S. Rethinavelu, the senior president of Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and one of the best-known personalities of the Temple City, was honoured at a function organised here on Sunday to mark his 40 years of public service.
The glittering function at P.T.R. Mahal was attended by almost all the VIPs in the city cutting across, political, business and social lines and dozens of prominent persons showered encomiums on Mr. Rethinavelu. The event also featured a debate adjudicated by renowned orator Solomon Pappiah.
While coordinated by his colleagues in the TN Chamber, the function was organised by five prominent business houses in the State: V.V.V. and Sons Edible Oils, Sakthi Masala, Kannan Departmental Stores, Kaaleswari Refinery and Hatsun Agro Products.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rethinavelu said the TN Chamber Foundation was going to establish a centre to train entrepreneurs. It would be built on a 10-acre land and Rs. 1 crore was donated to the foundation during the function.
Thanking his friends who had stood by him over the last four decades, he said that this function would encourage him to carry on his work for another two decades.
Earlier, chamber president N. Jegatheesan said that Mr. Rethinavelu was the president of TN Chamber from 1993 to 2008, after which he was elevated to the post of senior president. He was also the senior vice president of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), a national trade body working out of New Delhi. Chamber past president V. Neethi Mohan said that he had set new standards for people in public life.
