Monday, July 30, 2012

Stench of death as Nellore Railway Station turns into mortuary



Nellore:
Hours after tragedy struck Chennai-bound Tamil Nadu Express, stench of death filled Nellore Railway Station which was turned into a mortuary with anxious relatives from several parts of the country gathered there to identify their near and dear ones.

There was utter chaos at the station with relatives jostling for space to identify the bodies which were charred beyond recognition at the waiting hall of the railway station. A railway official said that only five bodies have been identified. “One of them was that of Venkatraman from Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Amidst the putrid smell and wailing relatives, coffins along with huge pieces of ice, about 40 in numbers, arrived at the station. The charred remains were transferred to the coffin along with ice to be kept in mortuary at the Government Hospital.

While officially, the toll was said to be 28 but people believe the number could swell. There were more than 25 persons who suffered burn injuries, some more than 80 per cent and were taken to four hospitals in Nellore. The hospitals include Jai Bharat Hospital, Bollineni Hospital, Government Hospital and People's Poly Clinic.
Meanwhile, a special train carrying 13 relatives of those who were in S11 and other coaches, arrived from Chennai at 1.40 pm.

Amidst grief and sorrow, the station also witnessed high profile visits including that of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, Telugu Desam Party leader Chandrababu Naidu, film star Chiranjeevi and Railway Board Chairman Vinay Mittal besides other.

Various speculative theories also floated over the cause of the incident with some blaming the short circuit. Interestingly, this is the third such fire accident involving trains in South Central Railway in last 10 days. According to them, two incidents were reported involving empty rakes of passenger train in the Landen division of SCR.

writingonblog uncensored: Charges framed against 16 employees for blast in T...

writingonblog uncensored: Charges framed against 16 employees for blast in T...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) has framed charges against 16 of its employees after conducting an enquiry int...

Charges framed against 16 employees for blast in TNHB quarters


C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) has framed charges against 16 of its employees after conducting an enquiry into the blast at TNHB’s Single Person Rental Quarters at New Avadi Road on April 27 this year.

TNHB sources told Express that the decision to initiate action against the employees came after chief revenue officer of Tamil Nadu Housing Board submitted a detailed report following a bomb explosion in flat number 10 of the building. Charges were framed under section 37 (b) of TNHB Service Regulation 1969.

The action was initiated after the enquiry found out that power connections in the flat were given in the name of private individuals instead of TNHB and the 16 officials failed to check and rectify the illegal service connections to the flat. TNHB has already suspended a junior engineer of Anna Nagar division after the incident.

Sources said the building had nine shops in ground floor and 10 single quarters in first floor. Only four flats (four, six, seven and eight) were occupied while the remaining six were not allotted to anyone and kept locked.

Flat number 10 was occupied by unauthorized persons and had all facilities with television and other amenities like false roof for comfortable living.

Sources said disciplinary action would also be initiated against 24 officials who have retired within four years from the incident as per the pension rules.

Sources said disciplinary action could not be initiated against 22 officials as they retired from TNHB on superannuation prior to four years from the date of incident.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

writingonblog uncensored: 47 killed in Chennai bound Tamil Nadu Exp blaze

writingonblog uncensored: 47 killed in Chennai bound Tamil Nadu Exp blaze: At least 47 people have been killed in a fire Tamil Nadu Express from Delhi to Chennai caught fire as it was passing through Nellore stat...

47 killed in Chennai bound Tamil Nadu Exp blaze

At least 47 people have been killed in a fire Tamil Nadu Express from Delhi to Chennai caught fire as it was passing through Nellore station early on Monday.
The cause of the blaze is still unclear, but authorities suspect an electrical short circuit.

The superfast train on its way from New Delhi was moving at a speed of 110 km/per hour near Nellore, 150 kilometres from Chennai, when a fire broke out near the toilet of the S11 coach at 4.30 am. 
Helpline numbers: Nellore: 0861-2345863, 2576924. Chennai: 044-25330825, New Delhi: 011-23341072. 

writingonblog uncensored: Metro rail burrows into city’s surface to create n...

writingonblog uncensored: Metro rail burrows into city’s surface to create n...: Chennai: The giant tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will begin burrowing beneath the city’s surface from Sunday to create another infrast...

