Latest news with #TamilNaduAssembly
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Basin bridge can't handle traffic load; govt yet to act
Chennai: Each morning, traffic piles up for more than a kilometre near Basin Bridge flyover, making the commute from North Chennai a daily ordeal. With no alternative routes, more than one lakh people including office-goers, schoolkids, and hospital-bound patients are forced to crawl across the city's oldest and most congested bridge, built between 1869 and 1873 by the British. The bridge, with just a 6m-wide ascending arm and 19m descending arm, cannot accommodate the 20,000 vehicles that try to cross it during peak hours. The situation has worsened in recent months with traffic from the under-construction Ganeshapuram and R K Nagar flyovers being diverted here, adding more pressure on an already saturated stretch. Ambulances are among the worst hit. Basin Bridge is the only direct link between major hospitals such as Rajiv Gandhi Govt General Hospital and Stanley Medical College Hospital. "Emergency vehicles that have turned on their sirens are stranded in the jam. We have to run alongside and request two-wheelers to move," said a traffic constable posted at the junction. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai In April 2025, highways minister E V Velu told the Tamil Nadu Assembly that the govt would inspect the site and explore options to either widen the existing bridge or construct a new one. But three months later, officials say there has been no follow-up. "We've heard nothing since from the minister on Basin Bridge inspection," said a senior highways department official. Residents and civic groups say the issue has been ignored for too long. "The bridge should be rebuilt above the Highest Flood Level (HFL) such as Stephen's Road Bridge," said AJ Gopi, a Kodungaiyur resident. For long-term decongestion, some have suggested a larger overhaul. "We need a temporary Bailey bridge now to ease peak-hour pressure," said G Sarathkumar, founder of Vyasai Thozargal. "Eventually, Diamond Junction should be modernized with smart signals, secure railway crossings, and Buckingham Canal should be desilted. All these contribute to the gridlock." Meanwhile, even simple interventions such as widening footpaths or installing signboards — proposed months ago by Greater Chennai Traffic Police — remain unaddressed.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- New Indian Express
TN Assembly Speaker alleges custodial torture in Tirunelveli worker's death in Madhya Pradesh
TIRUNELVELI: Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu raised suspicions of custodial torture in the death of a Tirunelveli-based 43-year-old worker at Ganj Basoda police station in Madhya Pradesh. According to a petition submitted by Appavu to Tirunelveli collector, on Thursday, 'Masanamuthu is survived by his wife and three children. Due to poverty, he had recently gone to Pune to work at an idly shop. He knew only Tamil, and decided to return to TN as he could not survive there after 20 days. He bought a train ticket to Chennai but mistakenly boarded another train arriving at Ganj Basoda station. He was taken to a police station on suspicion, where he died allegedly after being tortured. His body has been kept at the postmortem ward of the Rajiv Gandhi GH in MP,' Appavu said. In the petition, Masanamuthu's son M Sujin alleged that his father was physically tortured and killed during the interrogation. 'The Ganj Basoda police are responsible for my father's death,' he claimed. Speaking to media persons at the collectorate, Appavu insisted that the autopsy be conducted only after arranging for the procedure to be videographed. He hoped that CM Stalin will send officials to bring back Masanamuthu's body to the state.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Expedite ongoing civic works, relay road dug up before NE monsoon: Minister
The ongoing projects to provide water supply, sewer infrastructure and stormwater drains in various municipal corporations and local bodies across the State must be expedited. Roads dug up for these works must be relaid before the onset of the Northeast monsoon, Municipal Administration Minister said here on Friday. Mr. Nehru chaired a meeting to review the projects being executed by local bodies and Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board. He instructed officials to desilt canals, water bodies and stormwater drains in urban and rural habitations ahead of the NE monsoon. Besides monitoring the existing combined water supply schemes and water sources, various government agencies must work in close coordination to prevent damage to water and sewer networks during the execution of infrastructure projects. Measures must be complete the schemes announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly in the past four years, he said. TWAD supplies nearly 2,071 million litres a day of water to 544 combined water supply schemes across the State. Senior officials from various government agencies, including TWAD, Chennai Metrowater and Commissionerate of Municipal Administration took part in the meeting, said a press release.
