Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday announced that the government would live-telecast Assembly proceedings following a public outcry demanding the same. In a reply to Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami during the Assembly debate on the demand for grants for a couple of government departments, Stalin said the proceedings will be live-telecast once the session commences at the Fort St George Campus.
READ | Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin promises to live-telecast assembly proceedings
A 34-year-old software engineer was arrested by the Chennai police on Wednesday evening for allegedly accosting a woman journalist in Anna Nagar. The accused, a resident of Anna Nagar, is learnt to have recently returned to the city from the US. The journalist took to Twitter Wednesday to narrate her ordeal. The journalist has, in the Twitter post, also explained how she was made to run from pillar to post to register a complaint against the harassment.
READ | Chennai: 34-year-old techie accosts woman journalist, arrested
For assistance on COVID-19-related queries and mental health support in Chennai, citizens can contact the Greater Chennai Corporation's (GCC) COVID-19 helpline 044 46122300 or 044 25384520 | Citizens can also contact the general helpline 104, the 24-hour helplines 044 29510400 or 29510500 and the 24 x 7 mobile helplines 8754448477 or 9444340496 | Citizens can find the nearest GCC-facilitated COVID-19 fever clinic here | Find the nearest GCC vaccine centre here and book your slots here | For lodging rain-related complaints and assistance during the monsoon, citizens can contact the GCC's monsoon helplines 044 25384530 or 044 25384540 or the control room 1913 (available 24x7)
The Ganesh Chaturthi festival was celebrated on Friday with subdued fervour in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu.
Though Chennai and the rest of the State would miss the colourful Vinayaka Chaturthi procession this year too due to the pandemic which necessitated the State government to ban political, social and religious gatherings till October 31, a two-feet high Manjal (turmeric) Vinayaka, was the cynosure of all eyes at Washermanpet here. The Turmeric Ganesh, weighing 11 kg was installed by the locals and BJP members. Special pujas were performed to the God and prasad was offered to the devotees.
Special pujas were performed to the decorated idol of Ganesh at the Karpaka Vinayaka Temple or Pillaiyarpatti Pillaiyar Temple, a 7th century CE rock-cut cave shrine, in Sivaganga district. (PTI)
The opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu on Friday objected to certain references about party stalwarts--the late MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa-- in the latter's multi-lingual biopic 'Thalaivi,' and wanted the scenes deleted.
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Senior AIADMK leader and former Minister, D Jayakumar, who watched the AL Vijay-directed film at a cinema theatre here, said such references were not factual and insisted that barring them the movie was a well-made one with a lot of effort put in and that it will receive good response both from party supporters as well as the general public.
For instance, one scene showed Ramachandran, fondly addressed as MGR, as seeking a Minister post in the first DMK government and being denied by the late M Karunanidhi, Jayakumar said and asserted the yesteryear matinee idol-turned-politician was never after such posts.
MGR was then part of the DMK, which under its founder the late CN Annadurai, unseated the Congress in the 1967 elections to become the first regional party to head the state in independent India. Later, Ramachandran parted ways with it when Karunanidhi helmed the party and launched his AIADMK in 1972. The DMK chief succeeded Annadurai as CM following his death in 1969. (PTI)
One person was killed and eight others injured in an explosion Friday at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit at Thayilpatti town in Virudhunagar district’s Vembukottai. The unit on SPM street functioned out of residential premises and was manufacturing crackers ahead of the upcoming Deepavali festival.
Identifying the deceased as Shanmugaraja (52), police said they have registered an FIR against the illegal unit under section 9B (1) (a) of the Indian Explosives Act and section 304 (2) of the IPC. Read More
Director Karthik Subbaraj on Friday unveiled the first look of Dhruv Vikram from his upcoming directorial titled Mahaan. “DADA !! The Son of #Mahaan (sic),” Karthik captioned the poster.
The poster features a muscular Dhruv whose spirit animal seems to be a Chinese dragon. Karthik intends to present Dhruv in the mythical mould of a ‘dragon warrior.’ The poster teaser also features folk artists, similar to that of the first teaser, which introduced Vikram’s Mahaan.
