Enquiry initiated on wall collapses at city airport

Transcription

Enquiry initiated on wall collapses at city airport
FRONTLINE
PRINTERS
PRIVATE LTD
3
Cops reach
out to students
6
Top cueists for
RKG Snooker
7
CSK eyes return
to winning ways
8
Morgan wants to make
it count in ‘orange’
Complete Printing
Facilities under
One Roof
M-7, Thiru-Vi-Ka
Industrial Estate,
Guindy,
Chennai - 600 032.
2250 0111, 4202 1111
Chennai’s No 1 English evening daily since 1982
www.newstodaynet.com
NATIONAL DAILY
VOL. XXXIII NO. 145
FOUNDER EDITOR: T.R.R
H CHENNAI H SUNDAY 3.5.2015 (EVENING) H OTHER STATIONS MONDAY 4.5.2015 (MORNING) H 8 PAGES Rs. 4.00 H
Fishermen issue:
OPS writes to Modi
NT Bureau
Chennai, May 3:
Tamilnadu Chief Minister O
Panneerselvam today said the
Centre should delegate powers
to regulate fishing by vessels
of 24 metres OAL and above to
maritime States.
In a letter to Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, a copy of which
was released to the press here,
Panneerselvam, said, ‘I wish
to bring to your kind attention a
serious issue relating to two recent decisions of the Ministry of
Agriculture, government of India
that could in effect lead to swamping by foreign fishing vessels in
India’s Exclusive Economic Zone
and also increase the regulatory
burden on domestic fishing fleets.
‘The new Deep Sea Fishing
Guidelines issued by the Department of Animal Husbandry
Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry
of Agriculture on 12 November,
2014, have changed the definition
of ‘Deep Sea Fishing Vessels’ reducing the Over All Length (OAL)
to 15 metres instead of the OAL
of 20 metres as per the original
guidelines issued in 2004 and
continued in the guidelines issued
in 2013. Further, the definition of
‘operator’ has been expanded to
include joint ventures with up to
49 per cent foreign equity. This
definition also includes now ‘Any
Indian Citizen’. ‘In this connection, I wish to point out that the
new Guidelines are per se illegal
because they are contrary to the
existing laws on the subject. As
per Section 7(5) of the Territorial
Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclu-
V’Kanth argues
with cops
at airport
NT Bureau
Chennai, May 3:
DMDK chief and Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Vijayakanth and his outbusrts against
media personnel has made headlines many times in the recent past.
Now it was the turn of the police
personnel of the Intelligence department to feel the heat, so to say. The
actor-turned-politician was involved
in a war of words with them at the
Chennai airport today.
This morning Vijayakanth reached
airport to take a flight to Singapore. No sooner he arrived, he
was flanked by media personnel
who wanted to get a byte from the
politician.
An annoyed Vijayakanth managed
to leave the place only after hurling
some angry words at the Intelligence police on duty at the place.
He wondered how come mediamen could gather at the place
without being tipped off by the Intelligence police.
He was pacified by leaders of the
DMDK, who came to see him off
at the airport. As a result tension
prevailed at the airport this morning.
‘The Government of
India should consider
developing specialised
infrastructure for
landing of Deep Sea
Fishing Vessels’
sive Economic Zone and Other
Maritime Zones
Act 1976, a citizen of India need
not get any licence or letter of authority from the Central Government for fishing in the EEZ. The
rights granted to an Indian citizen
by an Act of Parliament cannot be
abrogated by an Executive Order
of the Government.’
‘In view of the above, I request
you to instruct the Department of
Animal Husbandry Dairying and
Fisheries to withdraw its order
dated 12 November, 2014. I also
urge the Government of India
not to issue any fresh guidelines
for fishing operations in India till
a new Fisheries Act is enacted.
Before the Bill for the new Act
is introduced in Parliament, this
should be discussed with the
Ministries in charge of Fisheries
of the coastal States and a consensus on the bill arrived at. The
Government of India should consider developing specialised infrastructure for landing of Deep Sea
Fishing Vessels, safe berthing,
reception and handling of high
valued deep sea catch (like cold
chain from harvest till consumption) to deliver premium quality
fish to fetch premium value in the
domestic and international markets’, he said.
Regd. No., TN/CC(S) DN/223/15-17, RNI No: 33810 / 82
A
Big punch
fter all the hype, it was time for action. Floyd Mayweather cemented his
status as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world with
a unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao as the ‘Fight of
the Century’ in Las Vegas, failed to live up to expecations
There were boos around the arena at MGM Grand after
Mayweather comfortably outboxed his Filipino rival to frustrate hopes of a full-blooded slugfest last night.
The 38-year-old Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) retained his
WBC and WBA welterweight titles and seized Pacquiao’s
WBO belt by winning the fight on all three of the judges’
scorecards.
Mayweather reiterated after Saturday’s super fight that he
would retire after his next fight in September which will fulfil
his six-fight contract to Showtime Sports.
‘My last fight is in September. I’ll do that and I will hang
it up,’ said Mayweather, estimated to have earned $200
million. Meanwhile, the death toll in Nepal’s devastating
earthquake today rose to 7,040 with another 14,123 people
injured, according to the Nepalese Police.
National police officer Babu Kanji Giri said the death toll
had reached 7,040 as more bodies are found in the debris.
At least 38 Indians were among 54 foreigners killed in the
7.9-magnitude quake last week that left a trail of devastation and suffering.
According to police, 48 foreigners, including 10 Indians,
were injured and 82 foreign nationals were missing.
Enquiry initiated on wall
collapses at city airport
q Union Minister assures no such mishaps in future
NT Bureau
Chennai, May 3:
A departmental enquiry has been
initiated into the frequent false ceiling collapses at the Chennai airport,
Union Minister of State for Civil
Aviation Mahesh Kumar Agarwal
today said.
The Minister was on his way to
Puducherry today. He landed by a
flight from the national capital at the
airport here before leaving for the
Union Territory.
Addressing mediapersons at the
airport, Mahesh Kumar Agarwal,
said, ‘We have initiated a departmental enquiry of the frequent
collapse of the false ceiling at the
newly-inaugurated building of the
Chennai airport. There may be
structural defects.’
‘Only after a thorough enquiry, we
will find out the exact reason. We
will ensure that no such mishaps
occur in future’.
On the proposed expansion of Madurai and Tiruchi airports, he said,
‘We are analysing the possibilities
of expanding the airports. Work has
commenced in this regard.’
Questioned about the proposal
to set up a greenfield airport near
Chennai, Agarwal said, ‘a final decision in this regard would be taken
by the Cabinet. We will convene a
Cabinet meeting and analyse the
issue in detail’.
On the proposed decision to priva-
SPIRITUAL FERVOUR
Devotees carry 1,008 milk pots today to the Mundakakanniamman temple in
Mylapore on the occasion of Chitra Pournami.
Photo: A R JAYAKUMAR
tise activities at the Chennai airport,
Agarwal, said, ‘The Centre is considering privatising the operations.
However, we are thinking of only allowing private participation in sanitary
works at the airport’.
It may be recalled that in the past
few days, a portion of false ceiling
came down crashing at the domestic
airport twice.
Portions of the false ceiling in the
first floor of the domestic airport col-
‘The Centre is considering privatising the
operations in Chennai airport. However we will
only allow private participation in sanitary works’
lapsed twice in five days. Officials
rushed to the spot and are looking
into the matter.
The airport has been witnessing a
spate of mishaps such as false ceiling
collapses and glass panels cracking
at the new domestic and international
terminals, built at a cost of over Rs
2,000 crore and inaugurated by VicePresident Hamid Ansari in January
2013, raising questions about the
quality of the construction.
Five of a family
killed in mishap
Tirunelveli, May 3 (PTI):
Five members of a family, including a six month
old boy, were killed and
10 seriously injured when
the van they travelling in
collided with a bus at
Kurukalpatti in the district
today, police said.
Those killed included
three women. The mishap occurred when the
family was returning to
Rajapalayam after offering worship at a temple in
Udangudi, police said.
The bus was on its way to
Theni from Kadiyakavalai.
None of the passengers in
it were hurt.
Mayweather punches
his way to glory
Las Vegas, May 3 (AFP):
the most lucrative in boxing history with revenues of $400 million.
Floyd Mayweather cemented
his status as the best pound-forPacquiao was the aggressor,
pound boxer in the world with a
pressing action from the first
unanimous decision over Manny
round and was able to land some
Pacquiao as the ‘Fight of the
big lefts on Mayweather’s chin,
Century’ failed to live up to the
especially in the final seconds of
hype here.
the early rounds.
Scattered boos rang out around
But ultimately Pacquiao wasn’t
the crowd of 17,000 in the MGM
able
to keep up his frenzied early
The third judge scored it 118pace for all 12 rounds and MayUdhagamandalam, May 3 (PTI): Grand after Mayweather comfort110.
weather, who was the bigger of
A BBM student was hospitalised ably outboxed his Filipino rival to
But when the results were anthe two fighters, managed to slip
with serious injuries, when a bear frustrate hopes of a full-blooded
nounced the pro-Pacquiao crowd
in counterpunches and hard right
attacked him, while returning home slugfest last night.
booed lustily and tried to drown
hands that stopped the Filipino in
The 38-year-old Mayweather
after attending a festival near Pandaout Mayweather’s post-fight comhis tracks.
(48-0, 26 KOs) retained his WBC
lur in the early hours of today.
ments over the public address
Mayweather reiterated after
Arun Kumar and his friends had and WBA welterweight titles and
system.
Saturday’s super fi ght that he
gone to attend a temple festival on seized Pacquiao’s WBO belt by
Filipino star Pacquiao suffered
would retire after his next fight
Gudalur-Cherampadi, Road some winning the fight on all three of
the
sixth
loss
of
his
career
to
go
the
judges’
scorecards.
in September
which
fulfi
l his by him at Frontline Printers Private Ltd., M-7, Thiru-Vi-Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy,
70
Kms
from
here.
While
returning,
Published by K. Balakumar on behalf of News Today Media (P) Ltd., from 85, Mount Road (GST Road), Guindy,
Chennai 600
032will
and
printed
six-fi
ght
contract
to
Showtime
with
57
victories
and
two
draws.
Mayweather
received
scores
of
two
bears
chased
them
and
started
Chennai 600 032. Ph: 4202 1111. Editor: K. Balakumar. Phone: Editorial/Admn /Advt: 22504000, Fax: 2250 1800 (Editorial)/2250 1200/2250 0101 (Advt/Admn). e-mail: newstodaydaily@gmail.com, Circulation: 4202 1111. Fax: 4212 0000.
Sports
116 112 f
t
j d
tt ki
li
id
Th fi h i id l b li
d b
Student attacked
by bear,
hospitalised
City
2 SUNDAY
3 MAY 2015
Centre
Waste is useful
CHENNAI
Students create terrace garden with
recycled products
OPEN MENACE
An uncovered electricity
box poses danger
to pedestrians at
Choolaimedu.
Photo: R THIYAGARAJAN.
Congested & dirty
Dirty picture in front of Mylai temples
C
leanliness is next to Godliness’, along the temple walls narrow the
goes an old proverb. Unfor- space to a greater extent. The ower
tunately areas near places of wor- sellers use the space near the tank
railings to store all their paraship in many streets presents a
phernalia like wooden
dirty picture. This is irreboards, baskets and
spective of the imporgunny bags. The tank
tance they occupy in
E
R
O
P
MYLA
railings are used to
the locality in terms of
hang calendars and other
their age or the number of
things. Even a small fenced portion
devotees they draw.
One such dirty congested stretch is adjacent to the temple walls where
the one in front of the Kapaleeshwarar plants are grown has been turned
temple entrance on East Tank Road. to a storage area by these vendors.
Flower sellers can also be seen
The road is a narrow one.
The makeshift ower stalls erected dumping garbage near the railings
TV TODAY
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Day 5
Exnora project coordinator Paramanandan highlighted the
methods of protecting
and maintaining terrace gardens.
They did it as part
of World Earth Day
celebrations on 22 April
and the initiative won
laurels from many
Exnora International joint general secretary R Govindaraj said
other schools also should adopt
such pioneering
thoughts and
The school’s
set-up roof-top
headmistress KanM gardens, terA
K
K
naki Prabhakaran inMBA
KODA
race gardens,
augurated the event
hanging gardens, etc.
and appreciated her stu‘This will enable students to underdents for setting up such
an innovative garden. He said stand the importance of a healthy
the students would continue to environment and the necessity to
maintain it under the supervision protect mother Earth from pollution,’ he said.
of the teachers.