Metro rail burrows into city’s surface to create new lifeline for Chennai commuters


Chennai:
The giant tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will begin burrowing beneath the city’s surface from Sunday to create another infrastructure lifeline for the city after Chennai Metro Rail Chairman and Union urban development secretary Sudhir Krishna pressed the button to kickstart the operations at the Nehru Park.
The ceremony to launch the tunneling work was a low-key affair in the wake of mishap at the metro rail site on Thursday when a 50 tonnes scaffolding collapsed on the busy 100 feet road between Koyambedu-Vadapalani stretch.
“Today, it was just an opening ceremony. From Sunday, the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) will begin drilling,” a metro rail spokesman said. 
The tunneling  between Nehru Park to Egmore is 939 meters and the distance is expected to be covered in about five months, CMRL sources said. Interestingly, the tender for design and construction of 3.342 km of  twin tunnels including three underground stations at Nehru Park, Kilpauk Medical College, and  Pachiappa’s College has been awarded to Larsen and Toubro, in joint venture with Chinese firm Shanghai Urban Construction Group (SUCG).
Initially, two TBMs will be operated under the guidance of experts in both the shifts with automatic alignment and monitoring control system developed with Japanese technology.  The tunneling will be requiring feeding of segments brought from casting yard for installing the concrete linings of the twin tunnels.
“The cut soil will be brought out and disposed. All the necessary precautions with regard to the plugging of old bore wells and utility diversions have been taken well in advance and all the buildings enroute will be monitored round the clock when TBMs are in operations,” CMRL said.
He said heavy circular concrete liners used for the tunnels are manufactured at the state of the art Segment Casting factory at Vayalanellur, which has so far produced 1400 segment rings. “There will be cross passages between the two tunnels every 245 meters for ensuring operational fire safety,” he said. s are progressing now, CMRL sources said.
Metro rail is using 11 TBMs, each costing Rs 60 crore, assembled at specific sites to drill 24 km with 19 stations beneath the city to create infrastructure for its two corridors.
An L&T official, who is involved in the tunneling operations, said each day the machine will drill about six metres based on the soil condition.
“Initially, a workforce of 15-20 workers, including Chinese workers will be involved in the drilling operation which will be expanded. Chinese labourers are being used as they are specialized in operating Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM),” the L&T source said

writingonblog uncensored: I-T returns of 74 with 2G taint under scrutiny

writingonblog uncensored: I-T returns of 74 with 2G taint under scrutiny: C Shivakumar Chennai: The tax returns of 72 persons in Tamil Nadu who are suspected to have benefited under the 2G spectrum alloca...

I-T returns of 74 with 2G taint under scrutiny

C Shivakumar
Chennai:
The tax returns of 72 persons in Tamil Nadu who are suspected to have benefited under the 2G spectrum allocation scam are being scrutinised by the Income Tax department.

Chief Income Tax Commissioner S Senthamarai Kannan said Income Tax department has reopened the assessments of 72 persons in the state who are suspected to have links or connected to those who are accused in the 2G scam.

He said the scrutinisation is likely to be over by March 31, 2013. To a query whether all the 72 are involved in the 2G scam, Kannan said that the department is investigating the returns filed by those who are directly or indirectly linked in the case and also those who have any close links with the beneficiaries.

The 2G scam spectrum allocation scam involved high-profile accused like former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, top corporate honchos and telecom firms.

Kannan also revealed that the eight house searches conducted by the income tax department across the state in the first quarter of the financial year has resulted in the department unearthing Rs 117 crore. He said during the same period last year the department unearthed Rs 7 crore.

He also revealed that the survey of business premises conducted by the income tax department in the first quarter of the financial year resulted unearthing of Rs 36.53 crore. Interestingly, last year Income Tax department survey of business premises resulted in unearthing of Rs 27.84 crore. “The credit goes to director general of Investigations of Income Tax department,” he added

writingonblog uncensored: India eyes Gulf, Iran and CIS to expand its export...

writingonblog uncensored: India eyes Gulf, Iran and CIS to expand its export...: Chennai: India is now focusing on Gulf countries, Iran and common wealth of independent states to expand its market for export of appa...

India eyes Gulf, Iran and CIS to expand its export basket


Chennai:
India is now focusing on Gulf countries, Iran and common wealth of independent states to expand its market for export of apparels, according to union commerce secretary S R Rao.

Speaking to reporters after the Open House organized by Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and Confederation of Indian Industry on Friday, Rao said India is now looking beyond traditional markets

He also said that the government is planning to make custom operations 24/7. “We want to follow the global model to make it competitive globally,” he said.

Interestingly, his statement came in the wake of chief commissioner of customs Mala Srivastava opposing the move in the open house stating that it involves huge costs.

