Actor Radhika Sarathkumar is likely to make her electoral debut in the upcoming assembly election in Tamil Nadu. Last month, Radhika, a prominent figure in South Indian film and television industry, tweeted that she will be temporarily taking a break from acting in soap operas to concentrate on her production, Radaan Mediaworks, and also actively support her husband and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) leader Sararthkumar ahead of the assembly election.
READ | Tamil Nadu: Actor Radhika quits TV serials, may make poll debut
Also Read | Stalker attacks techie in Hyderabad for rejecting marriage proposal
In the wake of multiple wild animal attacks, which had also resulted in two deaths, the Telangana government has constituted a 10-member committee to propose measures to mitigate human-animal conflicts. The order issued on Tuesday named the minister of Forests and Environment as chairperson and has asked the committee to submit its report within 3 months.
READ | Telangana forms 10-member panel to mitigate human-wildlife conflict
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 | Citizens can find the nearest GCC-facilitated COVID-19 fever clinic 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)
Former editor of popular Tamil daily 'Dinamalar' and renowned numismatist R Krishnamurthy died in Chennai on Thursday following a heart attack. Krishnamurthy, 88, is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.
"He suffered a heart attack and passed away at his residence this morning," Dinamalar Editor K Ramasubbu said.
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Known as 'RK', he became the Dinamalar editor in 1977 after joining the daily in 1956, founded by his father T V Ramasubbier. A post-graduate in geology from the Presidency College here, he introduced the now well known 'Periyar' script which has lesser number of Tamil characters in the newspaper's Tiruchirappalli edition in 1977. Later, the Tamil Nadu government came forward to introduce the script in text books and it is widely followed today.
He studied in detail the various inscriptions in 'Vattezhuthu' script in different parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala and published three books in Tamil on the data collected by him. "Vattezhuthu is a 'circular' script that evolved out of the Tamil Brahmi script around fifth-sixth century AD.
His stellar work brought to light coins belonging to the Sangam age, be it one on the Pandian king 'Peruvaluthi,' the Chera silver coins (Maakkothai) or the 'Malaiyaman' coins. To help people outside Tamil Nadu to understand the significance, he published a book 'Sangam age Tamil coins' in English.
In recognition of his service and contribution to journalism, Tamil script reform, epigraphy and numismatics, the Madurai Kamaraj University conferred him the honorary degree of Doctor of Science in 2004. He was also a recipient of the 'Tholkappiar Award' for his work on Tamil script and numismatics in 2015. The Royal Numismatic Society in London honoured him by electing him as a Fellow and he was president TN Numismatic Society of India since its inception in 1986. (PTI)
BJP on Thursday hailed the decision of expelled AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala to quit politics and said her exit will help fulfil late chief minister J Jayalalaithaa’s dream of a progressive and prosperous Tamil Nadu.
Pointing out that it was entirely Sasikala’s decision to relinquish politics, BJP national secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu C T Ravi said “our party welcomes her decision. Her decision will fulfil Amma’s (Jayalalithaa) dreams.”
“The BJP’s aim is to strengthen the NDA in Tamil Nadu and strive for victory in all the 234 constituencies. Our major intention is to defeat the DMK and ensure the return of AIADMK,” Ravi said.
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Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has announced that a COVID-19 safety awareness program will be conducted at Tondiarpet Metro Station on Friday. The program, which will consist of musical performances will be held from 6 pm to 8 pm.
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has landed in Chennai to take part in the team’s training camp likely to begin on March 9 in the lead-up to the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The former India captain arrived here late on Wednesday and will serve a five-day quarantine.
CSK tweeted a picture of Dhoni at the airport and wrote: “Thalai-Vaa! Smile with the Mass(k) on! Super Night! #DenComing #WhistlePodu #Yellove.”
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The DMK on Thursday allotted six constituencies to ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi for the April 6 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
An electoral pact was signed by DMK president M K Stalin and VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan at the Dravidian party headquarters 'Anna Arivalayam' here.
