Posts Tagged Madurai
Security at Major Temples in hi-tech Surveillance cameras installed at Meenakshi Temple
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Information, Madurai, Temples, electronic, government, illegal, modification, police, programme on March 10th, 2010
As part of an exercise to upgrade security at major temples in Tamil Nadu, hi-tech surveillance cameras will soon be installed at the world famous Meenakshi Sundareswar Temple in Madurai. Work on installing the 32 cameras began on Monday with technical support from Information Technology major HCL.
The Meenakshi Te
mple was among the vital installations in the State that faced threat from Lashkar-e-Taiba a few months ago, following which security was enhanced. The project to install cameras being executed at a cost of Rs.48.5 lakh envisages provision of a security blanket to the temple complex and its vicinity, official sources told The Hindu here on Monday.
The number of cameras could also be increased on the advice of the security agencies. Apart from advanced Internet protocol-operated dome cameras, electronic alarms, sensors and control room apparatus would also be installed.
TECHNICAL PERSONNEL
The installation work is expected to be completed in two months.
Technical personnel from HCL will be working on the project for one year to provide maintenance and other services. Two control rooms are being established, with one to be monitored by security agencies and temple staff. The surveillance cameras to be installed at vantage points would cover the entire temple premises and four Adi streets surrounding the temple, besides some portions of the Chithirai streets.
Most of the cameras will be kept at concealed locations. Due care would be taken to ensure that devotees are not affected by the installation work, a temple official said.
Once the project is completed, it would significantly enhance the security of the temple and provide the police personnel with vital inputs in protecting the complex, he added.
Installation of surveillance cameras at major temples follows recommendations made by the State intelligence at a security audit meeting held recently. “We have suggested that closed circuit television network be established at major temples and iconic buildings,” Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) M.S. Jaffar Sait said.
Additional Director General of Police (Economic Offences Wing) G. Thilakavathi said it had been suggested to open icon centres for safe custody of antique idols.
SR special trains in ‘Ammavasai’ festival on March 15
Posted by ganesh in Departments, Festivals, Information, Madurai, Railway, Rameswaram, Temples, Transport, government on March 10th, 2010
Southern Railway will operate a pair of passenger special trains in connection with ‘Ammavasai’ festival on March 15 at Rameswaram.
A statement said that Madurai-Rameswaram passenger special will leave Madurai at 9.45 p.m. on March 14 and reach Rameswaram at 2 a.m. the next day.
The Rameswaram-Madurai passenger special will leave Rameswaram at 1.05 p.m. on March 15 and reach Madurai at 4.55 p.m. on the same day.
These trains will stop at Madurai East, Silaiman, Tirupuvanam, Tirupacheti, Manamadurai, Sudiyur, Paramakkudi, Sattirakudi, Ramanathapuram, Uchipuli, Mandapam and Pamban.
The number of following trains will be changed with effect from July 1.
Train No. 6101/6102 Chennai Egmore-Rameswaram-Chennai Egmore Express has been revised as Train no. 6701/6702,
NABARD sanctioned to farmer improving a sugarcane harvester invented.
Posted by ganesh in Agriculture, Departments, Health, Information, Madurai, electronic, modification, planted, vehicles on March 8th, 2010
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs. 1.38 lakh to a farmer here for improving a sugarcane harvester he invented.
While present models of sugarcane harvesters in the market mainly cater only to big farmers having more than five acres, this invention meets the requirements of small farmers having one or two acres, R. Shankar Narayan, Assistant General Manager, NABARD,
The funds have been provided under NABARD’s ‘Rural Innovation Fund’ set up to encourage grass root innovation that will improve productivity and income of farmers. The farmer, P. Kantharaj (42) of Arapalayam, has been given the grant to fabricate five more units of his harvester and also improve the efficiency and reduce its weight.
“Madurai district has a lot of small farmers who are also facing a labour shortage. They can make use of Mr. Kantharaj’s invention,” Mr. Shankar Narayan said.
Even the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University’s (TNAU) Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute at Tiruchi and National Innovation Foundation at Ahmedabad have expressed interest in this project and have imparted technical inputs, he said.
The farmer also took part in a South Indian Sugarcane and Sugar Technologists Association’s exhibition, he said.
A project implementation monitoring and review committee, chaired by Mr. Shankar Narayan has been formed with KN. Subramanian, Lead District Manager and agriculture experts included as members.
The farmer has also been training to prepare an activity chart and action plan to indicate the timeline to fulfil the project. This assistance will help the farmer take his innovation to a commercial scale, he said.
