Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Reporter's Diary

Earmarking of 135 acres of land at Navalpattu on the city outskirts for Information Technology majors to establish campus development centres has assuaged a feeling of disgruntlement among the residents of Anna Nagar, one of the major settlements promoted by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) in the State.

About two decades ago, the TNHB marketed several hundreds of houses by raising hopes of urbanisation with the promise that a medical college would be established in the vicinity.

However, years later, the college had to be established in the city limits, in consideration of proximity to the Government Hospital. Unfortunately, the 120-feet-road that the TNHB constructed later on between Gundur on the Tiruchi-Pudukottai Highway to the locality is also in disuse.

All that is past. Interestingly, the area has turned a sudden witness to real estate boom.

There is wide expectation now that the about 6-km stretch of road will be spruced up well in advance before the IT companies set foot.

Also, there are indications that the ring road project, which is now at a consultancy stage, will provide connectivity to the proposed Tidel Park at Panjapur from Gundur.

With the local body elections fast approaching, not only the political parties but also the voluntary organisations and NGOs are getting ready.

The later say there is much at stake for them in the forthcoming elections as they were fought mainly on local issues.

The present term of the local bodies in the State comes to an end on October 24. The NGOs have come together and formed a front — Tamil Nadu NGO Alliance for Empowering Panchayat Government — to campaign for free and fair elections.

According to the Alliance sources, since the Constitutional 73rd and 74th amendment, Tamil Nadu will be witnessing the third local body elections, the first two being held in 1996 and 2001.

The Alliance is confident of establishing its presence in the rural areas, as a large number of seats are at stake. The total number of seats contested in the last elections were 12,618 for village panchayat presidents posts, 97,512 for village panchayat ward members, 6,564 panchayat union ward members and 649 district panchayat ward members. Of these 38,540 seats were reserved for women.

The city witnessed a series of rallies by various sections of the society for different causes throughout the past week. NCC units of schools and colleges took out separate `anti-tobacco,' `anti-plastic' and `save environment' awareness rallies.

A large number of students, members of the service organisations and consumer movements, representatives of non-governmental organisations participated in a rally emphasising the need to follow traffic rules to check accidents in the city on Friday.

Yet another one was the `peace rally' taken out by participants of the `Rameswaram to Bangalore' padayatra organised by the Prajapita Brahmakumaris Movement.

Students of Jan Sikshan Sansthan took out an awareness rally to mark International Literacy Day.

To inculcate traffic sense, students and volunteers of various organisations took out yet another rally.

in Tiruchi

Contributions from R. Krishnamoorthy and Syed Muthahar Saqaf in Tiruchi

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Trade body-promoted garment unit to start functioning soon
Beneficiaries get documents
ITI curricula to be updated soon
A musical extravaganza
A family get-together
Tributes paid to Chinna Moulana
Around the City
In Tiruchi Today
Reporter's Diary

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu