Latest news with #Muthu
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Fire breaks out at Namakkal metal scrap shop
NAMAKKAL: A fire broke out at a metal scrap shop in Vallipuram in Namakkal district on Saturday. The shop belonged to Muthu, 56. He had stored old vehicle spare parts on the premises. "Fire erupted at the scrap shop around 8 am," said a firefighter from the Namakkal town fire station. The whole area was engulfed in smoke due to the fire. Fire and rescue services personnel fought for two hours to extinguish the blaze. The Namakkal town police have registered a case and began investigations. State health minister Ma Subramanian, who was in Namakkal district to attend a few events and was heading to Paramathi Velur for hospital inspection, halted his vehicle on seeing the fire. He inquired with the fire department personnel about the cause of the blaze. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
CM unveils statue of city's first mayor ‘Muthannan'
Madurai: In a gesture that transcends political divides, chief minister M K Stalin on Saturday evening unveiled a bronze statue of Madurai's first mayor, Subbiah Muthu, fondly known as 'Muthannan,' at New Jail Road, replacing the older concrete structure. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A key architect of DMK in Madurai in the 1960s and seventies, Muthu's contributions to the city's civic and political landscape were honoured despite his shift to AIADMK in 1975. Muthu who was mayor twice, from 1971 to 1974, and from 1978-1980, made earnest efforts to elevate Madurai from being a municipality to a corporation. Born on March 13, 1916 into a peasant family, Muthu's early education ended at the age of eleven. He started his career as a junior accountant in a south Indian firm in Burma, then tilled the soil in his village, and later worked in Madurai Mills. He was arrested several times while leading strikes and campaigning against price rises. A staunch follower of E V Ramasamy, Muthu joined Dravida Kazhagam in 1944, and later became a member of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in 1949. He was elected as a member of the legislative council (MLC) in 1966 and to Madurai Council, becoming its chairman in 1969 and mayor in 1971. Construction of overbridges at Subramanyapuram and Andalpuram, establishment of collector wells to augment the city's water supply, and provision of housing for corporation staff were some of his contributions. "Muthannan was the root of Madurai DMK from 1960s when we used to hold party meetings on the Vaigai river against the Congress govt. He used to protect the cadres and discipline the party," recalls P Kulanthaivel, the first directly elected mayor in 1996. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a social media post, M K Alagiri, former Union minister, said Muthannan belonged to former chief minister Annadurai's period. "Even though I did not share much space with him, his works in Madurai for DMK are known even now, and I am happy that my brother M K Stalin is unveiling a bronze statue of Muthannan."
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- The Hindu
A nine-year-old bonded labourer
Two years ago, Mannepalli Ankamma, a woman from a tribal community in Andhra Pradesh, who does not know her age, decided to work for N. Muthu, a 60-year-old duck farmer. He promised her a salary of ₹24,000 a month for herding cows and helping him run a sweet shop in Satyavedu, a town in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. Ankamma took an advance of ₹15,000 from him. When she was unable to repay the amount, Muthu took away her youngest son, M. Venkatesh, as 'collateral'. He also allegedly inflated the amount she owed him to ₹42,000. On April 9, Ankamma spoke to Venkatesh over the phone. The nine-year-old boy told her that he was busy tending to Muthu's ducks in Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu. Ankamma lives in Thurakapalle village in Duttaluru mandal of Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh, where she works in her current employer Siva Reddy's lemon orchard. She assured her child that she would be there in two days with ₹42,000 of cash in hand. She promised that he would be home soon. Before ending the call, Ankamma asked Venkatesh what he had eaten for lunch. Curd rice, he said, an improvement over the previous day's meal of rice mixed with water. That was the last time Ankamma spoke to him. Buried by the river A week later, clutching wads of cash, Ankamma travelled to Satyavedu, about 270 kilometres from her village. But Muthu refused the money. 'He used casteist slurs against me,' she recalls. 'He also told me that my son had run away with his phone and some cash.' Dejected, Ankamma returned home. When a month passed and there was still no word from Venkatesh, Reddy helped her file a First Information Report (FIR) at the Satyavedu police station on May 19. The police began their investigation. On being questioned, Muthu told them that Venkatesh had died of jaundice on April 12 at a private hospital at Pudupalayam in Tiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu. He confessed that he had buried the boy near the Palar river. The police found Venkatesh's decomposed body and informed Ankamma. 