Mala Srivastava also said that Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) has cleared Larsen and Toubro’s Kattupalli port near Chennai as a transshipment facility. “Soon it will be ready for Export and Import (EXIM) trade,” she added.

Walter D’Souza, regional chairman FIEO said exports from the state during 2011-12 crossed $33.50 billion, 26 per cent higher than the previous year’s export. The state’s share was 11 per cent of the country’s exports,” D’Souza said.

FIEO president Rafeeque Ahmed also spoke on the occasion. Director General of Foreign Trade Anup K Pujari gave a patient hearing to a series of complaints from the exporters.

writingonblog uncensored: TN plans private placement cells in govt job excha...

writingonblog uncensored: TN plans private placement cells in govt job excha...: Chennai: In a bid to bridge the skill gap, Tamil Nadu government is planning to modernize employment exchanges across the state besides...

TN plans private placement cells in govt job exchanges


Chennai:
In a bid to bridge the skill gap, Tamil Nadu government is planning to modernize employment exchanges across the state besides having private placement cells in government job exchanges.
 Addressing a seminar on “Employment Exchanges to Employability Centers: IT enabled enhancement of the employment Eco- system’ organized by Confederation of Indian Industry, principal secretary department of labour and employment Mohan Pyare said that the state has launched initiative to improve the employment exchanges and the rigid structure will undergo a change.
 He said plans are on to have private placement cell in government employment exchanges to help meet the needs of the industry.
 Stating that 74 lakh youth have registered in the job exchange for jobs, he said the figure does not mean that all these 74 lakh are without jobs.

“Many woud be pursuing their higher education while some would have joined the private sector. We do not have a database to track them. The real number of people looking for jobs will be much less if these figures are taken into account,” he added.
 He said the government has made policy interventions to improve the skill training facilities in the State. They include the incentivisation of skill-based education in ITIs, expanding the scope of modular education scheme, facilitating ITI students to study further and financial support for students joining the private training institutions.
 He said the incentivisation of ITI include raising the monthly stipend for students from Rs 100 to Rs 500 besides giving recognition to NCVT certificates so that it can be easy for ITI students to pursue higher education.
 Chairman of CII National Committee on Skills and executive director and chief financial officer of Tata Consultancy Services S Mahalingam stressed the need for public private partnership model and said about 1,396 ITIs have been identified under the model and CII is partnering with the Union and state governments to upgrade them.

He said CII has undertaken a nation-wide study of 100 ITIs adopted by the member companies to survey their performance under the PPP scheme to formulate implementation strategies that are replicable and scalable and help the industry understand prevalent challenges and to scale them up into centers of excellence.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

writingonblog uncensored: India-Pak commerce secys to hold talks to boost tr...

writingonblog uncensored: India-Pak commerce secys to hold talks to boost tr...: Chennai: India and Pakistan will hold talks to boost commercial ties between both the neighbours in next couple of months, according t...

India-Pak commerce secys to hold talks to boost trade ties


Chennai:
India and Pakistan will hold talks to boost commercial ties between both the neighbours in next couple of months, according to Commerce Secretary S R Rao.

Speaking to reporters after the Open House Meet organized by Federation of Indian Export Organisation (FIEO) here on Friday, Rao said he will be visiting Pakistan and will be holding a dialogue with Pakistan Commerce secretary in Islamabad either on August or September.

The talks are likely to focus on visa issues besides improving trade ties. FIEO president Rafeeque Ahmed said improving trade ties with Pakistan would favour India more and increase its exports to Pakistan.

Rao also stressed the need for banks to adopt electronic certificate to reduce transaction costs for exporters.

He also said the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and European Union may be concluded by the year-end. Negotiations for the FTA started in 2007.  He also said Commerce Department is also negotiating with Australia and New Zealand for FTAs.

writingonblog uncensored: Nabard sanctions Rs 691.60 cr to TN under rural in...

writingonblog uncensored: Nabard sanctions Rs 691.60 cr to TN under rural in...: Chennai: National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development has sanctioned loans worth Rs 691.60 crore to Tamil Nadu during 20...

Nabard sanctions Rs 691.60 cr to TN under rural infrastructure development fund



Chennai:
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development has sanctioned loans worth Rs 691.60 crore to Tamil Nadu during 2012-13 under its Rural Infrastructure Development Fund.

The funds will be used for executing infrastructure projects in various sectors covering warehousing facilities like rural godowns, cold storages and comprehensive infrastructure facilities like Ooranies (Dug out ponds for drinking water), sanitary complexes, pay and use toilets, fish landing centers, fish seed farms, irrigation and rural connectivity.

