PMK demands more districts in Tamil Nadu

The PMK Thursday called for the creation of eight new districts in Tamil Nadu for smooth administration.

Legislators of the party, which is an ally of the United Progressive Alliance as well as the DMK government in the state, raised the issue in the assembly.

PMK founder S. Ramadoss later said that Villupuram, Coimbatore, Salem and Vellore districts should be divided. 'Each of these districts have more than 10 assembly constituencies and are too big to administer,' he told reporters.

There are 30 districts in Tamil Nadu, with Krishnagiri being the last one to be created in 2004 by bifurcating the Dharmapuri district.

Last week, the DMK government had announced that the central Perambalur district would be divided to form another district with headquarters at Ariyalur.

Courtesy : Daily India

Is Coimbatore set for an expansion?

After the previous expansion in 1981, the Coimbatore Corporation seems to be thinking of stretching its boundaries further to bring the peripheral areas under its control.

The aim is to provide these areas with better services in view of the projected growth, to be spurred by an information technology park. The present increase of housing colonies in the suburbs has also set the Corporation mulling an expansion.

"Maybe, such an expansion will help in the creation of the much-demanded Coimbatore Metropolitan Development Authority," says the Corporation Commissioner, P. Muthuveeran. "An authority of such stature will require a large city area." It is now 105.6 sq.km. with a population of 13 lakhs.

But the plan is at a very preliminary stage, Mr Muthuveeran says. Views of stakeholders ( people in the peripheral areas), experts in town planning and also the industrial associations will have to be obtained before venturing into it.

Planners in the Corporation appear to be contemplating an expansion because residents in the suburbs such as Kurichi, Kuniamuthur, Kavundampalayam, Vadavalli, Chinniampalayam and Kalapatti identify themselves more with the city.

Given the hectic growth in these areas, the Corporation feels it may be able to serve them better with its greater financial strength. With huge funds coming from the Union Urban Development Ministry for infrastructure schemes in big cities, Coimbatore city and its outlying areas will only benefit from an expansion. Property tax, water charges and other non-tax revenue contribute revenue to local bodies that in turn can be used for development activities. But such resources are not enough to meet big infrastructure needs of these areas that almost match the city in the pace of growth. The Coimbatore Airport is located on the city border but under the control of a panchayat. Even garbage clearance is poor on the approach road to the airport. "If it is under the Corporation, there can be greater focus on maintenance," says Mr. Muthuveeran.

The fresh plan seems to have arisen out of a need for the maintenance of every infrastructure by one agency, even in the fringes whose boundaries with the city are becoming blurred.


Courtesy: The Hindu

Airtel launches Fixed Wireless Phone in Coimbatore

Telecom major Bharti Airtel today launched its Fixed Wireless Phone (FWP) services in Coimbatore.

With the launch of 'Airtel Mega' FWP services, the company completed its telecom services portfolio for all segments of the market and fulfilled the needs of customers for an innovative home phone service, P Swaminathan, Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Airtel Ltd, Mobility, Tamil Nadu, told reporters here.

Operated on the GSM network, the service is available in attractive Postpaid and Prepaid tariff plans and would be rolled out progressively across the length and breadth of Airtel's wireless network, spanning virtually the entire urban landscape plus over 10,000 villages in Tamil Nadu, he said.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Courtesy : The Hindu

DMK turns jail into spa for Coimbatore terror accused

One man has reason to laugh at all the tough talk on the need to crack down on terror: Abdul Nasser Mahdani, key accused in the 1998 Coimbatore serial blasts that targeted BJP leader L K Advani and killed 58 people and left several more injured.


Advertisment Related Stories On session eve, Govt reaches out to Oppn
Arrested trio were in touch with bomb-makers in Mumbai
Insurance consultant, passionate about securing other people’s lives
His brother-in-law arrested, acquitted in 1992 riots case
Mumbai-hit India, Pakistan talks get a chance in Dhaka
While the Left and the Congress in Kerala—Mahdani is a leader of the Muslim hardline People’s Democratic Party in the state—both are falling over each other in trying to woo him, in Tamil Nadu where he is in prison, Chief Minister and DMK president M Karunanidhi has bestowed new life upon him.

In fact, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan’s plea for ayurvedic treatment for Mahdani “languishing in prison for more than eight years, having lost weight drastically from 104 kg to 54 kg,” seems to have “moved” Karunanidhi.

For, ever since he was sworn in as Chief Minister, the atmosphere has been upbeat in the high-security prison here, housing Mahdani and 166 Al Umma prisoners, mostly arrested for the Coimbatore blasts.

Thanks to Karunanidhi, a team of 10 masseurs and four senior Ayurvedic doctors began their “high quality treatment” on Mahdani, who has been housed in the prison’s hospital wing since 2001.

Courtesy : Indian Express