road-laying work at the Police Quarters in Krishnagiri

Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development K.P. Munusamy has allocated Rs. 36.75 lakh under the MLA Local Area Development Fund for laying black-top road for the Police Housing Colony in Krishnagiri.

The road-laying work was inaugurated by the Minister recently in the presence of the Superintendent of Police, M. Ashok Kumar.

On the occasion, the Minister also inaugurated sapling planting drive around the colony. Lauding the good work done by the Superintendent of Police, the Minister assured to extend the Hogenakkal Water Scheme to the Police Housing Colony.

He also assured to upgrade the facilities at the Armed Reserve Police Grounds in Krishnagiri.

K. Ashok Kumar, Chairman, District Panchayat, J. Dhanasekaran, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency, and .R. Senthil Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police, among others participated, a release said. Mr. Munusamy also gave away gold for mangal sutra and financial assistance to 602 beneficiaries to the tune of Rs. 1.70 crore in the presence of the District Collector, Pooja Kulkarni, recently.

Distributing the gold coins and marriage assistance, Mr. Munusamy said that in the first two quarters during the financial year, 1,600 beneficiaries were given gold and marriage assistance to the tune of Rs. 4.62 crore.

He lauded the efforts of the District Collector, Pooja Kulkarni, for her efforts to eradicate child marriages in the district. He appealed to the people to cooperate with the district administration to wean out the menace of child marriages.

Mr. Munusamy appealed to the beneficiaries to give good education to their wards, especially girls, as it will help them develop in their life and the economy as well.

C. Prakasam, District Revenue Officer, Manoranjitham Nagarajan, Uthangarai MLA, and others participated, a release said.

Head-on collision kills one in Bangalore-Chennai Highway

One person was killed and three others were injured in a road accident in Samalpallam village on the Bangalore-Chennai National Highway on Sunday morning. 

According to police, G. Rajesh Kumar (28) of Ramagoundanur of Omalur Taluk in Salem district was killed on the spot when the car in which he was driving towards Bangalore dashed against a car proceeding to Gudiyatham coming in the opposite direction after hitting a lorry from the backside. 

The freak accident took place around 7 a.m.. The driver Aadhimoolam, proceeding to Gudiyatham from Bangalore, lost control after hitting the lorry from the backside and jumped out of the centre median and dashed against the car coming in the opposite direction. 

The deceased was the driver of the car hired by Mr. Sivashanmugam’s family to travel from Omalur to Bangalore. Shivashanmugam, his wife Mekala and their son Karthikeyan were injured in the accident. All the four including the driver of the car were taken to the Government Headquarters’ Hospital in Krishnagiri. 

Shoolagiri police have registered a case and are investigating.

NCC cadets take out AIDS awareness rally

They highlight need to prevent disease from spreading

Students Took AIDS Awareness rally in Krishnagiri

Cadets of National Cadet Corps (NCC) from Government Higher Secondary School took out an awareness rally on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which severely affects the immune system in the human body, here on Friday.

The rally was flagged off by District Collector Pooja Kulkarni in the presence of the Chief Educational Officer S. Suganya and Resident Medical Officer Dr. Masilamani of the Government Headquarters Hospital, in Krishnagiri on Friday.

Over four hundred NCC cadets from Government Higher Secondary Schools in Krishnagiri, Elathagiri, Bargur, Kaveripattinam, Magalachinnampalli, Barur and Nagarasampatti in the district, participated in the rally.

Participating students raised slogans on the ill effects of HIV and carried placards with messages on the need to avoid HIV infection and the possibility of transmitting the disease to others.

The placards said that the killer virus attacks the immune system of the human body and leaves the body vulnerable to a variety of life-threatening infections and disorders.

The AIDS awareness rally started near the Government Boys Higher Secondary School on Gandhi Road in the town and went through the Five Road Junction, Taluk Office, Gandhi Road, Government Headquarters Hospital before ending at the starting point.

Village people rescue pangolin near government school in Krishnagiri

Animal was handed over to local forest officials

Ant-eater in school:Students are delighted on finding a pangolin near Panchayat Union Primary School in Kammampalli under Chinnepalli Panchayat near Krishnagiri on Friday.-Photo: N.Bashkaran 

A pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) was caught by villagers near a government school near Krishnagiri on Friday.

A. Babu, Ranger, Krishnagiri Forest Range told The Hindu Newspaper that the pangolin was found roaming near the Panchayat Union Primary School in Kammampalli village under the Chinnepalli Panchayat in Krishnagiri district on Friday morning at about 8.30 a.m.

Officials

Local people caught the animal and informed forest officials at Krishnagiri, who took it to the Forest Range Office.

Mr. Babu said that Manis crassicaudata is the biological name of the species.

It is categorized as Schedule I animal and belonged to an endangered species.

The number of these animals has been coming down fast owing to illegal hunting for medicinal value.

The Forest Department was taking efforts to protect the animals and prevent them from being decimated.

Over the last two years, two pangolins were rescued in a village near Bargur and in Pazhayapet area in Krishnagiri town, Mr. Babu said.

Elephants

Meanwhile, the two wild elephants that had been scaring people in and around Shoolagiri, Melumalai and Krishnagiri areas were driven towards the Chinnar River area from Melumalai Reserve Forests.

It is likely that the pair will be driven further into the reserve forests in Karnataka, Mr. Babu said.

Private school buses to go off the road

Protest to be staged on November 19 against provisions of government order

Buses operated by private schools in the State will go off the road on November 19 in protest against the implementation of G.O. No. 727 issued on September 30 by the government, said R. Chandrasekaran, President, Coordination Committee of the Tamil Nadu Private Schools Association here on Friday.

Secretaries D.C. Elangovan, K.R. Nandakumar and other office-bearers were present on the occasion.

The office bearers of the Coordination Committee said that the Association’s suggestions about the safety parameters to be adopted by the school buses were offered for consideration.

Even after receiving the suggestions from them, the government had decided to go ahead with the draft rules submitted to the High Court and had issued a government order.

The Association urged the government to reconsider and redraft the rules so that they are practically feasible for day-to-day operations of the schools.

Private schools are taking many precautions with regard to the safety of children. Despite this, isolated accidents were taking place due to human error.

The demands of the association are: 

Rule No. 5 (1) is impractical, i.e. related to appointing as bus assistants only those with conductor licence;

Rule No. 6 (5) mandating the school buses to lower the footboard to 250 mm to 300 mm from the ground is impractical, as it will pave way for damaging the footboard on speed breakers and the bad road conditions in rural areas, as it will force the managements to indulge in repairing the buses on day-to-day basis; 

Rule No. 6 (8) regarding bag racks; 

Rule No. 6 (12) stipulating the size of the emergency exit on the right side rear portion will weaken the strength of the bus; 

Rule 6 (16) insisting on fixing of speed governors will affect the life of the engine; Rule 8 for inspecting the vehicles by a five-member committee headed by the Regional Deputy Commissioner of Transport department is not feasible, due to this, over thousand buses could not be operated by the schools, resulting in inconvenience to students and parents, the office-bearers said further.

The Coordination Committee also appealed to the government to fix the minimum fees for the school students at Rs. 18,000 per year.

Delegation

They also said that a delegation of the Coordination Committee has planned to meet the Secretaries of the government and also the Transport Minister to press their plea.

Earlier, the Coordination Committee’s Krishnagiri District Unit’s meeting was held at Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Krishnagiri.

Over 2,000 in Krishnagiri to get solar powered green houses

Beneficiaries to be finalised at Gram Sabha meetings

As many as 2,094 beneficiaries from below poverty line (BPL) families are being allotted the Chief Minister’s Solar Powered Green Houses in all the 10 panchayat unions in the district, Collector Pooja Kulkarni said here on Tuesday.

Addressing reporters, she said that of the target of 2,104 houses, 2,009 green houses fitted with Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) panels were completed in the previous financial year (2011-12) at Rs. 31 crore.

During the current year, the government had fixed a target to allot 2,094 houses to the BPL families in the district.

Though work was in progress, some of the houses were already built by the beneficiaries with the funds allocated by the government machinery as per the specification.

The government was extending Rs. 1.50 lakh per house for construction and Rs. 30,000 for providing SPV panel through Tamil Nadu Energy Development Corporation (TEDA) for the fixed plinth area of 300 square feet.