STAR SPORTS 1
Many students who
were present at the
event said that they
would try setting up
similar structures in
their houses, with the
help of their parents,
friends and neighbours.
‘Going by what we were told
by Exnora members, it is not so
difcult to develop and maintain a
garden on terrace. It is easy and
moreover, eco-friendly. This is our
bit to protect the environment,’ one
of them said.
For more details, contact
Govindaraj at: 9941007058.
- NT Bureau
IN THEATRES
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Kamala Theatre, Udhayam Theatre, PVR Cinemas,
03:00 PM Match Point : Twenty 20
11:30 PM Pro Kabaddi Superhits
AGS Cinemas, INOX National, Abirami Mega Mall,
03:30 PM Cricket Legends
TEN SPORTS
Woodlands Multiplex, Mayajaal Cinema, Sangam
04:00 PM Italian Serie A 2014/15 :
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Theatre
Roma vs. Genoa
Espana
2015 H/ls : India vs. Zim-
07:00 PM WWE NXT
babwe
08:00 PM WWE Extreme Rules
06:30 PM Italian Serie A 2014/15 :
Atalanta vs. Lazio
2015
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League 2014/15 H/ls :
09:00 PM Pakistan Tour of Bangla-
Quarter Finals
Day 5
VAI-RAJA-VAI
Mayajaal, Escape Cinema, Devi Cineplex, Kamala Theatre,
PVR Cinemas, Sangam, AGS, INOX National, Hall, Rakki
UEFA Europa
08:30 PM Pro Kabaddi Superhits
desh 2015 H/ls : 1st Test
Multiplex, Sri Ganga Cinema, Raj Theatre, Maharani
Gran Premio Bwin De
06:00 PM ICC Cricket World Cup
Multiplex, Abirami Theatres,
TEN CRICKET
KANCHANA 2
03:00 PM West Indies Tour of
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2015 H/ls : India vs. Zim-
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babwe
04:00 PM Australia Tour of South
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04:00 PM Kung Fu Panda: Legends of
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Friends
06:00 PM Lassie
07:30 PM Ilamai Puthumai
Comedy Express
Nenjam Pesuthey
Saami Potta Mudichu
Madhubala
dha
haad
Ullam Kollai Pogudhada
t was an innovative approach
by the students of
Sri RKM Sarada Vidyalaya Model Higher
Secondary School
when they set up terrace garden in their
school building using
waste and recycled
materials.
They did it as part
of World Earth Day
celebrations on 22 April and the
initiative won laurels from
many.
03:30 PM Mr Cookie
04:00 PM
08:00 PM
08:30 PM
09:00 PM
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
05:10 PM
05:35 PM
06:05 PM
06:30 PM
07:00 PM
I
Show
07:00 PM Mr Cookie
POLIMER TV
Students of Sri RKM Sarada Vidyalaya Model Higher Secondary School
celebrating World Earth Day.
03:00 PM The New Pink Panther
RAJ TV
Kodai Kondattam
Gunamakum Anbu
Jesus Calls
Chill Out
Thiraivimarsanam
ABCD
frequently.’
The conservancy workers keep
removing the garbage and these
people keep on stacking them
again and again, exclaimed a
vendor on the street.
Since there are no toilets on the
stretch, vendors and pedestrians
use any convenient spot on the
road to relieve themselves.
On important days like Pradosham, the temple attracts huge
crowd from faraway places. The
entire tank fence is lined with two
wheelers. With the ower stalls on
one side and two wheelers on the
other movement on this stretch is
so difcult even for pedestrians.
‘Unfortunately VIP’s do not use
this route when they visit the temple. So this problem never draws
attention’, said a devotee.
Devotees request the temple
management to take appropriate
measures to keep the area around
the temple clean and decongested.
No vehicles should be allowed
near the temple on important festival
days. The temple authorities should
have arrangements with P S High
School and also allot the reclaimed
land next to Mylapore club for parking purposes, said K Swaminathan.
- NT Bureau
08:00 PM Bommi and Friends
HBO
05:04 PM The Lord of the Rings: The
Return of the King
7
9
4
3
6
1
4
7
3
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5
2
2
6
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1
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3069
09:00 PM Real Steel
5
5
11:23 PM Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
STAR MOVIES
09:30 PM Vaanga Samaikalam
10:00 PM Varutha Padatha Valibar
06:57 PM X-Men: The Last Stand
Sangam
09:00 PM Taken
10:25 PM Chutti Seidhigal
Sangam
7
8
09:00 PM Famous Five
10:30 PM Varutha Padatha Valibar
S
U
D
O
K
U
10:52 PM Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
MOVIES NOW
06:00 PM Harry Potter and the
Goblet of Fire
09:00 PM Despicable Me
10:55 PM Lake Placid 2
The object is
to insert the
numbers in
the boxes to
satisfy only
one condition:
each row,
column and
3x3 box must
contain the
digits
1 through 9
exactly once:
Easy nah?
ANSWER TO
SUDOKU 3068
(2 5 2015)
4
2
3
7
6
5
1
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8
Region
CHENNAI
Special trains
to Tirunelveli,
Nagercoil
NT Bureau
Chennai, May 3:
The Southern Railway on Saturday
announced six special trains to clear
the extra rush of passengers in the
routes between Chennai, Tirunelveli
and Nagercoil and have opened the
reservation for the services.
On 8 May, one of the trains would
leave Tirunelveli at 10.55 pm and reach
Chennai Egmore at 11.55 am the following day through the Chord Line. But
on its way back, the train would take
the Main Line after leaving Chennai
Egmore at 10.45 pm on 9 May.
On 14 May, a superfast special train
would start from Tirunelveli at 9.15
pm and reach Chennai Egmore the
following day through the Chord Line.
The return service would start at 9.05
pm on 15 May and reach Tirunelveli at
9.45 am through the same route.
On 19 May, a superfast special train
would leave Tirunelveli at 6.15 pm and
reach Chennai Egmore at 7.20 am the
following day. The same day (20 May)
it would leave for Tirunelveli at 10.45
pm. Both the services would be through
the Main Line. On 24 May, a superfast
special train would leave Tirunelveli at
6.15 pm and reach Chennai Egmore at
6.05 am the following day. On the same
day (25 May), it would leave Chennai
Egmore at 6.50 pm and reach Tirunelveli at 6.30 am the next day. Both the
services are through the Chord Line.
A train would leave Nagercoil at 5 pm
on 17 May and reach Chennai Egmore
at 6.05 am the following day. Another
superfast train would leave Chennai
Egmore at 3 pm on 18 May and reach
Nagercoil at 4.15 am the next day.
Both the trains would go through the
chord line.
ARULMIGU SRIDEVI KARUMARIYAMMAN TEMPLE
(Khamas) and Chinan Chiru Kiliye
(Ragamalika).
Sundaram Finance vice-president
V K Raman was present on the occasion and handed over certificates
and mementos to the artistes.
Organised on the first Sunday of
every month, Kutcheri in the Park
is open to children aged below 15
years. No mikes and speakers are
used at the Kutcheri.
The idea is to provide a launch pad
for young musical talent and serve
as a platform for ‘unsung’ children. In
the last nine years, over 900 children
have presented Kutcheri in the Park
since its launch in February 2006.
Sundaram Finance conducts audition to select the artistes for the
monthly kutcheri. To register for the
audition: email sundaykutcheri@
sundaramfinance.in
TTD gets new
board members
Tirupati, May 3 (PTI):
Telugu Desam Party leader Chadalawada Krishnamurthy was sworn
in today as Chairman of Tirumala
Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which
runs the famous hill shrine of Lord
Venkateswara, richest in the country,
at nearby Tirumala.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N
Chandrababu Naidu had appointed
Krishnamurthy as Chairman of TTD
ARULMIGU SIVASUBRAMANIA SWAMY TEMPLE
Thousands of devotees participated in the Kumbabishekam of Arulmigu Sridevi Karumariyamman Temple at New Colony, Chrompet and
Arulmigu Sivasubramania Swamy Temple at Senkundakootam, Saidapet in Chennai today.
Fourteen-year-old R Aakash presenting a live vocal carnatic music at
Nageswara Rao Park, Mylapore in Chennai today.
board and 14 others as members for
a one-year-term on 27 April.
Besides this, three senior IAS officers
also would act as ex-officio members
on the board, temple sources said.
Eleven others, including film director
K Raghavendra Rao, took oath of office as new members. TTD Executive
Officer D Sambasiva Rao administered
the oath to the Chairman and the members inside the hill temple.
3
Vanigar Sangam
meet 5 May
AUSPICIOUS SUNDAY
Vidya Mandir lad
enthrals all at park
NT Bureau
Chennai, May 3:
As part of the monthly Sunday
Kutcheri in the Park organised by
Sundaram Finance, 14-year-old R
Aakash, a student of Vidya Mandir
presented a live vocal carnatic music
at Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore
today between 6.30 am and 730 am.
Aakash, who is learning music from
Sri Samayakumar, was accompanied
on violin by Swathi (Disciple of Sri VV
Srinivasa Rao-AIR artiste) and on
mirudangam by Adithyan (Student
of Vijayendran, Disciple of Umayalpuram Sivaraman).
Aakash presented compositions
that included Saraseeruha Sanapriye
(Nattai), Rajagopalam (Mohanam),
Ksheera Sagara Sayi Poorvi (Kalyani), Raguvamsa Sudha Kathana
(Kuthukalam), Santhana Gopala
SUNDAY
3 MAY 2015
NT Bureau
Chennai, May 3:
Tamilnadu Vanigar Sangankalin
Peramaippu will be celebrating
32nd Trader’s Day on 5 May at
VGP Thidal at Vandalur.
Addressing mediapersons here
yesterday, the Peramaippu’s president A M Vikramaraja said ‘Traders and shopkeepers are facing
numerous problems in Tamilnadu.
Over 5 lakh traders from various
parts of the State will be participating in the conference to discuss
the issues.’
Welcoming the Central Government for taking various measure
like banning Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail sector, forming
committee on Food Safety laws,
creating MUDRA Bank to help
small traders, Vikramaraja said
there still exists few laws which
pose a problem for small traders.
As part of the celebrations, a
conference will be held on ‘Anti
Business Laws’. Industrialist V
G Santhosam, Aachi Group of
Companies (AACHI MASALA)
president A D Padmasingh Isaac,
Tamilnadu Hotel Owner’s Federation president M Venkatesh, businessman Rubi Manoharan,
All India Traders Association
national president B C Bordia
(Maharashtra), national general
secretary P Ravin Kandolval (New
Delhi), chairman Mahendira Shah
(Gujarat), South India co-ordinator M M Nijamubin, Pondicherry
Traders Association president M
Sivashankar and general secretary
S Balu will address the gathering.
Cops reach out to students
q To help them handle pressure after board exam results
NT Bureau
Chennai, May 3:
In a novel attempt, Vadapalani policemen are going around the locality
giving counselling to students who
have written their public exams.
Vadapalani inspector, acting on
orders of Commissioner George, Assistant Commissioner Abhash Kumar
and Joint Commissioner JC Arun,
advised the students on handling
the pressure of the exam results that
are about to be released on 7 May
(Plus Two).
A source from the police department said, ‘there has been an
increase in the rate of students trying to commit suicide or harm themselves when they get low marks in
public exams. Here everything is
based on marks scored in Plus Two
Consecration
of Jataayu
temple soon
Rameswaram, May 3 (PTI):
The Jataayu Theertam temple,
where according to puranas Lord
Rama performed holy dip and
pooja to sivalingam after he killed
the demon king Ravana in a war
in Sri Lanka, has been renovated
and consecration would be performed soon, Tamilnadu Minister
for Sports and Youth Welfare
Sundararajan said here yesterday.
(Rama took bath in the theertham
in order to get rid off the sin of
killing Ravanaa)
He inspected the path way to the
Jataayu temple and suggested that
the temple needed a good road. He
said efforts would be taken to lay
the road before the consecration
of the temple.
