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NDTV
29-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
MK Stalin To Inaugurate Permanent Housing For Displaced Irular Families
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will virtually inaugurate newly-built houses for 41 displaced Irular families at Melpakkam village near Arakkonam in Ranipet district on Thursday. The initiative provides permanent rehabilitation to the tribal families who lost their land to a road widening project. In 2023, the State Highways Department acquired patta lands earlier allotted to these families by the district administration for expanding the Kancheepuram-Arakkonam-Tiruttani Road (SH-58). As compensation, the department committed to providing new land and constructing houses at a total cost of Rs 6.32 crore. Each house, built at a cost of Rs 10.70 lakh, spans 355 square feet and includes a living room, bedroom, kitchen and attached toilet. The new residential enclave also features a community hall with a capacity of 100 people, an Anganwadi centre, a small temple, and a protective compound wall. To ensure essential amenities, a 30,000-litre overhead tank has been installed for drinking water supply. Internal roads have been paved with bitumen to facilitate smooth vehicular movement, especially during medical emergencies. Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi, who inspected the site along with District Collector J.U. Chandrakala, interacted with the families and urged them to prioritise education by enrolling their children in nearby schools. He also instructed officials to plant fruit-bearing saplings across the housing area to provide shade and supplementary income in the future. The relocation and housing effort is closely linked to a major infrastructure project - the widening of SH-58 - as part of the Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor, under the Centre's East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC). The ECEC aims to connect key coastal cities including Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Chennai, and Kanyakumari to promote industrial growth. Funded by the Asian Development Bank, the highway upgrade covers a 41.77 km stretch between Kancheepuram and Tiruttani. The road has been expanded into a 10-metre-wide two-lane corridor with stormwater drains, footpaths, 18 small bridges, and 124 culverts. The project cost is estimated at Rs 359.06 crore and has been under development since mid-2021. The initiative represents a balanced approach to infrastructure development and social responsibility, ensuring affected communities are not left behind in the path of progress.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Letters to The Editor — May 23, 2025
Israel and western world The change in stand by Canada, France and the U.K. in the context of the belligerent and brutal campaign on Gaza by Israel, is also a part of a churning in the current global disorder, marked by a complete disregard for the UN Charter by nations with economic and military clout. It is a pity that over the last few years, we have been witnessing 'expedient silences' and also an abstaining from voting opportunistically at international forums being portrayed as brilliant tactics even in matters where flagrant breaches are evident. Value-neutrality among diplomats is threatening to spell the end of diplomacy as the most effective method of dispute resolution Angara Venkata Girija Kumar, Chennai Judiciary, appointments I write this letter as Senior Advocate, and President, Tamil Nadu Advocates Association (TNAA). While it may be true that the data analysis in the 'Datapoint', 'Madras HC judge picks: 88% not from general category' (Opinion page, May 19, 2025), pertains only to the appointments made in the last couple of years during the tenures of two former Chief Justices of India, and ' is based on the latest data recently released separately by the Supreme Court', the analysis projects an incorrect picture. The fair representation of all communities in the higher judiciary is a topic of concern to the legal fraternity. A well-known case, The Registrar General of Madras High Court vs R. Gandhi (AIRONLINE 2014 SC 170), has dealt with the issue and the Supreme Court made a specific observation that all unrepresented communities and underrepresented communities from all sections of society be given fair representation in elevation as judges of the courts. It would be appropriate to mention the questions in Parliament with regard to social diversity in higher judiciary; unstarred question number 3117, on representation of judges from the weaker sections in the Supreme Court and High Courts is one example. In this unstarred question, four issues were raised regarding the percentage of each community's representation in the Supreme Court and High Courts. The data sought was for 2014 onwards, but the Union Ministry of Law and Justice used data from 2018. Based on the information provided, it was seen that out of 684 High Court judges appointed since 2018, 21 belong to the SC category, 14 to the ST category, and 82 to the OBC category, with 32 from minorities. The data provided was once again re-iterated with a few additions to another unstarred question raised and answered on March 20, 2025. It was mentioned that out of 715 High Court judges appointed since 2018, only 22 are from the SC category, 16 from the ST category, 89 from OBCs and 37 from the minorities. The fact is that from 2018 to 2022, 80% of judges were appointed from the upper caste, or the general category. Now, nearly 78% of the judges are upper castes. S. Prabakaran, Chennai
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Work to rejuvenate irrigation tank near Walajah town begins
Work on rejuvenation of the irrigation tank, which is maintained by the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), at Thenkadapanthangal village near Walajah town in Ranipet commenced on Saturday. Minister for Handlooms and Textiles R. Gandhi laid the foundation stone for the work in the presence of Collector J. U. Chandrakala. 'Work on deepening the tank will be done. It will help to collect excess rainwater discharged from storm water drains in the surrounding villages and from the hillock during monsoon,' C. Priya, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), DRDA (Arcot), told The Hindu. Officials of DRDA said that strengthening the bund of the tank is the major work that will be done as part of the work. It will help to prevent inundation of surrounding villages during monsoon. At present, the bund is around two metres in height and 2.5 metres wide. The rejuvenation work will increase the total height to three metres. More importantly, the width and height of the bund will be evenly maintained in the tank area as part of the work. Such evenness of the bund will help to store at least additional 5,000 cubic metres of water. Spread over 17 hectares, the rejuvenation of the tank, which has a total capacity of 1.5 lakh cubic meter of water, is being undertaken under the Rehabilitation and Restoration of Lakes scheme 2024-25 at a cost of Rs 6.62 lakh. Desilt and deepening of the tank will be done to its original depth of four metres. Existing inlets in the tank will be revamped for free flow of rainwater from storm water drains in the villages. Inlets are 10 ft wide and run to a distance of one kilometres. A tiled walkers' path on the bund of the tank will be laid. Seating arrangements, solar powered LED streetlights, a compound wall and signages on the bund are also being done. Saplings will be procured free of cost from the Department of Horticulture and farmers to plant around the tank. A children's park, play area and watchtowers on the open space of the tank will also be part of the work. DRDA has 26 tanks in the district. In this regard, three tanks including Thenkadapanthangal tank have been taken up for rejuvenation. At present, more than 15,000 residents in at least eight surrounding villages, depend on the tank for consumption. Borewells were laid around the bund of the tank by local bodies to meet water needs for its residents. It also helps in increasing ground water level to 3 kms radius in its proximity.
