Latest news with #IndraniPonVasanth
The Hindu
02-08-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Students of Madurai Corporation schools get third place in T.N. achievement survey
Students from Madurai Corporation schools have secured third place in the State-Level Achievement Survey - 2025. With the objective of encouraging children to prepare themselves on understanding skills and comprehensive reading apart from the curricula, the education department officials introduced a series of programmes which would be lively and also help the children to be creative. Recently, the authorities had conducted the survey on students from Classes 3 to 5 and 8 respectively. Though the aptitude level of the students from eighth standard in Madurai Corporation schools stood a little less, the overall reports from other classes were on top in many spheres. Hence, Mayor Indrani Pon Vasanth, Commissioner Chitra Vijayan and the education department officials proposed to strengthen the abilities of the students. Based on the results, the officials had introduced a baseline survey which helps identify the students' aptitude and interests. Be it on current affairs or on general knowledge, science or literature, the dissemination should be in a simple language and understandable to the students. To coach the students, the officials have chosen 10 schools, including middle and high schools, where students from Classes 6 to 8 would benefit in the first phase. In a bid to give an impetus to the programme, the senior officials from Deputy Commissioner to the City Health Officer would visit the 10 campuses on a daily basis and monitor the progress. The overall objective was to prepare the students not just with grades and marks, but to instil in them confidence that they could face challenges as they grew, the officials said.
The Hindu
29-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Chaos marks Madurai Corporation council meeting
It was a free-for-all during the first 10 to 15 minutes of the council meeting at Madurai Corporation on Tuesday. Soon after Mayor Indrani Pon Vasanth began the session by reading out a Thirukkural couplet—a customary practice before council proceedings — AIADMK members, led by their floor leader Solai Raja, rose from their seats and shouted slogans demanding her resignation. Dressed in black shirts and sarees as a sign of protest, the AIADMK councillors alleged that the public was outraged by a 'mega scam' (related to property tax computation and collection) allegedly orchestrated by the ruling DMK. They claimed that the Mayor had no moral right to continue in office, as her personal assistant was implicated in the scandal. Rejecting the allegations as baseless, Ms. Indrani instructed the police to remove the protesting AIADMK councillors from the hall and urged DMK members to remain calm. A brief commotion ensued, and after police intervention the AIADMK councillors walked out, raising slogans. Mayor responds strongly Responding to the allegations, the Mayor explained the matter — the alleged property tax scam — was already before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, and a senior police officer of DIG rank was conducting the investigation. She contended it would be inappropriate to discuss the issue during the council meeting. She further pointed out Chief Minister M. K. Stalin had already directed all five zonal chairpersons and two standing committee members involved to step down. She urged the AIADMK to refrain from creating disturbances. Escalating the counterattack, the Mayor questioned the AIADMK's moral standing, citing the case of several crores of rupees allegedly missing from the house of former minister Sellur K. Raju. She also referred to allegations of fund misappropriation during the AIADMK regime in projects such as the Smart City and Underground Drainage (UGD) schemes, demanding an investigation into those cases as well. DMK-CPI (M) clash Soon after calm appeared to return, the meeting again descended into chaos — this time over remarks made by DMK councillor Jayaraman about Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan. Mr. Jayaraman criticised the MP for his recent comments that Madurai city was unclean and that the Chief Minister should intervene. He said such public criticism was uncalled for, especially after the DMK had supported the MP's Lok Sabha candidacy twice. His remarks led to a verbal clash with Deputy Mayor T. Nagarajan of CPI(M) and two CPI(M) councillors. The Deputy Mayor defended the MP, saying it was due to his efforts that the Union Government had sanctioned funds for Madurai. Mr. Jayaraman retorted that as an ally, the MP should not publicly criticise the DMK dispensation. The CPI(M) councillors, in turn, told the DMK member to moderate his tone, especially with Assembly elections approaching. This triggered another round of shouting before order was restored after appeals from both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Background In 2024, then Madurai Corporation Commissioner Dinesh Kumar had filed a complaint with Madurai City Police alleging irregularities in property tax collection. After about seven months, police registered a case and arrested several officials including a retired Assistant Commissioner (Revenue) and Bill Collectors. An AIADMK councillor subsequently filed a writ petition in the High Court, which directed the police to form a special panel and submit a report.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Lack of quorum puts Mayor in a spot at Corporation Council meeting; AIADMK objects to passing of resolutions