He also inspected the road work
between dhanushkodi and arichalmunai being undertaken at a cost
of Rs 50 crore. The road between
Ramanathapuram to Rameswaram
would be widened at a cost of Rs
94 crore, the Minister said.
and so students are afraid of facing
their parents in case they didn’t get
the expected marks. We have also
counselled the parents on playing it
cool as marks are not as important
as a child’s life’.
Police officers feel parents should
not burden their expectations on
their children. Parents’ discouragement is the main reason why
children take such drastic moves.
Another official says, ‘distress calls
from school students have been increasing as the public examination
results for SSLC and Plus Two approach and suicide prevention cells
in the city have prevented as many
as 80 suicides through counselling in
the past 40 days. So we thought that
we should start talking to students
about this issue and the neighbour-
Police advising parents regarding
the public exam results at
Vadapalani.
hood of Vadapalani is an ideal place
to start it as there are good number
of students here’.
Vadapalani Range Assistant Commissioner Subburayan and All Woman’s Police inspector, Vadapalani
Rekha, supervised this mission as
the officials went about in areas like
Ottakapalayam, Kaikan Kuppam and
others.
‘We are anxiously waiting for our
results. Our parents also are stressed
because of this. But the policemen
came and spoke to us about keeping calm and not getting frightened
of what has already been written.
We feel kind of relaxed now. We
are thankful to the police officials
for taking the time to help us out’,
said a 12th standard student from
Vadapalani.
UPASI welcomes hike
in rubber import duty
Coimbatore, May 3 (PTI):
United planters Association of
Southern India (UPASI), the apex
body of plantation owners in South
has welcomed the Centre’s decision
to hike the rubber import duty from
the present 20 per cent to 25 per cent.
Though much delayed, this will
serve to inject some life into the dying
rubber plantation business, UPASI
vice-presidenbt N Dharmaraj said in
a release yesterday.
Although a record quantity of 4.2
lakh tonnes of rubber has been
imported last fiscal, substantially
higher than the production/consumption gap of 3.4 lakh tonnes for the
same period, the increase in import
duty would help shore up domestic
rubber prices at least medium term,
Dharmaraj said.
The current landed price of TSR
(the grade of Rubber imported) will be
Rs 115 per kg in the new duty regime
against the current traded price of
domestic TSR at Rs 106. Also, not
withstanding, the mal-propaganda
against the quality issues of RSS4
(the grade predominantly produced
domestically), the consuming industry will need a certain quantity of
RSS4 for value added tyres.
The landed price of imported RSS4
in the new duty regime would be Rs
141 against domestic traded price of
at Rs 119, he pointed out.
Therefore, the long term systemic
corrections relating to the mismatch
between a lower cost imported grade
and a higher cost but higher quality
domestic grade was essential to the
long term health of rubber supply
chain. Besides being technically
superior RSS4 is a backyard produce with least conversion cost and
is crucial to the sustainability of the
rural economy in Kerala and other
newly emerging producing states
ike Goa, Maharashtra and the North
East, he said.
Seeking to clarify certain issues
with regard to reports appeared in
a section of press on the proposed
revision of Rubber Board statistics
on production, he said.
UPASI will strongly oppose any
move to retrofit the currentyear’s
lower production data retrospectively,
since the current years lower production is a clear fall out of the low price
scenario.
These statistics are under discussion by the Board with the stakeholders in the newly constituted Technical
Sub Committee, Dharmaraj added.
‘Continuous treatment can control asthma’
NT Bureau
fective asthma treatment - Inhalation
treatment means stopping the very
‘Inhalation Therapy, is
Therapy, is available in India at a
thing that is keeping them fit and
Chennai, May 3:
available in India at a
price as low as Rs 4 to Rs 6 per day,
healthy.
The best way to control asthma is to
which means that a year’s supply
Patients must consult their doctor
have treatment on a continuous basis,
price as low as Rs 4
of medicine is less than the cost of
on each and everything that stops
said chest physician Dr Prasanna
to Rs 6 per day’
one night’s stay at the hospital. ‘It is
them from not continuing inhalers
Kumar Thomas.
important that we overcome the barrirather than taking own decision
Addressing mediapersons to create
ers and understand the importance of
which can be dangerous, he said.
asthma for diagnosis, particularly if
awareness on asthma related issues
inhalation therapy and adhere to it, if
these symptoms are recurrent. SimDr A Balachandar of Mehta Hospihere recently, he said patients should
we have to control asthma,’ he said.
ple tools like peak flow metre are
tals said it is important to diagnose
take treatment each day to avoid
Chest physician Dr Venugopal
available to diagnose and monitor
asthma at an early stage as it helps
complications and subsequent hossaid ashtma is a chronic disease
asthma for everyone. Using inhapreserve the condition of lungs.
pitalisation.
which requires long-term treatment.
lation therapy as a recommended
Asthma usually manifests itself
He said in many cases asthma paMany
patients
once
they
feel
better
treatment, asthma can be fully conthrough
symptoms
like
coughing,
tients are hospitalised because they
Chest physician Prasanna Kumar Thomas and Dr A Balachandar of
stop
taking
their
inhalers.
This
can
trolled and people with asthma can
tightness
in
the
chest
and
wheezstop
the
treatment
in
middle.
addressing
mediapersons
to create
on Chennai 600 032 and printed by him at Frontline Printers Private Ltd., M-7, Thiru-Vi-Ka
Published by K. Balakumar on behalf ofMehta
News Hospitals
Today Media
(P) Ltd., from
85, Mount Road
(GSTawareness
Road), Guindy,
Industrial Estate, Guindy,
be dangerous since discontinuing
lead a complete active life, he said.
ing, but it is important to consider
Prasanna
informed
that
most
efasthma
in
Chennai
recently.
Chennai 600 032. Ph: 4202 1111. Editor: K. Balakumar. Phone: Editorial/Admn /Advt: 22504000, Fax: 2250 1800 (Editorial)/2250 1200/2250 0101 (Advt/Admn). e-mail: newstodaydaily@gmail.com, Circulation: 4202 1111. Fax: 4212 0000.
Blend
4 SUNDAY
3 MAY 2015
WORLD
May Day mayhem
at Baltimore
DOWN THE WEEKLY LANE
FROM SIX TO ‘SIXTY’
Thousands of protesters have hit
the streets of Baltimore again
despite the charging of six police officers over the death of a
25-year-old African American
whose spine was snapped in
custody.
The charges - ranging from second-degree murder and manslaughter to misconduct
- were set out on Friday in a surprise announcement
by Maryland state prosecutor Marilyn Mosby.
All six officers - three of them black and three
white, according to mug-shots broadcast by CNN
- were taken into custody and later posted bond,
reports said.
Execution of drug
convicts sparks anger
An Indonesian firing squad
executed eight convicted
drug-traffickers from several
countries on Wednesday,
prompting Australia to recall
its envoy to Jakarta and
bringing an angry reaction
from Brazil.
The leaders of Australia and Brazil had made personal appeals for clemency for their citizens among
the group, raising the stakes for Indonesia’s new
president, Joko Widodo, who has stepped up the pace
of executions since coming to office.
NATION
Battle lines drawn:
Srini vs Thakur
The eighth edition of the Indian
Premier League (IPL) is on and
on-field action has kept the fans
interested. The battles for the
play-off spots intensifies as the
fortunes keep changing in each
game. Meanwhile, a different
game is being played out off-field
as deposed BCCI president N
Srinivasan attempts to keep his
critics at bay and save his position - as ICC chairman.
It may be noted that Srinivasan and the current board
secretary Anurag Thakur, a BJP strongman are locked
in a ‘clash’ for supremacy.
Meanwhile, there are reports that the Board is mulling
efforts to get Srinivasan ‘removed’ as the chairman of
the International Cricket Council (ICC). It is learnt that it
(BCCI) is expected to conduct a Special General Meeting
(SGM) on 24 May to take a decision on Srinivasan’s role.
‘To oust Srinivasan, the ruling group will require twothirds majority which is 21 units. If they can’t ensure 21
votes, they won’t call SGM for sure. Dalmiya and Thakur
will have to ensure there are 21 votes in their favour,’ a
member of Dalmiya faction said.
Don’t cut farm loan
benefits, CM to PM
Opposing the Centre’s move to effect changes in the
interest subvention scheme for short-term crop loan for
farmers, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said any reduction of concessionality was uncalled for and would be a
retrograde measure.
He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the
issues with the Chief Ministers of all States before taking
a final decision.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, a copy of which was
released to the media here, he said the Centre should
ensure that the farmers have access to concessional
credit. It was learnt that the Centre was contemplating
two major changes in the scheme.
‘The first, is reportedly allowing banks to lend at their
normal priority sector lending rate which is related to
their base rate. It is learnt that the second proposal is to
change the method of disbursing the interest subvention
to a Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) based reimbursement
model, after the farmer has settled his liabilities to the
lending institutions’, he added.
‘Any reduction in the extent of concessionality of farm
loans is uncalled for and will be a retrograde measure.
Thousands of devotees witnessed the car festival of Chidambaram Sri Nataraja temple,
a day after the Mahakumbabishekam. The consecration was performed after a gap of
60 years.
Photo: Ravi S
CHENNAI
Sense of touch allows
bats to fly with precision
The placement
of these touch
cells, both
lanceolate
endings and
Merkel cells,
allows the bat,
while flying, to
sense changes
in airflow as
air ruffles the
hairs
Private doctors
go on strike in TN
STATE
Court issues summon
to Ramadoss
A sessions court in
Chennai summoned PMK
founder Dr S Ramadoss
to appear on 22 June, following a defamation case
filed against him by Cable
TV Corporation managing director Udumalai K
Radhakrishnan.
A petition was filed by
advocate Jagan on behalf
of Radhakrishnan alleging that Ramadoss had
issued statements on 16 April alleging that
Cable TV Corportation was giving concession
to television channels. owing alleginace to
ruling party in the State.
Taking exception to that, Radhakrishnan
chose to file a defamation case against the
PMK leader.
When the case came up for hearing before
Justice Adhinathan today, he issued summons ordering Ramadoss to appear before
the court 22 June.
Private hospitals and clinics in Tamilnadu struck work urging the State government to provide safety and protection in
view of increase in attacks on hospitals
and doctors in the event of death of a
patient, despite providing the best of
treatment.
The strike call was given by the Tamilnadu chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The chapter’s secretary
Dr C N Raja said 33,000 members, 3,500
non-members, and 16,000 members of
Tamilnadu Government Doctor’s Association were participating the strike.
He said the strike was to protest against
the increasing attacks on hospitals and
doctors, who were now reeling under fear
psychosis.
‘In the event of any death despite the
best of treatment, it was branded as medical negligence and some vested interests
and anti-socials instigate the aggrieved
families to attack the hospitals, doctors,
stage agitations and extort money by
fleecing the doctors’, he said.
‘We want safety and protection’, he
added.
CITY
City light, more
bright
Close shave for
Dhanush in Darjeeling
The newly included areas of Chennai Corporation are all set to get an infrastructure boost, with
the civic body deciding to install 1,10,000 LED
street lights. The project, to be implemented at
a cost of Rs 300 crore, will replace the existing
lamps. Besides saving power, the move will also
result in adding brightness and security to the
outer areas during night.
During the Corporation Council meet at the
Ripon Buildings, as many as 80 resolutions
were passed and one among them proposed
the LED lights plan. Chairing the meeting, Mayor
Saidai Duraisamy said the washing community
in Tiruvottiyur would get multi-storeyed residential complexes under the slum clearance board.
During the question and answer session, when
asked about the situation on ‘Namma Toilets’,
the Mayor said, ‘348 places have been identified
for the construction of Namma toilet, E-toilet,
Bio-toilet and rent-toilet.
Actor Dhanush, who was
shooting in Darjeeling for
a Tamil movie, directed by
Velraj, had a close shave
as after shocks hit the town.
The Himalayan quake in
Nepal recently claimed the
lives of over 6000 lives.
Several after shocks were
felt in many northern and eastern parts of the
country since then. Dhanush was shooting
stunt sequences in Darjeeling for his untitled
film for the last couple of days. The crew was
shocked after they felt after shocks. Immediately, they cancelled the shoot and packed
their bags. They managed to catch a late
night flight and reach Chennai.
Speaking to News Today, Velraj, said, ‘all in
the unit are safe and we managed to wind up
the shoot and reach Chennai immediately’.