Mahaan is the maiden collaboration between Vikram and his son Dhruv. The production of the film is already complete and Karthik is busy with its post-production work. Bankrolled by Seven Screen Studio, the film also stars Simran, Bobby Simha, and Vani Bhojan in the supporting roles. The filmmakers are yet to announce the release date.
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A total of 43,71,309 people have been vaccinated in Chennai till date, with 19,637 people inoculated on Thursday alone, according to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).
Among these, 32,43,134 people have been administered Covishield, with 22,93,841 people having taken the first dose and 9,49,293 people having taken the second dose.
A total of 11,28,175 people have been administered Covaxin, with 6,87,267 people having taken the first dose and 4,40,908 people having taken the second dose.
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADML leader Edappadi K Palaniswami extended Vinayaka Chaturthi greetings today.
Opposition AIADMK and PMK on Friday greeted R N Ravi over his appointment as the Governor of Tamil Nadu but the Congress’ state unit doubted the Centre’s ‘intention’ over the move, wondering if it was an attempt to target the MK Stalin-led DMK government.
TNCC President K S Alagiri said former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, after being appointed as Lt Governor of neighbouring Puducherry, when the Congress was in power there, created “many roadblocks” following which a “number of welfare schemes could not be implemented” there.
Top AIADMK leaders O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami extended their greetings to Ravi.
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Kangana Ranaut is all set to take over the silver screen with her upcoming biopic Thalaivii, which is based on the life of veteran late actor-politician Jayalalithaa. Ahead of the film release, we revisited Jayalalithaa’s interview with Simi Garewal on the latter’s talk show.
In the very first five minutes of the hour-long video, Jayalalithaa admitted to being the “person who hates the limelight.” Interestingly, Jayalalithaa ruled the silver screen as the leading lady. She featured in more than 125 films. Later, after quitting her filmy career, she stepped into politics and became among the most loved politicians of her time. She served as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for more than 14 years between 1991 and 2016.
Talking about her filmy and political career, Jayalalithaa said that she was “propelled by fate into two high profile careers. Both not of my choosing.”
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Petrol and diesel prices remained unchanged across the country for the fifth successive day on Friday, September 10, 2021. The prices of the key auto fuels were last revised on September 5 when petrol and diesel prices were cut by 15 paise per litre each in the national capital.
In Chennai, petrol is priced at Rs. 98.96 per litre and diesel costs Rs. 93.26 per litre.
For the fourth time in a row, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi has topped in the medical category in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF 2021). PGIMER Chandigarh and Christian Medical College, Vellore have retained the second and third positions, respectively.
The ranking was released Thursday by Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan through a webcast from the NIRF website. Apart from medical, a separate ranking for dental and pharmacy colleges was also announced.
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The first look of superstar Rajinikanth from his upcoming film Annaatthe was released on Friday, coinciding with the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. We can see Rajinikanth dressed in a traditional vesti and shirt, as he performs the rituals. The poster is firmly rooted in festive mood.
Looking at the poster, we can imagine that the moment is set in the backdrop of a village festival, which warrants a high octane celebration song. It is probably Rajinikanth’s introduction scene, so composer D Imman must have composed high energy beats, amplified further by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam’s vocals.
Traditionally, SPB has sung all hero introduction songs in Rajinikanth films. And Annaatthe is no exception. It was said to be his last recording before he passed away last year owing to Covid-19 complications.
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IIT-Madras, IISc-Bangalore, and IIT-Bombay have emerged as the country’s top three higher education institutions in the sixth edition of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) announced by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan Thursday.
The research category was introduced this year and IISc-Bangalore has been adjudged the best, followed by IIT-Madras and IIT-Bombay. This year roughly 6,000 education institutions participated in NIRF.
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Former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami Thursday thanked outgoing Governor Banwarilal Purohit. "To the Governor who helped in the development of Tamil Nadu and is now the Governor of Punjab, I thank and congratulate Banwarilal Purohit", he tweeted.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday announced that the government would live-telecast Assembly proceedings following a public outcry demanding the same.
In a reply to Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami during the Assembly debate on the demand for grants for a couple of government departments, Stalin said the proceedings will be live-telecast once the session commences at the Fort St George Campus.