The loan sanctioned includes an amount of Rs 151.20 crore sanctioned  exclusively for creating warehousing infrastructure by establishing 1,124 godowns with a total storage capacity of 1.694 lakh tonnes and 20 cold storages with a total storage capacity of 500 tonnes.

These godowns will be established at select regulated markets, primary agricultural co-operative societies (PACS) and agricultural produce co-operative marketing societies (APCMS) all over the state.

A total amount of Rs 179.60 crore has been sanctioned for development of 234 ooranies in 143 town panchayats in 27 districts, improvement of 376 sanitary complexes in 244 town panchayats in 29 districts and construction of 11 marine fish landing centers and 12 fish seed farms in 13 districts.

On completion, these projects will benefit 648 villages comprising of 18.04 lakh  rural population.

Similarly, an amount of Rs 92 crore has been sanctioned for construction of bed dams across Vaigai river to feed Maranadu tank and nine other tanks at Ladanendal village in Manamadurai taluk, Parthibanur big and small tank, Vannikudi tank and other two tanks at Athanur village in Manamadurai taluk in Sivaganga district.

The funds will also be utilized for rehabilitation of damaged shutters of upper anicut (barrage) across Cauvery river in Elamanur village of Srirangam taluk in Trichy district, construction of cement check dams at Kosasthalaiyar near Thirukandalam village in Uthukottai taluk in Thiruvallur district and upgradation of Peikulam, Pottaikulam and Korampallam reserve tanks in Tuticorin district. On completion, these projects will benefit an ayacut area of 6626.20 ha.

An amount of Rs 268.80 crore has been sanctioned for reconstruction of 121 rural bridges in 29 districts, improvement of 366 rural roads in 292 town panchayats in 30 districts of Tamil Nadu. On completion, these projects will benefit 1505 villages comprising of 34.55 lakh  rural population.

writingonblog uncensored: Metro Rail mishap Sent shivers down my spine: Eyew...

writingonblog uncensored: Metro Rail mishap Sent shivers down my spine: Eyew...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Shivers went down her spine after 37-year-old Jayashree heard a loud thud opposite her residence as she was having ...

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai Metro site mishap triggers panic

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai Metro site mishap triggers panic: It was a close shave for commuters travelling on the busy Jawaharlal Nehru Road on Thursday when a huge scaffolding at the Vadapalani ...

writingonblog uncensored: Solar power to become a reality soon in Tamil Nadu...

writingonblog uncensored: Solar power to become a reality soon in Tamil Nadu...: Chennai: Solar power is soon to become a reality in the state as government embarks upon an ambitious initiative to set up roof top so...

Friday, July 27, 2012

Metro Rail mishap Sent shivers down my spine: Eyewitness

C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Shivers went down her spine after 37-year-old Jayashree heard a loud thud opposite her residence as she was having lunch.
“I was afraid thinking it might be an accident and I saw the Metro rail structure going down. I let out a shriek,” said the tenant in the building overlooking the Metro Rail site on the busy 100 feet road between Koyambedu and Vadapalani signal. “What would have happened if it would have fallen on the commuters. There would be huge loss of life,” she wondered.
Her house-owner Nirmala said the incident happened at 2.40 pm bringing traffic to a standstill. “For 15 minutes the traffic along the busy 100 feet road was affected,” Nirmala recalled.
Passers-by blamed Metro Rail for being lax in their work. “Safety has to be ensured. This is a busy stretch. Our lives are in danger,” a bank employee said.
“What would have happened if the 50 tonne scaffolding had fallen on a bus? The authorities have to ensure such incidents don’t happen again,” said Satish, a commuter in the stretch.
“I always have a fear while driving under the Metro Rail stretch,” he said.
The collapse of the scaffolding on the 100 feet road between Koyambedu-St Thomas Mount stretch is the third such incident involving Metro Rail and has created panic among commuters using the road