'I knew it was him. He was wearing a vest and shorts. I knew it was my boy though he had become unrecognisable,' says Ankamma, her cheeks wet with tears. While the medical officer from the Chengalpattu Government Medical College declined to share the post-mortem report,the Puttur police quoted the report and said that the stated cause of death was 'blunt force injury to the head by (a) heavy weapon'. The injuries were 'sufficient to cause death in ordinary course of nature'. At first, Muthu, his wife, and son were arrested under the provisions of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976; the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986; the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2016; and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. On May 24, Deputy Superintendent of Police G. Ravi Kumar, who probed the case, said Section 103 (1) (murder) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, was also added to the FIR. Also read: How the Code on Wages 'legalises' bonded labour Bonded labour is a system where creditors force debtors to repay debts through labour. The Act prohibits any person from making advances under, or in pursuance of, the bonded labour system. It also prohibits compelling a person to render bonded or forced labour. However, the practice continues till date, say activists. A debt that cost a son Sitting on a flat rock outside Reddy's house on the outskirts of Thurakapalle village, Ankamma cries softly. Thurakapalle is 8 km from Duttaluru town. A narrow muddy pavement leads to the village, which is populated by about 10 people in the morning. The silence of the surroundings is broken by the crowing of roosters. Reddy's house stands in the midst of a vast expanse of lemon orchards. Ankamma and her husband Prakash get paid ₹15,000 a month for taking care of Reddy's 12-acre orchard, tending to 10 buffaloes, and doing other odd jobs for him. Ankamma and Prakash do not have a house. 'This is home,' she says, pointing to a small hut-like structure, perched precariously on four logs. The logs are covered on top by a tarpaulin sheet. There is just enough space for them to sleep. When Reddy is around, Prakash and Ankamma sit on the ground. 'They are Reddulu (Reddys). They are 'big' people,' Ankamma says with a reverential tone. She believes that what happened was all her fault. 'We will not leave Siva Reddy until our last breath. We had left him to work for Muthu and that is why this happened to us. From now on, we will be loyal to him.' Two years ago, Ankamma and Prakash went to work for Muthu after Ankamma's mother told her that he may pay more. Taking an advance of ₹15,000 from Muthu, they began taking his ducks for grazing. Though he promised them a salary of ₹24,000 a month, Muthu did not give them anything more than the advance amount. The couple slept in the fields under the sky. They often stayed awake at night, fearing snakes and scorpions. They moved from place to place every week, foraging for feed. They offered to repay the debt in instalments, but Muthu refused. Ankamma has three children from her previous marriage — Chenchu Krishna (15), Ravu Lakshmamma (12), and Venkatesh. When her first husband died last year, she and Prakash left for Guduru, near Tirupati district, for his final rites. When they did not return, an enraged Muthu went in search of them. He took Venkatesh away, saying the boy was 'collateral'. 'Everyone says we will get some cash (compensation),' says Ankamma. 'But we will not demand anything except justice for my son.' The Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer - 2021 states that immediate financial assistance of up to ₹30,000 is guaranteed to individuals rescued from bonded labour. Once the accused is convicted, the aid can go up to ₹3 lakh, depending on the severity of the case. Ravi Kumar, the administrative officer at the Revenue Divisional Officer's (RDO) office in Sullurpeta, says the Tirupati administration is considering providing a housing site and compensation to the family. Satyavedu falls under the purview of the Sullurpeta RDO. Activists say the administration should also issue a 'release certificate' to Ankamma's family. 'Release certificates can be issued only to those in bonded labour. Technically, only the boy was a bonded labourer. Since he is dead, the family is not eligible for the certificate,' Kumar explains. 'Poor, unlettered, and fearful' Andhra Pradesh is both a source and a destination State for bonded labour. 