Mr. Kantharaj said that his sugarcane harvester can cut two tonnes in one hour or 16 tonnes in an eight-hour shift. A team of 25 labourers need eight hours to cut 15 tonnes. This petrol-powered equipment is powered by a 1.5 horsepower motor and weighs a total of 45 kg. It is also very easy to operate.
“My main problem is not inventing this equipment. It is the inability to manufacture it on a large scale to meet the large demand. I hope that some manufacturers will take notice and take up large-scale manufacturing so that many farmers could benefit,”
Initiative called ‘Public Health towards Villages’ is going to be launched in every village
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Health, Madurai, Public, government, programme, tamilnadu on March 8th, 2010
A new initiative called ‘Public Health towards Villages’ is going to be launched in the State to strengthen healthcare in every village.
Under this plan to be started in a few days, the Department of Public Health is issuing orders to its district officials to hold weekly review meetings at the village health sub-centre level and understand the requirements of local people by deputing the field staff.
S. Elango, Director of Public Health, told The Hindu here on Sunday that the decision to “introduce a new roadmap for public health” was taken at a State-level review meeting of the Health Department held in Chennai on March 4.
“We have explained the proposal to Health Minister M. R. K. Panneerselvam and Principal Health Secretary V. K. Subburaj. They had given consent to implement this idea which is aimed at involving the village people in public health issues,” he said.
The pattern of review meetings in Health Department will be changed by moving from the usual State/district level meetings to village health sub-centre level to know the ground situation better. According to Dr. Elango, some health sub-centres in the State were not functioning up to the desired level and hence the mode of review is being changed to bridge the gap.
For every 30,000 population, there are six health sub-centres. So far, their performance is being reviewed at district level meetings only through the medical officers of Primary Health Centres.
“By launching the ‘Public Health towards Villages’, we are confident of activating the entire rural health network of 8,600 health sub-centres and 1,539 Primary Health Centres in the State,” the Director of Public Health said. Dr. Elango said that the proposed village-centric model of review will help in better monitoring of implementation of public health activities and schemes.
Focus will be given to key issues such as maternal and child health, village sanitation, infectious diseases, maternal deaths, nutrition status, utilisation of funds given under State and Central schemes, implementation of State government schemes such as Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Assistance Scheme and the overall maintenance of health sub-centre.
“Health staff in every district will be sensitised on the needs of rural people. This will be a major next step in public health activities of the Tamil Nadu government and we have asked the field staff to be alert to public requirements,” the Director said.
Plan to check rising number of suicides
Last year, 399 persons committed suicide in the city, either by consuming poison or hanging to death. In a bid to contain unnatural deaths, the city police plan to rope in health officials, counsellors and teachers to educate the vulnerable in the society.
Inaugurating a meeting in Sellur on Tuesday, Commissioner of Police P. Balasubramanian said that of the 399 persons who had committed suicide in 2009, Sellur alone accounted for 68. In 2008, out of 354 suicide cases, again Sellur topped the list, with 54 persons, including 26 women.
The other areas which were ‘suicide-prone’ included Karimedu, Jaihindpuram, S.S. Colony and Teppakulam police station limits. Most of the victims were daily wage earners and poor people. They had ended their lives due to poor health or debts. Hence, the police officers held preliminary meeting with the district health authorities on the issue. It was decided to provide counselling to men and women living in these pockets. The Commissioner appreciated the efforts of the Sellur police personnel in taking up such an initiative.
Psychiatrist C. Ramasubramanian; Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) P.C. Thenmozhi; Joint Director (Health) Panchanathan; District Social Welfare Officer Jayalakshmi; Project Officer (Mahalir Thittam) Thangavelu; and Fatima College Principal Rev. Sr. A. Fatima spoke.
It was proposed to regularly interact with poor people living in thickly populated areas such as Sellur and Karimedu, and identify reasons that led to suicide.
Today power shutdown in some other places
Posted by ganesh in Madurai, Public, TNEB, electronic, modification on March 3rd, 2010
There will be a power shutdown on Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the following areas served by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board’s Narasingampatti sub-station:
Agricultural College, Kathapatti, Chittampatti, Vellaripatti, Narasingampatti, Therkkutheru, Valachikulam, Marudur, Veppadappu, Poonchuththi, Sunnambur, Aamur, Edayapatti, Ettimangalam, Chennagarampatti, Melavalavu, Pattur, Kesampatti, Arittapatti, A. Vellalapatti, Dharmadanapatti. T. Vellalapatti, Pattanam, Mathur and Mangulam.
