Udayanidhi Stalin orders resumption of free buses to Theni ‘uzhavar sandhai' after farmers' plea
Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi Stalin directed authorities to resume free transport facility for the farmers to bring their produce from their farms to the uzhavar sandhai in Theni on Monday.
Submitting a petition, the farmers from Periyakulam region said that they raised vegetables, fruits and other horticultural goods and brought them to the sandhai in Theni. The government had suspended the free bus facility after the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, the farmers transported their produce through their own personal vehicles or carried them in goods vehicle paying from their pocket. Hence, they urged the Deputy CM to consider their difficulties and redress them.
The Deputy CM, who was here to take stock of the development works under way at the Collectorate, held discussions in the presence of Minister I Periasamy, senior IAS officials, including Additional Chief Secretary Pradeep Yadav, Additional Secretary R.V. Shajeevana, Collector Ranjith Singh and other officials.
After consultations, he announced that the district administration would resume the free transport facility for the farmers.
In the first phase, it was proposed to ply the buses from Periyakulam Panchayat Union limits covering Jayamangalam to Pinnathevanpatti, Chokkathevanpatti and Annanchi to Theni from today (June 16) onwards. From tomorrow (June 17), it was proposed to ply buses to carry the farm goods from Mayiladumparai panchayat union covering Kadamalaigundu to Nagalapuram.
In an upbeat mood, the farmers thanked Mr Udayanidhi with folded hands. Expressing relief, a farmer Jafar Sadiq said that the government's swift action today would help many marginal farmers to save their hard earned money.
Echoing similar views, Veeralakshmi another farmer said that the buses were plying pre-COVID19 and they were not able to get it resumed since then.
'I am very happy that the Deputy CM has given us such a big relief instantly,' she added.
The Deputy CM gave away welfare assistance to 851 beneficiaries worth ₹13.49 crore in the presence of MP Thanga Tamil Selvan, MLAs Cumbum N Ramakrishnan, K.S. Saravana Kumar, A. Maharajan and other rural local body members.
Earlier, while addressing the senior officials from various departments at the Theni Collectorate, Mr. Udayanidhi said that in the last four years, under the leadership of CM M.K. Stalin, they had fulfilled numerous promises made to the people.
'We will continue to do that in the next 10 months or so, after which the elections are due to the State,' he said and thanked the officials for playing the role of catalyst between the government and the people.
On the occasion, the grievances of a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community from Periyakulam block were redressed and the basic needs were fulfilled. The Deputy CM gave away free pattas and kits to the beneficiaries.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
TNSTC revives bus service for farmers after deputy CM's directive
Theni: Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) has started operating buses from various areas in Theni district to the 'Uzhavar Sandhai' for farmers to transport their produce free of cost. The move comes after deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin issued instructions to revive bus services, following an appeal made by farmers in Theni district on Monday. Udhayanidhi was in Theni on Monday to chair a review meeting with various departments regarding developmental works and the implementation of govt schemes. During the meeting, he urged officials to speed up all works concerning the welfare of the public and to act as a bridge between the state govt and the common people. He also distributed welfare aid worth 13.49 crore to 851 beneficiaries, including house pattas worth 2.96 crore to 578 beneficiaries, and other assistance. During the meeting, a group of farmers submitted a petition to him seeking his help in resuming govt bus service to 'Uzhavar Sandhai' for transporting their fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. The farmers pointed out that earlier govt buses were being operated for farmers, and they were able to transport their produce without charges for the load. However, these services stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic. Taking note of the issue faced by the farmers, Udhayanidhi directed TNSTC to operate buses to 'Uzhavar Sandhai'. In its inaugural run, the bus ran via Periyakulam, Jeyamangalam, Pinnathevanpatti, Sokkathevanpatti, and Annanchi to reach the 'Uzhavar Sandhai'. On Tuesday, the bus will also run from Mayiladumparai, Kadamalaikundu, and Nagalapuram to reach 'Uzhavar Sandhai'. Later, the deputy CM inspected the facilities at the govt students' hostel run by the backward classes, most backward classes and minorities welfare department, at Aathankaraipatti near Periyakulam. He interacted with the students at the hostel and instructed the staff to ensure proper maintenance and work for students' welfare and upliftment.
