• 1000 mw NLC-TNEB
• 1600mw super critical power plant@udangudi near Tuticorin
• 1000MW by Coastal Energen
  

1. Direct Job oppurtunities for few hundreds and indirect job oppurtunities for few hundreds

1. High level pollution
2. Prevents other non polluting industires to be considered in future
3. Threat to Marine resource

G. Mahadevan, lecturer, Gandhigram Rural University, inaugurated Maths Club at Annammal College of Education for Women here on Friday.

The club was formed to bring together students interested in the ‘beauty’ and the ‘mystery’ of Mathematics.

It would undertake projects to develop analytical thinking and logical reasoning among the students.

It would also serve as a platform to exchange creative ideas in the field and propagate various mathematical applications, college sources said.

In another function, S. Deckla, Vice-Principal of St. Mary’s College, inaugurated the History Club of the college. D. Ganesan and Fiby Raj, president and principal of the college respectively were present.

The Annammal College of Education conducted a workshop on ‘Task based teaching of the English Text’ here on Saturday, to improve the linguistic skills of B.Ed. and M.Ed. students and school teachers.

K. Elango, Professor of English, Anna University, Chennai, and Secretary of English Language Teachers’ Association of India, took classes on topics such as ‘Development of writing Skills’ and ‘Teaching new vocabulary’.

• ‘chain link fencing’ would be established for a length of two km at strategic points along the circumference of the park
• a percolation pond would be created and a contour wall to a length of two km would be built around it, to impound rainwater flowing through the area.
• grass seeds would be sowed over five acres to increase coverage under grassland by five per cent, to provide more quantity of fodder to the blackbucks.
• desilting of Seetharkulam and Puliankulam tanks, which provide drinking water to the blackbucks, would be undertaken, and 600 seedlings of taller varieties of tree species would be planted.
• To beautify and enhance facilities in the surroundings of the park, tree cultivation would be taken up at private lands spread over 15 ha and drinking water facility would be established at two adjacent villages.

• The National Food Security Mission announced by the Government of India with the objective of increasing the
  production of paddy and pulses has been launched in the five districts of Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, Pudukottai,
  Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga in respect of paddy and in the 12 districts of Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Erode, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Tiruvallur, Tiruvarur, Thoothukudi, Tiruvannamalai,Vellore, Villupuram and Virudhunagar in respect of pulses. The production of paddy and pulses of these districts will be increased
  through provision of high quality seeds, promotion of hybrids, integrated fertilizer and pest management and adoption of SRI method.
• Government is taking necessary measures to increase the production of palm oil by promoting the cultivation of
  oil palm. Agreements have been signed with oil extraction firms in Villupuram, Tirunelveli, Theni, Thoothukudi and Vellore districts. This will enable farmers to get higher income in addition to fulfilling the edible oil requirement of the State.
• The Tamirabarani – Karumeniyar – Nambiar linking project for taking the surplus water from
  Tamirabarani river to the water deficit areas of Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts will be executed
  at a cost of Rs.369 crores.
• Government has taken up several power generation projects to ensure adequate generation of electricity. Works for establishing a new 600 MW unit in the North Chennai Thermal Power Plant at a cost of Rs,2,475 crores are under progress. Tenders have been invited for setting up a 600 MW power plant at Mettur Thermal Power Station. Similarly, it is proposed to augment the generation capacity of Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station by
  1,000 MW. All the above projects will be executed by Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB). Apart from these projects, works have already commenced for establishing a 1,500 MW power plant in North Chennai as a joint venture between TNEB and National Thermal Power Corporation. TNEB has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for establishing a 1,600 MW power plant at
  Udangudi in Thoothukudi district

• 2 bullocks killed
• low lying residential areas submerged
• six huts collapsed
• 16 dwellings were partially submerged
• district received the highest amount of rain among all districts in the State during the last 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Friday, totalling 1,524.8 mm, with an average of 80.25 mm.
• standing crop of paddy were damaged at Tiruchedur, Tuticorin, Ottapidaram, Kovilpatti, Sattankulam and Srivaikundam taluks after the fields submerged in rainwater for long.
• Several teams comprising officials of Revenue and Agriculture departments had been formed to assess loss to farmers
• Seventy-one families at Kalankudiyiruppu and Vembar had been evacuated and moved to marriage halls after water entered their houses
• Rail and air services from the district were not affected by rain.
• Minister of State for Home Affairs Radhika Selvi and Minister for Animal Husbandry P. Geetha Jeevan separately visited the rain-affected areas in the district.

Tuticorin Port achieves target ahead of time

The same is higher by 21.85 lakh tonne as against the target of 182 lakh tonne set for the year 2006-07 and Tuticorin Port Trust is the second in India to cross the target, said A Subbiah, deputy chairman, Tuticorin Port Trust in a press release on Monday.

Thermal coal, containerised cargo registered steep increase during the financial year. The Union government has also allocated more fertiliser to Tuticorin port during the year. The port with its proactive policy on anchorage operation and trade facilitation measures helped the trade to route more volume of cargo through Tuticorin Port.

The record performance of Tuticorin port was possible by the excellent patronage of the trade using the port as their preferred port for EXIM trade. With the good cooperation of all stakeholders, Tuticorin port is confident of achieving 210 lakh tonne of cargo by the end of the financial year.

courtesy:financialexpress.com

Export of tuna fish, which contributed to only 200 million dollars in 1.8 billion dollar export earnings in 2006-07, are being pushed through technology induction for catching this highly migrating species.

Tuna fish exports are targeted to reach 500 million dollar by 2012, he said

Andaman and Nicobar Island have been identified as holding 25-30 per cent of tuna potential in the country. "A prespective plan for tuna fishing was released 3-4 months back with main focus for fishing in Andaman and Nicobar sea and also off Vishakapatnam and Tuticorin coast," he said.

He, however, said that the domestic fish market would not be opened for imports. "There is no question of opening our fish market."

• fish processing technology
• preparation of value-added products such as smoked tuna, fisheries economics and credit plan preparation.

• Fisheries college team to carry out research in Tuticorin

• Centre grants Rs.52.51 lakh for the project

• team will work out water quality parameters for maintenance of brood stock, larvae and juveniles
• Optimisation of diet and its quality on larval development will be studied, besides, observing rate of spawning and fecundity ratio under different environmental conditions.

• “Development of a standardised technology will augment the supply of such organisms by reducing the pressure on wild population and producing marketable size of a wide variety of species around the year,”
• The institute will disseminate the technology developed to local fishing community and Self Help Groups, to provide them with a livelihood opportunity

• Team visited multi-product special economic zone at Nanguneri and the SEZ at Gangaikondan

• The Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute, affiliated to Manonamaniam Sundaranar University, will join hands with the district administration, the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust and the Gulf of Mannar Marine National park and bring out posters highlighting the importance of coral reef ecosystem in the Gulf of Mannar

• Roll out a campaign through the visual media to explain how coral reef and the associated flora and fauna are facing more threat worldwide from the natural and anthropogenic impacts.
• “These activities will strengthen the awareness of the ecological, social, economic and cultural value of coral reef and associated eco systems, besides helping the people come to grips with the critical threats to reefs,” J.K. Patterson Edward, Director of the institute

• The institute also plans to produce a documentary on coral reefs (both in English and Tamil) with funding from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The documentary will be distributed, on DVDs, to educational institutions free of cost.