S. Jagidshaw, wife a daily wager, completed her house with the help of the government fund in Ganesh Nagar at Erraalli Panchayat under the Kaveripattinam Panchayat Union. She said that her dream to live in a concrete house was fulfilled through the scheme. She has also developed a kitchen garden and is planning to grow medicinal plants.

The TEDA had commenced commissioning of SPV panels on the rooftops of the houses, said J. Dhanasekaran, project director, District Rural Development Agency.

He said the beneficiaries had been identified at the rate of one per cent from Scheduled Tribes community, 29 per cent from Scheduled Castes and the remaining 70 per cent for Backward Classes and others. Recently, the State Government issued a GO to allot 3 per cent of the houses to differently-abled persons in all the panchayats.

The government had instructed all the panchayats to prepare beneficiraies' list that will be finalised at the Gram Sabha meetings.

Krishnagiri district gets Rs. 394 crore for development works

Efforts taken to repair overhead tanks in all panchayats

The State Government has allocated Rs. 394.65 crore for undertaking development works under various schemes through the department of rural development during 2012-13, said the Collector Pooja Kulkarni here on Tuesday.

She was addressing the reporters after visiting the construction work of the new building for the Krishnagiri Panchayat Union at a cost of Rs. 1.5 crore and also road laying work being undertaken at the Old Housing Board Colony in Krishnagiri at a cost of Rs. 52.6 lakh under the Pooled Assigned Revenue Scheme.

The Collector instructed the Block Development Officer to issue eviction notice to the encroachers on either sides of the Royakottai Road. Ms. Kulkarni said that during the current financial year, the district administration has taken special efforts to repair the overhead tanks in all the panchayats in the district through the DRDA.

Besides this, the administration also carried out repair works in all the government schools under the Comprehensive School Infrastructure

Case against Devakottai Police men

The Singarapettai police in Krishnagiri district have registered a case of kidnapping against the Devakottai policemen in Sivagangai district, on Saturday.

The FIR, by members of the Communist Party of India, Tamil Nadu Kuravan Tribals Development Association and the Democratic Youth Federation of India, was filed after 10 hours. 

They demanded registration of a case against the Devakottai police for allegedly torturing Vediappan, his wife V. Anusuya and V. Paranthaman of the Kuravan Community.

 They took them into custody, on October 13, from Venkatapuram village, and allegedly tortured them for three days for information on Anusuya’s brother, wanted in a theft case. 

They were dropped at the Tiruvannamalai bypass road three days ago and admitted to the Government Headquarters Hospital.

Ms. Anusuya lodged a complaint against them alleging torture. The police registered a case.

Two persons injured in lightning

Two persons, including a woman were injured, and a cow was killed when lightning struck on them at Madamchamparthanapalli village near Shoolagiri on Thursday evening.

Injured

The injured were identified as Thayappan and Nagarathinamma. They were taken to the Shoolagiri government hospital and later referred to the Government Headquarters’ Hospital in Krishnagiri.

Stolen jewellery recovered; 3 arrested

Krishnagiri town police have arrested three persons in connection with the burglary at the residence of the former president of the Krishnagiri Bar Association S. Liaqat Ali Khan, and recovered 43 sovereigns of gold ornaments and two laptops, said S.R. Senthil Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police, here on Tuesday.

Advocate’s residence

He told reporters that the burglary took place at the residence of the advocate at the 8th Cross Street in Jakkappan Nagar in the town on the night of October 13.

Since he preoccupied with the marriage arrangements and also did not want to embarrass the relatives, who came to attend the marriage, he lodged a complaint with the Krishnagiri town police on October 21.

Suspicion

On the basis of his complaint, a special team of police headed by Inspector Anbumani (Krishnagiri), Ravi Kumar (Maharajakadai) and Ellappan (Krishnagiri taluk) arrested S. Sathish Kumar of Dharmaraja Koil Street on suspicion on Tuesday morning.

Mobile phone

During the course of inquiry, he confessed that he along with three associates stole 50 sovereigns of jewellery, two laptops and a mobile phone.

On the basis of the information given by him, police arrested R. Iniyan (35) and J. Senthil Kumar (34), both from Mohan Rao Colony in Krishnagiri, and are searching for the third associate Lokesh Kumar (30) of Papparappatti in Krishnagiri town.

Mr. Kumar gave away cash reward to the police personnel who probed the case.