"We have decided to fight from six segments." Though there was dissatisfaction on the number of seats offered in the party, it was decided to accept the deal to drive out 'Sanathana forces' from Tamil Nadu and to consolidate secular votes, Thirumavalavan told reporters.
In the absence of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi and AIADMK matriarch J Jayalalithaa, the BJP was trying hard to weaken both the Dravidian parties and working towards destroying politics that was aimed at upholding social justice, he alleged. (PTI)
Five candidates of the ruling YSR Congress on Thursday filed their nominations for the biennial election to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council. The sixth candidate filed his papers for the by-election to the Council.
Accompanied by ministers Botsa Satyanarayana, Buggana Rajendranath and Government Advisor (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, the six candidates completed the formality on the last day of the nomination process. Earlier, YSRC president and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy handed the candidates the party's requisite authorisation in Form-B.
The YSRC re-nominated sitting MLC Shaik Mohammed Iqbal of Kurnool district, besides bringing back political heavyweight C Ramachandraiah of Kadapa to the Council. It also nominated Balli Kalyan Chakravarthy, son of deceased Tirupati MP Durga Prasada Rao, and leaders Mohammed Karimunneesa from Vijayawada and Duvvada Srinivas from Srikakulam for three other seats.
Five Council seats will fall vacant on March 29, at the end of the six-year term of the sitting members, three of whom belong to the main opposition Telugu Desam Party. (PTI)
Veteran actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan on Wednesday said he is in talks with “like-minded” parties for a possible electoral alliance for the April 6 assembly election.
Reiterating that he is keen on forging ties with “good people”, Haasan said several parties have initiated discussions for a possible alliance with the MNM and he “shook hands” with the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK).
“Many parties are holding discussions and some like the AISMK shook hands. We will decide on alliance first before a confab on seat-sharing,” Haasan told reporters in Chennai when his attention was drawn to AISMK founder R Sarath Kumar’s assertion that an alliance between the two parties has been firmed up.
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Telangana recorded 152 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing the tally to 2,99,406, while the death toll rose to 1,637 with two more fatalities, the state government said on Thursday.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 25, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy districts with 11 and 10 respectively, it said in a bulletin.
The cumulative recovered cases stood at 2,95,821, while 1,948 were under treatment. The bulletin said 41,201 samples were tested on March 3. Cumulatively, the number of samples tested was 88,42,852. The samples tested per million population was 2,37,583, it said.
The recovery rate in the state was 98.80 per cent while the case fatality rate in the state was 0.54 per cent. (PTI)
Desiya Murpoku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) Deputy General Secretary L K Sudhish targeted the AIADMK on Wednesday as seat sharing talks between the alliance partners broke down ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Sudhish claimed the AIADMK would have “vanished” had it not forged an alliance with the DMDK in 2011.
Addressing party workers in Arni near Tiruvannamalai, Sudhish said the alliance would be decided by party leader Captain Vijayakant in a couple of days.
“We formed an alliance with AIADMK in 2011 after our cadre and office bearers requested us. We won the election and became an Opposition party. Today, we are not pleading with them. Many parties want to form an alliance under the leadership of Vijayakant,” said Sudhish, who is the DMDK chief’s brother-in-law.
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With just a month to go for Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa’s close aide VK Sasikala, who was released from a Bengaluru prison on January 27, issued a statement Wednesday that she has decided to “step aside” from politics and that she will pray for Amma’s (Jayalalithaa’s) “golden rule”.
A two-page letter, signed by her, and released first on Jaya TV, appealed to Amma’s followers to work hard to ensure her rule. “As Amma used to say, defeating the evil force DMK should be the main aim of all obedient cadre of Amma’s party,” Sasikala wrote, thanking all who showered her with love.
While Sasikala’s surprise and sudden decision is expected to help the ruling AIADMK and avoid splitting of votes, it comes as a jolt to her nephew TTV Dhinakaran, who was ousted from AIADMK along with her in 2017. After defeating the AIADMK and DMK candidates in the high-decibel RK Nagar — Jayalalithaa’s constituency — bypoll in December 2017, he launched his own party, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), in March 2018. The party garnered a vote share of more than 4 per cent in the Lok Sabha polls in 2019.