Chennai Metro site mishap triggers panic

It was a close shave for commuters travelling on the busy Jawaharlal Nehru Road on Thursday when a huge scaffolding at the Vadapalani Metro station site collapsed.
Concrete was being poured in to the metal shell to build a 10-ft-long arm of a tall pillar, when it came down. The 50 tonne structure gave in around 2.40 pm, creating panic among residents and commuters. The incident brought traffic to a standstill for about 15 minutes.
Site engineers told Express the mishap happened when concreting work was underway. “The incident happened due to welding failure, resulting in the bracket coming off. It happened in the barricaded area,” Chief General Manager of Metro Rail (constructions) V Somasundaram, who visited the site, said.  Metro rail officials said the design is perfect and an enquiry has been ordered to find out whether it was the fault of workmanship.
Surprisingly, the site was not cordoned off even as the metal shell was hanging from the pillar. “The first rule of disaster is to contain the site. See, the piece of pier is still hanging like a thread. It can still fall on somebody,” a senior site official told the workers. The debris will be cleared only during the night, said a site engineer.
Joint Commissioner of Police Shanmuga Rajeshwaran visited the site to review the safety scenario along the busy stretch.
This is the third such incident in the last two years. On April 6, 2010, a major mishap was averted on the same stretch when a pile-boring machine tilted towards the road while being moved. On April 16, a 25-foot-long iron bar, fixed across the road to caution tall vehicles to avoid the stretch, fell down when the roof of a tall truck hit it.

Solar power to become a reality soon in Tamil Nadu


Chennai:
Solar power is soon to become a reality in the state as government embarks upon an ambitious initiative to set up roof top solar energy installations in 60,000 houses each year from this November besides coming up with net metering, a renewable energy incentive for consumers.
Speaking during the inaugural session of Reaction 2012, organized by Energy Alternatives India, Tamil Nadu Energy  Development  Agency chairman Sudeep Jain said that besides providing 60,000 houses with solar installations each year under the XII plan, the state will also use solar power to light up 20,000 streetlights each year.

Jain says the policy will drive the establishment of over 3,000 MW of solar power generation capacity in the State. His comments comes in the wake of the state set to roll out its new energy policy.

He said the state has introduced net metering, deduction of any energy outflows from metered energy inflows, as a pilot project in TEDA as well as in two other places including Auroville in Pondicherry and it has been successful. Under net metering, a system owner receives retail credit for at least a portion of the electricity they generate.
Industry sources claim that once net metering is introduced, solar power in Tamil Nadu will become a reality soon. “This will also create a huge investment opportunities in the renewable energy sector,” they said.
Jain also said that the state is considering to implement ‘Time-of-Day’ pricing, an incentive to shift consumption from peak to off-peak period. Interestingly, Delhi government is working on the model.
Meanwhile, experts from the field stressed on the need for hybrid power system like solar and wind or wind and biomass. 

Krishnan, chairman of MPPL Renewable Energy said biomass should be treated as resources and stressed on the need to grow energy plantation in arable land. Ramesh Kymal, chairman and managing director of Gamesa said non renewable sector needs incentives besides stressing on the need for hybrid system. Pasupathy Gopalan, managing director of MEMC and SunEdison South Asia and Shiv Shukla, president and CEO at Abener Engineering, Abengoa Solar India also spoke on the occasion.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

writingonblog uncensored: CMDA negotiating with L&T Ramboll to assess develo...

writingonblog uncensored: CMDA negotiating with L&T Ramboll to assess develo...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is negotiating with L&T Ramboll Consulting Engineers to conduct a st...

multimodal integration


C Shivakumar
Chennai:
Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority is negotiating with L&T Ramboll Consulting Engineers to conduct a study to assess development along metro rail corridor.

The project ‘Study on densification of Chennai Metro Rail corridors’ will assess the influence area of metro rail and support CMRL by inducing developments along the corridor. The negotiations began with L&T Ramboll after Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited (TNUIFSL) invited consultants for the study.

CMDA sources told Express that initial negotiations were held last Friday where L&T Ramboll Consulting Engineers and CMDA failed to reach an agreement over the cost of the project.

It is learnt L&T Ramboll quoted a price of nearly Rs 80 lakh to conduct the study, which also includes household survey and commercial and institutional survey within the influence areas of the metro rail corridor and to identify the areas from which commuters are likely to be attracted.

However, CMDA wanted the price to be reduced to Rs 60 lakh. “Further negotiations will continue and a reasonable price will be arrived at,” a CMDA source said.

Sources said discussions also revolved on various issues, which includes using satellite imagery to capture information along CMRL corridor as well as 500 metre on either side of metro corridor. “This will help carry out property level survey,” sources revealed.

Sources said the study would also review master plan of Chennai Metropolitan Area besides comprehensive traffic and transportation study (CTTS) and other relevant studies.  It will also carry out classified traffic volume surveys during morning or evening peak periods at the approach intersections of various stations along CMRL corridors to prepare traffic projections for various phases and scenarios besides formulating a strategy for densification of corridors.