Govt approved an incentive scheme for private sector to promote employment of persons with disabilitie
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Departments, Health, Madurai, Public, businesses, government, programme, tamilnadu on February 16th, 2010
The Central Government has approved an incentive scheme for the private sector to promote employment of persons with disabilities. The scheme is applicable to all employers appointing persons with disabilities after April 2008.
Private sector employees with disabilities earning up to Rs.25,000 a month are covered under the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 and National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999.
The incentives provide in the scheme include payment of employer’s contribution to Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation and Employees State Insurance for the first three years by the Government. Further information could be obtained from the website: www.epfindia.gov.in,
“Jallikattu” Nearly 600 bulls and 200 tamers from Madurai
Five participants and a spectator, who suffered serious injuries, had been hospitalised here and Madurai while others were treated as outpatients, officials said on Monday.
Nearly 600 bulls and 200 tamers from Madurai, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram, and Virdhunagar districts particpated in the jallaikattu organised as part of a temple festival at Ayyanpatty village on Sunday.
My Tamil voice will definitely be heard in Parliament, Mr. Alagiri
Posted by ganesh in Communication, Culture, Departments, Information, Madurai, Public, Tamil Conference, function, programme on January 30th, 2010
Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister M K Alagiri inspecting the newly constructed public utility service at Maatuthavani bus stand, Madurai.
Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister M.K. Alagiri, who is in the midst of a controversy over his desire to speak in Tamil in Parliament, on Friday said his “Tamil voice” would “definitely” be heard in the House.
“En Tamil Kural paralumanrathil Nitchayam olikkum (My Tamil voice will definitely be heard in Parliament),” Mr. Alagiri, son of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, told reporters here.
He was reacting to a query on whether his voice in Tamil would be heard in Parliament at a time when Tamil Nadu government is holding World Tamil Classical Conference at Coimbatore in June.
Article 120 of the Constitution recognises only English and Hindi as the official language in Parliament, but due to language barrier, Mr. Alagiri had sought permission from the Speaker to reply to questions in Tamil in the House.
He has reportedly empowered in writing junior minister Srikant Jena to answer questions in Parliament.
Mr. Alagiri also said MPs from Tamil Nadu including those from Congress, DMK, IUML (Abdul Rahman) and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi had taken their oath in Tamil.
Meanwhile, Madurai wore a festive look with cut-outs and banners carrying Mr. Alagiri’s pictures put up on roadsides to mark his 59th birthday on Saturday.
Students took out an awareness rally on the helmet while riding two-wheeler
P. Balasubramanian, Commissioner of Police Madurai, flagging off helmet awareness rally in Madurai on Tuesday.
Students of Yadava College took out an awareness rally on the need to wear helmet while riding two-wheeler in the city on Tuesday.
Commissioner of Police P. Balasubramanian flagged off the rally at Race Course Grounds in the presence of college correspondent and Secretary K. P. Navaneethakrishnan among others.
The rally covered the main thoroughfares of the city and ended at the Railway Junction on the West Veli Street. College principal Rengan said that over 500 students participated in the rally.
Later, talking to reporters, Mr. Balasubramanian appealed to all motorists’ in the city to wear helmets and ride their two-wheelers in their own safety. Many college students were using two-wheelers and in the event of any untoward incident, wearing helmets would certainly save their lives. The custodians of law may impose fines, but such an act should come voluntarily from the vehicle users to use helmets.
He also cited some examples on the risks involved in not wearing helmets. Many accidents resulted in permanent disabilities and in the case of youths, they may even suffer more because of the speed, he cautioned.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Magudapathi said that in 2009, 125 persons were killed in different road accidents in the city. The good news is that in 2008, the number of fatal accidents stood at 142 and the number of accidents too was high than last year.
Stretches like TPK Road, By-pass road, Thathaneri were prone to fatal accidents, while Alagarkoil Road stretch had more non-fatal accidents. With growing vehicle population, it would be ideal for motorists to wear helmets voluntarily. “Only with the cooperation of people, the police could bring down better road discipline and regulation,” he added.
Regional Transport Officer (Madurai central) T.G. Thomas said that there were approximately 2.5 lakh two-wheelers in the city.
Doctors at the Government Rajaji Hospital said that victims of road accidents wearing helmets, escaped with minor ailments such as fracture, but persons not wearing helmets admitted with head injuries ended in fatal. They also asserted that quality headgears protected the skull and withstood the impact thus saving the precious lives.
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