February 28, 2013

Additional fund allotted for second phase of scheme

A convergence committee meeting and a one-day workshop for the field staff of the Pudhu Vazhvu scheme to eradicate poverty in rural households was held in Krishnagiri on Monday. The workshop was inaugurated by Collector T.P. Rajesh.

Inaugurating the programme, Mr. Rajesh said that the schem was being executed in 70 panchayat unions in 16 districts in the State with World Bank assistance of Rs. 717 crore with the aim of improving livelihood activities of the poorest of the poor, differently abled, destitute widows and orphaned women.

On the successful implementation of the programme, the government had allotted additional fund of Rs. 950 crore in the second phase.

The scheme is being implemented in 178 village panchayats in Mathur, Uthangarai, Shoolagiri, Kelamangalam and Thalli panchayat unions.

This programme was being implemented through participation of community and stakeholders only. 

The village committees were formed to identify beneficiaries under the scheme. They will also decide their needs and requirement for the uplift of the poor within their panchayts. All training programmes will be need-based and area-specific to suit people in a particular panchayat. Such measures will bring more benefits to the people, he added.

Training on skill development to rural poor youth will be the main agenda of the programme. 

Beneficiaries will be trained by experts in private institutions. Driving of light and heavy vehicles and earthmoving equipment will also be taught to youth and computer and self-employment training to women. Funds will also be given for formation of SHGs, comprising differently-abled, for setting up of small and tiny industries, he stated.

Officials from Revenue, Rural Development, Social Welfare, Adi Dravidar Welfare, District Industries Centre, Agriculture, and Animal Husbandry explained various welfare schemes, subsidies and how to apply for the schemes at the workshop.

Association seeks apology from Uthangarai union chairman

A Block Development Officer attached to the Uthangarai Panchayat Union in Krishnagiri district was allegedly abused by union chairman V. Krishnan in the presence of the Uthangarai MLA Manoranjitham Nagaraj on Tuesday.

Memorandum submitted to the Collector
A meeting was convened to thank Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for her efforts to get the final award of the Cauvery Water Tribunal in the government Gazette, but ended up in abusing an official.

Angered over this, officials and employees of the office of the BDO staged a demonstration demanding an unconditional apology from the chairman.

Presiding over the demonstration, V. Raja, district president of Tamil Nadu Rural Development Officials Association, said being an elected representative for the union, comprising over 30 village panchayats, he should have shown minimum courtesy in treating the officials with respect.

His dictatorial attitude towards the officials and employees of the panchayat union had left them in the lurch. Many a time he was threatening them to break the rules, Mr. Raja said.

Later, the district-level office-bearers met Collector T.P. Rajesh and submitted a memorandum demanding action against the union chairman.

February 19, 2013

73 DMK cadre arrested for burning Tamil bi-weekly

As many as 73 DMK cadre, including Veppahanalli MLA and DMK district secretary T. Senguttuvan, were arrested in Krishnagiri and Hosur on Monday for burning the copies of a Tamil bi-weekly that published a report on DMK president M. Karunanidhi.

In Krishnagiri, as many as 38 DMK cadre were arrested near the five-road junction. The agitation was led by Mr. Senguttuvan and other district-level leaders.

In Hosur, 35 cadre of the party were arrested for burning the copies of the bi-weekly in front of Anna Statue near Taluk Office.

The agitation was led by V. Vijaykumar, town secretary of DMK and N.S. Madeshwaran, former chairman, Hosur Municipality. All the arrested were kept in private marriage halls and released in the evening.

Legal opinion
DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Saturday said in a meeting that he would consult legal experts before chalking out the course of action against the bi-weekly that published a ‘controversial’ report about him.
E.V. Ramasamy
The bi-weekly had carried a cover story comparing him and actor Kushboo with Dravidar Kazhagam founder E.V. Ramasamy and his wife Maniammai. EVR’s marriage with Maniammai led to a split in the organisation and the formation of DMK in 1949.