• Conservation measures will have to be stepped up to sustain the increase in the coral cover from 36 per cent to 41.11 per cent recorded last year after degradation for almost three decades, according to Mr. Patterson Edward.

• Finance Minister had neglected infrastructure, general industrial growth and housing sector in the budget, though he had reduced CENVAT rate from 16 per cent to 14 per cent to give a stimulus to manufacturing sector.
• Debt waiver scheme announced for small and marginal farmers would have a cascading effect on reform process in the long run.
• “The waiver to the tune of Rs.60,000 crore looks to be a sop formulated at the eleventh hour with an eye on forthcoming general elections, since there was no budgetary allocation made to provide liquidity to banks for an amount equal to the waiver,”
• Questions answered by R. Sriram, member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

• The advent of globalisation has slowed down the agricultural growth rate in the country considerably, according to S.V. Hariharan, Professor (International Economics), School of Economics, Madurai Kamaraj University
• Growth rate had plummeted below three per cent after the economy was liberalised in 1991, owing to liberal import policy and fall in government investments, among others.
• Agriculture growth rate graph showed an increase only in Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura, after the economy was opened up in 1991.

• The centre for mathematics, named after mathematician S.S. Pillai
• Periodical titled ‘V.O.C. Mathematics News’ will be published.
• Botany research centre
• A total of 11 lectures and readers are available at the centre to provide guidance to research scholars.

• Air-conditioned auditorium
• a modern board room,
• an info-tech laboratory,
• library,
• reading room,
• an office room and cabin for Chairman of the branch.

“The facility will be of help to the students from Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts, who otherwise have to go to Chennai to undergo such training.”

The Tuticorin port created a new record on February 16 by handling 1,13,327 tonnes of cargo on a single day, surpassing the previous record of 1,10,403 tonnes handled on November 17 last year.

This achievement was mainly brought about due to anchorage, handling of coal and the increased volume in container traffic through the port, a press release said.

-Hindu.com

• nucleated oysters would be provided free-of-cost to the SHGs
• Training imparted to SHG in construction of rafts, fabrication of cages and pearl farm management etc.,
• Price of pearls was ranging between Rs.1,000 to Rs.1,500 for every gram, depending on the quality.

• Organised by Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute at Tuticorin

• The biodiversity repository of marine fish, pearl and edible oyster has been displayed. Ornaments made of cultured pearls have been exhibited.

• In-vitro pearl production techniques and research programmes carried out by the CMFRI centre here since 1948 are being explained.
• A carcass of a whale shark, conserved in preservatives, has been a ‘crowd puller’ at the exhibition, because of the novelty of the rare object that has been put on display.
• Salient features of SCUBA (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) diving methods are also demonstrated.

A study conducted by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute has attributed the mass mortality of fish at the Karapad Bay here on February 14 to high amount of ammonia concentration in water.

Scientists belonging to the fisheries environment division of the institute have put the ammonia concentration in samples collected on that day at 2,159 micrograms per millilitre, higher than the permissible limit, official sources told The Hindu.

The scientists reckon that the ammonia would have entered the area either with the freshwater through the Koramballam creek, which drains out rainwater from the town into the bay, during the rain that lashed Tuticorin on February 14, or through direct discharge from any of the industrial units along the coast. Phosphate, nitrate and chlorophyll contents, too, were found marginally higher in the samples.

Samples of the dead fish would be taken to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute at Kochi for test.

• Organized by Kamaraj College
• Take steps to use more probiotic-enriched feed instead of antibiotics
• Adopt good aquaculture practices (GAP) for improved production,
• Topics related to microbial aspects of aquacultural systems and decomposition processes caused by micro-organisms in the environment were taken up for deliberation.

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Tuticorin unit, on Friday commenced the study of water samples from Karapad Bay here where thousands of fish were found dead on Thursday.

Speaking to The Hindu, P. S. Asha, scientist (fisheries environment division), who heads the study, said that preliminary research had confirmed the entry of freshwater carrying pollutants into the Bay, which could have caused the mortality in large numbers.

“It’s also noticed that there has been a presence of ‘oil flicks’ in the area,” she added.

According to her, it would take at least a couple of more days for the institute to ascertain the entire profile of pollutants in the samples taken randomly from along the four km stretch of waters of Karapad Bay.

The institute would also examine the levels of oil, ammonia, chlorophyll and nutrient levels in the water samples during the course of study.

However, she ruled out the possibility of mortality of fish in large numbers because of reduction in salinity levels to about 27 ppt (parts per thousand) after large quantity of rain water flowed into the area on Thursday.

“As part of our research over the past decade, we had even observed salinity dipping to 13 ppt during monsoons which never resulted in the death of fishery resources in the region,” she pointed out.
courtesy-hindu.com

• Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology emerged first
• conducted by Fisheries College and Research Institute,Tuticorin
• Three hundred students from 16 colleges participated
• Events such as vocal, group dance, instrumental music, rangoli, flower arrangement and painting

At the regulation time, the teams shared two goals. In the losing semifinalists match, Kolkata beat Mumbai 3-0.

The results: Final: Tuticorin 5 (Balamurugan 2, Sivasankar, Kalidas, Muthuselvam) bt Chennai 4 (Gopi, Nishanth, Shankar, Mahesh) via tie-breaker, regulation time 1-1. Losing semifinalists match: Kolkata 3 (Jag Devsingh 2, Sunil Singh) bt Mumbai 0.

courtesy:-hindu.com

• An effort to combat pest attack and increase yield

The Department of Agriculture has introduced 55 Farmers’ Field Schools (FFS) at as many number of villages in the district on an outlay of Rs.9.29 lakh allocated by the Centre, to enhance yield of selected crops by combating pest attacks.

Speaking to The Hindu, S Arumugam, Joint Director of Agriculture, said that a total of 1,650 farmers involved in the cultivation of cotton, pulses, rice maize and oilseeds, would reap the benefits of the concept.

The schools were adopting group-based learning process by bringing together methods from agro ecology, experimental education and community development, to promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

“Resource persons from the department and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University are disseminating to the farmers how IPM as an ecological approach can control pests through an array of complimentary methods,” Mr. Arumugam said.

The FFS would educate the farmers to understand the ecosystem of their crop fields, besides teaching them on possible threats posed by indiscriminate use of insecticides, through weekly sessions at the respective fields.

Training would be imparted to assist the farmers to identify the beneficial as well as harmful insects and assess their relative population, which would help them to choose the type of pest management practice conducive for respective regions.
courtesy:hindu.com

• drive the vehicle at 45 km/ hour
• switch off the engine at traffic signals
• practice ‘car pool’
• use pressure cookers always for cooking
• reduce the flame of gas stove when the boiling starts

The programme was jointly organised by Department of Agriculture and oil companies who were members of the Petroleum Conservation Research Association.