'The problem is not as prevalent as it used to be, but many cases do not come to light these days. In addition to migrant labourers from Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh, the most marginalised locals fall prey to the system,' says Raavi Sunil Kumar, convenor of the Vetti Vimochana Coalition, a group of NGOs working on bonded labour issues. According to data compiled by the group, 402 people have been rescued from bonded labour in the State from January 2023 to date. Most of them, including Ankamma, belong to the Yanadi community. A report from the National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, published in 2008, says the Yanadis are one of the 59 Denotified Tribes and 60 Nomadic Tribes of Andhra Pradesh. As per the 2011 Census, there were more than 5 lakh Yanadis in the composite State of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Noorbasha Babavali, a research assistant at the Centre for Study of Social Inclusion at Andhra University in Visakhapatnam, says the Yanadis are extremely poor. Only 35.35% of them are lettered. 'They have been exploited as they don't know about the legal system. Their fear of society keeps them away from the mainstream. They don't own any assets and stay on the canal bunds and in hilly areas.' Ankamma says she did not know that vetti chakiri (bonded labour) is illegal. 'Many Yanadis do not open up to strangers even if they are offered help,' says Ch. Venkateswarlu, a Yanadi leader from Alluru, a village near Ongole in Prakasam district. 'Unlike Ankamma, others do not share their troubles. They fear being beaten up by their employers.' He recalls another incident in which two bonded labourers died of electrocution while working in a field in Palnadu district. 'Though this happened a few months ago, the labourers' families still work as bonded labourers,' he says. Kotaiah's escape Katti Kotaiah, 56, who also belongs to the Yanadi community, escaped the clutches of his employer at Chilakaluripeta town. Kotaiah lives in a Yanadi colony at Alluru, a village near the Kothapatnam beach in Prakasam district. About 400 Yanadis live in the colony. At least 10 members live in one hut. Like Ankamma, Kotaiah blames himself for what happened. 'It was my fault that I accepted a loan of ₹10,000 from a creditor in Chilakaluripeta in Palnadu district. At the time, we had no work, no food, and no access to drinking water. So, I took the money,' he says. To repay that amount, his family of seven, including three children, had to work as bonded labourers for around 20 years. 'We set out to work when my son's three children were toddlers. Now they are between 16 and 20,' he says. By the time of their release last year, that debt of ₹1,500 had risen to ₹15 lakh. The family was sold more than thrice, and worked as bonded labourers under different employers, says Kotaiah. He says their job was to cut Subabul logs, used primarily in the pulp and paper industry. He and his wife cut two tonnes of logs every day. 'In a week, if we cut 14 tonnes, we would get ₹1,500,' he says. As per current rates, a worker is supposed to get around ₹500 for cutting one tonne. 'These jobs were always fine in the first five months. Then, our employers would not give us wages daily. They would give us just ₹1,000 a week. We had to work even when we fell sick. They restricted our movements,' he says. Kotaiah says a policeman asked him to leave the employer during the pandemic. 'But I told him that I owed my employer ₹2 lakh.' he says. Kotaiah sold his house, received as part of a government scheme, for ₹1 lakh to clear the debt. It was only when Kotaiah's friend died that he decided to leave. 'We told our employer that we have to vote in the election (June 2024). He let us go. We never went back, despite warnings.' This year, too, the employer created a ruckus in Alluru demanding that they all come back, he recalls. District officials of Prakasam intervened and gave the family protection and release certificates. Venkateswarlu says that while the government hands out release certificates to survivors, the rehabilitation takes place so late in some cases that a few people, who find themselves without land and work after their release from bonded labour, go back to their old employers. Today, Kotaiah lives in a spacious hut with a sofa, cot, and cooler. He says civil society members got him these necessities. Kotaiah sells fish for a living. 'Some days, I get ₹200 and some days I make ₹400. Today I got only ₹100. But at least no one is torturing us,' he says. No action plan in place 'Apart from duck-rearing units, bonded labour cases are reported from areas where Subabul is grown extensively,' says Ramesh, who belongs to the Rural Organisation for Poverty Eradication Services, a registered NGO. In duck-rearing units, children are mostly chosen as labourers. 'One has to be agile and quick to stop the ducks from escaping. Duck farmers, mostly Yerukulas (another Scheduled Tribe community), hire Yanadis to work for them. The conditions are harsh, with no electricity and no proper food,' says Ramesh. In his report 'Bonded Labour in India: Its Incidence and Pattern', former Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Ravi S. Srivastava says that the Supreme Court directed all the States to collect information on the prevalence of bonded labour in India. The survey was held in 1996. No cases were identified in Andhra Pradesh. However, the government subsequently identified and released 37,988 bonded labourers till 2004. 