B
ats fly with breathtaking
precision because their
wings are equipped with
highly sensitive touch sensors, cells
that respond to even slight
changes in airflow, scientists say.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins
University, as well as Columbia
University and the University of
Maryland, determined how the
sense of touch plays a key role in
powered flight.
In a paper published in
the journal Cell Reports,
they showed how sensory receptors in bat
wings send information about airflow to
neurons in the brain,
enabling the bat to make
split-second flight control
adjustments.
Until now no one had investigated
the sensors on the bat’s wing, which
allow it to serve as more than a pro-
peller, a flipper, an airplane wing or
any simple airfoil, said Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Cynthia F Moss.
These findings can inform more
broadly how organisms use touch to
guide movement, Moss said.
Moss and the team studied the big
brown bat, a common species found
throughout North America. Bats are
the only mammals capable of true
powered flight, able to reach speeds
of 7 to 20 mph with the sort of aerial
manoeuvrability humans only wish
they could engineer.
The team found that the evolutionary process that allowed bats to
form wings resulted in unusual tactile circuitry that not only enhances
control during flight, but also allows
bats to use their wings to climb, cradle their young and capture insects.
First, researchers discovered an
array of sensory receptors in bat
wings - a significant number of
which are clustered at the base of
tiny hairs that cover the appendages.
The placement of these touch
cells, both lanceolate endings and
Merkel cells, allows the bat, while
flying, to sense changes in airflow
as air ruffles the hairs.
When the team stimulated these
hairs with brief air puffs, neurons in
the bat’s primary somatosensory
cortex responded with precisely timed
but sparse bursts of activity, suggesting this circuitry helped guide bats
during fast, dynamic flight.
The team also found that the
innervation of bat wings - the distribution in and supply of nerves to
the wings - is unlike that of other
mammalian forelimbs, a
clue into how wings grew
in bats during evolution.
The researchers were
surprised to discover
that neurons in the wing
skin connected not only
to the higher parts of
the spinal cord where
forelimbs typically connect, but also to lower parts of the
spinal cord that would normally only
innervate an animal’s trunk.
HEALTH Today
Insomnia may lead
to lower pain tolerance
P
eople with insomnia and other sleep problems have increased
sensitivity to pain, according to a new study.
The effect on pain tolerance appears strongest in people who
suffer from both insomnia and chronic pain, who may benefit from treatments targeting both conditions.
The study included more than 10,400 adults from a large, ongoing
Norwegian health study. Each subject underwent a standard test of pain
sensitivity - the cold pressor test - in which subjects are asked to keep their
hand submerged in a cold water bath.
Subjects were asked about various types of sleep impairment, including
insomnia, total sleep time, and sleep latency (time to falling asleep), and
researchers assessed the relationships between measures of sleep impairment and pain sensitivity.
Barcelona hits Getafe for six
The study also looked at other factors potentially affecting sleep impairGodrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) on Tuesday announced its
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar motored past 100 goals
ment and pain perception, including chronic (persistent or recurring) pain
financial results for the quarter ended 31 March, 2015.
for the season to fire the La Liga leaders to a 6-0 rout of Getafe that stretched
and psychological distress (such as depression and anxiety).
According to a press release, Q4 FY 2015 consolidated organic constant
the gap over Real Madrid to
five points on Tuesday.
Overall, 32 per cent of participants were able to keep their hand in the
currency net sales increased by 12 per cent.
After Suarez was felled, Messi
set treble-chasing Barca on their
cold water throughout the 106-second test.
India business branded net sales increased by 12 per cent, led by double
way with a dinked penalty in the
ninth minute at the Nou Camp,
Participants with insomnia were more likely to take their hand out early:
digit growth across categories, while international business grew by 14 per
the first time the Argentina forw a r d has attempted a
42
per cent did so, compared with 31 per cent of those without insomnia.
cent on an organic constant currency basis.
‘Panenka’ in 75 spot kicks for
club and country.
Pain sensitivity increased with both the frequency and severity of insomnia.
The consolidated net profit plus A&P (adjusted for tax) for the quarter
Suarez clipped a volley into the net
For example, compared with individuals who reported no insomnia, rates
increased by 27 per cent.
from Messi’s
floated pass in the 25th and
of reduced pain tolerance were 52 per cent higher for subjects reporting
Commenting on the financial performance chairman Adi Godrej said, ‘Our
Neymar weaved
into space to fire low into the
insomnia more than once weekly versus 24 per cent for those with insomnia
performance in the second half of fiscal year 2015 has been much better
corner three
minutes
later, the 100th goal for Messi,
once monthly.
than that in the first half.
Suarez and Neymar, known as ‘MSN’, in all competitions this term.
Pain sensitivity was also linked to sleep latency, although not to total
sleep time. The relationships were unchanged after adjustment for age and
In-form Aussies will sweep Ashes: Smith
sex. The effect was smaller, but still significant, after further adjustment
Amazon.in has launched ‘Sunday Delivery’
for psychological distress.
Australia have a huge hunger for an Ashes triacross 100 cities in India. A statement here said,
umph in England, according to all rounder Shane
There was also strong joint (synergistic) effect of insomnia and chronic
Amazon.in brings Sunday delivery promises for
Watson, while batsman Steve Smith believes this
pain on pain tolerance. Patients reporting high problems with both insomnia
residential addresses for all FBA (Fulfilled by
year’s series will not even be close if the tourists
and chronic pain were more than twice as likely to have reduced tolerance
Amazon) products at no extra cost. Customers can thus count Sunday
play to their potential.
to pain. Many patients who experience sleep impairment and pain face high
as a regular day for receiving deliveries from Amazon.in. Beginning
costs and personal difficulties.
After the 5-0 sweep in the 2013-14 series Down
with 100 cities, Amazon.in will continue to expand the Sunday delivery
Under, Australia head to England in July and August
While there is clearly a strong relationship between pain and sleep, such
promise to other cities.
in possession of the coveted urn with a chance
that insomnia increases both the likelihood and severity of clinical pain,
‘Providing our customers with a fast, reliable, anytime and anywhere
to claim a first Ashes series win away from home
said Borge Sivertsen, of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Published
K. Balakumar
onofbehalf
of pillars
News to
Today
Media
(P) Ltd.,
from 85, since
Mount2001.
Road (GST Road), Guindy, Chennai 600 032 and printed by him at Frontline Printers Private Ltd., M-7, Thiru-Vi-Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy,
deliveryby
experience
is one
our key
ensure
customer
delight.
Chennai 600 032. Ph: 4202 1111. Editor: K. Balakumar. Phone: Editorial/Admn /Advt: 22504000, Fax: 2250 1800 (Editorial)/2250 1200/2250 0101 (Advt/Admn). e-mail: newstodaydaily@gmail.com, Circulation: 4202 1111. Fax: 4212 0000.
BUSINESS
Godrej net sales up
Amazon introduces ‘Sunday Delivery’
SPORTS
Enterprise
CHENNAI
SFIO to hire
more hands
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
The Serious Fraud Investigation
Office (SFIO), where more than
half of the sanctioned 130 posts
are vacant, is looking to fill up 12
positions soon, including five additional directors.
Besides, the government is
looking at various options such
as setting up a panel of chartered
accountants to ensure speedier
appointment of consultants and
experts.
SFIO, which mainly probes whitecollar crimes, had a staggering 75
vacant positions at different levels
as on March 23, according to data
compiled by the Corporate Affairs
Ministry. The agency comes under
this Ministry.
There are 130 sanctioned posts
at the probe agency but actual
strength on that date stood at
just 55.
Even as SFIO faces severe staff
crunch, the Ministry had referred
as many as 52 cases for investigation to the agency in the financial
year 2014-15.
Last week, the probe agency
sought applications for 12 positions, including five additional directors. Three vacancies of senior
assistant director are to be filled
up and two of assistant directors
(corporate law,
investigation) . Applications have
also been invited for one post
each of prosecutor-II and private
secretary.
The posts of five additional directors (investigation) are to be filled
up in the offices at Delhi, Chennai,
Kolkata and Hyderabad, according
to a recent circular issued by SFIO.
As part of overall efforts to address the manpower crisis, the
Corporate Affairs Ministry is exploring the option of having a
scheme for engaging consultants
in different fields at the agency.
The proposal for such a scheme
is being discussed by the Ministry
with the Department of Expenditure. Besides, there is a plan to
have an approved panel of chartered accountants similar to the
practice followed in other departments like the Income Tax.
‘Duty refund claims
touch Rs 6,423 crore’
A big jolt to exporters, says FIEO
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
The government should expeditiously clear Rs 6,423 crore of duty
refund claims as the mounting arrears
are hurting shipments, exporters have
demanded.
Exporters’ body FIEO said that
despite repeated requests, the customs authorities have not cleared
their claims.
They (revenue department) appear to be more concerned about
meeting their revenue targets rather
then helping exporters. Since twoand-a-half months, the claims are
pending and it has reached Rs
6,423 crore,’ Federation of Indian
Export Organisations (FIEO) President S C Ralhan told PTI.
Exporters get refunds for duties paid
‘India’s exports plunged in the
negative zone recording a decline
of 21 per cent in March, the biggest
fall in the last six years’
on import of input or raw materials
used in manufacturing products that
are meant for outward shipments.
Liquidity is a big issue for exports
and pending claims of duty drawback
and Cenvat refunds are affecting
exports, he added.
While asking government to give
special attention to exports, Ralhan
cautioned that continuous decline in
the outbound shipments could also
lead to job losses.
FPI inflows hit
4-month low
According to him, if claims continue
to rise, the country’s shipments will be
affected adversely.
Situation is not good for India’s
exports. We have already missed
last fiscal’s target. In the current fiscal, it would fall further due to steep
decline in the container volumes at
ports and poor order book position,’
Ralhan said.
He further said that compared to exporters from countries such as China
Lavasa IPO likely soon
Mumbai, May 3 (PTI):
Engineering firm Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) is likely to
list its subsidiary Lavasa Corporation
to raise Rs 750 crore during JulySeptember quarter of this fiscal, top
company official said.
The company, which was supposed
to launch the initial public offer (IPO)
for Lavasa last fiscal, had shelved
its plans citing unfavourable market
conditions.
We were supposed to launch the
IPO last fiscal, but we delayed the
decision as we did not find the right
appetite in the primary market mainly
due to uncertain economic environment. We may now look at launching
it (IPO) in the second quarter of this
fiscal, HCC Group Chief Financial Officer Praveen Sood told PTI here.
In 2014, the company had filed draft
papers with the market regulator Sebi
(Securities and Exchange Board of
India) to raise Rs 750 crore through
IPO and was cleared in November.
This was HCC’s second effort to hit
the capital market. Earlier, in November 2010, Lavasa had got Sebi clearance to raise up to Rs 2,000 crore but
bad market conditions had forced the
company to scrap it.
At present, the secondary market is
booming and we are waiting for investors to return to the primary market. We
are seeing some QIPs being launched
in the market, but very little activity in
the primary market, Sood said.
He further added: But at the same
time, we are also seeing some signs
of improvement in the market conditions with some of the major projects
coming on stream.
In the first week of April 2015, HCC
raised Rs 400 crore equity through
the QIP route.
At present, the HCC group holds
67.98 per cent stake in Lavasa Corporation, while the remaining 17 per
cent is held by Avantha Group.
Venkateshwara Hatcheries and
Maniar and Family holds 8.80 per
cent and 6.22 per cent shares respectively.
Volvo studying
India assembly
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
Swedish luxury car-maker Volvo,
which has been exploring possibility
of local assembly in India, is expected
to take a decision this year.
The plan is a part of the company’s
ongoing efforts to look at possibilities
of locally assembling vehicles in different part of the world.
An industrial team based out of
Sweden looks out for opportunities
across the world. It is also looking at
the possibility of having local assembly in India, said an industry source.
The decision to start local assembly
of vehicles in India could be taken
during the current year, the source
added. The company, which has
been selling luxury vehicles in India
through imports, is keen to start assembling in the country to bring down
prices and shore up volumes.
Volvo entered Indian car market in
2007 and sells models, including sedans S80 and S60, SUVs XC60 and
XC90, along with V40 Cross Country.
Earlier this year, sources had stated
that Volvo Auto India made initial
contacts with Mahindra & Mahindra,
SUNDAY
3 MAY 2015
Volvo, which has been selling luxury
vehicles in India through imports, is
keen to start assembling in the
country to bring down prices
and shore up volumes
Hindustan Motors and General Motors India to check the feasibility of
utilising the manufacturing plant of
one of them to assemble some of its
models in India.
