Latest news with #MMathiventhan
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Cambodians on tiger-saving trip caught in jumbos' crosshairs
CHENNAI: Blame it on the eleventh-hour change in the plan! A 15-member delegation from Cambodia, that came all the way to study the state's tiger-conservation efforts, ended up staying in a partially-sealed 'illegal' resort inside the notified Sigur Elephant Corridor at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris. Giving company to the members of the delegation at Monarch Safari Park at Bokkapuram in Masinagudi, owned by a veteran Bollywood actor, are senior officials of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII). And, they have been staying at the resort, a part of which is facing the threat of demolition, since Friday. The facility is one among the 28 illegal resorts in the area that is facing demolition. A senior NTCA official told TNIE the bilateral programme was originally scheduled at Panna National Park in Madhya Pradesh. 'We were forced to shift it to South India due to military escalation between India and Pakistan. We chose Mudumalai because of its close similarity to the Cambodian forest landscape. Due to the last-minute changes, finding a decent accommodation for 20-odd people was a challenge. After arriving here, I cross-checked with WII if the resort falls inside the elephant corridor. We were told that the part of the resort in which we are staying is not on the corridor,' he said. A WII official told TNIE the delegation's visit was confirmed only on May 14. 'We did not have enough time to find alternative decent accommodation,' he said. In May 2024, the then forest minister M Mathiventhan had stirred up a similar controversy, after he stayed in another partially-sealed resort against which orders were passed by the Supreme Court-appointed Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor Inquiry Committee.
New Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Rs 115 crore pre-built industrial units in Erode, Tiruppur to help SC/ST start business
CHENNAI: Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Minister M Mathiventhan on Saturday announced several initiatives to promote entrepreneurship among Adi Dravidars and tribals. Among key measures is the development of pre-built industrial facilities designed to help businesses commence operations quickly with minimal setup, at a cost of Rs 115 crore at TAHDCO industrial estates in Erode and Tiruppur. He made these announcements while replying to a discussion on the department's demands for grants. Mathiventhan also announced the launch of the 'Uruthunai' scheme at a cost of Rs 40 crore to provide loans to small traders, entrepreneurs and workers through district cooperative banks along with government subsidy. In addition, the TAHDCO New Commercial Complex Scheme will be implemented at a cost of Rs 15 crore to help entrepreneurs set up shops in commercial complexes under the control of local bodies. To encourage greater participation of SC and ST entrepreneurs in public procurement, Rs 50 lakh has been allocated for TN BEAT Skill Development Training programme. The scheme will offer training in vendor development, registration on Government e-Marketplace portal, financial literacy, business strategies, and digital opportunities. Under the Iyothee Thass Pandithar Habitation Development Scheme, 40 knowledge centres will be established in rural and urban areas to facilitate education, skill development and social programmes. Model hostels equipped with gyms, auditoriums and multipurpose halls will also be constructed at a cost of Rs 80 crore in cities like Chennai and Coimbatore to accommodate the growing number of Adi Dravidar and Tribal students pursuing higher education. High-speed internet facility and smart boards in all college hostels under the department will be provided at Rs 3.55 crore. In agriculture sector, Rs 14 crore will be spent under the 'Ainthinai' project to combine traditional agricultural practices with modern sustainable technologies to enhance production in tribal areas. To improve healthcare, a new scheme will be introduced to establish advanced facilities to address diseases prevalent among tribal communities including sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia. The scheme, for which Rs 10 crore has been allocated, will also introduce mobile ambulance services for remote areas.