Youth commits suicide

A young artiste (Nagaswaram vidwan) committed suicide by jumping in front of a moving train near Denkanikottai on Sunday.

Sources said that the body of M. Purushothaman (20) of Kelamangalam was found between Podicipalli and Uthanapalli. The Railway police recovered the body and sent it to the Taluk Headquarters’ Hospital in Hosur for post-mortem examination.

650 kg of red sanders seized : The Hindu

A special team of police and officials from the Forest Department seized 650 kg of red sanders near here on Oct 20

A. Babu, Forest Ranger, Krishnagiri, told The Hindu that Prohibition and Enforcement Wing personnel headed by Inspector B. Sivakumar and the officials from Forest intercepted a SUV with the Kerala registration number near Kaveripattinam on the National Highway on suspicion. 

As the vehicle did not stop, the officials chased it for about a km and blocked it. During check, it was found that red sanders weighing about 650 kg valued over Rs. 2.6 lakh was concealed under the rear seat.

The vehicle along with the wood was seized. The two occupants of the car A. Anil (38) and A. Umar Farook of Karur were arrested.

Murder case: 600-page charge sheet filed : The Hindu

Uthanapalli police have filed a charge sheet in connection with the murder of the Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam functionary T. Palani alias Palanisamy on July 5 at Balepuram village near Uthanapalli in Krishnagiri district.

The 600-page charge sheet, along with the confession statements from the arrested persons, chemical reports, investigation materials etc were placed before Judicial Magistrate II, Suresh, Hosur on October 3.

An officer in charge of the investigation told The Hindu on Sunday that the charge sheet was filed at the court within 90 days of the arrest of the persons allegedly involved in the murder. Over 125 persons were included in the charge sheet as witnesses.

As many as 9 persons were arrested by the police and 25 persons including Thally MLA T. Ramachandran his father-in-law Mr. Laghumiah and his brother T. Varadarajan surrendered in various courts across the State.

As many as 14 persons were detained under Goondas Act including Mr. Ramachandran, the sources said.

SBI targets Rs.100-crore business this fiscal

M. Kunasekaran (second left), Regional Manager, State Bank of India, Regional Business Office 3, Zone II, handing over the car key to a person who availed of vehicle loan at the two-day special loan mela organised in Krishnagiri on Saturday. 

 Vellore Region, with branches in Tiruvannamalai and Krishnagiri districts, has planned to achieve business for Rs. 100 crore this financial year(2012-2013), said M. Kunasekaran, Regional Manager, State Bank of India, Regional Business Office 3, Zone II, Chennai.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of a two-day special home and vehicle loan mela on Saturday, Mr. Kunasekaran said that 15 branches in Krishnagiri district, which were earlier with the Salem Region, have been recently merged with the Vellore Region.

Of the targeted business of Rs. 100-crore this fiscal, the region has achieved 40 to 45 per cent and the rest will be achieved before the end of March 2013, he said. Keeping this in view, the bank has organised special loan melas in different towns in the region to attract more customers by offering low rate of interest for home loans as well as vehicle loans.

Next to Krishnagiri, a big mela would be organised at the Mookandapalli branch in Hosur very soon. The bank expects a business of over Rs. 20-crore from these two melas.

In Tiruvannamalai district, the melas would be organised in Tiruvannamalai town and Arani and targets to achieve Rs. 15-crore business.

N. Arumugam, Chief Manager, SBI main branch, said that the bank is offering home loans at a rate of 10 per cent upto Rs. 30 lakh. The rate of interest would be 10.15 per cent beyond 30 years term of repayment. Similarly, the rate of interest for vehicle loan would be 10.5 per cent and the maximum repaying term that could be availed of by the customer was 84 months (7 years).

Customers can avail of loan up to 85 per cent of the on road rate of the vehicle.

Mr. Arumugam said that as many as 40 home loans to the tune of Rs. 3.5 crore and 29 vehicle loans to the tune of Rs. 1.5 crore were sanctioned at the mela.

Protest against cancellation of town bus service to Nandimangalam and nearby villages

Venting their ire:Students and the general public blocking the National Highway near Hosur New Bus Stand in protest against the cancellation of a town bus service

 

Over 1,000 students, parents and the general public blocked the Bangalore-Chennai National Highway near the Hosur new bus stand on Saturday evening in protest against the cancellation of a town bus service to Nandimangalam and nearby villages on Saturday evening.