M. Nageswaran, General Manager (southern region), Indian Oil Corporation, urged the public to co-operate with the steps taken by PCRA to prevent exhaustion of fossil fuel resources.

Presently, the country imports about 71 per cent of its annual total consumption of crude oil (120 million tonnes) causing a financial burden of Rs.2.5 lakh crore to the national exchequer

A State-level seminar on ‘Emerging trends in computers’ organised by Holy Cross Home Science College, Tuticorin, for students, was held here on Wednesday.

Mary Hilda, principal of the college, said that the objective of the programme was to promote effective use of computer technology among youth.

A. Suruliandi, Reader, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, elaborated the paradigm shift taking place in mobile technology from Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) to General Packet Radio Services (GPRS).

A. Baby Meenalosini, lecturer (Computer Science), V.O.C. College, Tuticorin, explained the benefits of Geographic Information System (GIS) as a tool to capture, store, analyse and manage data and associated attributes which were spatially referenced to earth.

She also taught the participants the applications of GIS for asset management, urban planning, logistics and environmental impact assessment.

-courtesy:hindu.com

• Finds a place in the latest issue of "Creative India Booklet"
• Had received ‘L-Ramp Award of Excellence-2006’ instituted by Lemelson Foundation, USA, and Indian Institute of Technology-Madras,
• fibres produced out of it was uniform and overall quality of fibres extracted were ‘good’- Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology ,Mumbai
  
  

  K. Murugan, a native of Tuticorin, who developed a model of banana fibre separator a year ago, has found a place in the latest issue of ‘Creative India booklet’ brought out by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology in connection with the 95th Indian Science Congress.

  The young engineer, who runs a business in the heart of the town, was earlier awarded ‘L-Ramp Award of Excellence-2006’ instituted by Lemelson Foundation, USA, and Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, for developing the gadget.

  The Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology in Mumbai, functioning under the ambit of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which put the instrument to test, had in its report stated that fibres produced out of it was uniform and overall quality of fibres extracted were ‘good’.

  Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Murugan said that the instrument gives value-addition to banana growers by making silk yarn from banana pseudo stem, which is usually discarded as waste.

  He said that average linear density of fibres produced from the equipment was computed as 37 gm/text. According to him, he has been awaiting full-fledged patent for the instrument from Intellectual Property of India.
  courtesy:hindu.com

  
  26/01/2008:
  The government has honoured a host of personalities from trade and industry with the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shree awards.
  
  Shiv Nadar , Chairman HCL , native of Tuticorin District is in the list of Padma Bhushan awardees along with K.V. Kamath, MD and CEO of ICICI Bank; Baba Kalyani of Bharat Forge; D.R. Mehta, former SEBI Chairman; and Suresh Kumar Neotia of Gujarat Ambuja
  
  26/01/2008:
  

The Fisheries College and Research Institute will conduct research on developing a multiplex polymerized chain reaction-based technique to detect and isolate bacterial pathogens in fish and fishery products. The Rs.37.17 lakh-project, starting this fiscal, will be funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

FCRI dean V.K. Venkataramani told The Hindu that a team of scientists, led by G. Jeyasekaran, Associate Professor (fish processing technology), would use different strains of bacterial pathogens obtained from recognised collection centres and laboratories for the study.

Various media such as nutrient broth, brain heart infusion broth, eosine methylene blue agar and trypticase soy broth obtained from Hi Media Laboratories, Mumbai, would be used for the growth of strains of bacterial pathogens.

The scientists would then extract cell pellets from the microbiological media and they would be used for preparation of template DNA.

In the final stage of the three-year research project, the PCR conditions would be optimised to develop the M-PCR technique for simultaneous detection of pathogens such as ‘Salmonella,’ ‘V. cholerae’ and ‘E.coli,’ which could cause outbreak of food-borne diseases in humans if not isolated properly.

“While ‘Salmonella’ causes salmonellosis in human beings, the other pathogens cause dysentery, if consumed,” Dr. Venkataramani said.
Benefits

Once developed, the technology would revolutionise microbial identification because of its ability to provide a simple fingerprint of certain bacterial communities even in complex matrices before cultivation.

“The technique will thus ensure that the fish products exported from the country are safe for consumption as per the international food standards thereby considerably increasing the foreign exchange earnings of the country,” he said.

At present, the country earns about Rs.7,000 crore as foreign exchange through export of fish and value-added fishery products.
courtesy:hindu.com

Tuticorin district is blessed with abundant heritage sites which can beckon tourists from all over the globe.

• Civilised habitation-Athichanallur situated on the banks of river Tamarabarani -It is assumed that a civilised habitation existed there very long back, after archaeologists recovered some urns and mud vessels used in ancient era from the place. The place is now directly under the supervision of Tamil Nadu Archaeological Department.
• Kazhugamalai situated about 90 km from Tuticorin, too can be considered historians’ paradise. The Jain cave temple and Jain architecture are a treat to watch.Besides,temple named Kazhugasalamoorthy kovil, which belongs to 18th century s also situated adjacent to the Jain cave temple.
• Lady of Snow church - 4 century old @ Tuticorin
• Ancient Roman Catholic Church - Manapad-60km from Tuticorin -Cross at the top of the church is said to have been from Jerusalaem.Church was directly associated with St.Xavier,missionary from West
• Tiruchendur- The sculptures and temple tower at the Lord Subramaniyaswamy temple there are worth seeing.

courtesy:hindu.com

Besides giving an opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills in the field of information technology through various competitions, the interaction with the IT executives will reveal the actual requirement of the IT industry.

Construction of underground sewerage system here on an outlay of Rs 46.40 crore commenced with ‘bhoomi puja’ on Saturday.

The project will be implemented by the municipality with technical support from Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board and commissioned during 2009-10.

Of the total project cost, Rs 4.64 crore will be grants from the Government under Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project-III, Rs 26.02 crore borrowed as loan from Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services and three private finance firms, and the rest, Rs. 15.74 crore, raised through public contribution.

The project involves laying sewerage lines for 117.18 km, 3,985 manholes, eight lift stations, a main pumping station, four sub-pumping stations, and 23,910 house-connections.

The municipality will levy monthly usage charges of Rs.60 for domestic use (Rs.3,000 as deposit) , Rs.150 for commercial use (Rs. 6,000) and Rs.200 for industrial use (Rs. 10,000).

courtesy:hindu.com

About 200 NSS volunteers from St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, B.M.C. Higher Secondary School, Bharatiar Vidyalayam Higher Secondary School, St. Francis Xavier Higher Secondary School, St. Lasalle Higher Secondary School, Karapettai Nadar Boys Higher Secondary School, Caldwell Higher Secondary School and S.A.V. Boys Higher Secondary School, all situated in Tuticorin town, cleared the bushes and wild plants in Roche Park.

Mr. Jeyakaran said the education department planned to conduct similar cleaning operations at tourist spots, other parks and public places where a large number of people visit daily, at regular intervals, starting next academic year (2008-09).

St. Mary’s (Evening) College on Friday launched ‘Kalaikuzhu’ (Artgroup), an elite club to promote traditional art forms of the State.

