The issue of non-payment of salary for the conservancy workers in 21 wards that was maintained by a private company came up for discussion during the corporation council meeting held recently.
Councillors wanted the corporation to direct the company to pay salaries regularly every month within the stipulated time. The Mayor even asked officials to cancel the contract of the company if it did not do so. In the midst of the serious discussion there were some light moments when a councillor commented that even the corporation fails to pay salary to its employees on time every month.
The Mayor had a quick come back to that. He retorted, “ But they cannot be removed”.
Roads in many residential localities in Salem city are in a poor shape. The the underground drainage scheme has only further worsened the situation. The local residents and various political parties and organizations have been pleading with the Corporation authorities to relay the roads where the under ground drainage works are completed. The Salem North district unit of the Democractic Youth Federation of India caused a flutter when it brought out pamphlets and banners stating that it will offer a prize money of Rs. One lakh to the Mayor, S. Soundappan, if he managed to ride a two-wheeler on any of the roads in Salem city. Besides displaying banners at vantage points, the DYFI members also distributed pamphlets among the public, and spread the word on social media.
The highlight of the ‘Makkalukkaga Makkal Pani’ public meeting organized by the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) at Mecheri near Mettur last week was the cultural programme by transgenders. At the meeting, Vijayakanth, founder of DMDK, distributed welfare assistance in the form of sewing machines worth Rs. 25 lakhs to them. As a thanksgiving gesture, a transgender troupe presented a dance performance highlighting the support and the help extended by Mr. Vijayakanth from the very beginning in uplifting their living conditions. The leader of the troupe pointed out that while it was the norm to depict transgenders in poor light in movies, it was a credit that none of Mr Vijaykanth’s movies did so. In fact in the film ‘Viruthagiri’, with Vijayakanth in the lead role, transgenders were highlighted in a positive way.
The transgender community will be ever thankful to Vijayakanth for that, she said. Mrs. Premalatha Vijayakanth said that she and her husband always believed that the transgenders would prove their mettle, if they were given the right opportunity and time. “Our expectations have proved right and the transgenders are proving their talent in one field or the other”, she said.
The actors belonging to the Vishal Group, better known as ‘Paandavar Ani’ held a meeting with the drama artistes of Salem district recently seeking their support in the forthcoming elections to the South Indian Film Artistes Association. Actor Prakash Raj was the major attraction of the event. Other artistes such as Karunas, Mano Balau, Ponvannan, Saravanan who addressed the gathering underlined the importance of stage plays. Prakash Raj said that he was initially a drama artiste and his experience on the stage enabled him to gain entry into films and win laurels. He said he still continued to act in dramas and also provided financial support for staging stage plays. Mr. PrakashRaj said that he has made it a point to provide a chance to one drama artiste in every movie he has produced.
(Reporting by
S.P. Saravanan and
Syed Muthahar Saqaf in Salem)