'Since then, no systematic survey has been carried out. Bonded labour persists both in the agricultural and non-agricultural sector, although vestiges of hereditary bondage only exist in traditional sectors,' he says. Of the 402 people who have been rescued in the past two years by the Vetti Vimochana Coalition, members say FIRs have been booked only in seven cases. 'There is no Standard Operating Procedure or State action plan for the identification, rescue and rehabilitation of bonded labourers in Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, States such as Tamil Nadu and Delhi have a robust system in place,' explains Kumar. While the Bonded Labour Act provides for punishment for up to three years, there is no data on how many people have been punished. The law mandates a district-level vigilance and monitoring committee to be in place. 'This was formed in Prakasam only last year,' Kumar says. Officials of the Revenue, Tribal Welfare, Social Welfare, and Labour Departments say they are not sure which of them is responsible for enforcing the Act. 'It is important to identify bonded labour as an organised crime,' says Venkateswarlu. 'The government should have a nodal department to deal with pre- and post-rescue operations. It should also have a toll-free number for people in distress. If there had been one, Ankamma would not have lost her son.' sravani.n@ This piece was edited by Radhika Santhanam
The Print
28-05-2025
- The Print
9-yr-old boy's secret burial exposes Andhra bonded labour horror, and a tribe ensnared for decades
Police have arrested Muthu, his wife, and his son in connection with the case. Venkatesh, a tribal boy from Chavatapalem village in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati district, was forced into bonded labour and made to rear ducks by a man named Muthu in the district's Satyavedu village, after his mother, Anakamma, requested more time to repay a Rs 25,000 loan. New Delhi: 'There was no sign of remorse on their faces. They were laughing and chit-chatting while I was sobbing, looking at my son's body, imagining how much he must have cried and screamed. But no one showed him mercy,' said Anakamma, whose 9-year-old son's body was found buried near the Palar River on 22 May in Tamil Nadu's Kancheepuram district. An FIR was lodged on 15 May—several days before the body was found—under multiple laws, including the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. It also invoked Sections 16 and 75 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. Additionally, sections of The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986; Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015; and Sections 146 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which criminalise unlawful compulsory labour and wrongful confinement for 10 days or more. ThePrint has accessed the FIR. Muthu claimed that Venkatesh had fallen ill with jaundice and was taken to a private hospital in Tamil Nadu on 11 April. This was corroborated by CCTV footage reviewed by the Satyavedu police. The boy allegedly died the next day, on 12 April, despite receiving treatment. Venkatesh had been sent to work for Muthu's son, who lives in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu. The boy's mother alleges that doctors who conducted the post-mortem told her he had been brutally assaulted. 'On 24 May, when I went to the hospital with Raniji (a local social worker helping the family), the doctor called us in and explained that my son had severe injuries—on his head, cheekbones and shoulders,' she told ThePrint over the phone. 'The doctor said they had stuffed a cloth in his mouth and pulled his head back, probably to stop him from screaming. These and other injuries pointed to a violent, targeted assault,' she added. ThePrint reached Chengalpattu Government Hospital, where the post-mortem took place via email. This report will be updated if and when a response is received. The post-mortem report—a copy of which ThePrint has seen—revealed that boy had sustained a blunt force injury to the head inflicted by a 'heavy weapon', and ante-mortem skull fractures. 'The boy was a little mischievous. So, at one point, to reprimand him, he was struck on the head,' a source said, adding that this blow led to internal hemorrhaging and ultimately resulted in the child's death. This has been confirmed in the post mortem report, also accessed by ThePrint. The police have filed murder charges in a supplementary memo, citing findings from the post-mortem report. Anakamma and her family belong to the Yanadi tribe—one of the largest Scheduled Tribes in Andhra Pradesh, with a significant presence in the Nellore, Chittoor, and Prakasam districts. Traditionally hunter-gatherers, some subgroups like the Adavi Yanadi are known for their deep knowledge of forests, flora, and fauna. Over time, however, many Yanadis have become landless and now work as agricultural labourers, domestic helpers, or watchmen. Their marginalised status has left them especially vulnerable to exploitation, including bonded labour. Also read: From Sitamarhi to Sadar Bazar, a mother's fight to rescue 11-yr-old son from bonded labour Debt and disappearance In April 2024, Annakamma, her second husband, and their children began working for Muthu in Satyavedu. They were promised Rs 25,000 for their labour but received only Rs 15,000 as an advance. After three months, Annakamma had returned to her native village, Chavatapalem, to perform the last rites of her deceased ex-husband. It was then that she learned her former husband had left behind a debt of Rs 25,000 owed to a man named Satish. 