College director Sister S. Decla said the club would take steps to popularise village folk dances such as ‘Kummi,’ ‘Kolattam,’ ‘Oyil Kummi’ and ‘Karagam’ among the youth.

At the inaugural function, students performed ‘Kummi.’ Likewise, ‘Karagam,’ a folk dance performed by villagers in praise of rain goddess Mari Amman and river goddess Gangai Amman, was performed.

A ‘Kolattam’ performance by the students went down well with the audience.

The show also featured ‘Oyil Kummi’ dance, a well known art form in Tiruchi, Salem, Dharmapuri, Erode and Coimbatore regions.

courtesy:hindu.com

Delivering the keynote address, international president (acting) of IARF Thomas Mathew called upon the youth to obtain freedom from oppressive interference and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief.

He stressed the need to develop programmes to support communities that had suffered from the denial of religious freedom.

Mr. Mathew explained the activities undertaken by the association since its inception in Boston in the United States in 1900 to promote the importance of peace and social harmony.

The Coast Guard plans to establish a jetty and an air station at Tuticorin during the 11th Plan, according to Inspector-General Rajender Singh, Commander, Coast Guard (Eastern region).

Speaking to The Hindu on Monday, he said the project, proposed under the Coast Guard Development Plan, would help to strengthen surveillance in the Gulf of Mannar.

The Coast Guard would set up the jetty along with the Tuticorin Port Trust. Land for the air station would be identified shortly. The air station would have dornier aircraft and a helicopter.

To strengthen the fleet, a 74-metre offshore patrol vessel, with an endurance of 15 days, will soon be relocated to Tuticorin from another Coast Guard station, he said. The offshore patrol vessel would be fitted with pollution control devices and surveillance gadgets. It would have a helicopter on board.

The Coast Guard station here has only two inshore patrol vessels and a fast patrol vessel.

The vessel will be deployed in Tuticorin once one of the three dedicated pollution control vessels, being built at ABG shipyard in Surat for the Coast Guard, is commissioned this year, he said.

By the third quarter of the next year we may set up the plant," Abhiram Seth, the company's executive director, exports and external affairs, told IANS. It will come up in either Mandapam or Tuticorin, both in Tamil Nadu.

According to him, the plant capacity and the outlay are yet to be fixed as they are dependent on the volume of seaweed available and the level of the plant's sophistication.

The minimum capacity of the plant will be 5,000 tonnes of dry weed per annum which would require an investment between Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore.

"We are yet to decide on the location. Ultimately the end product has to go out of Tuticorin," Seth remarked.

Once permission was granted to establish the station, the Coast Guard would deploy its aircraft, Dornier or the like, Inspector General and Commander Coast Guard, Eastern Region, Rajendra Singh told reporters.

"We are still in the stage of identifying an ideal location," he said.

Coast Guard had submitted prospective plan for 2007-08, and for 15 years from 2007-22,in which it had requested the Centre to establish two coast guard stations, one in Tamil Nadu and the other in Orissa, he said.

"We will choose either Nagapattinam or Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu and Gopalpur has been chosen for Orissa," he said. They had requested the state government to provide land for the facility,he said.

The full-fledged station would help coast guard operate bigger ships,interceptor vessels and others.A Communication centre would also form part of the Station.

The Commander said five acres of land would be required for the establishment of the Station.
courtesy:hindu.com

• 5.88 km long waterway starting from ‘Mundram Mile’ and ends at the ‘Gulf of Mannar’, on an estimated outlay of Rs.25 crore.

The canal which was constructed by the Britons to drain the rainwater into the sea to prevent flooding of the town, has been dying for the last few decades owing to indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes into it.

Official sources told The Hindu that the document was drafted after making scientific assessment of deficiencies of the existing features and alignment of the canal.

A manuscript suggests methodology to overcome the inadequacies pertaining to environment, topography, hydrology, traffic bottlenecks and social parameters.

The study has suggested a constant width of 12.9 metre all through the course of canal by carrying out deweeding, desilting and removal of encroachments.

According to the report, 224 permanent and 196 temporary encroached structures have come up along the canal over the last few years.

“Presently, the width of canal varies from 6 metre to 28.8 metre at different points,” sources said.

Sources said that new minor bridges and causeways would be constructed at 11 places as part of the scheme.

Landscaping will be established and roads will be constructed alongside the canal to beautify its surroundings.

courtesy:hindu.com

Choice to open Hotel @ Tuticorin

Choice Hotels India, which is 50:50 joint venture between Choice International of the United States and the Gupta Group, runs 35 hotels in India across its four mid-segment brands - Comfort, Quality, Sleep Inn and Clarion. It plans to establish 10 hotels in south India in two years.

"These Stations can be heard at 93.5 MHz frequency in Madurai and Tuticorin and the programs will cater to the audience of all age groups," Sun TV said in a communique to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

"These Stations can be heard at 93.5 MHz frequency in Madurai and Tuticorin and the programs will cater to the audience of all age groups," Sun TV said in a communique to the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The plants would come up on 130 hectares of land near the existing 2 X 1,050 MW Tuticorin Thermal Power Station.

The coal requirement for the project was computed as 5.6 million tonne per annum, considering 6,000 hours of operation.

Answering the environmental concerns raised during the hearing, N. Sasikumar, Executive Director (Projects), TNEB, said that of the total project cost, about Rs. 400 crore was earmarked for pollution control.

He assured that fly ash generated would not be disposed into the sea; rather the eject (fly ash) would be supplied to construction industry.

He said that high efficiency precipitators would be used to reduce the emission of suspended particulate matter (SPM). To bring down air pollution arising from sulphur dioxide, coal with low sulphur content (0.4 percent) would be used. The generators and turbines used inside the plant would be fitted with silencers to reduce noise pollution.

SPIC FIDE Rated Open 2007, Tuticorin

• Sep 23rd - Sep 30th
• 130 plus participants

• It will develop trade volumes , Port hinterland to be expanded
  
  

  Authorities of the Tuticorin Port Trust have suggested that the railways create a ‘backbone freight corridor’ connecting Erode with Nagpur, to facilitate goods movement from central India to the port.

  The proposal is made in a ‘business plan’ prepared by the TPT for the overall development of trade volumes through the port.
  
  The dedicated rail corridor would reduce the time delays in transportation of goods to and from the port, which was essential to attract more users here.

A two-day State-level seminar on ‘Women and Water’ organised by the All India Catholic University Federation unit at St. Mary’s College for Women, Tuticorin, began here on Friday.

Delivering the keynote address, Henry Jerome, national advisor of AICUF, explained the role of women in water management and conservation of environment, which was essential for sustainable human development.

Topics such as ‘Privatisation, pollution and politization of water and women’, ‘Women of Western Ghats and water issues’, ‘Water management and eco-feminism’ and ‘groundwater depletion and groundwater’ were deliberated at the programme.

A total of 60 students from various colleges are participating.

courtesyhindu.com

• one in Gujarat and another in TN
• location to be announced soon

All 12 marine police stations under construction will start functioning before the end of this financial year, Additional Director-General of Police (Coastal Security Group) Jagan M. Seshadri said on Monday,20/08/2007..