Sources said that about 300 students from Avalapalli, Kelevarapalli and Nandimangalam and other villages studying in R.V. Government Boys Higher Secondary School and Government Girls Higher Secondary School waited at the bus stand for over two hours after the school hours.

As the bus service to their villages were not operated even after 5 p.m., the students enquired with the time-keepers at the bus stand.

It was alleged that the TNSTC staff at the Hosur bus stand failed to heed to the request of the students.

Hence, the angry students started blocking the road opposite to the bus stand under the flyover on the Bangalore-Chennai National Highway. Parents of the students reached the bus stand and joined in the stir.

As the students refused to relent even after the pacification by the Deputy Superintendent of Police Gopi and P. Saravanan, Inspector of Police, police removed the students from the spot using mild lathicharge, it was alleged.

Due to this, the bus services to and from Hosur to various cities including Bangalore, Chennai, Salem and other destinations were affected for over an hour.

However, after the authorities arranged a town bus service to ply to the villages, the students dispersed and went home, an official from TNSTC said.

16,054 students to get bicycles this year: Minister

The government has planned to distribute bicycles to 16,054 Plus-One students free of cost this academic year in the district, said K.P. Munusamy, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development here on Saturday.

He was distributing bicycles to 1,274 students in Government Higher Secondary School in Krishnagiri, Shoolagiri, and Uthanapalli.

The Minister said that the scheme was introduced by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa during her second term with a view to take urban facilities to the rural students. Since then, the scheme was being implemented by the subsequent government successfully.

The government was giving laptops too free of cost to students. These measures would improve the self-confidence of students and encourage them to study well, he added.

Though 80 per cent of the parents in the district were illiterate, they wanted to give good education to their children. The Minister appealed to teachers of the Shoolagiri Government Higher School to improve the pass percentage this academic year.

Pooja Kulkarni, District Collector, presided over the programmes. C. Prakasam, District Revenue Officer, K. Ashok Kumar, Chairman, District Panchayat, Praveen K. Nair, Sub Collector, Hosur, office-bearers of the Parent-Teachers organisations participated.

S. Suganya, Chief Educational Officer welcomed the gathering on the occasion.

Team of foreigners visits Krishnagiri

Twenty-seven trainees from 18 Afro-Asian and Latin American countries are on a study visit to Krishnagiri as part of their four weeks training programme on ‘Planning and Management of Rural Development’ at the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad, on Tuesday. All of them are from middle level and senior level functionaries in these countries.

Girl dies of fever in Krishnagiri

A 14-year-old girl died of fever in the district on Tuesday. Sources here said that K. Sathya of Kannugapalli developed fever while at school in Jolarpet.

The school informed her mother K. Lakshmi who brought her daughter home. She was given treatment at the local hospital. On Monday night, she became unconscious and was admitted to a private hospital where she died on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, doctors attached to the government hospital allayed fears of the villagers that dengue was widespread in the village.

When contacted, Dr. B. Prem Kumar, Deputy Director, Health Services told The Hindu that four to five cases of fever were reported in Kuppachiparai and Kannugampalli villages. A medical team was screening the affected persons and preventive measures in coordination with the local body administration had started, he said.

Students stress importance of voter enrolment

Hundreds of students from Krishnagiri district on Friday took out a massive rally to create awareness on the importance of election and enrolment of voters in the electoral roll.

Flagging off the rally, Collector Pooja Kulkarni appealed to all eligible persons to enrol their names in the voters’ list.

The rally started from the Government Girls Higher Secondary School on the Old Bangalore Road and ended at the same venue.

The rally passed through Pazhayapet, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Five Road Junction and reached the school. Over 500 students from various schools and colleges took part in the rally.

Special camps for enrolment scheduled for October 14 has been postponed to October 28 due to the Teachers’ Eligibility Test. The special camp on October 21 in all the polling booths will be held as usual. 

Eligible voters can enrol their name, submit applications for corrections and change of address by submitting forms 6, 8 and 8A.

For deletion of name, Form 7 should be submitted along with the necessary documents. Applicants are appealed to note down their mobile number as well as their e-mail address.