Due to Covid-19, the assembly proceedings are currently taking place at the Kalaivanar Arangam on Wallajah Salai as Fort St George lacked space to maintain physical distancing among legislators. The ongoing budget session of the Tamil Nadu assembly is set to be completed on September 13.
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A 34-year-old software engineer was arrested by the Chennai police on Wednesday evening for allegedly accosting a woman journalist in Anna Nagar. The accused, a resident of Anna Nagar, is learnt to have recently returned to the city from the US.
The journalist took to Twitter Wednesday to narrate her ordeal. She said she was on her scooter and standing at a prominent junction in Anna Nagar when a car stopped close to her and the man inside demanded that she speak with him. She, however, did not engage with him and drove off. The man, according to the woman, sped up and intercepted her again, this time by stopping his car in front of her scooter.
The journalist has, in the Twitter post, also explained how she was made to run from pillar to post to register a complaint against the harassment. After taking a picture of the car’s registration number, she approached a traffic cop who was about 10 metres from the scene. She was directed to the traffic control room at Anna Nagar Round Thana, and then to the K4 police station. The woman said it was only after she disclosed that she was a journalist that the police acted swiftly.
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The Madras High Court has upheld the notifications of the Commercial Taxes department levying and collecting general sales tax on sale of electronically made Indian music instruments.
There are no merits in the contentions raised by the petitioner, Justice SM Subramaniam said while dismissing a writ petition from city-based Radel Electronics Private Limited, on September 3.
The petition filed in 2008 sought to quash a notification dated December 30, 2006 of the Commercial Taxes department as ultra vires of Sec.17 of the TNGST Act and Articles 14, 19 (1) (g) and 265 of the Constitution and hence, liable to be declared as null and void. It also sought to quash the subsequent clarifications issued in 2007 and 2008.
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To trace Tamil cultural roots, the state archaeological department would undertake excavations in countries including Indonesia and in states such as Andhra Pradesh after obtaining due permission, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced in the Assembly on Thursday while unveiling finding of a study that pointed to a 3,200 year-old civilisation in Tamil Nadu.
Releasing key findings of excavations by archaeological department, he said rice with soil/husk found in the offering pot inside of an urn at Sivakalai area in southern Tamil Nadu was sent for AMS ( Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) Carbon dating to the Beta Analytical Laboratory at Miami in Florida of USA.
“Recently, we have got the test results, I am extremely happy to announce that the rice samples have yielded the date of 1,155 BCE and hence, the Tamiraparani River Civilisaiton (Tirunelveli region in southern TN) is 3,200 years old and this is scientifically validated,” he said amid thumping of desks.
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday greeted RN Ravi over his appointment as the Governor of the state, wishing that his arrival to Tamil Nadu encouraged its growth and prosperity.
He also extended a "loving and respectful" farewell to outgoing Governor Banwarilal Purohit.
In his message, Stalin greeted Ravi over his appointment. "Let your arrival encourage Tamil Nadu's growth and prosperity," he said in a tweet. "Tamil Nadu welcomes you," he added.
Further, Stalin said "we are bidding farewell to Purohit with love and respect," and recalled the cordial ties he shared with the latter, both as Leader of Opposition earlier and chief minster now. He wished Purohit's "large heartedness" benefited Punjab. (PTI)
In a move suggesting disapproval of Naga interlocutor R N Ravi’s handling of the Naga peace process in the last couple of years, the Centre has made him the Governor of Tamil Nadu.
In a press statement, the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Thursday said the President has appointed three Governors, besides accepting the resignation of one.
Ravi’s posting as Governor of a much bigger state is a signal by the government that while it wants the Naga peace process to move forward, it values his contribution as Naga interlocutor over the years.
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The Madras High Court has directed the Executive Officer of the famous Murugan temple in Vadapalani, Chennai to take appropriate action against an executive engineer attached to the Greater Chennai Corporation for constructing a building without necessary permission to accommodate government offices and keeping it vacant for years together.
Justice N Anand Venkatesh gave the direction on Monday while disposing of a writ petition from N G Deivakadatcham of the same area praying for a direction to the authorities concerned to consider his representations sent in December 2020.