Speaking to The Hindu here after reviewing the security along the Tuticorin and Tirunelveli coast, he said 504 personnel would be deployed to man these stations at the rate of 42 persons a station.

The recruitment would be done in phases. The stations were being built by the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation at Tharuvaikulam in Tuticorin district, Koodangulam in Tirunelveli district), Colachel in Kanyakumari district, Devipattinam and Mandapam in Ramanathapuram district, Nagapattinam, Keezhaiyur and Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district, Adiramapattinam and Sethubhavachatram in Thanjavur district and Manamelkudi and Thiruppunnavasal in Pudukottai district.

He said the personnel would be trained on board Coast Guard vessels in interception and inspection of boats, besides the use of anti-aircraft gadgets, fire fighting and navigational instruments.

Accompanied by Superintendent of Police Deepak Motibhai Damor, Mr. Seshadri visited two coral reef islands, along the Tuticorin coast, to explore the possibility of establishing a surveillance system in the area by the Coastal Security Group, the Coast Guard and the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust.

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• 100M freestyle: M M Venpa ( 1:04.84 min)
• 200M individual medley: M M Venpa (2:39.59)
• 200m breaststroke: : M. M. Venpa ( 2:56.96)

• First phase - study & compile available info on mollusc
• Second phase - reconnaissance survey of the distribution of the scheduled mollusc.

Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute, affiliated to Manonmaniam Sunderanar University, will conduct a study on the current status of scheduled mollusc and associated fauna in the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, along the Tuticorin coast, during this financial year.

The aim is to develop codes for management and monitoring of mollusc in the region, after assessing their distribution and threats to their existence.

The study will be carried out at a cost of Rs. 3.68 lakh allocated by the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust.
Institute Director J. K. Patterson Edward told TheHindu that as part of the field study, people employed at fish landing centres and residents of major fishing hamlets in the district would be interviewed through a questionnaire. “It will help us assess the status of mollusc.” Samples of scheduled mollusc would be collected for taxonomic verification and documentation. Based on the data, the institute would develop a protocol on the restoration of depleted resources and a methodology for regular monitoring of the mollusc population. The final report would be published as a booklet for the benefit of enforcement and conservation agencies. It would feature ‘identification keys’ with photos of the area where the scheduled mollusc are concentrated.

The golden jubilee celebrations of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) organised by the employees of Tuticorin Thermal Power Station (TTPS), was held with pomp and gaiety here on Tuesday evening.

Inaugurating it, the Collector, R. Palaniyandi, said that the development of TTPS in tandem with the expansion of infrastructure like airport and port over the next few years would catapult the industrial status of Tuticorin to greater heights.

Complimenting the TNEB for its exponential growth registered in 50 years, he said that installed capacity of the Board increased from 256 MW in 1957 (the year of establishment) to 10,098 MW in 2007.

• Ground Floor Exhibition hall
• Board room with high tech facilities -video conference & other commn faciliteis
• conference hall
• commercial space to rent out

Tuticorin is all set to sport a multi-facility convention centre of international standards.

Estimated to cost Rs. 2 crore, the centre will be built by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry near the entrance to the SIPCOT Industrial Complex situated along NH 45-B connecting Tuticorin and Madurai.

According to D.R. Kodeeswaran, secretary of the chamber, the centre will be housed in an aesthetically designed three-storey edifice with a constructed area of about 12,000 square feet.

The work will be completed in two years from the date of commencement. It is expected to begin shortly.

Funding of the project will be substantially through contributions and sponsorships. “We will have a wall of honour inside the building to display the names of major donors,” he said.

The ground floor will have an exhibition hall and a spacious parking lot.

A state-of-the-art board room with hi-tech facilities, including video conferencing, a 1,000 square feet administrative office with automation and communication facilities, and a conference hall will be established on two floors.

“We have plans to rent out a total of 6,000 square feet of commercial space inside the building to companies/trade houses that have taken our membership,” Mr Kodeeswaran said.

The chamber will set up a landscape in front of the centre to beautify the complex and a lawn in the backyard.

Mr. Kodeeswaran said that the centre would act as a catalyst for exponential growth of the town, providing an ambience conducive for important trade negotiations.

courtesy:hindu.com

• Water through desalination plant , NOT from Tambaraparani river
• Roads to be 4 laned between the Plant location to Port
• Provides employment to about 1000 people

Tata Steel on Thursday (28/06/07) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tamil Nadu Government to revive its proposal to set up a titanium dioxide project in Tuticorin.

The project outlay is about Rs.2,500 crore, Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata told presspersons later. “This is a significant project for the Tatas in Tamil Nadu.”

It would provide direct employment to about 1,000 people. The Tatas would also be involved in many social welfare activities in the area, he said.

The project involves mining, mineral separation and value addition to synthetic rutile and titanium pigment.

Of this amount, Rs 3901 crore was for developing the outer harbour, which includes construction of berths and jetties, breakwaters, dredging and reclamation, he said in a press release here.

An amount of Rs 2480 crore was proposed to be spent for the inner harbour development. This would include construction of Berth 9, construction of North Cargo Berth I and II, three shallow draught berths and deepening of channel and basin to cater to 12.80 metres draught vessels, he said.

He said a pre-feasibility study had been carried out on the possibility of building a shipbuilding yard. The Study RPT study was carried out in association with a Chennai based company, which had engaged a Korean consultancy firm. A memorandum in this regard had already been submitted to the public private partnership appraisal committee for in-principle approval, he said He said the Port would also spend Rs 20 crore from its own resources to widen and strengthen roads in and around the port.

A music fountain and an aquarium should also be established at Roche Park.

courtesy:hindu.com
The carcass of a whale washed ashore at Veppalodai coast near here on Sunday evening, was identified as a `Sperm Whale' by a team of scientists from the Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI) on Monday.

The study by C. B. T. Rajagopalasamy and N. Jayakumar, professors at FCRI, revealed that the whale had died at least four days ago and hence the species was identified using external characteristics.

V. K. Venkataramani, Dean, FCRI, said the whale belonging to the family of `Physeteridae' had a length of 10 metres and weighed 20 tonnes.

The entire functional teeth, numbering 22 pairs, were in the lower jaw, and the upper jaw has sockets to fit in those teeth.

Cause of death

Regarding the cause of death, Dr. Venkataramani said that the whale might have entered the inshore waters here abundant in juvenile fishes such as sardines, anchovies and cuttle fish.

"Since its body was damaged extensively, there was a possibility of collision with a ship or a boat and getting stranded in the inshore waters which is not deep," he said.

According to him, remote sensing methods should be applied to locate and save the whales, which get stranded in the Gulf of Mannar, since it is an endangered species.

Night landing facility at the airport here is set to become a reality, as the Airports Authority of India plans to install Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) and runway lights on an outlay of Rs 1.25 crore.

The installation of PAPI, at a cost of Rs. 25 lakh, is nearing completion and the gadget will become functional before April 15. AAI sources said that it would aid pilots for a safe and accurate final approach to the runway.

The system consists of four boxes of lights, kept on both sides of the runway.