Minutes after her statement, Dhinakaran told media persons he was not in agreement with her on the decision. “I tried to speak to her, convince her… I told her this is unnecessary now, and requested her to remain in politics. I delayed the release of her statement for about 30 minutes. But I cannot stop her from taking her personal decision, isn’t it?” he said.
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Kamal Haasan was never an MGR but rather a Sivaji Ganesan, one who was a much revered and beloved actor in Tamil cinema. However, when he launched his political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), in February 2018, his superstar status had somewhat waned. All that Kamal had were lofty political dreams with a pinch of socialism, neither a political background nor a fan base with ideological conviction.
Even as his rallies witnessed a decent crowd almost everywhere in the 2019 elections owing to his celebrity status, Kamal seemed more popular among the urban population than rural in Tamil Nadu, maybe owing to his Sivaji-like image. While MGR and Rajinikanth were mass heroes, the strength of Captain Vijayakanth too was his popularity among the rural masses.
However, Kamal, who often speaks for the poor and the villages, is likely to contest from a constituency in Chennai city this time, most likely Alandur, which is largely known for its upper-caste Hindu population.
The reason he is unlikely to choose Mylapore is probably that over time, the neighborhood has developed into an increasingly complex population, with at least six slums sandwiched between its temples, sabhas and mutts, and is no more a powerful Brahmin, upper-class stronghold.
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The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted 250 fever clinics in Chennai on Wednesday. A total of 18,578 people attended the clinics, with swabs collected from 78 people who were identified with ILI symptoms, while others were provided with medication for minor ailments.
The most number of camps were held in Tondiarpet (Zone 4) where 39 camps had been set up, while Manali (Zone 2) had the least with three camps.
Tamil Nadu-based photographer Purushothaman Sathish Kumar has bagged the first-ever Serendipity Arles Grant (SAG), the largest photography, video and new media grant in South Asia, SAG has announced.
Kumar, a resident of Kanchipuram, was selected out of a shortlist of 10 lens-based practitioners from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
He will receive Rs 12 lakh to develop his winning project and show the final presentation at Rencontres d’Arles, an annual summer photography festival in France in 2022.
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Gold and other articles, worth Rs. 1.88 crore, have been seized from three people who arrived at the airport in Chennai from Dubai, Customs officials said on Wednesday. The trio, hailing from Tamil Nadu, was arrested, said the officials.
Gold weighing 3.42 kg, 19 i-phones, as many watches, 15 airpods, 51 cigarette cartons and 18 used laptops were confiscated, they said.
Acting on inputs, the three were checked at the international terminal. The check yielded gold in paste form concealed in their rectums and chains hidden in their pockets, they said.
Further investigations are on, they added. (PTI)
Ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled to take place on April 6, 2021, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) leader Kamal Haasan Wednesday released his party’s agenda for women and youth welfare and sports. MNM has said that if it comes to power, it will provide 50 lakh jobs to youth of the state, monetise household labour and ensure 50 per cent representation for women in every uniformed sector.
Haasan told reporters how his party aims to work for development of women and welfare of the youth. Haasan said his party promises to give dignity and recognition to homemakers. It also aims to monetise household work and have 50 per cent representation for women in every uniformed sector.
To provide protection to women in distress, MNM will set up hostels in every district. Women can stay at night in these hostels for free in case of emergencies. Moreover, a system will be set up to follow up on complaints registered on the women’s helpline number (181).
The party will procure and distribute sanitary napkins via PDS for adolescent girls and women from poor, urban and rural backgrounds. A rural bank will be established in each district and it will be completely run by women and for women.
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The Central Crime Branch (CCB) Monday arrested E Parthasarathy, the Deputy Registrar of Anna University, MIT Campus, for his alleged involvement in issuing fake job appointment orders to aspirants after collecting a sum of Rs 3.29 crore from them. The police said as many as 75 job seekers were cheated.