Pink Villa
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Thalapathy Vijay shares FIRST review of Vijay Sethupathi's son Surya's debut film Phoenix
Vijay Sethupathi's son, Surya Vijay Sethupathi, is all geared up for the release of his debut movie Phoenix on July 4, 2025. Ahead of the film hitting big screens, superstar Thalapathy Vijay watched the film, expressing his opinion and well wishes to the star kid. Thalapathy Vijay drops FIRST review for Phoenix In a recent post on social media, Phoenix's director and popular stunt choreographer, 'ANL' Arasu, dropped a picture alongside Vijay and Surya. Sharing the post, he said, 'Bloody sweet! That's the vibe after Thalapathy Vijay sir watched #Phoenix and shared his MERSAL MAXX words! The Phoenix is flying on FIRE now!' Resharing the same photograph, Surya Vijay Sethupathi got emotional and said, 'Thank you Vijay sir. The last hug, the kind words, the warmth and it meant everything. I've always looked up to you, and to feel your support on this journey is something I'll never forget.' Here are the official posts feat. Thalapathy Vijay Phoenix starring Surya Vijay Sethupathi in his debut features the story of a young wrestler's dilemma dealing with power-hungry people, showcasing an underlying theme of oppression. The film releasing in theaters soon, features an ensemble cast of actors like Abhinakshathra, J Vignesh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Sampath Raj, Devadarshini, and many more in key roles. Thalapathy Vijay's Jana Nayagan Thalapathy Vijay is next set to appear in the lead role for Jana Nayagan. The upcoming Tamil-language political action drama is directed by H Vinoth. With Pooja Hegde and Bobby Deol as co-leads, Vijay will be playing a menacing police officer, with the first video glimpse titled The First Roar, showcasing him in an action avatar. Apart from the mentioned actors, the movie will have an ensemble cast of performers like Mamitha Baiju, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Prakash Raj, Narain, Priyamani, and more in key roles. The movie's musical tracks and scores will be crafted by Anirudh Ravichander. The upcoming film is expected to be the actor's alleged final movie before entering politics. However, as per a recent update by Mamitha, the actor's future in cinema depends upon the results of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections in 2026.
The Hindu
16-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Going by a Supreme Court ruling, T.N. Speaker can act on petition to disqualify O. Panneerselvam
Speaker M. Appavu can entertain a petition by an elector of Bodinayakkanur against former Chief Minister and MLA of the constituency O. Panneerselvam, if one goes by the Supreme Court's verdict in the Speaker of Orissa Legislative Assembly vs Utkal Keshari Parida, 2013 case. However, this position is not in conformity with the 1986 Rules of the Tamil Nadu Assembly regarding disqualifications, which explicitly state that only an MLA can submit any such petition. Even in the Odisha case, the locus standi of a non-member of the House in submitting a petition for disqualification of four legislators was raised, but the Supreme Court held that 'not only a Member of the House, but any person interested would also be entitled to bring to the notice of the Speaker the fact that a Member of the House had incurred disqualification under the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India.' In the eastern State, the four MLAs, belonging to the National Congress Party (NCP), had joined the then ruling party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), after which the NCP's State unit president had approached the Assembly Speaker. The matter later became a subject matter before the Orissa High Court and, eventually, the Supreme Court. As regards the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Rule 6 — References to be by petitions — deals with the matter of who can give the petition. Sub-rule (2) says: 'A petition in relation to a member may be made in writing to the Speaker by any other member.' Here, the term, 'member,' as per Rule (2) titled Definitions, means 'a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.' The last time the disqualification of legislators was carried out was in September 2017, when the then Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal took action against 18 MLAs of the AIADMK on the grounds that they had 'voluntarily given up' their membership of the party, after they owed allegiance to the dissident leader, T.T.V. Dhinakaran, who subsequently floated the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam.