Each box of lights will be equipped with an optical apparatus that splits the light output into red and white segments. Depending on the angle of approach, the lights in the gadget will appear either red or white to the pilot. K. Ramalingam, Regional Executive Director, AAI, said that runway lights would be installed at a cost of about Rs. One crore.

The establishment of night landing facility will enable commencement of late evening flights from here, to suit the convenience of a large section of passengers.
courtesy:hindu.com 
10/04/2007:

Tuticorin school gets `virtual classroom' Facility
An `interactive virtual classroom' via an U.S. satellite was launched at Sakthi Vinayagar Hindu Vidyalaya School here on Monday.

This was the first time that the concept was introduced at a school in the district, said K. Palanisamy, school secretary. The system would aid students to interact with education experts in New Delhi and Chennai. The facility was installed in association with Everonn Systems India, New Delhi," Mr Palanisamy said.

Presently, students of Standards XI and XII could attend sessions in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. "There will be four 40-minute sessions every day. The facility, expected to improve the students' communication skills and general knowledge, would be extended to other classes during the ensuing academic year in a phased manner Plans were afoot to arrange interactions between students and resource persons from Coimbatore and Madurai too.

Tuticorin port handles record traffic

Last fiscal (2005-06), the port had handled a cargo traffic of 171.39 lakh tonnes, he told reporters here.

Of this year's traffic, imports accounted for 135.02 lakh tonnes and exports 44.99 lakh tonnes.

The record traffic has been achieved despite a decline in the volume of coal imports by Tuticorin thermal power station by 5.38 lakh tonnes and that by 3.44 lakh tonnes of fertiliser raw materials by SPIC, he said.

The average parcel size of vessels increased from 10,993 tonnes to 11,783 tonnes.

The port paid a service tax of Rs 17 crore last fiscal, he said, adding around Rs 109 crore had been allotted to the port for inner-harbour development activities.

Assembled boilers manufactured in Tuticorin are getting ready to be exported through the port here.

On Sunday, two boilers each measuring a length of 16 metres, a height of 8 metres, and weighing 105 tonnes, manufactured by a private unit here were moved from its yard premises to the port.

They will be shipped to the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) in the United Arab Emirates, on April 4.

"The boilers are will used in a desalination plant set up by the SEWA," said B. Pattabhiraman, managing director, G B Engineering Limited, which produced the boilers.

The boilers were transported from the yard to the port on a truck with 10 hydraulic axles and 80 tyres.

A census carried out by the Department of Forest in the Black Buck Sanctuary at Vallanadu near here on Friday, found 35 black bucks, 10 jungle cats and 100 black napped hare.

The survey was carried out using line transect method by dividing the total geographical area of 1,600 acres into 12 different sectors.

"We would publish a final resource inventory only on Sunday, after ascertaining the figures obtained in today's survey through `water hole' census method, to be performed on Saturday," L. Nadhan, District Forest Officer, said.

As many as 24 volunteers, 10 forest officials and two scientists (C. Swaminathan, Professor, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam, and K. Kandavel, ecologist) took part in the survey.

Mr. Nadhan said that the objective of the exercise was not to assess whether there was an increase in the number of species but to help wildlife protectors plan strategies to develop the habitat.

Sanctuary development

The DFO said that works are under way to augment facilities at the Black Buck Sanctuary, on an outlay of Rs seven lakh sanctioned by the Centre.

Under the project, fencing to a length of three km would be repaired at a cost of Rs 4.5 lakh and height of one of the three watchtowers would be increased by 14 metres at Rs 1.5 lakh.

The remaining amount would be utilised towards improving ponds inside the sanctuary.

courtesy:hindu.com

• Non functioning 'Water Fountain'
• Children play area without any maintenance..broken swings,merry-go-round...
• Poor lighting in the children play area but well lit lights in the private paid toy bike area
• Rs.10/- charged for the electronic toy ride like train engine ,horse ride,..(just Rs.2/- outside)
• Vendors smoking infront of the children
• Stray dogs problem

The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the Railway authorities to provide a "slip coach" for Tuticorin passengers at Vanchi Maniyachi near here for the new Nagercoil-Coimbatore train proposed in the railway budget.

In a memorandum submitted to the General Manager of Southern Railway, the Secretary, D.R. Kodeeswaran, said that a coach from Tuticorin, when added to the main train, would provide consolation to the people, who were denied of services connecting their town with Coimbatore.

courtesy:hindu.com

Tuticorin Port Trust has set a record in handling 171.89 lakh tonne till 17 March, 2007 surpassing the previous year cargo handling of 171.39 lakh tonne.

        The growth has contributed by several items including container cargo. It is noteworthy that this achievement has been possible despite the fall in thermal coal import by TNEB and raw materials for fertilizers by The Captive Fertilizer Plant.

        Tuticorin Port Trust chairman N K Raghupathy complimented the workers, officers of the Port and users and their employees for making this possible. He expressed confidence that the team work will bring in more laurels to the Port.

courtesy:news today

Speaking to The Hindu , Hemant Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager (Madurai division), ruled out the possibility of shifting the railway station to Milavittan.

"We had already invested huge amount to convert the Tuticorin station into a `model station' by carrying out infrastructure development works on a huge outlay during the last few years," he said.

Besides, projects worth Rs one crore are in the pipeline to further enhance the facilities for the comfort of the passengers, including the establishment of a pit lane.

Budget hotel

Mr. Kumar said that a budget hotel would be established by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation near Tuticorin station soon.

Flyovers

To ease the traffic congestion owing to closure of three railway gates in the town, he said the Railways had decided to build flyovers at Railway gate no: 1 and No: 2, on a cost-sharing basis with State Government agencies.

"The construction of a flyover at Railway gate No: 3 is already under way," he said.

Tuticorin: E.M.A. Masanamuthu, Commandant, Tamil Nadu Special Police (TSP) VII Battalion, inaugurated the four-day State Inter-battalion Shooting Championship, organised by the TSP IX Battalion at Manimuthar, near here, on Tuesday.

In all, 408 police personnel from 14 battalions across the State are taking part in the event being held at the Police Shooting Range at Vallanad.

Competitions are held in rifle (100, 200 and 300 yards), pistol revolver (15, 25, 30 and 50 yards), pistol semi-automatic weapons (15, 25, 30 and 50 yards) and carbine machine gun categories, for men and women separately. Antony Johnson Jeyapaul, Commandant (Small Arms) and M.C. Sarangan, Commandant, TSP IX Battalion, were present.

The Inspector General of Police, J.K. Tripathy will distribute the prizes to the winners at the valedictory scheduled for March 16, sources said.

Tuticorin: The Agricultural College and Research Institute at Killikulam, near here, plans to develop a technology for large-scale commercial production of lotus, explore its medicinal properties and the scope of being grown as an indoor plant.

A team under R. Richard Kennedy, Senior Assistant Professor (Horticulture), and C Swaminathan, Associate Professor (Agronomy), will carry out a research in this connection, from next month for whicha sum of Rs.9.2 lakh has been allocated by the National Medicinal Plants Board, New Delhi.