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The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday appealed to people to make use of the mega vaccination camp scheduled to be held on September 12 in the state, saying such an event was essential to attain Covid-19 free status. Minister for Medical and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian said as part of the mega camp, 40,000 booths would be established in primary health centres, government run hospitals, noon meal centres, schools and other vital locations in the state.
"Elaborate arrangements have been made to vaccinate 20 lakh people above 18 years in these booths. Revenue, local bodies, education, Rotary International and other NGOs have extended their support. In order to avoid the third wave (of the Covid-19), the state is implementing the Covid-19 vaccination. It is very essential to attain the Covid-19 free status and also protect our people from the virus", he said in a press release.
The vaccination booths on that day would function between 7am and 7pm and around 20 lakh people above 18 years are expected to receive the vaccination including both "first and second" doses. Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) kits would be kept in all the booths while necessary arrangements on campaigning have been made in all the districts like banners, posters among others.
People living in areas that are harder to reach, and those living in border districts of Kerala and other inter-state borders would be "focused", he said. Maintaining social distance, wearing a face mask and hand washing activity would be mandatory during the vaccination camp and those people with symptoms of suggestive Covid-19 should not be allowed inside the booth.
He said the government after persistent efforts has received sufficient quantity of vaccines from the Centre. The Minister appealed to all the citizens of the state to utilise the opportunity and get vaccinated on that day, the release added. (PTI)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin Thursday said the lockdown across the state would be extended till October 31 in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stalin said the government’s stern efforts to control the spread of the virus have resulted in cases dropping from more than 36,000 at the end of May to around 1,600 now. He said due to the surge in cases in certain districts in the state and neighboring Kerala, border areas were being stringently monitored and other preventive measures also taken. Stalin said bus transportation to Kerala would remain prohibited due to the rise of cases in that state.
Referring to a report by the National Institute of Disaster Management under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which warns of a possible third wave of Covid-19 in October and November this year, Stalin said he has ordered stringent preventive measures across the state and asked for vaccination coverage to be increased.
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Tamil Nadu recorded 1,596 positive cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, bringing the state tally to 26,28,961. Among these, Chennai reported 186 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 5,45,708. The state recorded 21 deaths on Wednesday, putting the state toll at 35,094. 14 of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. A total of 1,534 patients were discharged following treatment, taking the total number of recoveries to 25,77,646.
As of Thursday, the number of active Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 16,221. Till date, 15,34,883 males, 10,94,040 females and 38 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.
According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 4,37,48,573 samples from the state have been tested till date, with 1,60,195 samples having been sent yesterday. There are 293 Covid-19 testing facilities in the state, out of which 69 are government and 224 are private facilities.
Vanakkam Chennai!
Welcome to today’s live blog. We bring to you the latest news on Covid-19, politics, features, entertainment, sports, weather, art and culture from across Chennai and Tamil Nadu. Follow our live blog and @ie_chennai to stay up to date with what’s happening in the state.
Tamil Nadu reported 1,596 new Covid-19 cases taking the overall tally to 26,28,961. With 21 fatalities, the death toll reached 35,094. A total of 1,534 people got discharged and 1,60,195 samples were tested in the last 24 hours. The number of active cases in the state stood at 16,221. Coimbatore (224), Chennai (186), Erode (130), Chengalpet (108) contributed to the maximum number of infections.
Four women were killed and 15 persons sustained injuries in a road accident involving a water tanker and a private van in Thoothukudi. According to PTI, the police said the lorry went out of control and crashed into the van, killing two of the victims on the spot while as many women died in a hospital. Ten others were severely injured and five persons escaped with minor injuries, police said. The injured included the drivers of both the vehicles. The van with 18 women working in a local unit involved in export of dry flowers was damaged in the accident, that happened at the Sillanatham Main road in the district. District police chief S Jeyakumar visited the spot and held enquiries.
Ford India announced on Thursday its plans to restructure operations in India. The company will stop vehicle manufacturing in both of its plants in India. It will wind-down manufacturing of vehicles for export at Sanand plant by Q4 of 2021 and at Chennai vehicle assembly plants by Q2 of 2022.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin Thursday made an announcement that that was a long pending demand of all the general public, politicians as well as journalists. In a reply to Leader of Opposition and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Stalin said the assembly proceedings will be live-streamed once the session commences at the Fort St.George Campus.