Besides preparing the Corridor Management Plan, including land use and transport infrastructure inventory for the influence area of each station, the study will also look into growth prospects, infrastructure development plan and transportation network plan including traffic and transport recommendation with necessary projections.

writingonblog uncensored: India’s first woman ambassador to Japan vows to ma...

writingonblog uncensored: India’s first woman ambassador to Japan vows to ma...: Chennai: Indian ambassador to Japan designate Deepa G Wadhwa on Tuesday vowed to make the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement...

India’s first woman ambassador to Japan vows to make CEPA more meaningful


Chennai:
Indian ambassador to Japan designate Deepa G Wadhwa on Tuesday vowed to make the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and Japan more meaningful and said the one-year-old treaty has huge potential for both the countries.
Speaking during a function organized by Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industries to felicitate her, the city-born diplomat, who is also the first woman ambassador to Japan, said her focus will also be on to strengthen the global strategic partnership between both the countries.
Wadhwa, who is expected to take over as ambassador to Japan next month, said the new appointment is challenging and comes in the wake of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s proposed visit to Japan later this year.
Interestingly, the event was also attended by US Consul General Jennifer McIntyre highlighting the importance given to the strategic global partnership between India, Japan and United States.
Japan Consul General Masanori Nakano who felicitated Wadhwa said the focus of strategic global partnership, includes security among other things. He also highlighted how the ties between Japan and India has grown. “We had a mere 70 companies in Chennai in 2008 and now we have nearly 286 companies in Tamil Nadu,” the Japanese envoy said.
Prof N Krishnaswami, president of IJCCI and former bureaucrat B S Raghavan also spoke on the occasion.

writingonblog uncensored: Corporation school playground encroached

writingonblog uncensored: Corporation school playground encroached: C Shivakumar Chennai: A corporation school in Chennai has been functioning without a playground for the last 20 years after it was a...

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Corporation school playground encroached


C Shivakumar
Chennai:
A corporation school in Chennai has been functioning without a playground for the last 20 years after it was allegedly encroached by several constructions, according to information available through Right to Information Act.
RTI activist and a research scholar R Natarajan told Express on Tuesday that Chennai High School, located in Vanniya Teynampet on Edlams Road initially had a playground when it was started.
“It is claimed that Slum Clearance Board took possession of the seven ground of land temporarily. However, there are no records to prove it. Now the playground is encroached by various constructions with officials failing to take action to evict it” the RTI activist said.
He said as per Government Order and Dr S V Chitti Babu Committee Report a playground is mandatory for running a school. “The officials have turned a blind eye to the entire issue. And what is more there has been no inspection carried out by Inspectress of Schools for the last 15 years,” said Natarajan.
When Express contacted the headmistress she refused to divulge details. However, in the RTI reply she did acknowledge that the school was started with a playground area and it was encroached for more than 20 years. Currently, the school is using a small space in the premises as playground, she said.
Natarajan said he has sought information from education department, secretariat and public information officer of education department in Chennai Corporation regarding the issue. “It seems they are reluctant to retrieve the land and put it to proper use. I will be moving a petition with the secretary of education department to highlight this issue. Denial of playground will affect physical and mental development of children without any proper outdoor activities,” he said.
Real estate developers say the prime land could cost anywhere between Rs 10 crore.

Monday, July 23, 2012

writingonblog uncensored: CBI Unearths Rs.18 Crore Scam in MMTC, 400 Kg gold...

writingonblog uncensored: CBI Unearths Rs.18 Crore Scam in MMTC, 400 Kg gold...: C Shivakumar Chennai: A probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed irregularities in the Union government...

CBI Unearths Rs.18 Crore Scam in MMTC, 400 Kg gold seized


C Shivakumar

Chennai:

A probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed irregularities in the Union government run premier foreign trade behemoth, the Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation of India (MMTC), to the tune of Rs.18 Crore. During the course of probe, the investigating agency has also seized 400 kg gold from the premises of a private company that is alleged to have been favoured by the MMTC officials.

According to documents available with Express, the First Information Report (FIR) alleged that during the period 2007-09 at Chennai and other places, S Gurusamy, former chief general manager of south zone, MMTC Limited, Chennai Regional Office, V Gurumurthy, former general manager (Finance and Accounts) MMTC Ltd and some unknown officials entered into a criminal conspiracy with Chennai-based Surana Corporation Limited to cheat MMTC in bullion (gold and silver) trading.

