Scheme to introduce 24-hour water supply is on, says Tiruchi Mayor
Mr. Anbazhagan told the Corporation Council that plans were in place to roll out 24-hour drinking water supply in select parts of the city within a month. 'Efforts are under way to ensure uninterrupted water supply to city residents,' said Mr. Anbazhagan. According to Corporation sources, the 24-hour water supply scheme under the AMRUT 2.0 initiative will be implemented in Ward Nos. 51 to 56 and later expanded to other wards.
Responding to the AIADMK's call for a protest on July 3 over alleged delays in civic projects, Mr. Anbazhagan dismissed the claims and said: 'There are challenges related to tendering for shops in Panjapur, among others, but all work will be completed within a month's time.' He said the overbridge near Tiruchi Junction would be ready soon.
The delay in the construction of an overbridge near the Fort Railway Station was due to the railways and not the Corporation, he said and urged Mr. Palaniswami to instead take up the matter with the Centre.
Based on police department recommendations, repair work on Palakkarai and Thennur Road overbridges would be taken up after completion of the work near Fort Station on Salai Road to avoid traffic disruption.
Mr. Anbazhagan said: 'During the AIADMK's tenure, there was no significant progress in underground drainage (UGD) work. It was under the DMK government that substantial UGD work was undertaken and ₹600 crore was allocated to restore roads damaged during the laying of UGD lines. The previous government stopped with mere announcements without allocating the necessary funds.'
V. Jawahar (Congress) urged the civic body to build a dedicated toilet complex with bathing facilities for women near the Srirangam temple.
S. Suresh (CPI-M) alleged that despite an increase in budget allocations for sanitation contractors, sweepers continue to receive outdated wages. He called upon the Corporation to adhere to the district administration's revised pay structure of ₹717 a day as against the current ₹570.
K. Suresh (CPI) sought urgent modernisation of micro composting centres in the Corporation limits noting that workers continue to be exposed to hazardous conditions.
S. Muthukumar (MDMK) raised concerns over possible flooding in Azhagiripuram when water was released in the Kollidam. He urged the construction of a retaining wall to safeguard the settlement.
Several councillors raised complaints about the increasing stray dog menace noting the deteriorating health of many animals. The Mayor said the Corporation was in talks with Blue Cross and planned to allocate half an acre of land for a facility to shelter diseased or stray animals.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
K.N. Nehru questions EPS silence on Amit Shah's statement on forming coalition government
Claiming that the DMK alliance was strong, the party's principal secretary and Minister for Municipal Administration, K.N. Nehru, on Tuesday said it was the AIADMK alliance that was in a dilemma on whether to form a coalition government or not. Speaking to reporters here, he said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswamy was claiming for so long that it would form a grand alliance to take on the DMK alliance. Some leaders claimed that some constituents of the DMK alliance would break away from it. But the DMK alliance remained strong. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had said that differences, if any, with the alliance partners would be sorted out at the time of election. On the other hand, the AIADMK was yet to take a clear stand on forming a government on its own or leading a coalition government. It was initially stated that the AIADMK would lead the National Democratic Alliance government, if it won the election. Home Minister Amit Shah, when he visited Madurai recently stated that the NDA would form a coalition government. However, Mr. Palanisamy was yet to answer the doubts raised after Mr. Shah's statement. Mr. Nehru said the party cadre would go door-to-door under the 'Oraniyil Tamil Nadu' campaign to enrol one crore members in the party. They would enrol new members by explaining the achievements of the DMK government and the anti-people actions of BJP government at the centre. On the AIADMK's protest over the delay in opening the new integrated bus terminus in Tiruchi, the Minister said that it had no right to talk about it as it had done nothing to build a new bus stand. The process of identifying a company for operation and maintenance of the new bus terminus was on. A committee that met in Chennai on Monday to take a decision on it had raised some queries. Action had been taken to answer them immediately. The bus terminus would be brought to use within one to two weeks.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Tamil Nadu custodial death: 'Who ordered special team to question temple security guard?' Madras HC raps state; says senior officials must be held accountable