At that time, Volvo’s spokesperson
had declined to comment. While
M&M had also declined to comment,
General Motors India had termed the
issue as speculation and HM had said
that they have not been approached
by anyone.
The company, which sold 1,200
units last year, is looking at around
70 per cent growth to touch 2,000
units during the current year on
sales network expansion and product
launches.
Volvo Auto India has already sold
500 units during the March quarter.
It had sold around 250 units during
the same period last year.
The company plans to launch
models, including petrol variant of
V40 Cross Country, V40 hatchback,
S60T6 sedan and XC90 sports utility
vehicle this year.
The company is also looking to expand its sales network. By the end of
this year the carmaker plans to have
around 22 dealerships across the
country. There were only 5 outlets a
couple of years back.
By 2020, the company aims to sell
10,000 units and capture around 10
per cent of the Indian luxury segment,
which is expected to touch 1,00,000
lakh units by that time.
and Bangladesh, the Indian exporters
get incentives less than one per cent
of the country’s total merchandise
shipments.
In 2014-15, under various schemes
- Vishesh Krishi and Gram Udyog
Bhavan, focus market and product
scheme, interest subsidy and market
development assistance - government has provided incentives worth
Rs 17,995.81 crore. During the fiscal,
the country’s exports aggregated at
Rs 18,97,026 crore.
India’s exports plunged in the negative zone recording a decline of 21 per
cent in March, the biggest fall in the
last six years, pulling down the total
shipments for 2014-15 to USD 310.5
billion. The country had set the export
target at USD 340 billion.
5
V-Mart on
expansion mode
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
Retail chain V-Mart will invest
around Rs 200 crore to add nearly
200 new stores in different part of the
country in the next five years.
The company is also targeting over
four-fold jump in revenue to touch
Rs 2,500 crore by 2020 with smaller
towns expected to be its key growth
drivers. We will have around 300
stores in the next five years with a
revenue of around Rs 2,500 crore by
then, V-Mart Retail Chairman and MD
Lalit Agarwal told PTI.
The company had a revenue base
of Rs 574.96 crore in FY 2013-14. It
is, at present, operating 109 stores in
91 cities.
Agarwal said: We have clear vision
that smaller towns will be our growth
drivers as they have very high potential and aspiration level is growing up.
Of the total stores that the company
has, 56 are in tier III clusters, 35 are in
tier II towns and 18 in tier I cities.
Presently, the tier III clusters contribute between 55 to 60 per cent of
our revenue and we strongly believe
that it would go up to 75 per cent in
next three years, Agarwal said.
India’s coffee
exports soar
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
Coffee exports from the country
have increased by 7.22 per cent to
31,060 tonnes in April this year compared to the same month in 2014,
but value realisation was lower due
to sluggish global prices.
The country had shipped 28,966
tonnes of coffee in the same period
last year, the Coffee Board said in its
latest report.
According to Coffee Board’s data,
export value realisation was Rs
1,64,078.56 per tonne in the period under review as against Rs
1,69,561.48 per tonne in the said
period last year.
The volumes of exports have increased, but value realisation has
come down due to weak global prices,
a senior Board official said.
Coffee shipments in value terms
Govt shelves
duty free import
scheme for sugar
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
The government has removed
a duty free import scheme for raw
sugar, a move aimed at curbing
supplies from overseas.
Import of raw sugar under Duty
Free Import Authorisation (DFIA)
scheme is withdrawn with immediate effect, Directorate General of
Foreign Trade said in a notification.
The scheme has been withdrawn
also to prevent leakages in domestic markets.
Under the scheme, refiners were
allowed to import raw sugar, which
had to be processed and then exported. To help cash-starved sugar
mills clear dues worth Rs 21,000
crore to farmers, the government
has recently hiked import duty on
sugar to 40 per cent from 25 per
cent and scrapped the excise duty
on ethanol made from molasses.
BSNL targets
Rs 500-cr revenue
stood at Rs 509.63 crore during April
of FY 2015-16 as against Rs 491.17
crore in the year-ago.
Coffee prices in international markets are under pressure due to production surplus in Brazil, the world’s
leading producer. Also, Brazil’s currency is ruling weak against the US
dollar, the official added.
India exports both arabica and ro-
busta varieties besides instant coffee.
Major export destination for coffee
are Italy, Germany, Turkey, Russian
Federation and Belgium among others.
As per post-monsoon estimate, the
country’s coffee output is pegged
at 3,31,000 tonne for 2014-15 crop
year (October-September), against
3,04,500 tonne in the last year.
Scania to double
plant capacity
Mumbai, May 3 (PTI):
German auto major Volkswagen
Group-owned Scania, which opened
a Rs 300-crore bus plant near Bangalore last month, will more than
double the capacity and investment
in it over the next five years.
In mid-April, Sweden-based
Scania commissioned its first bus
assembly line near Bangalore at
an investment of Rs 300 crore.
The plant has an annual installed
capacity of 1,000 inter-city buses
and coaches.
By 2020 we are planning to ramp
this up to Rs 2,500 buses at an investment of another Rs 300 crore,
Scania India MD and Scania Group
senior vice-president Anders Grundströmer told PTI here.
The company employs 660 people at the plant and will raise the
headcount to 2,500 by 2020, he
added.
It has a truck assembly line running already at the same plant. It
was commissioned in October 2013
and can manufacture about 2,500
heavy haulage trucks.
Grundströmer said that as Scania
PASSPORT MISSING
Name: G.KUMARAVEL
Father Name: N.Govindasamy
Address: No.B4, Pranam
Apartments, New No.198, Old
No.102A, Rangarajapuram
Mani Road, Kodambakkam,
Chennai-600 024.
PASSPORT No. G8479429
D.O.B. 02.06.1967.
Regards
G.KUMARAVEL
has undertaken 100 per cent localisation for the buses, the cost will be
very competitive.
The localisation for trucks is only
18 per cent now, he said, but did
not share the company’s pricing
plans.
On sales target, he said he expects to close next year with around
650 bus unit sales and expressed
the hope that with the highway infrastructure improving in India the
future looks very promising.
The company has dealerships in
Mumbai, Bangalore, Kochi, Hyderabad and Chennai. The Jaipur dealership will be opened this month,
followed by Delhi and Lucknow.
All the dealerships are privately
owned, and that they dealers get
commission on each unit sale.
Grundströmer said Scania, which
had last year launched its ethanol
buses in Nagpur, sees huge scope
for this mode of green transport.
He described the bus manufacturing facility at Narasapura near Bangalore as part of Scania’s effort at
joining the ‘Make in India’ initiative
of the Modi government.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE
AT MADRAS
(Testamentary and Intestate Jurisdiction)
O. P. No. 169 of 2015
In the matter of the Indian
Succession Act XXXIX of 1925 And
My
client
Mr.K.Ganesh,
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
In the matter of last Will and
S/o.Krishnamurthy
is
the
Investments by Foreign
testament of Mrs.Chellammalowner of the property viz.,
Portfolio Investors (FPIs)
Deceased
bearing Plot Nos.106 & 107,
Mr.N.Rajagopal
in the country’s capital
measuring about 4800 sq.ft. at
S/o. Late Narayanasamy Iyer,
markets hit a four-month
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
extremist-affected areas, in a bid
Ragavendrapuram, Athanancheri
New No.108, Old No.107,
Apparswamy Koil Street, Mylapore,
Village, Sriperumbudur Taluk,
to become market leader and win
low of just over Rs 15,000
State-run BSNL is targeting a revChennai - 600 004
Kanchepuram District and having
back people’s confidence.
crore in April amid taxa- enue of Rs 500 crore in the current
..Petitioner
acquired
vide
registered
settlement
fi nancial year by utilising its land
tion related concerns.
The minister said that the governAll persons claiming to have any
deed. My client had applied for
interest in the Estate of the above
ment is committed to revive BSNL
FPIs have bought shares bank and monetisation of 75,000
grant of patta in his name with the
named deceased Mrs. Chellammal,
towers,
among
others.
and
numbers
of
initiatives
are
in
the
worth Rs 11,721 crore
concerned revenue authorities.
who was residing at No. Chellammal
The telecom operator has set a
Hence my client hereby calls
pipeline to bring the PSU back to the
resided at New No.108, Old No.107,
(USD 1.87 billion) in April,
Apparswamy Koil Street, Mylapore,
upon the general public, if anyone
position of market leader.
while they purchased debt target of generating Rs 500 crore
Chennai - 600 004 who died on
having any objection for grant of
revenue
form
utilising
land
bank,
Prasad is also undertaking a series
securities to the tune of
24.07.1993 are hereby cited to
patta
for
the
said
property,
has
to
come and see the proceedings on
of meetings with MPs to make telRs 3,612 crore (USD 570 training centre and seven telecom
make
their
objections
in
writing
factories
as
well
as
monetisation
of
17.06.2015. Before Learned Master
ecom
offi
cials
directly
answerable
to
million), taking their net
with the below mention Address/
sitting in the Original Side of the
its 75,000 towers, it said.
3&2*(-&3,*
Advocate within seven days from
Parliamentary representatives so as
investment to Rs 15,333
High Court of Judicature at Madras
The company is planning to enter
the date of this notice. In default of
and file their objection, if they think
to have a first-hand account of pubI, JAYA YESUDOSS, Wife of
crore (USD 2.44 billion),
GSM
mobile
capacity
in
the
current
intra-circle roaming pacts with other
fit before the grant of Letters of
which, my client will consider that
Thiru Mohammed Rafeek,
lic sectors performance, problems
as per data compiled by
Administration.
there is no objection to grant of
operators to monetise its network fiscal.
born
on
29th
June
1976
faced and possible solutions.
Central Depository ServDated at Chennai, on this the 23rd day
patta in his favour and no further
The operator is planning about
of over 75,000 base tower stations
of April 2015.
(native district: Chennai),
Prasad
has
directed
DoT
to
call
ices Ltd.
objections
will
be
entertained.
14,736 2G and 10,914 3G base
(BTS) or mobile towers.
(S.Gurumurthy)
residing at NO. 24/8, Pearl
five
such
meetings
so
that
all
M.ARUMUGAM,
This was the lowest level
Assistant Registrar,
According to the sources, BSNL tower stations in 2015-16. Apart
Advocate
Palace 3rd Floor, Govindh
Original Side-1,
of investment since De- officials gave a presentation to from that it will be integrating its Members of Parliament are given
No.86, Law Chambers
High Court of Judicature,
Street, T.Nagar, Chennai-600
cember, when overseas Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar wi-fi hotspot and LTE (4G) with the opportunity to raise issues directly
Madras- 600 104.
High Court Buildings
017, shall henceforth be
with officials concerned.
investors had pumped in Prasad recently, which highlighted existing GSM network.
Counsel for Petitioner
Chennai – 600 104.
known as JEMIMA JAYA.
profi ts started
declining
RsPublished
12,225 crore
in the company’s
by K. Balakumar
on behalf of
News Today
from 85,Minister
Mount Road
(GSThad
Road), BSNL’s
Guindy, Chennai
600 032
and printed by him at Frontline Printers Private Ltd., M-7, Thiru-Vi-KaR.KARTHIKEYAN,
Industrial Estate, Guindy,
Telecom
Prasad
turnaround
plan.Media (P) Ltd.,
R.BHARANIDHARAN,
JAYA YESUDOSS
from
Rs
10,183
crore
in
2004-05
capital
markets
country’s
Chennai 600 032. Ph: 4202 1111.
Editor:
K. Balakumar.
Phone:
/Advt:
22504000,
Fax: 2250
1111.
Fax: 4212 0000.
quality
of 1800 (Editorial)/2250 1200/2250 0101 (Advt/Admn). e-mail: newstodaydaily@gmail.com, Circulation: 4202
asked BSNL
to improve
BSNL,
which
has got 82
landEditorial/Admn
K MAGESH
Advocates
Ch
i 24th A il 2015
PUBLIC NOTICE
6 SUNDAY
3 MAY 2015
Sports
Poor bowling did
us in says Dhoni
CHENNAI
City Sports
Top cueists for RKG Snooker
Hyderabad skipper praises
Ashish’s crucial over
David Warner
SRH
captain
David Warner
hammered the
CSK bowlers all
over the park to
help set a stiff
target
Hyderabad, May 3:
Chennai Super Kings captain
MS Dhoni conceded that poor bowling led to
their 22-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad at Rajiv
Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad in
game 34 of the Indian Premier League here Saturday.