“The officials abused their official position by extending undue favours to Surana Corporation Limited by intentionally omitting to debit and recover the difference exchange rate from the firm thereby causing a loss to the tune of Rs 18 crore,” the FIR says.

During the period 2007-09, SCL used to import gold and silver under the Stand-by Letter of Credit (SLBC) scheme. It used to deposit the cost of bullion arrived on the basis of a “notional price and notional exchange rate” prevailing on the date of delivery of consignments.

As per the system and procedure, SLBC transactions are routed through the online Bullion Trading System (BTS). However, the two officials along with others dispensed with the all important BTS mode and made all transactions manually to allegedly favour the SCL.

“The officials deliberately treated the provisional invoice as the final. They showed the difference in cost [difference between the provisional and the final invoice] as a variation in the purchase rate.”

The officials manipulated the system and intentionally failed to reconcile the difference in exchange rate and to recover the premium and other accompanying costs, the FIR added.

Interestingly, the officials also “covered up” the wrongful loss to MMTC by allegedly showing the debit balance of Rs 18 crore in favour of Foreign Vendors Account in their book of accounts.

Sources reveal that following the registration of cases against the MMTC officials for criminal conspiracy, cheating and for various offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the CBI sleuths conducted raids in various places on June 20, 2012 including the residences of the officials, godowns and corporate offices of Surana Corporation Limited.

During the raid, CBI found 400 kilos of gold kept in the premises of Surana Corporation. Besides the gold, the CBI officials also seized cash.

The gold seized from Surana Corporation include gold bars, gold coins, chains, rings and bangles.  The gold seized by the CBI was brought into India without any valid documents, it is alleged.

Interestingly, Gurusamy after his retirement from MMTC on June 2008 joined the SCL as director while Gurumurthy, who retired on November 30, 2011, joined a leading jewellery firm in Chennai that buys gold from Surana.

The MMTC is dealing with the export and import of precious metals and minerals.It is India’s largest foreign trade enterprise.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

writingonblog uncensored: Report questions private entities role in developi...

writingonblog uncensored: Report questions private entities role in developi...: C Shivakumar/ ENS Chennai: Rights activists have linked the slum evictions to the alleged increasing invasion of the private force...

Report questions private entities role in developing cities, environmental social framework


C Shivakumar/ ENS
Chennai:
Rights activists have linked the slum evictions to the alleged increasing invasion of the private forces on the urban paradigm and questioned the role of Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund (TNUDF) and public-private entities in the development of cities and environmental social framework (ESF).

A report of People’s Union of Civil Liberties Fact-finding Team and Citizen Rights Forum on forced eviction and rehabilitation of slum-dwellers in Chennai states that since the initiation of various externally aided projects like the World Bank funded Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project (TNUDP), affected-citizens of the city have had little say in the course of events and development projects that have been planned in the very sites that they have been living in for many generations.

However, the report states that “The current funds for urban development is managed by TNUDF, established under the Indian Trusts Act 1882 by state government, ICICI, Housing and Development Finance Corporation and IL&FS with a line of credit from the World Bank to develop urban infrastructure of the state.”

“The role of TNUDF, established in 1996, was to attract private capital into urban infrastructure and to facilitate better performing urban local bodies to access capital markets. Despite the fact that the state is the highest stakeholder in TNUDF (72 per cent), it is being administered by a corporate trustee Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Trustee Company Limited and a fund manager in Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services limited with Tamil Nadu holding a minority stake of 49 per cent,” the report alleged.

“These public-private entities are making all decisions with regard to development of the city including preparation of feasibility study and the environmental and social impact of study of the project,” it alleged.

Questioning the role of private players in determining the Environment Social Framework, the report also castigated the state saying it is moving away from the welfare approach and catering towards the vested interests of the powerful.

But highly placed government sources dismissed the report and said TNUDF is a unique model and it only generates ideas for the government. “No consultant has been appointed for commercial development of the slum lands and government has to take a decision in this regard,” the sources added.

Interestingly, a survey entitled “Identification of Environmental Infrastructure
Requirement of Slums in Chennai Metropolitan Area” under the World Bank funded TNUDP II (Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project) identifies 122 slums  as ‘Objectionable Slums’ and 120 slums as ‘unobjectionable slums.’ “The people who are mapping the slums are the ones who have done the ESF. The same private entities are the ones who have a huge stake in the urban infrastructure financing,” said CRF member Vanessa Peter while linking the private entities with TNUDF.