In a major embarrassment to Mayor Indrani Pon Vasanth, the absence of a majority of her party councillors, including four of the five zone chairpersons, forced her to seek support from the miniscule members present to help pass the resolutions tabled at the monthly council meeting on Friday. The resolutions, according to the officials, were 'very important' and had to get the stamp of approval from the council which alone would get sanction of funds for laying roads in the city. The meeting, which started at 10.30 a.m., had less than 25% of the members out of the 100 wards. Normally, the Mayor, after her customary address, would announce the resolutions as unanimously passed following which the five zone chairpersons (all from the DMK) air their grievances, then the AIADMK leader would speak and the others would take turns to express their views. However, when the Mayor took up the resolutions, AIADMK councillor and leader Solai Raja opposed it stating that it would not be proper to pass the resolution when there was lack of quorum in the House. When the Mayor insisted on taking it up stating it could not be postponed, CPI (M) councillor too supported the AIADMK's view and expressed his concern. At this juncture, the Mayor had to concede the AIADMK's demand and allowed the meeting to continue with the hope that her party councillors would turn up. DMK zone chairperson Pandiselvi thanked the civic administration for 'excellent' conduct of the Chitirai festival and the celebrations of Lord Kallazhagar's entry into the Vaigai river. Mr. Raja said that the Corporation should consider establishing a kabaddi ground in a vacant land measuring about 75 cents in Sellur. He said that in at least 40 ward offices, there were no proper toilets forcing women workers to use restrooms somewhere away. S.S. Bose (Congress), representing Ward No. 73, thanked Minister P. Moorthy for having taken up very many development works in Madurai West Assembly constituency. T. Kumaravel (CPI-M) of Ward 23 said the recently laid demand stern action and blacklisting of the contractor who laid the road in Pykara. Pointing out to Mr. Bose's statement, Mr. Kumaravel said there was an impression that work was happening only in select wards/zones in the city and appealed to the Mayor to earmark funds for all wards as development should not be lopsided. S. Baskaran (MDMK) of Ward 52 said: 'After removing the dumper bins in West Masi Street, the conservancy workers should have been instructed to collect the garbage from residents. In the absence of bins, how are the residents supposed to dispose garbage,' he asked. If the residents left the garbage on the road, they had to face the wrath of shopkeepers. To this, Corporation Commissioner Chitra Vijayan said that a solution would be found to the problem soon. Question Hour Normally, the question hour would take around 120 minutes or even more. However, due to the presence of less than one-third of the councillors, the meeting got over in less than 70 minutes. The Mayor, at the fag end of the meeting, announced that the resolutions had been passed unanimously after a few more councillors turned up in the House.
The Hindu
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
AIADMK, CPI (M) oppose move to hike advance payments for water tax and UGD at council meeting in Madurai Corporation
Expressing their displeasure, AIADMK and CPI (M) councillors urged the Madurai Corporation to withdraw the resolution to hike advance payment for water tax and under ground drainage (UGD) here on Thursday. As the resolution was read at the council meeting that was chaired by Mayor Indrani Pon Vasanth in the presence of Deputy Mayor T. Nagarajan and Commissioner Chitra Vijayan at Anna Maaligai, the Councillors belonging to both the parties stood up and registered their protest. The people were already burdened due to hike in prices of many services including essential services. The Corporation should not burden the common man, said Vijaya Councillor CPI (M). The AIADMK Councillor and leader in the Council Solai Raja said that the Corporation should lay the roads swiftly as many stretches were in a bad shape. The road cutting charges for laying underground cables or for other works had also been raised by five per cent. This too should be dropped forthwith, he stressed. DMK zone Chairperson Vasuki said that the Councillors should be given ₹25 lakh each for spending in their respective wards in the lines of MP/MLA funds. This would help the members to plan and implement schemes for the people without hassle. She also wanted to know the reason for not opening the electric crematoriums built at Anaiyur, Melamadai and Naganakulam though they were ready for use. Saravana Bhuvaneshwari (DMK) urged the Mayor to spell out if the Open Space Reservation (OSR) land in the name of the Corporation had been transferred in the Commissioner's name. By delaying, she feared it may be encroached upon by people and then the administration would find it tough to evict the encroachers in future. Pandiselvi (DMK) said that when the Councillors in Tiruchi and Coimbatore Corporations were given ₹50 lakh each to spend in their wards, the administration here in Madurai provided only ₹25 lakh. This could be enhanced to at least ₹40 lakh each, she said. Pass for celestial wedding When a majority of the members sought the Corporation to make arrangements to issue pass so that they could attend the celestial wedding at Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple as part of the Chitirai festival next month, the Mayor said that even she had never been to the temple on the occasion in the past. 'I see the wedding being performed on TV,' she quipped. Councillor Baskaran, who represents the temple ward, said that though he managed to get a pass, he was stopped by the authorities last year. As the Councillors wanted to attend both the celestial wedding and Lord Kallazhagar's entry in Vaigai river, they urged the Corporation to get them the passes for both the events.