The Madras High Court is seriously investigating the Thiruppuvanam custodial death, questioning the unauthorized inquiry of Ajith Kumar by a special police team. The court demands accountability from higher officials, even if the team acted independently, emphasizing that custodial deaths violate fundamental rights. MADURAI: Taking a serious view of the Thiruppuvanam custodial death incident, the Madras High Court on Tuesday orally asked the state who ordered the special team of police constables to conduct an inquiry with the deceased Ajith Kumar and whether they conducted the inquiry in other places instead of the police station to avoid the CCTV cameras. The court was hearing a batch of public interest litigations, including one filed by E Marees Kumar, who is the state deputy secretary of AIADMK's advocate wing. The petitioner further sought a CBI probe or a probe by the Special Investigation Team headed by a retired HC judge. The petitioner also sought to issue appropriate directions, taking into consideration the police brutality in the recent past, to ensure no custodial or lockup deaths take place in the future. During the course of the hearing, the counsel appearing for the petitioners submitted that the police constables conducted an inquiry with the victim for two days by taking him to different places. The policemen took the deceased to a cattle shed behind the HR and CE assistant commissioner's office inside the Madapuram Badrakaliamman Temple premises and assaulted him using plastic pipes and steel rods. The video of the brutal assault was taken by one of the temple employees, Sakthiswaran. The Thiruppuvanam judicial magistrate, who came to inquire, faced difficulties as he was surrounded by police personnel. The counsel also alleged that the DMK functionaries were attempting to make a compromise by offering Rs 50 lakh compensation and a govt job to the family members. The state submitted that since it was found that the police constables assaulted Ajith Kumar during the inquiry, six of them were placed under suspension. A criminal case was registered, and five constables were arrested. The case was subsequently transferred. A division bench of Justice S M Subramaniam and Justice A D Maria Clete orally observed who ordered the special team of constables to inquire into the theft allegations against Ajith Kumar. The judges questioned whether they acted upon the order of the concerned deputy superintendent of police or the inspector of police of Thiruppuvanam police station. The judges took a serious view of the state's submission that no one ordered the special team to inquire into the victim and that they conducted an inquiry based on contents shared on social media. The judges observed that the higher officials are accountable even if the special team acted on its own. Observing that the action taken by the state was not commensurate with the seriousness and gravity of the incident, the judges said that action should also be taken against higher officials. "Custodial deaths are a violation of the fundamental right of a person. Despite several international conventions and a catena of judgements by the Supreme Court, custodial deaths are still reported, which is a concern to the public... Stern action is required against the police officials who act in violation," the judges observed. The judges observed that the police are functioning to protect the life of the people. In this case, the police constables assaulted the victim while inquiring into a theft complaint. Numerous violations are to be examined. Taking into account the urgency and likelihood of destruction of evidence, the judges directed the Thiruppuvanam judicial magistrate to submit a preliminary inquiry report before the court. The judges directed the dean of Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai to file the copy of the postmortem report before the court. The judges also directed Sakthiswaran, who took the video of the assault, to be present before the court. The case was adjourned to 3 pm for further hearing.
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Tamil Nadu custodial death: Autopsy shows injuries to head, chest, 5 cops held
Five policemen suspended over the death of a 29-year-old temple security guard in custody in Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district on June 29 were arrested late on Monday night after the authorities received the post-mortem report that showed he had suffered multiple injuries, including to his head and chest, a police officer said. Police picked up Ajith Kumar for questioning on June 27. (Shutterstock) In a statement, the state government said the matter was classified as a murder case based on the post-mortem report. Six policemen were suspended over the death of Ajith Kumar. 'The post-mortem was videographed [as per the Madras high court directions in cases of custodial deaths]. There was contusion in the head and chest,' the officer said on the condition of anonymity. Sivaganga police superintendent Ashish Rawat was put on compulsory wait. His Ramanathapuram counterpart, G Chandeesh, will replace him. Police picked up Kumar for questioning on June 27 after a woman filed a complaint, saying her gold jewellery kept in a bag went missing after she gave her keys to Kumar to park her car near the Madapuram Bhadrakali Amman temple. Kumar's brother alleged that police beat them after taking them into custody. Kumar was declared dead after he was taken to a hospital on June 29, after complaining of discomfort. The state government has ordered a judicial inquiry even as Kumar's family protested, alleging police brutality. The opposition attacked the government over the death, saying there have been 24 deaths in police custody since the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) formed the government in 2021. The opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) moved the Madras high court, urging it to take up the custodial deaths under the DMK rule. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami attacked chief minister MK Stalin, saying he cannot even manage the police force that functions directly under his control. 'I urge this so-called 'Stalin-model' of governance to immediately form a committee headed by the district judge to conduct a full investigation, take legal action against those responsible for this death, and provide compensation to the family of the deceased.' A statement quoted Stalin asking the police to treat people who come to file complaints with dignity and take timely action. DMK's allies urged the government to conduct an independent inquiry.