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Historic step": Union Minister Kishan Reddy lauds centre's decision to conduct caste census
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 17 (ANI): Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday lauded the centre's decision to conduct the 16th population census, which would include caste enumeration, and labelled it a 'historic step.' Advocating for the caste census, he said that the work at the policy level with regard to the welfare schemes, budget allocation, political reservations would be worked upon in a proper manner. 'The government of India has taken a historic step. Since Independence, the general census will entail a census of the backward classes. Today, the government of India has issued the notification. There will also be a caste census; it is a very big decision. After this, be it welfare activity, scheme, budget allocation, political reservation, everything will be worked upon in a proper manner,' Reddy told ANI. Speaking about the arrangements for the Covid-19 cases, Reddy said that he was visiting his Lok Sabha constituency (Secunderabad) and the hospitals here to inspect whether big hospitals have necessary arrangements for Covid cases. 'Recently, in a cabinet meeting, PM Modi directed all the ministers to visit big hospitals in their respective constituencies. It was to ensure that big hospitals had all the necessary arrangements for Covid this regard, today, I have come here to the Gandhi Hospital in my (Lok Sabha) constituency. The hospital's senior officials have assured me that the hospital is completely ready for the Covid patients,' the Union Minister said. On Monday, the central government notified the population census, the process of which will begin in March 2027. As per a gazette notification released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 'In exercise of the powers conferred by Section three of the Census Act 1948 and in suppression of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs dated March 26, 2018, the Central Government declared that a census of the population of India shall be taken during the year 2027, as per a circular released by the Ministry of Home Affairs.' The reference date for the census shall be March 1, 2027, except for the Union territory of Ladakh and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Furthermore, the reference date for the Union Territory of Ladakh, snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be October 1, 2026. The Census will be conducted in two phases. In phase 1, House Listing Operation (HLO), the housing conditions, assets and amenities of each household will be collected. Subsequently, in the second phase, Population Enumeration (PE), the demographic, socio-economic, cultural and other details of every person in each household will be collected. Caste enumeration will also be done during the census. For Census activities, about 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and around 1.3 lakh Census functionaries would be deployed. This is the 16th Census since its beginning and the 8th since independence. The ensuing Census will be conducted through digital means using mobile applications. Provision of Self-enumeration would also be made available to the people. Very stringent data security measures would be kept in place to ensure data security at the time of collection, transmission and storage. (ANI)
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Census process officially kicksoff, NPR unlikely to be updated
NEW DELHI: The Census process, put on hold five years ago due to the Covid pandemic, got off the ground on Monday with the home ministry notifying the Centre's intent to take a census of the country's population in 2027. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now No parallel National Population Register (NPR) updation may happen alongside the Census, according to government sources. The reference date for Census 2027 - the first to be held in digital mode - will be 00.00 hours of the first day of March 2027. For the UT of Ladakh and snow-bound areas of J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, the reference date will be advanced by six months, to 00.00 hours of the first day of October 2026. According to sources, Census 2027 - which is likely to put out final population data by 2027-end, setting the stage for delimitation and, based on it, implementation of women's quota in legislatures by the 2029 general election and, eventually, increase in strength of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies - is likely to replicate the schedule of past decennial exercises. It will be held in two phases - housing listing operations, likely between April 1, 2026, and Sept 2026, followed by population enumeration from Feb 9 to 28, 2027. Caste enumeration - a first since the 1931 Census - is likely to be done in the second phase. Sources indicated that the government is keen on a standalone Census exercise, rather than club it with NPR updation, which was to be done in 2020, simultaneously with the household listing phase of Census 2021. The notification regarding the intent to update NPR along with Census 2021 was issued on July 31, 2019. NPR was first prepared in 2010 and updated in 2015. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The NPR database, as per Citizenship Rules, is the basis for the creation of a National Register of Indian Citizens. The enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in 2019 and a "leaked" NPR schedule were interpreted by some sections at the time as a move to disenfranchise Muslims, a charge refuted by the government. Interestingly, the BJP manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls had dropped the NRC promise. Census notifications are issued separately for each of its phases. For instance, the notification on intent to conduct Census 2021 was issued on March 26, 2019, and the pre-test notification on June 25, 2019. The schedule and questions for the housing listing phase were notified on January 9, 2020. Strict measures will be in place to ensure data security: MHA The notification on population enumeration was never issued for Census 2021. However, for Census 2011, it was issued on Aug 31, 2010. Since caste may be recorded only in the population enumeration phase of Census 2027, an intent in this regard may be notified only next year. A notification regarding a fresh pre-test — to test the updated Census 2027 processes and software in the field — will follow soon; the actual pre-test may happen in August-September 2025. This is despite a pre-test having been conducted in August-September 2019 ahead of Census 2021. Refresher training in the coming months will reorient the 34 lakh enumerators and supervisors and 1.3 lakh Census functionaries in the use of Census apps and the Census management and monitoring system, and also on how to capture caste. In a first, people can self-enumerate in both Census phases. On Sunday, Amit Shah reviewed Census preparations with MHA officials, registrar general and the Census Commissioner. 'Stringent measures will be in place to ensure data security at the time of collection, transmission & storage,' MHA said.