In 2019, Vishweshwaran (son of Parthasarathy) and his accomplices Valli Elango, Soolaiyur Ramasamy, Elangovan, Rajapandi, Arumugam, Ravindar Raja and Devasigamani were arrested by the CCB police following several complaints of cheating. The police said the accused had provided false assurances to the victims, saying they could secure government jobs like public relations officers in Anna University, assistant and junior assistant engineer posts in TANGEDCO, technical jobs in the Public Welfare Department and teaching jobs, etc after taking between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 15 lakh from each of the educated youths.
The money was received in cash or through multiple bank accounts. Vishweshwaran had provided Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh as commission to his other accomplices who worked as agents.
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A total of 231 flights will be operated between Chennai and major cities today, with 117 arrivals and 114 departures scheduled at the Chennai International Airport.
Tangedco has announced a powercut in parts of Chennai today from 9 am to 2 pm to carry out maintenance work.
Here are the affected areas:
Tamil Nadu recorded 489 positive cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the state tally to 8,52,967. Among these, Chennai reported 184 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,36,072. The state recorded two deaths on Wednesday, putting the state toll at 12,504. Both of them had succumbed due to comorbidities. A total of 494 patients were discharged following treatment, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,36,473.
As of Wednesday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 3990. Till date, 5,15,368 males, 3,37,564 females and 35 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, 1,76,30,655 samples from the state have been tested till date, with 50,783 samples having been sent yesterday. There are 257 COVID-19 testing facilities in the state, out of which 69 are government and 188 are private facilities.
Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai and Hyderabad where we bring to you the latest updates on Tamil Nadu elections 2021, COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, UK COVID-19 virus in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and more across Chennai and Hyderabad throughout the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the states in real time.
Cyberabad police arrested a hairstylist for allegedly attacking a 29-year-old software engineer in Hyderabad after she refused his marriage proposal.
According to police, the accused, 29-year-old Shahrukh Salman, has been harassing her for the last two years. On Tuesday, at around 7.30 pm, he barged into the victim’s flat in Hydershakote and assaulted her with a sharp-edged weapon
The woman sustained multiple injuries and was admitted into a private hospital for treatment, while the attacker was detained by locals and handed over to police. The victim’s mother, too, received injuries when she tried to resist the attack.
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The BJP on Wednesday said the AIADMK would decide on accommodating V K Sasikala, confidante of late Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu J Jayalalithaa, in the ruling party-led alliance for the April 6 assembly polls.
The AIADMK, in a quick reaction, ruled out accommodating her or her nephew TTV Dhinakaran led Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam either in the party or in the alliance led by it for the elections.
Saffron party’s Tamil Nadu incharge and national general secretary, C T Ravi, when asked if his party wanted Sasikala to be in the AIADMK-led alliance and on Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly speaking to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami about the matter, said, “only you are speculating.”
Both Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam knew the strengths and weaknesses of Sasikala and Dhinakaran and they would take a decision, he told reporters in Chennai.
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The Congress has convened a meeting of the state executive committee in Tamil Nadu on Friday amid indications that seat-sharing talks with the DMK are yet to make headway.
AICC in-charge of Tamil Nadu, Dinesh Gundu Rao told PTI on Wednesday the party had one round of talks on Tuesday but there was no progress on seat-sharing.
Rao, former President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, said he is reaching Chennai on Wednesday and further meetings on seat-sharing are slated on Thursday and Friday.
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As part of engineering work in Renigunta – Tirupati of Guntakal Section, the Southern Railway has announced changes in the pattern of train services from March 5 to 12.
Partial Cancellation of Trains:
Diversion of Trains:
Ahead of the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and the bypolls in Kanyakumari on April 6, the Election Commission (EC) has sought the help of the Directorate General of Income Tax (Investigation) to monitor election expenditure.
The Directorate will provide assistance in free and fair elections and provide transparency by controlling the role of unaccounted funds. The Directorate will also steps to detect and seize unaccounted funds to be used for campaigning.
The Directorate has set up a 24 x 7 control room with a toll free number, fax, email ID and WhatsApp facilities to receive complaints from the public.
V Ponraj, advisor to late President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam joined Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) as the party's vice president today.