Quoting a mid-term project review report of 2001 by Rutul Joshi, a Faculty of Planning and Public Policy, CEPT University, Vanessa said, “TNUDF has performed the role of both a financial intermediary and a strategic advisor”. The report also claims that TNUDF as an institution has developed a market for municipal infrastructure in the state, she said.

Surprisingly, Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited (TNUIFSL) have   proposed ‘Integrated Development in Foreshore Estate’, pitching for eviction of 10,000 families living in Srinivasapuram. Interestingly, this has been mapped by the same TNUIFSL as objectionable in the survey.

writingonblog uncensored: Treatment of malnutrition has commercial dimension...

writingonblog uncensored: Treatment of malnutrition has commercial dimension...: (Published ) C Shivakumar Chennai: The ready to use therapeutic food supplied to eight states, bypassing central and state govern...

Treatment of malnutrition has commercial dimensions


(Published )
C Shivakumar
Chennai:
The ready to use therapeutic food supplied to eight states, bypassing central and state governments, by the Unicef had commercial dimensions.

Many non-governmental organisations and experts question Unicef’s urgency to import a particular brand of ready to use therapeutic food into India, when such food can be locally produced.

“Why is Unicef forgoing all the norms to supply ready to use therapeutic food in India. With $60 per sachet, it is not possible for a poor child to avail of a sachet of plumpynut. Obviously, it has commercial dimensions,” says a source.

The UN body “has included the product on its own in the Draft Child Development and nutrition work plan,” says Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).

The world body also tried to bend the rules and even lied to the government of supplying ready to use therapeutic food to two states but in reality supplied it to eight states.

“While furnishing information in response to the provisional starred question in Lok Sabha vide its letter dated February 11, 2009, Unicef mentioned names of only two states. Whereas it now appears that procurement/supply of ready to use therapeutic food has been made for eight states,” says MWCD.

 “We have taken up with the issue with Ministry of External affairs. The Unicef has intimated the ministry of restoring $880,000 funds of equivalent value of the ready to use therapeutic food supplies to GOI-UNICEF India Country Programme 2008-2012.  The government and media should be vigilant,” Joint Secretary of MWCD Dr Shreeranjan said.

“The GOI-UNICEF India Country Programme 2008-2012 never mentioned supplies of ready to use therapeutic food or emergency food.  In our governmental programmes, we don’t encourage ready to use therapeutic food. But at the same time, if it is done privately then ministry of health has to decide on the issue,” he said.

But shouldn’t Unicef be held accountable for lying and giving false information. “Now the world body is portraying as the government of India has wronged them but the fact is that they wanted to promote the market of French firm Nutriset, which sells its food under the brand Plumpynut, by sending it  into public programmes.

 Unicef, which buys three quarters of the world's supply, bought 10,000 tonnes of ready to use food sachets in 2008, more than triple the volume bought in 2007. Medecins Sans Frontieres and the former US president's Clinton Foundation are major buyers too, sources said.

With the rocketing global demand for ready-to-use-foods being unable to be met by Nutriset, many firms have started paying royalty to the French firm and setting up plants globally.

In India, Norwegian manufacturer Compact for Life, began manufacturing in India recently and plans are on to expand it to countries where Nutriset has not patented Plumpynut. 

“Products like Plumpynut are effective in specific circumstances, to treat severe acute malnutrition.
However, interventions of this kind, involving branded and patented products, also tend to be linked with a dangerous invasion of corporate interests in food policy and nutrition programmes,” warns Indian Right to Food Campaign.


The business of nutrition for poor
In the year 1999, Andre Briend, a French paediatric nutritionist, developed a ready to use product ‘Plumpynut’ . The product is based on peanut butter for use in treatment of severe malnutrition.
Few trials were conducted in African countries to prove it’s’ efficacy. These trials, though having many limitations in the design of the studies, were used effectively to push the product into international guidelines as a treatment option to treat severe malnutrition, first in indoor facility and later on in home based care.

This was done despite the fact that for any public health decision of such a proportion, there should have been many Randomized Controlled Trials based on which there should have been a Meta analysis/ systematic review.

One of the studies, which was quoted maximum while building a case for the product was supported by the Nestle foundation and the manufacturer of the product, Nutriset. Andre Briend, who was a part of the research team for this study, was given a consultancy by Nutriset during the conduct of this study.

Interestingly, Andre Briend, was part of the research team for other trials in Africa also. Briend was later affiliated with the Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development, World Health Organization, Geneva; becoming part of important policy decisions on the treatment of “severe acute malnutrition” which suggested among other things, ready to use therapeutic food as “the” intervention to combat malnutrition.