The awareness rally in Hosur was flagged off by Sub-Collector Praveen P. Nair and at Bargur, P.Manoharan, Revenue Divisional Officer, flagged off the rally. The rallies at the headquarters of Veppanahalli, Uthangarai and Thally Assembly segments were flagged off by the respective Assistant Retuning Officers.

“Hogenakkal scheme nearing completion”- Minister K.P. Munusamy

Eighty per cent of the work relating to the Rs. 1928.80-crore Hogenakkal Drinking Water and Flurosis Mitigation Project with the financial assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been completed, K.P. Munusamy, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, has said.

Addressing a review meeting at the Collectorate in Krishnagiri a few days ago, Mr.Munusamy gave instructions to the officials to complete the project well before November 15.

Trial run

From November 16, trial run of the project should be undertaken in all the five packages of the project.

Community hall turns godown

A community hall built at Rs. 20 lakh under the Anaithu Peruratchi Anna Marumalarchi Thittam 2008-09 scheme by the erstwhile Mathigiri Town Panchayat (now merged with Hosur Special Grade Municipality) by the then DMK government is being used as a store room for keeping cost-free assistance by the then DMK government and also the present AIADMK government, according to local people.

The hall was inaugurated by the then Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on December 6, 2009 at the inaugural function of the Sakkilnatham Samathuvapuram in Sigarapalli panchayat near Krishnagiri.

Even after three years of opening, the community hall was not used by the local people. Initially people refused to use the hall citing that there was no provision for dining hall and kitchen.

Due to this, the erstwhile Town Panchayat officials constructed a dining hall and also a kitchen at a cost of Rs. 8.75 lakh. Immediately after the kitchen shed and dining hall were constructed, revenue officials occupied the community hall for the purpose of storing free colour television sets distributed by the DMK government.

After the elections, the community hall is being used as a godown for keeping cost-free assistance such as grinders, mixies and table lamps.

An official from Hosur Municipality told The Hindu on Thursday that the community hall, dining hall and kitchen shed were built around 3,000 square feet in a 0.75 acre plot near the Town Panchayat office in Mathirigir, now under the Hosur Municipality Ward No. 42.

Hiring a marriage hall is a costly affair for poor people with rural background, so the facility created for them should be used for the purpose for which it was established, a social worker from Mathigiri said.

When contacted, J. Dhanasekar, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), told The Hindu that 78 such community halls had been built under various government schemes as well as Self Sufficiency Schemes (SSS) with peoples’ participation.

He said he was yet to assess how many of them were being used by the people.

Ensure that government hospital is litter-free, Collector tells officials :The hindu

She inspects records and scrutinises procedures being followed by the staff

Collector Pooja Kulkarni conducted a surprise inspection at the Government Headquarters Hospital in Krishnagiri on Thursday.

She verified the entry of names of out-patients, and scrutinised the attendance registers of doctors and other employees.

The Collector said action would be taken against those who came late for duty at the hospital.

She also verified whether the duty nurses were using disposable needles and getting rid of them as soon as they had been used for a patient in the prescribed manner.

She advised nurses to keep the injection rooms neat and clean.

The Collector advised pharmacists at the hospital to explain to the patients how to take medicine in accordance with the prescription by the medical officers, verified whether details of the medicines issued were being correctly entered into the computer, and also checked the stock of medicines available.

When she noticed some of the newborns in the hands of relatives outside the post-natal ward, she gave instructions to the ward nurses not to allow the babies to be taken outside the ward.

Instructions

If hospital staff failed to follow instructions laid down, action would be taken against them.

She found used saline bottles dumped in a corner just outside the post-natal ward and asked the sanitary workers to remove the discarded material immediately.

The Collector asked the authorities to keep the hospital premises litter-free.

She directed the accompanying Municipal Commissioner to eradicate the dog menace inside and outside the hospital immediately.

The hospital premises should be cleaned twice in a month by the staff of the Municipality.

Public Works Department officials were asked to inspect the hospital frequently and undertake repair works. She also went around the cooking unit and inspected the distribution of cooked food to patients.

Two more cases against Thally MLA T.Ramachandran

Thalli MLA T.Ramachandran coming out of Tiruvannamalai Judicial Magistrate court in connection with a murder case. File photo 

The district police have arrested the Communist Party of India (CPI) MLA T. Ramachandran representing the Thally constituency in Krishnagiri district on Friday on allegations of instigating violence in connection with a temple festival in Nilgiris village near Uthanapalli near Hosur. 

