Latest news with #V.Vaithilingam
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
AAI designs Master Plan for Puducherry Airport expansion
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has developed a Master Plan for Puducherry airport with the provision for operation of A-320 class of aircraft, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said in Parliament on Thursday (July 24, 2025). Responding to a question raised by Member of Parliament V. Vaithilingam on the status of expansion of the Puducherry airport, Mr. Naidu said that the AAI Master Plan envisaged an extended runway length of 2,300m and 45m width. The total additional land requirement will be 402 acres, out of which 217 acres are situated in Tamil Nadu and 185 acres are in Puducherry. The Master Plan has been shared with the Government of Puducherry, the Minister said. Responding to another part of the starred question, Mr. Mohan Naidu said the Puducherry airport was currently connected to Hyderabad and Bengaluru. To the MP's query on whether the Union government proposed measures for operating flights from Puducherry to Kochi and Shirdi in view of a large number of people travelling to these places, the Civil Aviation Minister said airlines were free to decide on markets/routes following the deregulation of the aviation sector in the country. 'With the repeal of Air Corporation Act in March 1994, the Indian domestic aviation has been deregulated. Airlines are free to induct capacity with any aircraft type, free to select whatever markets and network/route they wish to service, depending on their commercial and operational feasibility,' the Minister said in his reply.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
DMK members walk out of DISHA review meet
DMK legislators led by Leader of Opposition and party convenor R. Siva walked out of a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committees (DISHA) held on Wednesday to review Centrally-Sponsored Schemes to protest against the administration's alleged lack of accountability in sharing details of various schemes. The meeting, chaired by V. Vaithilingam, MP and committee chair, had been convened to review CSS works that had been completed or in progress, across five departments — Smart City Mission, District Rural Development Agency, departments of Survey, Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare and Town and Country Planning. Mr. Siva, in a press statement later, said no satisfactory response was forthcoming when members of the DMK and the Congress sought details on the lapse of allocated funds and the abandonment of over 30 original proposed civic infrastructure projects under the Mission. The Leader of Opposition also flagged the corruption charges shrouding some Smart City projects. Condemning the absence of key officials at the meeting that turned the exercise into an 'eye-wash,' the DMK members, including Annibal Kennedy, R. Senthilkumar and L. Sambath, MLAs, staged a walk-out from the Collectorate hall. Among those who attended the meeting were S. Selvaganabathy, MP, M. Vaithianathan, Congress MLA, AKD Aroumougame, AINRC legislator and District Collector A. Kulothungan.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
General strike passes off peacefully in Puducherry
The nation-wide general strike called by 10 Central trade unions against the policies of the Union government passed off peacefully in Puducherry on Wednesday. With political parties in the INDIA bloc extending support to the general strike in Puducherry, most of the business establishments on Jawaharlal Nehru Street, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Anna Salai, Kamaraj Salai, Maraimalaiadigal Salai, S.V. Patel Salai and Bussy Street remained closed. While private buses and autorickshaws kept off the roads, the Puducherry Road Transport Corporation operated a few services, though commuters were sparse. The main shopping establishments, including Goubert Market remained closed all through the day. However, meat shops, fuel outlets, pharmacies and some provision shops in the town and suburban areas functioned as usual. Besides, many liquor outlets in the town, including those functioning near the New Bus Stand, were open. Court arrest Hundreds of workers, including senior leaders of Congress, DMK and Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) courted arrest while taking out a protest march near the New Bus Stand. They raised slogans against the BJP government at the Centre for anti-working class policy initiatives. Those arrested, include former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, Member of Parliament and PCC chief V. Vaithilingam, Opposition leader R. Siva, CPI secretary A. M. Saleem and CPI(M) secretary S. Ramachandran. AIADMK to complain to MHA The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Wednesday said the party would complain to the Ministry of Home Affairs about the failure of the district administration and the Police department to act against the bandh supporters. 'The Union Territory is run by the BJP and we [AIADMK] are having an alliance with the party. Despite being in the alliance, our party leaders were taken into custody when the AIADMK had called for a strike on Statehood sometime ago. However, when the Opposition INDIA bloc called for a bandh in Puducherry, the administration failed to act against the people who broke the law despite us having given a complaint to the DGP. The Puducherry administration is sympathetic towards the Congress and the DMK,' he said.
The Hindu
05-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Congress seeks CBI probe into infrastructure projects executed under AINRC-BJP government
The Congress has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into major projects undertaken by the All India N R Congress - Bharatiya Janata Party government in Puducherry. Talking to reporters after inspecting the reconstructed Rajiv Gandhi Bus Terminus along with Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and Pradesh Congress Committee chief V. Vaithilingam, former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy said the bus stand has been opened without providing any facility for the passengers. While the shops inside the commercial complex have not been opened yet, there have been complaints from the commuters about lack of other amenities as well inside the bus terminus, he said. 'We have been complaining about the huge expenditure involved in the construction of the bus terminus. There are also complaints about other infrastructure projects implemented by the present government. An inquiry by the CBI only will bring out the truth,' he said. Mr. Vaithilingam said the Congress would approach the investigating agency demanding a probe into various infrastructure projects undertaken by the AINRC-BJP government. If the CBI failed to initiate inquiry, the party would certainly approach the High Court, he added. In a separate press briefing at the Pradesh Congress Committee office along with the AICC media in-charge Dolly Sharma, Mr. Vaithilingam said the recent election of the BJP president in Puducherry was just a 'sham.' 'The new president V. P. Ramalingam was earlier a nominated legislator of the BJP. His elevation as president of the party was also a nomination by the leadership. Mr. Ramalingam has never faced an election. No election was conducted at the party level. There is no internal democracy in the BJP,' the PCC chief said. The AICC media-in charge said the BJP central leadership was controlling Chief Minister N. Rangasamy. 'The AINRC-BJP government is involved in corrupt practices and even a ruling party member was involved in the encroachment of a temple land. The ruling combine has failed to obtain Statehood for Puducherry,' she said.
The Hindu
07-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
PCC chief accuses government of showing favouritism in allocation of shops
Member of Parliament and president of Pradesh Congress Committee V. Vaithilingam has accused the AINRC-BJP government of bias in allotment of shops in the new complex constructed at Anna Thidal under the Smart City project. Speaking at the PCC office after inducting traders into the party, Mr. Vaithilingam said the government was functioning against the general interests of the trading community. Traders associated with the ruling establishment have alone benefitted, he said. 'While shops at the new bus stand have not been allotted even after commencement of bus services from the complex, shops at Anna Thidal are being allotted to people close to the ruling party even before the facility is inaugurated,' he said. Former Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and several other Congress leaders attended the event.