MNM also released its manifesto today. In its manifesto for women, the party announced 50 per cent representation for women in every uniformed sector in state services, a bank in each district run by women for women, hostels in every district for emergency overnight stay for women in distress and umbrella of support for single-mothers.
In its manifesto for the youth, the party announced that upon forming the govt, 50 lakh job opportunities will be given within the term. MNM also announced e-bikes at zero interest rates for first-time employees and said that youth exchange within and outside country will be encouraged.
With respect to sports development, MNM said that it will lead FIT Thamizhnadu movement in schools and colleges. World class sports complex will be set up at every panchayat union level while traditional sports like Jallikatu will be given a fillip and special sports facilities will be given for persons with disabilities.
Telangana recorded 168 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, pushing the tally to 2,99,254, while the death toll stood at 1,635 with no fresh fatality being reported, the state government said on Wednesday.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation accounted for the most number of cases with 29, followed by Medchal Malkajgiri and Rangareddy districts with 15 and 13 respectively.
The cumulative recovered cases stood at 2,95,707, while 1,912 were under treatment. The bulletin said 40,444 samples were tested on March 2. Cumulatively, the number of samples tested was 88,01,651 and samples tested per million population was 2,36,476. The recovery and fatality rates were 98.81 per cent and 0.54 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile, vaccination for senior citizens and those above 45 with co-morbidities continued in the state on Wednesday. Telangana Legislative Assembly Deputy Speaker T Padmarao received the vaccine at the state-run Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), official sources said. (PTI)
Actor Radhika Sarathkumar is likely to make her electoral debut in the upcoming assembly election in Tamil Nadu.
Last month, Radhika, a prominent figure in South Indian film and television industry, tweeted that she will be temporarily taking a break from acting in soap operas to concentrate on her production, Radaan Mediaworks, and also actively support her husband and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi (AISMK) leader Sararthkumar ahead of the assembly election.
Speaking at the party’s sixth general council meeting in Thoothukudi, Radhika said the time has come for a change in Tamil Nadu.
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A Tamil Nadu Special DGP Special DGP facing allegations of sexual harassment from a woman IPS officer had made several attempts to hold her hand, had kissed her hand, made her sign, sent a strike force to stop her vehicle on the Trichy-Chennai highway, and even called her father-in-law to strike a compromise, according to her complaints made to senior government authorities.
The Madras High Court had on Monday taken suo motu notice of the alleged harassment, and is directly monitoring the case now being probed by the CB-CID. The court had also imposed restrictions on the media against naming the woman police officer and the accused Special DGP. On Tuesday, the CB-CID team started the investigation visiting witnesses — all senior IPS officers — and the victim, for their detailed statements and related evidence.
According to senior woman IPS officer’s written complaint, she was on “bandobust duty” in Karur district as part of the state Chief Minister’s visit on February 21. As the CM’s speech was in progress in the evening, the Special DGP told her she may accompany him in his vehicle to the next meeting place. They would then, in the Special DGP’s vehicle, visit two places where the CM was to hold meetings.
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The Southern Railway has announced that several trains will be diverted, short terminated or fully cancelled due to engineering work being carried out at Tambaram yard.
Fully cancelled trains:
Short terminated:
Trains diverted:
Actor Radhikar Sarathkumar has announced that she will be making her electoral debut soon. Her announcement comes ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls, which will be held on April 6 this year.
Last week, her husband, actor and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi founder Sarathkumar had met with fellow actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam leader Kamal Haasan, amid buzz of a probable third front for the polls.
India began its second phase of coronavirus vaccination on March 1, targeting senior citizens and people with co-morbidities in the age bracket of 45-59 years. Along with the Government Health Facilities, Covid-19 vaccination will also be provided at private hospitals empaneled under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB- PMJAY) scheme and the Central Government Health Scheme.
Hyderabad
Chennai
See full list of Chennai hospitals here
In the wake of multiple wild animal attacks, which had also resulted in two deaths, the Telangana government has constituted a 10-member committee to propose measures to mitigate human-animal conflicts. Incidents of cattle killed by wild animals like tigers and leopards, damage to crops and human habitations are being reported frequently from across the State.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, R Shobha, also one of the members of the new committee, had written to the state government in December 2020 proposing the need for such committee to be set up.