'Muthu came forward and paid the loan on his own, without my permission, and said that I owed him now. Until I repaid him, he would take my son. I had no choice. He even insisted on taking all my children but after I resisted, he only took my boy,' she said. In the following months, Annakamma said she had only limited contact with Venkatesh. 'He would sometimes call and tell me that the owner beat him with a stick,' she said. When she asked Muthu to send her son back, he told her over the phone that she would have to pay Rs 42,000 for his release, Rs 17,000 more than the debt he had paid off. After a few brief calls with Venkatesh, lasting just 3-4 minutes each, the last of which was on 9 April, the communication stopped. When she tried to ask Muthu about her son, he gave vague excuses, saying the boy had gone out for work, was in another place, or was unwell. Worried, she eventually filed a complaint at the Tirupati police station. The case was later transferred to Satyavedu in the state's Chittoor district. With the help of local activists, she visited Muthu's home. 'When we reached there with a police constable, Muthu's son said my boy had run away with a mobile phone and some money,' she said. But the family claims Muthu and his relatives kept changing their statements. 'First, they said he ran away. Then they said he was unwell. Then they didn't know where he was,' she recounted. Frustrated with the lack of progress, the family sought the help from local officials. With support from Advocate Parvataiah, a member of the District Vigilance Committee for the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, they met Gudur MLA Pasam Sunil Kumar, who intervened and spoke to the Tirupati police. The police eventually located and detained Muthu. He was first brought to the Kodur police station in Tirupati district and later transferred to Satyavedu. It was during questioning, the family claims, that Muthu finally admitted that Venkatesh had fallen ill with jaundice, died and had been buried. When Venkatesh's body was exhumed, a devastated Annakamma looked upon her son's battered body, while Muthu and his family stood nearby, showing no sign of emotion, she claimed. Now, left with just the memory of her son, Anakamma said, 'My boy used to be very active. He could never sit quietly, always running around, playing.' She recalled how fond he was of bicycles. 'He would keep asking, 'When will you get me a cycle? I want to ride it and show you',' she said, adding that he would even play with discarded cycle tyres if he found any lying around. Bonded labour & vulnerable Yanadi tribal community Bonded labour was outlawed in India in 1976 and the government has pledged to identify, release, and rehabilitate approximately 1.84 crore bonded labourers by 2030. According to data presented by the Union government in the Lok Sabha, a total of 3,15,302 people were released from bonded labour between 1978 and January 2023. Of these, 94 percent have been rehabilitated. Meanwhile, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that 1,155 cases were registered under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, in 2019—96 percent of them involving crimes against SCs and STs. In 2020, 1,231 such cases were registered (94 percent against SC/ST), and in 2021, the number dropped to 592, with 96 percent still involving SC/ST victims. Shaik Basheer, Executive Secretary of the Association for Rural Development, an NGO based in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore that has been supporting people affected by issues like bonded labour for over a decade, described the Yanadi as 'the most vulnerable' and among the most marginalised communities in the region. Speaking to ThePrint, Basheer said the death of a child due to forced labour reflects the broader structural vulnerabilities faced by such communities. 'Most of them don't even have basic documents like Aadhaar cards. They don't have proper homes or access to drinking water. Their minimum entitlements are denied,' he said. According to the 2011 Census, the Yanadi tribe has a population of 5,33,746 individuals. Basheer, also a member of the District Vigilance Committee on Bonded Labour, established by the state government, said that when families face emergencies such as health issues or sudden financial crises, they often accept small advances from employers as a stopgap. 