"As part of the project, we will evolve a scientific procedure to increase rhizome, leaf and seed yield through agronomic manipulations and develop the technique to plant lotus in kitchen gardens," says P. Vivekanandan, Dean, ACRI.

At present, there is a dearth in the availability of good planting materials of high yielding varieties that suits the commercial cultivation. Under the project, the institute will evaluate the properties possessed by different parts of Nelumbo Nucifera (the botanical name of Lotus) plant as a medicine for curing neurological and cardio vascular diseases.

"Tubers were generally perceived to be effective in treatment of cough, scabies and diarrhoea, while seeds possess astringent and aphrodisiac properties and flowers have expectorant qualities in them," says Dr. Kennedy.

Value-addition

Aromatic qualities of the native lotus species will be investigated to give value-addition to the flower, so that growers will be able to fetch better remuneration.

"Oil extracted from lotus flower is in great demand in foreign countries to make perfumes. One kg of purified oil fetches about Rs.1 lakh," Dr Vivekanandan says.

The Minister for Animal Husbandry, P. Geetha Jeevan, inaugurated a workshop on `Conservation of marine resources in Gulf of Mannar,' organised by the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust (GOMBRT) here on Friday.

The programme was organised to explain conservation techniques to members of eco development committees functioning in 67 coastal villages in the district.

J.K. Patterson Edward, director, Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute, affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, said that destructive fishing techniques and over exploitation had reduced live coral cover in the region in the last decade.

"Already, reefs over 32 sqkm were degraded," he said.

Similarly, pearl oyster beds and sea cucumbers had been reduced over the last few years, owing to indiscriminate harvesting.

Though awareness among the coastal community had gone up in the past five years, they are yet to give importance to "sustainable harvest."

"A survey conducted along Tuticorin coast in 2001 said that only 29 per cent men and three per cent women know about the importance of corals on fishery production," he said.

However, during a similar survey in 2004, it was found that 80 per cent men and 20 per cent women had gained knowledge on corals.

Ms. Jeevan released a manual, a booklet and a compact disc, which contained details about the status of marine resources in the Mannar region.

The materials tell the readers about endangered creatures, the hunting of which is now prohibited under Wildlife Protection Act.

The Minister also distributed fishing nets to 25 villagers from Pazhayakayal and disbursed revolving fund assistance to the tune of Rs. 2.6 lakh to 13 self-help groups.

The Collector, R. Palaniyandi, and senior forest officials V.K. Melkani, L. Nadhan, V. Naganathan and S. Shembagamoorthy were present.

"The youth should never end the learning process with their college days. They should constantly try to amass knowledge, information and wisdom for overall development," Cynthia Pandian, Vice-Chancellor, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, has said.

She was speaking at the 59th College Day celebrations at St. Mary's College here on Wednesday.

Ms. Pandian said that there was a paradigm shift in the objective of education as the nation entered 21st century.

"While we were providing education to prepare students for economic growth in the last century, the focus had shifted to human development," she said. "Every individual should have the wealth of wisdom in him.

Students are now expected to `create' knowledge by synthesising and interpreting the information gathered through Internet and other mass media. Application of knowledge will give birth to wisdom," Ms. Pandian said.

Human development involves improvement of not only technical and manufacturing skills, but also soft skills such as communication, decision-making and problem solving.

Quoting Henry Ford, she said that those who quit learning would become "old," whether he was 20 or 80.

She called upon the students to think beyond geographical boundaries to make them better employable. "Never confine career options to the jurisdiction of a town or a State," Ms. Pandian said.

More women should take up higher education, which was a requirement for 70 per cent of the jobs available in the present day.

"At present, only 40 percent of girl students, who had completed higher secondary school education in the region, were found to have enrolled in colleges under M.S. University," she said.

As opportunities are plenty, it is a pity that only two per cent of women are placed in professional jobs.

A seminar-cum-exhibition on career guidance was organised by the Department of Employment and Training at Bishop Caldwell College here on Thursday.

The programme was conducted to provide information to undergraduate and postgraduate students about various career opportunities and courses available.

Inaugurating the programme, Collector R. Palaniyandi said that students should develop communication skills along with technical knowledge to get into well-paid jobs.

The youth should always aim higher rather than being content with a university degree.

"It is time that we enrolled more students into higher education stream as only 10 percent of the children aged between 18 and 23 years in the country have opted for higher studies," he said.

K. Suganthi, Commercial Tax Officer, and Kalaiselvan, District Employment Officer, explained on how to prepare for competitive examinations such as Civil Services Examination conducted to select candidates to Indian Administrative Service and Indian Police Service.

The students were also told about financial assistance available under schemes such as Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojana, which offer loans to educated unemployed youth.

A.C.G. Venantius, Chairman, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Tuticorin branch, answered queries on Chartered Accountancy course.

Information on various career were displayed at an exhibition.

Admission procedure to enter National Defence Academy at Khadakwasla near Pune and Indian Military Academy at Dehradun, were explained.

Details on various value-added courses offered by polytechnics in costume designing were provided.

State Bank of India (SBI) and the Madurai Division of Southern Railway signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here on Wednesday to install Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at eight railway stations for the convenience of the public.

Briefing presspersons, N. Sadasivam, Deputy General Manager, SBI, said the ATMs would be installed at Madurai, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Kovilpatti, Kodaikanal Road and Ambathurai railway stations within a month. Efforts were on to set up ATMs at Karaikudi and Manapparai.

The bank also plans to set up Internet ticketing kiosks as an additional service to passengers at Madurai, Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Virudhunagar and Tuticorin stations.

Divisional Railway Manager Hemant Kumar said more than 45,000 passengers were using the services of the Madurai Division every day. Madurai Junction alone catered to more than 11,000 commuters each day. He appealed to the bank to consider installing `point of sales swiping machines' in Tuticorin railway station to ensure hassle-free freight transaction.

The members of Tuticorin People's Co-ordination Committee, a consortium of various movements and passengers associations, staged a demonstration in front of the railway station here on Tuesday.

They were urging the authorities concerned not to shift the railway station to Milavittan, situated on the outskirts of the town, to reduce the traffic blocks caused due to the closure of railway gate at Ettayapuram road.

"The officials should take steps to expedite the construction of the flyover in the segment, rather than shift the station altogether," they pointed out.

According to the agitators, shifting of the station would pose hardship to passengers since Milavittan was not properly connected to the town by road.

A.P.C.V. Shanmugam, secretary of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, led the agitation.

A university-level inter-collegiate cultural competition titled `Sangaram,' organised by the Students Federation of India (SFI), was conducted V.O. Chidamabaram College premises here on Saturday.

In all, 17 colleges affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, took part in the competitions held under seven categories. A Francis, Principal, V.O.C. College, inaugurated the event.

courtesy:hindu.com

The Department of Information and Public Relations organised a seminar on `Value Added Tax' here on Saturday evening. This was part of the multi-media campaign launched by the district administration to highlight the achievements of the State Government.

Interacting with industrialists and the general public, S. Sukumaran, Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, said that a sum of Rs. 11 crore was generated as VAT revenue from Tirunelveli division, comprising Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar and Kanyakumari districts during January this year, the first month of its inception.