A stray dog was seen holding a severed head of a baby in its mouth in Madurai’s Bibikulam area on Wednesday afternoon.
Ayyanar, a resident of the area had noticed the dog carrying the head and alerted the local police station.
The Tallakulam police said the dog was spotted opposite the Income Tax office near Indian Bank. They said they had recovered the head and have sent it to the forensic lab at the Rajaji Government Hospital. Search is underway for the rest of the body of the baby.
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A stray dog was seen holding a severed head of a baby in its mouth in Madraui’s Bibikulam area on Wednesday afternoon.
Ayyanar, a resident of the area had noticed the dog carrying the head and alerted the local police station.
The Tallakulam police said the dog was spotted opposite the Income Tax office near Indian Bank. They said they had recovered the head and have sent it to the forensic lab at the Rajaji Government Hospital. Search is underway for the rest of the body of the baby.
Read more
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has stated that patronage for metro services in Chennai has increased significantly, with 1,02,855 passengers having travelled on Wednesday alone.
Last month, CMRL stated that a total of 44,76,111 passengers have travelled via metro in Chennai ever since CMRL resumed operations on June 21 this year. In a statement, CMRL said 44,76,111 passengers had availed metro services from June 21 to August 31.
While 3,55,579 passengers had travelled from June 21 to June 30, a total of 18,46,466 passengers had travelled via metro from July 1 to July 31.
The Union Territory of Puducherry logged 82 new cases of coronavirus after testing 5,348 samples during the last 24 hours ending 10 am on Thursday, taking the overall tally to 1,24,518, Health Department Director G Sriramulu said. Puducherry logged 46 new infections, Kariakal 19, Yanam 9 and Mahe 8. There were 993 active cases of whom 175 were in hospitals and the remaining in home isolation.
The overall recoveries rose to 1,21,705 with 74 patients recovering from the disease, while the death toll went up to 1,820 with one more person from Karaikal succumbing to the virus. Of the 16.87 lakh samples tested so far, 14.32 lakh were found to be negative, the official said.
The test positivity rate was 1.53 per cent while the fatality and recovery rates were at 1.46 per cent and 97.74 per cent respectively. The department has vaccinated till date 38,175 health care workers and 23,005 front line workers against the pandemic.
The Director said that 5.83 lakh persons coming under the category of either senior citizens or those above 45 years with co-morbidities have been inoculated against the virus. In all, the Health Department has vaccinated 8.49 lakh people including those who received the second dose. (PTI)
Prices of petrol and diesel continued to be steady across the country for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday, September 9, 2021. The prices of the key auto fuels were last revised on September 5 when petrol and diesel prices were cut by 15 paise per litre each in the national capital.
In Chennai, petrol is priced at Rs. 98.96 per litre and diesel costs Rs. 93.26 per litre.
Four women were killed and 15 persons sustained injuries in a road accident involving a water tanker and a private van here on Thursday, police said. They said the lorry went out of control and crashed into the van, killing two of the victims on the spot while as many women died in a hospital.
Ten others were severely injured and five persons escaped with minor injuries, police said.
The injured included the drivers of both the vehicles.
The van with 18 women working in a local unit involved in export of dry flowers was damaged in the accident, that happened at the Sillanatham Main road in the district.
District police chief S Jeyakumar visited the spot and held enquiries. (PTI)
Social distancing norms went for a toss at the Arignar Anna International Airport in Chennai on Wednesday as flyers were seen standing in long queues at the immigration counters.
In a video purportedly taken by a fellow passenger, people were seen pushing each other, with some of them not even wearing masks properly. The rush was following five flights arriving at the airport back-to-back.
Speaking with indianexpress.com, D Sharad Kumar, the director at Chennai Airport, said they have taken measures to prevent such a rush in the future by increasing the number of counters. He said that although there are about 19 counters at the arrival section, only six were functioning on Wednesday.
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Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will be on a two-day visit to Puducherry on September 12 and 13, official sources said on Thursday.
The Vice President will launch a solar project in the centrally administered JIPMER, a premier medical college, on Sunday, the sources told PTI. He will participate in a function in the newly created Pondicherry Technological University and also launch a solar project in the Pondicherry Central University, the next day. (PTI)
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has said that 55,161 saplings have been planted till Wednesday as a part of the civic body's tree plantation drive in the city. Of these, 908 were planted on Wednesday alone.