'In return for the advance, their children or family members go and work. But the advance is never really repaid. It becomes a trap,' he said. Describing the pattern of bonded labour, he added, 'these families are given just enough to eat, while being forced to work. That's how the cycle continues.' He claimed that since 2012, 428 people from the Yanadi community have been rescued from bonded labour. Basheer also pointed out that while rescue operations do take place, 'the biggest challenge over the past six years has been rehabilitation and prosecution'. 'Cases are filed, but follow-up is poor and often forgotten,' he said, calling it a systemic failure. He stressed the urgent need for a detailed socio-economic and demographic survey of the community. 'There should be family-level mapping at the village level,' he suggested, noting that most of them are engaged in distress migration and subsistence activities like begging, manual scavenging and rag-picking. 'The government must identify how many children are in these households, their age, their entitlements, and whether schemes are reaching them or not,' Basheer said. He also proposed the formation of a high-level monitoring committee and the appointment of deputy directors at the district level to oversee tribal welfare exclusively. He recommended the provision of basic documents like Aadhaar cards, ration cards, job cards, health cards, voter IDs, and bank accounts, and the inclusion of Yanadi women in self-help groups to strengthen livelihoods. What the govt has done The Andhra Pradesh government initiated a significant development scheme for the Yanadi tribal community in 2002. This initiative led to the establishment of a dedicated Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) for the Yanadis, headquartered in Nellore. The ITDA was created to address the unique challenges faced by the Yanadi community, particularly those residing in the districts of Nellore, Chittoor, Prakasam and YSR Kadapa. While acknowledging that the government has introduced some positive measures, such as residential schools under the ITDA in the Nellore basin, Basheer noted that the ITDA currently covers six districts and needs better decentralisation. 'There should be dedicated district-level officers and funds earmarked specifically for the Yanadi community,' added Basheer, who also served as a board member of the Central Advisory Board for Child Labour and Adolescent Labour in 2016-18. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also read: Trapped, raped repeatedly & forced into bonded labour, 18-yr-old MP girl's Delhi dream turns nightmare
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Madurai roads get a new lease of life for CM's May 31 roadshow
Madurai: Ahead of chief minister M K Stalin's roadshow on May 31 in Madurai, the city corporation and state highways department are giving key roads a much-needed patchwork. The event is part of the lead-up to the DMK general council meeting, being held at Uthangudi in Madurai on June 1. The city is gearing up for a 20km-long roadshow which will begin near Madurai airport and pass through several neighbourhoods including Avaniyapuram, Jaihindpuram, Kalavasal Bypass Road, Arappalayam, and New Jail Road, before concluding at the Mayor Muthu statue near Melaponagaram. The chief minister will then proceed to the Circuit House for an overnight stay. Extensive patchwork and resurfacing are underway across major routes connecting the airport to the city, including Villapuram, Jaihindpuram, Bypass Road, and Aruppukottai Main Road. The state highways department is spearheading work on the Aruppukottai main road stretch, while the corporation is handling repairs across parts of the west, central, and north zones. "Even interior roads in residential areas like Jaihindpuram, Avaniyapuram, and near Guru Theatre are being repaired," said a corporation official. "We are ensuring that every stretch on the CM's route is clean, safe, and crowd-ready," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo As part of the preparations, sand and dust are being cleared from the roads, and temporary barricades are being installed with the help of city police to manage the expected crowds. The CM is scheduled to unveil a bronze statue of former Mayor Muthu during the roadshow. A DMK party functionary told TOI, "This is the first time the DMK general council meeting is being held outside Chennai. We're making massive arrangements to bring in cadres from Madurai and nearby districts to show the strength and unity of the party. As most of the residential roads are prone to dust with drinking water pipeline work underway or finished and roads yet to be laid, we have given special attention to it. " Residents in Jaihindpuram and Avaniyapuram say the sudden road improvements are welcome. "Many of our roads were in bad shape for months. We're happy they're finally getting fixed — even if it's just because of the CM's visit," said a resident of Jaihindpuram.