A total of Rs. 22 crore was utilised as input tax credit by registered dealers during January, of which input tax credit availed from the opening stock stood at Rs. 16 crore and the remaining from purchase. "As traders were allowed to take credit of input tax paid at the time of purchase, VAT will not have any cascading effect on prices," he said. V. Balusamy, Deputy Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, explained how VAT was beneficial to the traders because of its transparency. "It has been proven in the countries, where VAT was implemented, that there was a heavy flow of revenue to the Government," he said.

The introduction of VAT has facilitated a simplified compounding tax system for the traders who have a turnover less than Rs 50 lakh per annum, by which only 0.5 percent was levied as tax.

The rates of interest under VAT are fixed at one percent, four per cent and 12.5 percent on goods eligible for input tax credit.

A full-fledged VAT is in essence an ad valorem tax levied on the supply chain from production to distribution and retail.

D.R. Kodeeswaran, Secretary, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Tuticorin, and A. Deivanayakam, Assistant Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, took part in the discussion.

Sources close to the development told FE that the company is in dire straits with no signs of let up from either the lenders or the suppliers. "The company is facing a real crisis as Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has refused to supply naphtha on further credit. This has led to a temporary disruption of production and unless IOC enhances its credit line and repayment time, production would be hit badly", sources said. Despited repeated attempts, company officials were not available for comments.

The management's plan to revive the fortunes of the company by merging its profit making and asset rich subsidiary Tuticorin Alkali Chemicals and Fertilisers Ltd (TAC) had run into rough weather as IDBI, which is leading the consortium of lenders to TAC had shot down the proposal recently.

The travails of the southern conglomerate started a decade ago when its ambitious petrochemicals project got struck in a legal maze when its partner, public sector Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd., dragged the project to the Madras High Court. Spic had invested close to Rs 555 crore in the stumped project. Attempts to revive the project by offering a majority stake to MRPL in the venture also did not work as the ONGC subsidiary developed cold feet after the initial approval by its board of directors.

It got another jolt recently when its proposed settlement scheme was rejected by lenders since it included a huge write off ranging from 45% to 55% of its outstanding interest. Spic in the past had divested most of its non-core business including plantation, biotechnology and LPG businesses to keep its bottomline in black

Tuticorin is one of the three centres, for conducting the preliminary round-1 in the National Volleyball league championship for men and women this year. The other two centres will be Hindalco, Renukoot (U.P) and Payyanoor Kerala.

The National league volleyball championship (Preliminary Round - 3) will be conducted at the temporary stadium at the Seena Vaana Government High School ground, Tuticorin from Feb. 27 to March 4.

20/02/2007:
courtesy:hindu.com
New Record !!

The Tuticorin Port Trust has handled 3,22,255 TEUs (Twentifoot Equivalent Unit) of containers in the current financial year till February 16, surpassing 3,21,060 TEUs of containers handled during the entire last fiscal, registering 15.63 percent growth.

Official sources said that this was the highest volume of containers handled in the history of the port.

Similarly, the port has handled 156.82 lakh tonnes of cargo between April 1 and February 16 this fiscal, against 151.78 lakh tonnes of cargo handled during the corresponding period during the last financial year, registering a growth of 5.04 lakh tonnes.

The Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI) here has recorded `Corystes cassivelaunus,' a reddish brown `masked crab,' for the first time along the Indian coast in the Gulf of Mannar.

Belonging to the family of Corystidae, the species was traced by a team headed by T. Vaitheeswaran, a research fellow at the institute, at a depth of 100 metres. They were conducting an underwater survey to assess crab biodiversity in the Gulf of Mannar this week.

"The crab found was a female, measuring four cm weighing nine gm. It was identified by its elongated oval carapace, which is brown in colour," V.K. Venkataramani, FCRI Dean said.

The species is usually found in temperate waters along British and French coast. "It lays eggs on sandy beaches and feeds on invertebrates such as polychaete worms and bivalve mollusks," he said.

The females carry eggs for about 10 months and have the capability to reproduce for several years.

• Tuti port demolished a storage shed as the private company's license expired

Giving a fillip to tourism in the region, m.v. Le Levant, a French luxury cruise liner, arrived with 64 tourists (59 Americans, one German, three Britons and an Indian) and 53 crew members onboard, at Tuticorin port on Monday.

Designed for elite group of discerning cruise travellers, the 100-metre long vessel was equipped with 45 cabins over five decks and it has a shallow draught of 3.5 metres, allowing her to move close to the shore and sail through inland waterways.

Red carpet welcome

The Tuticorin Port Trust officials gave a red carpet welcome to the tourists at the berth.

The entire visitors then embarked upon a sightseeing trip to historic and ancient places in Madurai in luxury coaches, en route to Chennai.

"The tourists will board the vessel back at Chennai on February 8 and the voyage will continue to Visakhapattinam and Paradip, before culminating the trip at Kolkatta on February 14", L. Deepak Mark, Assistant Manager, GAC Shipping Limited, vessel agents of Le Levant, told The Hindu.

Of the 64 tourists arrived here, 53 had boarded the ship when it touched the Indian coast at Mumbai on January 29, after it had sailed in from Muscat.

With a vibrant dance performance, Shobana, a national-award winning actress and danseuse, kept the audience spellbound at Abirami Mahal here on Sunday.

A disciple of Chitra Visweswaran and Padma Subramaniam, she presented a blend of dance forms at `Dance Fusion,' a programme organised by Kerala Samajam, Tuticorin chapter.

The programme started with a performance titled `Anjali' with music composed by violin maestros Ganesh and Kumaresh. Ms Shobana and her troupe followed it with a few numbers describing Shiva.

The recital of traditional `Kailasavasa Varnam,' with the lyrics in Malayalam, was eclectic and the dancers performed it with consummate ease. A powerful inner rhythm guiding her, Shobana recited `Shyama', one of her offerings.

The one-and-a-half hour show ended with a dance played to the tune of `Vande Mataram,' composed by A. R. Rahman.

courtesy:hindu.com

Raimund Scherr, a judge from the constitutional court of Germany, completed a two-day visit to the town here on Monday, as part of a project to study the judicial and criminal justice system in this part of the country.

He made a surprise visit to the North police station on Sunday and exchanged information with the police officials.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police (Town sub-division), Mohammed Ghori, explained to the German judge how a First Information Report (FIR) was registered soon after the occurrence of a crime.

Mr. Scherr told the police officials that top priority was given to human rights by the police and the judicial system in Germany.

He explained to them the procedures followed in the criminal justice system there.

On Monday morning, he visited the District Court complex and Tuticorin Bar Association office and interacted with the District Judge P. Gokul Das, Chief Judicial Magistrate Prabhudas, Judicial Magistrates and senior lawyers.
courtesy:hindu.com

courtesy:hindu.com

A five-member technical team from Pan Pacific Copper, Japan, visited the town recently to study the industrial practices followed here.

They held an interaction with top officials from Sterlite Copper, an industrial house situated at SIPCOT Industrial Estate off Tuticorin-Madurai Highway.

Kishore Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of Sterlite Industries (I) Limited, explained to foreign delegates the safety, qualit