Here are the details:
North Chennai - 216
Central Chennai - 349
South Chennai - 343
The Madras High Court Wednesday reiterated that the right to life supersedes the right to practice religion while disposing of a petition that challenged Tamil Nadu’s order to ban public celebrations of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in the wake of the Covid-19 situation in the state.
The Bench consisting of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice PD Audikesavalu said that constitutional courts over the last year had repeated that right to life was paramount and “it is only if the person survives that his right to practice his religion is effective.”
“Since the restrictions have been imposed in the public interest and there is no certainty that the pandemic has altogether abated, the impugned notification cannot be interfered with,” the court said.
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A total of 20 hoardings and 83 flex boards were removed across Chennai by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Wednesday as a part of the civic body’s poster removal campaign.
Here are the details:
North Chennai
Central Chennai
South Chennai
The latest industry buzz is that the first look of Superstar Rajinikanth from his upcoming film Annaatthe will be unveiled on Friday, coinciding with the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi. An official confirmation, however, is awaited.
The post-production work on Annaatthe is also fast nearing completion. The filmmakers have announced that it will open in cinemas worldwide on November 4 to cash in on the Deepavali holiday.
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The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed all the Commissioners of Municipal Corporations across Tamil Nadu and heads of the Municipalities to file written undertakings stating that no manual scavenging work would be permitted to be undertaken within their areas, while assuming office in the future.
The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P D Audikesavalu gave this direction while passing further interim orders on a PIL against engaging scavengers, Wednesday.
There cannot be any manual scavenging at all and it will continue to be the responsibility of all municipal bodies and Corporations across the State to ensure that there is no manual scavenging activity undertaken. The Commissioners of the Corporations and the heads of the Municipalities will be personally held liable in case any manual scavenging activity is detected or any mishap occurs in course thereof, the bench said.
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The Election Commission of India has notified Rajya Sabha elections for two seats in the state on October 4. The seats held by K P Munusamy and R Vaithilingam fell vacant following their resignations on May 7 this year.
Over a three acre land parcel, linked to V K Sasikala, situated at nearby Payyanoor village was on Wednesday provisionally attached by the Income Tax authorities under the prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act.
A Provisional Attachment Order pasted on the premises in the village restrained Sasikala, a former key aide of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, from transferring the property as per the provisions of the BPTA.
The Payyanoor premises reportedly comprises a bungalow as well and in total, the property is worth crores of Rupees.
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The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State Chief Secretary to take genuine steps to protect the water bodies and forests and the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, so that the future generations find the state habitable and can survive here.
“It cannot be a piecemeal solution pertaining to one matter or one area or one waterbody, though the aggregate has to take care of the individual,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P D Audikesavalu, said Wednesday.
The bench was passing further interim orders on a batch of PIL petitions, seeking to remove the encroachments on water ways, water bodies, lakes and in the forests.
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The Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State Chief Secretary to take genuine steps to protect the water bodies and forests and the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, so that the future generations find the state habitable and can survive here.
“It cannot be a piecemeal solution pertaining to one matter or one area or one waterbody, though the aggregate has to take care of the individual,” the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P D Audikesavalu, said Wednesday.
The bench was passing further interim orders on a batch of PIL petitions, seeking to remove the encroachments on water ways, water bodies, lakes and in the forests.
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In an apparent security breach, a man tried to set himself ablaze on Wednesday on the “Kalaivanar Arangam” premises where the Tamil Nadu Assembly proceedings are held, but police personnel overpowered him in the nick of time and whisked him away from the spot.
The man, who appeared to be about 45 years-old, was apprehended when he poured a petrol like liquid over himself soon after entering the sprawling complex. Water was also poured on him to make him wet, they said.
“He is a native of Thanjavur. It seems he has some property related grievances in connection with a land parcel. When he approached authorities in his native town, they reportedly told him that it is a civil matter and he made this attempt to draw attention,” a police official told PTI adding he is being questioned and a case would be registered.
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A woman was found lying dead on the arterial Aviniashi Road at Chinniyampalayam town in Tamil Nadu on Monday.