After opting to field first, CSK failed to contain David Warner
early as the SRH skipper when on to score 61 of 28 balls that
helped the home team post a formidable total of 192 for 7.
‘We didn’t bowl well at the start, bowled too many short
deliveries. Our bowling let us down today,’ he said.
‘If the bowler is not bowling to the field, then it
does not look good, but credit to David
(Warner) as he played a brilliant innings.’
Ronaldo hat-trick keeps
Madrid close to Barca
Madrid, May 3 (AFP):
A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick maintained Real Madrid’s La Liga title
aspirations as they ended Sevilla’s
34-game unbeaten run at home with
a 3-2 win.
Victory kept the European champions just two points behind Barcelona
with three games to play after Luis
Suarez scored his first hat-trick for
the Catalans in a 8-0 humiliation of
relegated Cordoba yesterday.
Sevilla ‘keeper Sergio Rico made
an incredible save from point-blank
range to prevent Ronaldo opening
the scoring early on from Marcelo’s
fine cross.
Iker Casillas then had to be quick
off his line at the other end to prevent
Aleix Vidal putting Sevilla in front.
However, the game swung massively in Madrid’s favour in the space of
two minutes whilst Sevilla were down
to 10 men as Grzegorz Krychowiak
was off the field receiving treatment
for a facial injury.
The World Player of the Year
headed home expertly from Isco’s
cross and then prodded in from Javier
Hernandez’s flick-on moments later.
Sevilla were handed a route back
into the game when Sergio Ramos
upended Vidal inside the area in firsthalf stoppage time and Carlos Bacca
converted from the penalty spot.
Ronaldo looked to have sealed the
three points with a stunning header
from Gareth Bale’s cross midway
through the second-half.
However, Vicente Iborra reduced
the deficit once more from as he
swept home Vidal’s cross to set up a
grandstand finish.
And Madrid’s hearts were in their
mouths five minutes from time when
Barcelona loanee Denis Suarez’s
trickled an attempt inches past the
post.
Ronaldo’s 29th Madrid hat-trick
took him onto 42 La Liga goals for
the campaign, two ahead of Lionel
Messi who netted twice as Barca
condemned Cordoba to relegation in
embarrassing fashion.
Cordoba, who haven’t won since
January, held out for 42 minutes, but
a four-goal blitz in 11 minutes either
side of half-time ended their return to
the top flight after just one season.
I n
chase of the
stiff target, CSK lost wickets at
regular intervals and were restricted to 170 for
6. Faf du Plessis top-scored for CSK with 33,
but he was run-out in an unfortunate manner
and in the same over - bowled by Ashish Reddy
- Dhoni too departed which extinguished any
hopes of a CSK victory. This was their third loss
in the tournament.‘It was a difficult one (run-chase).
Chasing 190 on any ground is difficult. We lost wickets
at the wrong time, me and Faf getting out in the same over,
till then we were cruising,’ said Dhoni.
Warner, with his fifth fifty this season, walked away with the Man-ofthe-Match award and credited
the curator for producing a good
wicket. The Australian also
became the highest run-getter this
season so far with 379 runs in eight matches. ‘It’s obviously
nice to be the leading run scorer. But it is my job to get the
team off to a good start. Me and Skihar (Dhawan) have
been able to do that. Credit to the curator for producing
such a wicket. Ashish (Reddy) bowled a very crucial over
that changed the game.
We (Me and Dhawan) try and get off to a good start,
so that it makes it easy for the middle order. There
will be slight hiccups sometimes, but there
were none today,’ he said.
Bridgetown, May 3 (AFP):
James Anderson wrecked the West
Indies but England were tottering at
39 for five in their second innings, a
lead of 107 runs, on the second day
of the third and final Test.
On a pitch that is rapidly deteriorating, 18 wickets fell in the three
sessions yesterday, the most in a
single day’s play in the 85 years of
Test cricket at the venue. After being
the last wicket to fall in the tourists’
seemingly modest first innings total
of 257 in the morning, the irrepressible Anderson claimed six for 42
-- his 17th five-wicket innings haul
-- to mastermind the demolition of
the home side for 189.
Only Jermaine Blackwood offered
any substantial resistance with a
counter-attacking innings of 85 before he was last out off Anderson,
who is now just four away from becoming the first Englishman to take
Former Asian Games gold medalist Rafath Habib and chief referee R
B Ganesh among others at a function to unveil the trophies for the
Chennai leg of RKG 1st Open Pro-Snooker Series 2015.
NT Bureau
Chennai, May 3:
India's top cueists will be taking
part in the third leg of RKG 1st Open
Pro-Snooker Series 2015 to be held
at Cosmopolitan Club here'.
According to the organisers, the
series has on offer a total prize money
of Rs 21 lakh, is jointly organised by
the Sport India, Cue Sports India and
Yasin Merchant Snooker Academy.
The series is spread in five cities
with Pankaj Advani winning the Delhi
leg followed by Ahmedabad which
Lucky Vatnani of Telangana won.
In Chennai, a total of 83 participants
from across India are contesting for
winner's prize of Rs 1,00,000 and also
the RKG Pro Snooker Series 2015
South Zone trophy.
The series is sponsored by Ravindra Kumar Gupta, chairman & managing director of RKG Hospitalities
Pvt. Ltd.
Those competing in Chennai include Aditya Mehta, Kamal Chawla
(top seed), Alok Kumar, Manan Chandra, Brijesh Damani, Dharmender
Lilly, Lucky Vatnani, Faisal Khan
Varun Madan alongwith Tamilnadu
stars Rafath Habib, S A Saleem,
Vijay Nichani, J Varun Kumar and
Shrikrishna.
R B Ganesh has been appointed as
the chief referee for the Chennai leg.
The tournament will be played on a
knockout basis.
Cricket tourney
Stag Sports will be conducting an
inter-academy cricket tournament
for under-12, 14 and 16 from 4 to 29
May for the Stag Little Champ Trophy.
A press note said matches would
be played at the Stag cricket ground,
Red Hills and would feature teams
like Thiruvallur District CA, Annai
Violet CA, Kannaiah CA and Loyola
CA among others.
The tournament would be inaugurated by former Ranji player J K
Maruthi in the presence of TDCA
president N Srinivasa Rao and TDCA
secretary R N Baba.
400 Test wickets.
In 21 overs to the close, England
lost half their side and will resume
on the third morning with the pair of
Gary Ballance and Ben Stokes at
the crease.
They will seek to build a matchwinning lead in pursuit of a 2-0 series
triumph at a venue where the highest
successful fourth inning chase is 311
by the Brian Lara-led West Indies
against Australia in 1999.
James Anderson
WI hits back after
Anderson takes six
Kyrgios faces Gasquet
for maiden title
Ivanovic survives
Dulgheru challenge
Madrid, May 3;
World number seven Ana Ivanovic
fought back from a set down to move
into the second round of the Madrid
Open on Sunday after Alexandra
Dulgheru retired when trailing 4-0 in
the decider.
The Romanian wildcard shocked
Eugenie Bouchard on Fed Cup duty
last month and looked on course to
produce another upset as she eased
through the first set 6-2 and then
broke the Serbian to serve for the
match at 6-5 in the second.
However, Ivanovic broke straight
back and then romped through the
tie-break 7/1 to force a deciding set.
An ailing Dulgheru then withdrew
after Ivanovic took a commanding
4-0 lead in the third set.
Eighth seed Ekaterina Makarova
was a high-profile exit, though, as
she was routed by fellow Russian
Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-1.
Australian Open semi-finalist Madison Keys also crashed out as she
was beaten by Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi
6-4, 6-3.
Agnieszka Radwanska won her first
match since ending a brief five-month
spell with Martina Navratilova as
coach in comfortable fashion as she
eased past Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena 6-4, 6-3.
Ning extends
China’s reign
Suzhou, May 3:
China’s Ding Ning claimed a second women’s singles world title by
battling through an ankle injury that
left her in a heap to beat compatriot
Liu Shiwen 4-3 in the final.
Trailing 1-0 in the seventh game
in Suzhou on Saturday, the London
Olympic silver medallist turned her
right ankle trying to get into position
to return and required a 10-minute
medical time out.
The 24-year-old hobbled throughout the remainder of the contest
but managed to battle back from
2-0 down to claim the decisive
game 11-8 to add another world
title to her 2011 triumph.
‘I definitely didn’t want to give up
since I had come so far,’ said Ding,
who extended China’s grip on the
women’s singles title to 11 straight
championships.
‘I just wanted to give out all my
strength in this match. Finally I
won the match and it’s just like a
dream.’
In Saturday’s other final, China’s
Xu Xing and Zhang Jike beat compatriots Fan Zhendong and Zhou
Yu 4-2 to win the mens’ doubles
crown.
It was a second title of the championships for Xu, who on Friday
teamed up with Yang Ha-eun of
South Korea to become the first
cross-border partnership to win
the mixed doubles title since 1954.
Estoril, May 3; certainly be a very difficult match. a tough match. He played very well in
Australian Nick Kyrgios will play for It may be on clay but it will still be the first set failed very little and gave
me little opportunity in the second
the first title of his career on Sunday tough for me.’
The 46th-ranked Kyrgios put his and third set.
when he takes on two-time finalist
Richard Gasquet at the Estoril Open. pre-French Open campaign back on
‘I thought I served well the
whole match and got
Seventh seed Kyrgios reached his track after losing early a week ago
some chances on his
in Barcelona while holding
first career final by stunning clayserve. I kept pushing
two match points against
courter Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain
after losing the first
a qualifier.
5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.
set and I thought I
The 20-year-old finGasquet, seeded fifth, flirted with
hung in well.’
ished off Carreno
disaster as he was broken while
Busta with 15 aces
serving for victory, before recovering
and a break in each
in a runaway tiebreaker for a 3-6,
of his successful
6-2, 7-6 (7/1) result over ansets.
other Spaniard, Guillermo
Garcia-Lopez.
‘I am very excited
to play my first final.
It was the first loss in nine
I played very good tenclaycourt matches this seanis this week,’ said
son for Garcia-Lopez, winner
Kyrgios,
of the Bucharest trophy last weekend.
moving
Gasquet, runner-up in 2007 and
closer
2012, and Kyrgios played twice last
o
a
season, the Frenchman winning a t
Istanbul, May 3: Pablo Cuevas in the final after the
Davis Cup rubber and Kyrgios com- p o s Top-seeded Roger Federer rallied Uruguayan upset second-seeded
ing out ahead in their Wimbledon s i b l e
Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-4 at
past Diego Schwarzman 2-6, 6-2,
seeding
second-round clash.
the clay-court tournament.
7-5 to reach the Istanbul Open fiNick Kyrgios
Both finalists are returning from six- at Roland
nal after a near two-hour match
Cuevas, who is bidding
week injury spells, with Kyrgios out G a r r o s
on Saturday.
for a fourth career title,
with an ankle problem and Gasquet when the
converted five of his six
Federer recovered from
claycourt
dealing with back pain.
break points against Dimitrov. He
a sloppy start against the
‘It was an incredible victory for me,’ Grand Slam
is unbeaten in finals, and will
eighth-seeded Argentine to
said Gasquet. ‘I had doubts that my begins in three
meet Federer for the first time.
remain on course for an 85th
back would hold up in this competitive weeks.
‘He played very well, and
title and third this year.
level but it’s been very good.
‘I’m enjoying mypeople liked it, too,’ Federer
The 17-time Grand Slam
‘Nick is the future of tennis, it will self a lot. Today was
said.
winner will face third-seeded
Published by K. Balakumar on behalf of News Today Media (P) Ltd., from 85, Mount Road (GST Road), Guindy, Chennai 600 032 and printed by him at Frontline Printers Private Ltd., M-7, Thiru-Vi-Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy,
Chennai 600 032. Ph: 4202 1111. Editor: K. Balakumar. Phone: Editorial/Admn /Advt: 22504000, Fax: 2250 1800 (Editorial)/2250 1200/2250 0101 (Advt/Admn). e-mail: newstodaydaily@gmail.com, Circulation: 4202 1111. Fax: 4212 0000.
