Latest news with #M.MageshKumaar
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Chennai Deputy Mayor inspects works at Marina Beach
Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumaar on Friday inspected the proposed renovation of the pathway for persons with disabilities at Marina Beach, and reviewed the ongoing works to acquire Blue Flag certification by the Greater Chennai Corporation. According to a press release, he also reviewed the progress of works being carried out under the Tamil Nadu Sustainably Harnessing Ocean Resources and Blue Economy (TN-SHORE) Scheme for an estimated cost of ₹6 crore at the Marina. The works include installation of surveillance towers, shaded seating areas, rest zones, changing rooms, toilets, drinking water stations, seating for elderly persons, play equipment for children, lifeguard towers, CCTV cameras, first-aid centres, ramps for persons with disabilities, a designated selfie point, and an arched entrance. Elected representatives and officials were present at the inspection.
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Demonte Road to be renamed, Entertainment Tax reduced
The GCC Council has approved the renaming of Demonte Road in Ward 125, Zone 9, as 'Mellisai Mannar M.S. Viswanathan Road'. This follows a petition submitted on April 21 by the family of the legendary music composer, M.S. Viswanathan, requesting that Demonte Road, near his residence in Chennai, be named in his honour, according to the GCC's resolution. The Revenue and Finance Department will reduce the Entertainment Tax for Tamil films. New Tamil films will be taxed at 4%, while older films will see a reduced rate of 3.5%, according to the resolution. This proposal is put forth following a Government Order via the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department dated May 7, 2025, the resolution said. Reels during meet Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumaar condemned councillors for reportedly watching reels during the General Council meeting. He said a video circulating on social media allegedly showed some councillors scrolling through reels while the meeting was in progress. The ruling party (DMK) leader of the council and councillor N. Ramalingam said mobile use was restricted at the State Assembly and similar measures must be taken to prevent such behaviour at the Council meeting.
Hans India
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Chennai corporation to expand free bus service for school students
Chennai: Buoyed by the success of its pilot initiative, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to expand its free bus service for schoolchildren, aiming to provide safe and hassle-free transportation to a larger number of students from corporation-run schools. Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumaar announced the move on Thursday, stating that the current service -- benefiting 373 students through four dedicated buses -- will be scaled up in the coming months. The initiative, launched by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has received strong support from parents and the school community. 'Since the pilot project has been successful, we have asked the education officer to compile a list of students who require such services, especially those commuting from suburban and far-flung areas,' said the Deputy Mayor. He further said, 'Based on the data, we will expand the service to cover more schools and students.' The existing fleet of buses currently serves students from select GCC schools. Each bus is staffed with dedicated security personnel to ensure the safety of students during transit. Deputy Mayor Magesh Kumaar highlighted the overwhelming appreciation from parents, who see the service as a much-needed boost to public education. 'We are receiving heartfelt responses from families. This initiative is helping restore confidence in corporation schools and making them a viable alternative to private institutions,' he said. The timing of the expansion aligns with a notable spike in student admissions. The Deputy Mayor revealed that over 22,000 new students have enrolled in GCC schools for the current academic year -- a sign of growing trust in the public education system. He credited the leadership of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for driving reforms and improving infrastructure in city schools. Implemented at a cost of Rs 1.11 crore, the dedicated bus service will also be used for educational tours, inter-school competitions, and sports events, promoting the holistic development of students. The Corporation emphasised that its priority is to provide equitable access to quality education through safe and dependable transport options. With plans in motion to broaden the reach of the service, the GCC aims to remove transportation barriers that often prevent underprivileged children from attending school regularly, furthering its mission to strengthen public education in Chennai.
The Hindu
04-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
International Toilet Festival 3.0 begins
Mayor R. Priya launched the month-long International Toilet Festival 3.0 with the release of a logo at the Amma Maaligai in Ripon Buildings on Thursday. The event, which will go on till July 5, 2024, is organised by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) along with Washlab, Cheer and Recycle Bin. World Toilet Day is marked on November 19. According to the Mayor, activities include mapping open defecation spots through the 'Kakkoos' app that was launched in 2022, apart from awareness campaigns, and toilet adoption and donation drives. Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumaar, Corporation Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran, regional deputy commissioners and officials took part in the event.
The Hindu
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Greater Chennai Corporation councillors raise alarms over road cuts, water contamination; Council passes 135 resolutions
To address complaints from residents across the city about repeated road cut complaints, Deputy Mayor M. Magesh Kumaar suggested holding coordination meetings with Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board (CMWSSB) officials and engineers of each ward and zone, at the Council meeting on Wednesday. Councillors raised concerns over frequent road diggings frustrating residents. This was after Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) councillor S. Jeevan (ward 35) said, 'People are charged ₹5,200 for one metre of road cut, plus 18% GST, which goes to a private agency. Only ₹7,500 for sewage and water supply connections goes to the CMWSSB... The actual cost for digging is only ₹1,200 to ₹1,700. When ward officials confronted private workers, a tussle ensued, as the private employees did not respect the officials... Despite such frequent cuts to address pipeline problems, the drinking water supply still mixes with sewage water, even in my home in Ward 35 and in Kannadasan Nagar. Recently, manholes overflowed on Krishnamoorthy Salai... Outsourcing should be avoided and GCC should mobilise its own workforce,' he added. The Mayor replied that the GST has been levied for the past three months. 'Authorities will examine the issue and submit a report,' she added. Later, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Councillor R. Stella Jasmine Rathna (Ward 128) said the cement roads in Indira Nagar, Gandhi Nagar and Sadic Batcha Street roads were relaid 15 years ago, the patchwork done by CMWSSB is not of good quality and the public have reported to have skid on these roads dangerously causing accidents. 'When we asked for proper tar (bituminous) roads to be laid, officials stated that paver machines would not be able to enter narrow lanes. This has been going on for three years.' Pointing out similar issues, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) councillor T. Sathyanathan (Ward 148) said in 2009 water supply lines were laid and retender was issued in 2012 after multiple leakages. He said, 'Roads have been relayed in many places. But, owing to leakages again from the pipeline, they have been damaged. It is not clear if GCC or CMWSSB must repair the damaged lanes.' The Deputy Mayor suggested that a coordination meeting be done. 135 resolutions passed A total of 135 resolutions were passed at the council meeting, including the construction of two goshalas in Ward 83 of ambattur Zone (VII) at Railway Station Road for ₹1.98 crore, another in Ward 194 of Zone 15 near the BIO-CNG plant behind the ISKCON temple for ₹2.43 crore, both under Capital Funds. Also, a cattle shed was proposed in Ward 184 of Zone 14 at Kattabomman Cross Street for ₹2.25 crore. Further, two animal birth control (ABC) centers —one in Sholinganallur (Ward 198) for ₹2.3 crore near the BIO-CNG plant and another in Alandur (Ward 158) for ₹8.32 crore on M.G.R. Salai under Capital Funds were approved for construction by GCC council. The Council further approved that Chennai schools would be eligible to appoint one teaching assistant for every 20 students and one ayah for every 50 students in LKG and UKG classes. Each teaching assistant would receive ₹14,150 per month, while each ayah would be paid ₹10,450 monthly. The total expenditure for the year was stated as ₹8.06 crore for core city schools and ₹5.41 crore for the added areas, according to GCC. Further, the GCC plans to deploy 1,822 sanitation workers in 510 schools under Self Help Group (SHG) and NULM schemes, with a monthly wage of ₹753 per day, the release stated.