He along with his father in law Laghumiah and nine of his associates were produced before the Hosur Judicial Magistrate II Suresh. They were remanded to judicial custody for fifteen days. 

Meanwhile, Mr. Ramachandran was also arrested in the illegal quarry mining case registered in Kelamangalam Police station under Crime No. 201/2012 under sections 379 of IPC and 21 (IV) of Mines and Minerals Act and Section 4 of PPDL. The case has been registered on the alleged excessive mining in and around Kelamangalam. One more person Mr. Sivadasan of United Quarry is yet to be arrested in this case, said Mr. V. Kathirvel, Investigation Officer said here on Friday. 

With this Mr. Ramachandran was arrested in connection with all the ten cases registered against him after the murder of PDK functionary T. Palani in Balepuram village on July 5 this year.

All the accused in both the cases were brought from Salem Central prison and was lodged again with fool proof police protection, police forces here said.

Special attention to eradicate child marriage in Krishnagiri: Collector

Outgoing Collector C.N. Maheshwaran handing over charge to the new Collector Pooja Kulkarni at the collectorate on Monday. C. Prakasam (left), District Revenue Officer,is in the picture.

Pooja Kulkarni assumes charge as newCollector of Krishnagiri district

The new Collector Pooja Kulkarni has said that special attention would be given to eradicate child marriage, female infanticide and foeticide. Mrs. Kulkarni, a 2003 batch IAS officer, assumed charge as sixth District Collector on Monday. 

Her predecessor C.N. Maheshwaran, who was transferred as Joint Commissioner, Health, Chennai Corporation, handed over charge to her. 

Speaking to reporters, she said that top priority would be given to implement Chief Minister’s special schemes and strive hard to take the district to greater heights in education and health. 

She said that since the district tops in implementation of e-governance, the people from remote villages need not approach government office any more.

They can apply for various certificates through Common Service Centres (CSCs) and the certificates would be issued to them within a week. 

She also sought the cooperation of the officials to help reach the government schemes to the targeted section. The Tamil Nadu Revenue Officials Association (TNROA) has said that it would extend its support and cooperation to the new Collector. 

Office-bearers of the association led by P. Vijayaraghavan, District President of the association, met Mrs. Kulkarni on Monday.

3-year-old rescued from borewell

 The boy being rescued from an abandoned borewell in a village near Denkanikottai on Sunday.Photo: Special Arrangement 

 R. Arivanantham 

After a marathon effort a three-year-old boy was rescued from an abandoned 450 feet deep borewell near Denkanikottai on Sunday evening.

A. Guna fell into the well of 8 inch diameter at around 10 a.m. in a rose nursery in Kummalathur near Agalakottai in Denkanikottai taluk in Krishnagiri district owned by his father Anandan.

Anandan had dug up the borewell with the help of a company on Saturday. As the well did not yield any water, it was abandoned. He and his wife A. Padma were in the nursery when the boy slipped into the well while playing with his sister Pooja.

On seeing his brother fall, Pooja alerted her parents. The couple immediately sought the help of local people and police.

As the news spreads like wildfire, Fire and Rescue services personnel were summoned by the police and the revenue authorities.

M. Dakshinamoorthy, Divisional Officer, Krishnagiri district, reached the spot around noon, from Krishnagiri. Before reaching the spot, he gave instructions to his team while travelling in his official jeep.

Two JCBs were deployed to dig up soil for about 25 feet. Then the rescue personnel cut the upper portion of the pipe.

On sighting the boy, they tied his hands and legs with a rope and using a hook-shaped thin iron rod they lifted the boy slowly. 

The rescue operation was a clean job as the boy suffered only a scratch on his legs. A team of medical experts headed by Dr. G. Rajkumar from Denkanikottai Government Hospital provided him first aid. Later, he was sent to Government Hospital in Hosur.

Hospital sources said that the boy was responding well to the treatment.

Praveen N. Nair, Sub Collector, was responsible for coordinating with all departments. R. Chitra and other revenue officials from Denkanikottai taluk were involved in the rescue operation.

C.N. Maheshwaran, the outgoing Collector, visited the boy at the hospital and congratulated the efforts of the officials.