Federer sets up
Cuevas clash
Mixed Bag
CHENNAI
SUNDAY
3 MAY 2015
7
Law officers to
help reduce govt
litigation
Juvenile Justice
Bill likely to be
tabled in LS
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
In a bid to shed the tag of being
the biggest litigant, the government
has decided to attach law officers to
various Central Ministries to ensure
that courts are only approached as a
last resort and cases where chances
of winning are lean are not pursued.
The Narendra Modi government,
which is reviewing the 2010 National
Litigation Policy of the previous UPA
dispensation, has proposed to attach law officer to each Central
department to ‘take a holistic view
of litigation’ while filing new cases or
defending the pending cases.
The philosophy behind the new
policy is to approach courts once the
government department is fully satisfied that litigation is the only resort left.
The cases which have lean chance of
winning by the government will not be
pursued further. Majority of the cases
in which government is party relate
to service disputes and indirect taxes.
The pendency of cases in courts
besides being burden upon public
exchequer also diverts attention of
government from meaningful governance, the draft policy states. Though
there are no official figures available
as of now, Law Ministry believes that
government is a litigant in 46 per cent
of the cases in higher judiciary. As in
2010, 57,179 cases were pending in
the Supreme Court and 42,17,903
were pending in the 24 high courts
at the end of 2011.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Personnel in its latest
report has quoted Law Secretary P K
Malhotra as informing the panel that
government is perceived as the largest
litigant in various courts and tribunals.
‘To reverse this image, the government is proposing a new National
Litigation Policy, whereby every court
case/order will be closely scrutinised
within the department itself with a
view to determine as to whether the
matter be agitated further or the department should accept the decision
of the court and implement it,’ the
committee quoted Malhotra.
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
A bill which seeks to try juveniles in
the age group of 16 to 18 years accused of heinous crimes under laws
for adults is likely to be introduced in
the Lok Sabha this week.
Overruling the recommendations
of a parliamentary panel for its reexamination, the Cabinet cleared
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection
of Children) Bill, 2014 on 22 April.
Government sources said the bill is
likely to be introduced this week.
The bill states that in case a heinous
crime has been committed by a person in the age group of 16-18 years
it will be examined by a Juvenile Justice Board to assess if the crime was
committed as a ‘child’ or as an ‘adult’.
The trial of the case will take place
accordingly by the board which will
consist of psychologists and social
experts. The legislation, which would
replace the existing Juvenile Justice
Act, 2000, was proposed in view of increasing number of serious offences
being committed by persons in the
age group of 16-18 years.
According to data from National
Crime Records Bureau, crimes by
juveniles in the age group of 16-18
years have increased, especially in
certain categories of heinous crimes.
The number of murder cases against
juveniles rose from 531 in 2002 to
1,007 in 2013.
Similarly, cases of rape and assault
with intent to outrage the modesty
of women have gone up from 485
and 522 in 2002 to 1,884 and 1,424
in 2013 respectively. In 2013, 933
cases of kidnapping and abduction
were registered against juveniles,
which was 704 in 2012.
According to Women and Child
Development Ministry, more than
250 civil society organisations, individuals and experts had given their
comments on the draft Bill which
were taken into consideration before
giving it a final shape. New offences,
including illegal adoption, corporal
punishment in child care institutions
have also been incorporated in the
proposed legislation.
Devotees pulling the chariot at Sri Subramania Swamy Temple at
Ettukudi, Tiruvarur as part of Chitra Pournami celebrations yesterday.
Guidelines for
Smart
Cities
soon
20 cities will be selected this year
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
Gearing up to roll out its ‘100 smart
cities’ scheme across the country,
the government is likely to finalise
the guidelines for the Rs 48,000 crore
mega project next week.
The NDA government’s flagship
project got Cabinet’s approval last
Wednesday, paving the way for the
Ministry of Urban Development to
work out details for the selection of
cities for the project.
‘The detailed guidelines of the
project, aiming at recasting the urban
landscape, is likely to be notified next
week after its finalisation,’ a senior
ministry official said.
After the
guidelines are announced, states and
Panel concern over
quality of PhD holders
With over 7,000 research scholars being
awarded PhD every year, the panel
has suggested ‘reorienting’ the entire
system of evaluation of PhD
and other research scholars
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI):
Raising serious questions about the
quality of Ph.D holders in the country,
a parliamentary panel has sought an
evaluation report to understand why
suitable candidates were hard to find
for vacant teaching posts.
With over 7,000 research scholars
being awarded Ph D every year, the
panel has suggested ‘reorienting’ the
entire system of evaluation of Ph.D
and other research scholars.
In its report tabled in Parliament
last week, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on HRD stressed on
increasing the number of research
fellowships and new schemes for
teaching assistantship, taking into
account the shortage of teaching
faculty in higher educational institutes.
Drawing attention to the quality aspect of Ph.D holders, the committee
said they were rolling out of Indian
universities like dime a dozen.
On the occasion of Chitra Pournami celebration at Melmuravathur
Adiparashakthi Siddhar Peetam, 1008 yagna kundam Kalasa vilaku
pooja was held today in the presence of spiritualist Bangaru Adigalar.
‘The Committee would like to have
an evaluation report, if any, about the
quality and standard of PhD holders
across the country to understand why
suitable candidates are difficult to find
for the vacant positions. Maybe we
need to reorient the entire system
of evaluation of Ph.D and other research scholars,’ it said in its report.
Shortage of faculties in premier
institutes such as IITs, IIMs and
NITs continues to be grim with no
improvement foreseen in the near
future, it said. To address the issue, it
suggested that if stricter norms for the
appointment of faculty is coming in the
way, then UGC and other regulatory
bodies should review them on regular
basis and bring in necessary changes
so as to fill up the vacant posts at the
earliest.
‘HRD Ministry should take steps to
enhance the prestige of the teaching
profession,’ it said.
After the guidelines are announced, States
and UTs will be asked to nominate names
of cities for a city challenge competition and
the chosen ones will get a central fund of
Rs 100 crore each year for 5 years
UTs will be asked to nominate names
of cities for a city challenge
competition and the chosen ones
will get a central fund of Rs 100 crore
each year for 5 years, he added.
The ‘Smart City Challenge Competition’ will be carried out by Bloomberg
Philanthropes, which has been involved in conducting similar competi-
Spiritual
fervour
NT Bureau
Cuddalore, May 3:
Devotees gathered in large numbers to seek the blessings of the
Almighty during the chariot festival held at Sri Devanatha Swamy
Temple at Thiruvahindapuram,
Cuddalore as part of the annual
Chitirai Brahmotsavam.
The thiru ther was pulled by
thousands of devotees around
the madaveethis. People from
various parts of the State gathered
at Thiruvahindapuram.
Ten bogies of
express derails
Panaji, May 3 (PTI):
Ten bogies of the Lokamanya
Tilak Terminus-Ernakulum Duronto
Express derailed near Balli railway
station in South Goa today, but
no casualties have been reported
so far.
‘Ten coaches of the train derailed at 6.30 am near Balli station. No passengers were injured,’
Konkan Railway Corporation Limited spokesman Baban Ghatge said.
The train had left Lokmanya Tilak
Terminal in Mumbai and was heading towards Ernakulum.
tions in various countries. According
to the plan, 20 cities will be selected
this year, followed by 40 each in the
next two years.
‘Smart City aspirants will be selected
through the competition which intends to link financing with their ability
to achieve the mission objectives,’
the official said.
‘The cities will be given scores
based on urban reforms that they
have carried out, their impact and
what they propose to do in four key
areas - Swachh Bharat (sanitation),
Make in India (ease of doing business), good governance (modern
accounting system, rationalisation of
property taxes) and e-governance,’
he added.
While most of the smart cities will be
brownfield (old) ventures and will be
implemented through an ‘area-based’
approach including retrofitting and
redevelopment, the official said there
will also be a few greenfield (new)
projects which means setting up of
new cities.
Red tape delays
Nepal quake aid
Death toll crosses 7,000
United Nations, May 3:
The UN`s humanitarian chief has
said she is extremely concerned
that Nepal`s customs authorities are
slowing the delivery of earthquake
aid, as the death toll from the disaster
crossed 7,000 today.
After the government ruled out
finding more survivors buried in the
ruins of the capital Kathmandu, the
focus was shifting to delivering aid to
families and others in far-flung areas
of the devastated nation.
But the UN`s head of humanitarian
affairs Valerie Amos said she was
worried the foreign aid pouring into
Nepal in the wake of the impoverished country`s deadliest earthquake
in more than 80 years was being held
up by red tape.?
I was extremely concerned to hear
reports that customs was taking such
a long time, Amos told AFP in Kathmandu on Saturday, saying she had
asked Prime Minister Sushil Koirala
to speed up customs clearance for
CSK eyes return to winning ways
After the government ruled out finding
more survivors buried in the ruins of the
capital Kathmandu, the focus was shifting
to delivering aid to families and others in
far-flung areas of the devastated nation
aid materials.
‘He has undertaken to ensure that
happens, so I hope that from now
we will see an improvement in those
administrative issues.’
The 7.8-magnitude quake wreaked
a trail of death and destruction when
it erupted around midday eight days
ago, reducing much of Kathmandu to
rubble and even triggering a deadly
avalanche on Mount Everest.
The death toll from the disaster
has hit 7,040, according to the
Emergency Operations Centre, with
more than 14,000 injured. More
than 100 were also killed in India
and China.
Although multiple teams of rescuers from more than 20 countries
have been using sniffer dogs and
heat-seeking equipment to find
survivors in the rubble, noone has
been pulled out alive since Thursday evening.
Rescue operations are still under
way, but focus has shifted to providing relief, home ministry spokesman
Laxmi Prasad Dhakal told AFP on
Sunday.
Many far flung villages have been
affected,’ he said, adding that there
was still an acute shortage of tents
for the hundreds of thousands left
homeless.
KKR hits home stretch
against high-flying SRH
NT Bureau
Chennai, May 3:
second successive thrashing in
Kolkata, May 3 (PTI):
their first match in Hyderabad this
After a smooth start and five straight
Kolkata Knight Riders will have the
season. When they take the field,
wins, things have not gone the way
psychological edge over Sunrisers
two-time champs Chennai Super
Hyderabad but the defending cham- KKR will be aware they have a
psychological edge over SRH,
Kings (CSK) would have hoped to.
pions will be wary of the visiting
having defeated them thrice in
The team will seek to get back to winside’s resurgence when they clash
five meetings but on form the
ning ways and consolidate their posiin an IPL cricket match at
Hyderabad outfit will be ahead.
tion at the top while Royal Challengthe Eden Gardens here
On the field, it will boil down to
ers Bangalore would hope to build
tomorrow.
a battle between their batting
on the momentum when they lock
Posting three wins in
firepower led by David Warner
horns in an Indian Premier League
four games, including
against the KKR bowlers, espe(IPL) match at the M A Chidambaram
one against KKR in a
cially the slower ones who would
stadium here tomorrow.
rain-marred encounter in
look to revel in home conditions.
Still leading the table with six wins
the first leg, the Orange
Much of their success is attribStarc’s presence has bolstered
another win, against a strong CSK
in swashbuckling opener Brendon
from nine matches, the Super Kings
Army have jumped to fifth behind
uted to David Warner who has led
RCB’s bowling. Varun Aaron has
side, would naturally boost their
McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Suresh
are coming off a 22-run defeat at the
the Purple Brigade with one match
from the front after being named
been wayward often and Yuzven- Raina and Dwayne Bravo besides
confi dence. With the likes of the
hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad, and
in hand.
big-hitting Chris Gayle, A B de Vil- dra Chahal will take care of the spin
the skipper himself. Almost all of
would be happy to be back at their
It’s been a mixed bag for KKR, skipper ahead of the season.
liers and Kohli himself in the team, department. Notwithstanding the
them got starts in the previous
home ground.