The order issued on Tuesday named the minister of Forests and Environment as chairperson and has asked the committee to submit its report within 3 months.
The committee is mandated to propose measures to avoid the recurrence of incidents of tigers killing human beings and evolve a mechanism for mitigating human-wildlife conflict. It is also required to review and propose a revision, if any, to the existing compensation package and propose guidelines for settling the claims for human death, human injury, cattle kills, crop damage, etc.
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The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) conducted 246 fever clinics in Chennai on Tuesday. A total of 17,296 people attended the clinics, with swabs collected from 86 people who were identified with ILI symptoms, while others were provided with medication for minor ailments.
The most number of camps were held in Tondiarpet (Zone 4) where 40 camps had been set up, while Manali (Zone 2) had the least with three camps.
A total of 20,54,653 lakh passengers had travelled via Chennai metro in February, said a statement from Chennai Metro Rail Limited. CMRL stated that a total of 65,50,794 passengers have travelled by Chennai metro till date. Metro services had commenced in Chennai in a phased manner from September 7, 2020.
In a release, CMRL stated that 31,53,446 passengers had travelled by metro from September 7 to December 31 while 13,43,695 passengers had travelled by metro from January 1 to January 31. A total of 1,37,957 passengers had travelled by Chennai metro on February 14 alone.
With CMRL facilitating booking of tickets through a QR code, a total of 1,50,355 passengers had utilised the system from September, 2020 till February 2021, with 40,850 passengers having used the QR code system in February alone.
Meanwhile, 34,64,850 passengers had used the Travel Card Ticketing System from September 2020 till February 2021, with 9,84,665 passengers having used the system last month alone.
With the countdown having begun for the Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, both the ruling AIADMK and the opposition DMK alliances have hit roadblocks.
The AIADMK is in a fix as allies BJP and RSS want to facilitate re-entry into the party of ousted general secretary V K Sasikala, the closest aide of the late J Jalayalithaa. On the other side, the DMK is refusing to hand out more seats to the Congress.
A senior AIADMK minister said a late-night meeting of Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam of the AIADMK in Chennai on Sunday night wasn’t conclusive. But the BJP is expected to keep pressing the Sasikala issue in the coming days through multiple channels and emissaries.
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Seven inspection teams, including officials from various departments and bodies such as Revenue, Police, Fire and Rescue, Industrial Safety and Petroleum & Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO), suspended licences and temporarily sealed 28 cracker manufacturing units after a round of surprise checks in Virudunagar district of Tamil Nadu.
The crackdown came on the heels of the government ordering a probe into a series of firework accidents, the most recent of which claimed more than 29 lives and left more than 40 injured last month.
On the direction of the district revenue officer, the officials conducted surprise inspections at various firecracker units in the district. Each team was given the responsibility to inspect 10 units a day.
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A total of 250 flights will be operated between Chennai and major cities today, with 125 arrivals and 125 departures scheduled at the Chennai International Airport.
Tangedco has announced a powercut in parts of Chennai from 9 am to 2 pm to carry out maintenance work.
Here are the affected areas:
Tamil Nadu recorded 462 positive cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the state tally to 8,52,478. Among these, Chennai reported 167 positive cases, bringing the city’s total to 2,35,888. The state recorded only one deaths on Tuesday, putting the state toll at 12,502. The patient had succumbed due to comorbidities. A total of 473 patients were discharged following treatment, taking the total number of recoveries to 8,35,979.
As of Tuesday, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Tamil Nadu is 3997. Till date, 5,15,074 males, 3,37,369 females and 35 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, 1,75,79,872 samples from the state have been tested till date, with 50,209 samples having been sent yesterday. There are 257 COVID-19 testing facilities in the state, out of which 69 are government and 188 are private facilities.
Good morning!
Welcome to the live blog from Chennai and Hyderabad where we bring to you the latest updates on Tamil Nadu elections 2021, COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, UK COVID-19 virus in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and more across Chennai and Hyderabad throughout the day. Follow the blog to stay up to date with the states in real time.