By the time the Coimbatore Traffic Investigation Wing (East) was alerted and cops arrived at the scene, the body was already in a mangled state, having been run over by several vehicles. Cops later sent the body for postmortem to the Government Medical College and Hospital.
CCTV footage from the area later showed the body of the woman being dragged by a Scorpio at around 5.44 am. The footage suggests that the body might have been thrown out of the vehicle. However, there is no confirmation on this as of now and cops are trying to ascertain the details of the incident.
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The Greater Chennai Corporation Wednesday said a total of 1,600 special camps will be organised on September 12 in the city to increase the vaccine coverage. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by principal secretary and corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi.
A total of 600 doctors and 600 nurses are set to be deployed in this special vaccination drive on September 12. There are about 200 wards in the city, the corporation has said that in each ward, one static camp and two mobile camps will be functioning. To spread awareness among the public about the special drive, 3,000 malaria care workers, 1,400 fever surveillance workers and 1,400 Anganwadi workers are set to be deployed.
Apart from this, the Rotary club, Indian Medical Association, college principles, district officials, traders’ associations and others would be taking part in spreading awareness about the initiative. The corporation has asked all the eligible unvaccinated people to make use of the special camp and cooperate with the government to stop the spread of the virus.
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A woman is breaking the internet with her quiet, coaxing conversation with a cobra as she requests it to leave her house with promise of visiting it later. She also says she will bring food.
In a video going viral, a middle-aged woman is heard coaxing the snake to leave the premises by promising it milk and eggs. The affectionate tone in which the woman address the reptile has left many people stunned online.
The undated video, reportedly from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, showed the snake in the yard of the woman’s home. Without getting alarmed, the woman gently approaches the snake with a branch in hand, asking it to “go back to its home”.
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The Puducherry administration has said it has laid down norms on installation of idols of Lord Vinayaga for Ganesh Chathurthi that falls on Friday. The idols should not be placed at road junctions as they would hinder traffic and public movement, and gatherings are prohibited in view of the Covid-19 situation, said a press statement from Collector and District Magistrate (Revenue) of Puducherry Purva Gargm on Wednesday.
The Union Home Ministry has advised the government to take suitable measures to avoid large gatherings during the forthcoming festival season and to impose restrictions to curb large gatherings.
The guidelines should be followed till the end of the festival which begins on September 10. The Collector, in the release, said any violation of the guidelines is punishable under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and also under the Epidemic Act, 1897.
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Tangedco has announced a power cut in parts of Chennai today from 9 am to 2 pm for maintenance work.
Here are the affected areas:
Tambaram:
Porur: Poonamallee, Avadi Main Road, Earikari Road, Queen Victoria Road, Ambal Nagar, James Street, Sumithra Nagar, Nazarathpet, Varadharajapuram Village, Parts of Bangalore Highway, Panimalar Medical College and surrounding areas
Perungudi Ezhil Nagar: Secretariat Colony, Kumaran Kudil, Parthasarathy Nagar, Devaraj Nagar and surrounding areas
Ponneri: Gummidipoondi Sipcot SS-I Industrial Complex Area and TNHB Bypass Road
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Tamil Nadu recorded 1,587 positive cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, bringing the state tally to 26,27,365. Among these, Chennai reported 179 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 5,45,526. The state recorded 18 deaths on Wednesday, putting the state toll at 35,073. 16 of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. A total of 1,594 patients were discharged following treatment, taking the total number of recoveries to 25,76,112.
As of Wednesday, the number of active Covid-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 16,180. Till date, 15,33,964 males, 10,93,363 females and 38 transgenders have tested positive for the virus in the state.
According to a bulletin released by the Health and Family Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu, 4,35,88,378 samples from the state have been tested till date, with 1,60,303 samples having been sent yesterday. There are 292 Covid-19 testing facilities in the state, out of which 69 are government and 223 are private facilities.
Vanakkam Chennai!
Welcome to today’s live blog. We bring to you the latest news on Covid-19, politics, features, entertainment, sports, weather, art and culture from across Chennai and Tamil Nadu. Follow our live blog and @ie_chennai to stay up to date with what’s happening in the state.