The explosive opener has been
on the other hand, as they are
presence of a few great players, it
match but could not capitalise, and
in sublime form with five halfOn the other hand, Royal Challeng- RCB can fancy their chances in
still striving to be consistent in
will take some effort from RCB to
Chennai. Young Mandeep Singh
they will have to correct it tomorrow.
centuries in eight matches, and
ers Bangalore, placed third in the
the backdrop of a controversy
get the better of the Super Kings at
too fired with a cracking knock in
Barring Bravo, who finished with
points table with five victories from
surrounding Sunil Narine’s bowl- four of them in winning causes as
their own den.
the win over defending champs
he boasts of the maximum 50s
creditable figures of 3 for 25 in a high- ing action as they have slipped to
10 games, recorded a convincing
(21) in IPL. Warner’s 91 from 64
CSK have just lost a game and
scoring game, and Ashish Nehra to
win over defending champions Kolk- KKR and he would want to impress
fourth place.
one more time.
balls in their first leg fixture had
they would be doubly determined
an extent, the CSK bowlers were
ata Knight Riders in a rain-curtailed
Both the teams land here having
given SRH a 16-run victory in the
to get back to winning ways. Led
de Villiers missed out on the last
smashed around by David Warner
match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium
played yesterday. While KKR lost
first leg and KKR can consider
by the experienced Mahendra
game and a big one is due from
and co yesterday, and another tough
yesterday.
in Bangalore defending 112 from
half the battle won if they get the
Singh Dhoni, two-time winners CSK
his willow.
task awaits them.
The
Virat
Kohli-led
side
would
be
10
overs
in
a
last
over
fi
nish,
SRH
Published by K. Balakumar on behalf of News Today Media (P) Ltd., from 85, Mount Road (GST Road), Guindy, Chennai 600 032 and printed by him at Frontline Printers Private Ltd., M-7, Thiru-Vi-Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy,
left-hander cheaply.
boast of some high quality batsmen
the bowling
front,
Mitchell /Advt:
(Match Starts
4.30 pm) e-mail:
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continue
in 4202
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vein and
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Chennai Super Kings a Circulation:
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032. Ph:
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8SUNDAY
3 MAY 2015
, CHENNAI
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WHERE THEY STAND
TEAMS
Morgan wants to make
it count in ‘orange’
Hyderabad:
This is not the Eoin Morgan we are
used to seeing. That shuffle in the
crease, the quick hands and the mad
switch hit are all wrapped somewhere
in a closet. After a forgettable run in the
World Cup, Morgan would have hoped
for a change in form and fortunes during
the Pepsi IPL 2015. But things haven’t
quite gone according to script. In his
first game he scored 27 and in the next
game he was dismissed scoring just 1.
Ravi Bopara or Morgan in the middle
order was the big question Sunrisers
Hyderabad had to answer.
Sunrisers were more than keen to invest on Ravi Bopara who also provided
them with a seam bowling option. But in
their first game at home (Hyderabad),
Sunrisers came up with a surprise opting
for Morgan ahead of Bopara. In Morgan,
Sunrisers trust, and expect him to go full
tilt very soon. He has been finding the
sweet spot of his bat more often than
not during practice sessions and it was
about putting it to practice on game day.
On Saturday night against the Chennai Super Kings, Morgan was not at
his lethal best, but showed glimpses
of form with an unbeaten 32 from 27
balls which included two sixes and a
boundary. Time at the crease and
runs under the belt are gold especially when someone of Morgan’s calibre is looking to find
his true self and putting up
valuable performances for
the Orange army. What
kind of a batting space is
he in? How far
is he from
hitting
form
o r
i s
h e
not
out of form at all? How did he feel seeing two balls sail over the ropes of his
bat that has been quite silent for some
time? Morgan answers it all in a chat
with iplt20.com.
Q: What a way to welcome the sea
of orange at Hyderabad.
A: Obviously getting the result our
way is a great start to our campaign at
home. But to get it in the fashion that we
did is probably better. Playing Chennai
Super Kings is not always an easy task.
They are a team of world beaters and
to come out winning the way we did
tonight is something we can take a lot
of confidence from. Our bowlers tonight
were outstanding. They performed well
on a wicket that didn’t really have much
going for them. They built pressure and
picked wickets at crucial periods of time.
We did have a little bit of luck going our
way but we took advantage of it.
Q: Warner going bang-bang at the top
and the rest complementing each other
in the process. Probably the ideal brand
of cricket Sunrisers are looking to play?
A: I think our ideal template was today.
We needed a couple of guys to keep kicking on in the fashion that we did. The way
we performed and the way we scored runs
is the way we want to play our cricket
in the tournament. We were
pretty satisfied with the
number of runs we got
on the board at the end
of the day. The bowlers
backed it up massively.
We have had a few
games where the
batsmen and bowlers have not done
well in tandem, but
today we put in a great
performance. It was an
outstanding effort overall.
Q: Personally, how
are you feel-
ing about your own batting at the
moment?
A: I am feeling good. Time in the middle
tonight obviously helped. This is my third
game in the tournament so far and I think
the more I play the more confidence I will
gain in my batting. The pitch here in Hyderabad is a bit different to what we had in
Vizag. I am looking forward to playing more
games in the tournament.
Q: The world is used to seeing a different Eoin Morgan and expectations
are high. How close are you towards
striking form like you own it?
A: Tonight watching myself clear the
ropes gave me immense joy. Watching
the ball sailing over the boundary ropes
from my bat was a huge confi dence
booster. I can take a lot from that. Getting runs in front of a full house is a very
good sight. Also, to spend some time in
the middle is satisfying especially when
you are under a bit of pressure. The IPL
is very unique in the fact that you can
only play four overseas players. When
you get that chance the team expects a
lot from you. I think I am making strides
towards moving forward, which is a big
step. If I can build on that with more
performances and games, it will be a
big thing for me.
Q: Do you reckon numbers don’t
always portray the right story and
one shouldn’t be judged solely on
numbers?
A: Absolutely. I think numbers in
T20s don’t always dictate what happened in the game. It is important to
have a look at certain situations the
guys have played in and the role they
were assigned for that match. Batting
performances are a lot like bowling.
You could have a situation where bowlers would have bowled a good couple
of overs upfront and then you could
have been taken apart at the death. It
is important to play the situation that is
in front of you.
Mat
Won
Lost
Tied
N/R
Chennai Super Kings
9
6
3
0
0
PTS
12
Rajasthan Royals
10
5
3
0
2
12
RCB
8
4
3
0
1
9
Kolkata Knight Riders
9
4
4
0
1
9
Delhi Daredevils
8
4
4
0
0
8
Sunrisers Hyderabad
8
4
4
0
0
8
Mumbai Indians
8
3
5
0
0
6
Kings XI Punjab
8
2
6
0
0
4
CSK vs RCB at
Chennai, 4 pm (IST)
KKR vs SRH at
Kolkata, 8 pm (IST)
TOMORROW’S
MATCHES
I have learnt from Watson
& Pollock, says Kulkarni
of World Cup and I was just enjoying my experiMumbai:
ence,’ he said.
Pace bowler Dhawal Kulkarni, who has played
‘I am trying to improve on my pace, add that
a lot of domestic cricket before gaining his India
extra bit of yard in my pace. I have been workcap, said he had learnt quite a bit from the likes
ing hard on my fitness and doing lot of cardio
of Austalian Shane Watson, his current captain
work,’ he added.
in Rajasthan Royals, and South Africa’s Shaun
Pollock in IPL.
He said under the guidance of Indian team’s
batting coach Sanjay Bangar, he batted a lot in
‘One thing I have learnt from Shane Watson is
the nets in Australia.
bowling round the wicket. That was the first
thing I practised (with Royals) and it has
‘I have been working on my batting. I
helped me while bowling for India too,’
used to get time to bat and batted a
said the 26-year-old Kulkarni.
lot in Australia and got used to those
‘My real growing was durconditions.
ing IPL season 1 under
‘Bharat Arun (Indian team
Shaun Pollock who
bowling coach) was
shared his exmy coach at the
unperience
so much
der 17 zonal
cricket
with me and
the
academy
next year when
which was
he was the coach of
the first I atMumbai Indians - the
tended. He knows my
variations he had taught
bowling very well and has
me, I have been practising
been helping me a lot in my
those all these seasons and
bowling,’ he explained.
trying to perfect them,’ he said.
Asked about who he will prefer to
coach the national team, he relucAsked about his near two-month
tantly said, ‘I feel (Pravin) Amre can
stay in Australia, first as part of the
be the coach. He’s been coach for
ODI team and then as an extra
India A. He’s a good coach.’
member of the World Cup squad
Ajinkya Rahane - his India, Mumas the pace back-up, Kulkarni said
bai and IPL teammate who was
it was a bit frustrating as he could
sitting alongside - said while he
not play much.
c a n n o t comment on the is‘I had just been bowling in the nets.
sue,
‘personally he’s
(It was) just a bit frustrating, but I
(Amre) been very
was always focused on bowling
good for me.’
and not worrying about not getting
Dhawal Kulkarni
—PTI
picked. It was an honour to be part
Mental preparation
turned it around
for me: Rahane
Eoin Morgan
Mumbai:
Ajinkya Rahane credited his mental preparation as the key to his success in Tests, ODIs
and the ongoing Indian Premier League, in
which he is among the leading run-getters.
‘It’s about mental adjustment as the technique
remains the same. I focus on my mental aspect. It’s important how you assess the ground
and wicket conditions and adjust quickly,’
the 26-year-old Rahane, who is representing
Rajasthan Royals in the IPL-8, told reporters
here Saturday.
Rahane has notched up 339 runs at 48
plus per innings in nine IPL matches so far.
In fact, his success in the shortest format
has come after his resounding show for India
in Tests in South Africa, New Zealand, England
and Australia.
The Mumbai-born player, who did not get
many chances to play when he was with the
Mumbai Indians franchise before switching to
Rajasthan Royals, said he tries to keep things
simple, besides concentrating on preparing for
a match or series.
‘I keep my game simple. It’s important for
me to practice before every game and series.
I just focus on my preparations,’ Rahane
said while thanking Royals’ team mentor
and former India captain Rahul Dravid and
his personal coach Pravin Amre.
‘I regularly speak to Rahul bhai about my
batting, my preparations and the way he
used to prepare. He told me to keep my
game simple and not to complicate it. ‘The
more you keep it simple the more you will
be successful’ was his advice and I try to
do that. Preparations before every tour
is very important and Pravin Sir has told
me about this,’ said Rahane.
Rahane has been improving in every
series since India’s tour of South Africa
towards the end of 2013 and said the four
months in Australia during the Tests and ODI
series, as well as the World Cup, has boosted
his confidence level.
Ajinkya Rahane
Jiiva, Nayanthara
to shoot for
Thirunaal
A still from Sowcarpettai
Srikanth speaks
about Sowcarpeai
Srikanth is upbeat about his next Sowcarpettai. He plays
a double role in the film, directed by Vadivudyan.
Speaking about the film, Srikanth, says, ‘One of the roles I
play is that of a magician. Being about black magic, the film
has a lot of fantasy elements’.
Raai Laxmi appears as Maya, a friendly spirit.
‘Srikanth has performed both the contrasting roles well. The
story is set in Sowcarpet, North Chennai, and will highlight
the lifestyle of people in this locality. Sowcarpettai starts off
as a comedy and turns into a thriller once the ‘spirit’ enters
the scene,’ says Vadivudyan.
—NT Bureau
J
iiva’s next venture to be directed by Ambasamudram Ambani- fame Ramnath has been
titled Thirunaal. The shooting will begin soon at
Kumbakonam.
Sources say that it is a rural mass entertainer
with comedy and action. After Thenavattu, Jivva
plays a rustic rural youth in the film.
Nayanthara plays the female lead and she will join
the sets by May-end. Music is by Sri.
Jiiva and Nayanthara acted together in E earlier.
The movie is produced by M Senthilkumar for
Kithandapani Films. Mahesh Muthusamy cranks
the camera and editing is by V T Vijayan.
— NT Bureau
Anirudh goes
G V Prakash way
G
V Prakash had sung a number in
Suseenthiran’s upcoming film Vil
Ambu. Now, composer Anirudh has
also sung a love track in the album.
The song is said to have a mass touch.
Music for the film is by Navin, who had
earlier composed for Kalyana Samayal
Saadham and Peruchazhi (Malayalam).
The film has Sree and Harish Kalyan
playing the lead and has three female
leads - Srushti Dange, Samskruthy
Shenoy and Chandini Tamilarasan.
—NT Bureau
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Published by K. Balakumar on behalf of News Today Media (P) Ltd., from 85, Mount Road (GST Road), Guindy, Chennai 600 032 and printed by him at Frontline Printers Private Ltd., M-7, Thiru-Vi-Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy,
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