Though the initial settlements in coimbatore are believed to have been around for two millennia, it was only in the colonial period that the town rose to fame, for its numerous industries. The rich-black soil around the city has given Coimbatore its flourishing textile mills, employing thousands and earning it the epithet of ‘Manchester of the South’.
To Do
Like many other small Indian towns, there’s nothing exceptionally touristy here. We spent our time roaming the streets, bargaining for ivory-white ‘100 per cent' cotton shirts, fattening ourselves on chips and wondering about the numerous educational institutes around. Then there were also the almost-obligatory visits to the 'Houses of Worship' present at every nook and corner.
Amongst all the temples, the Perur Patteeswaraswamy Temple by the Noyyal River is most famous. This Chola-era temple is built in the Dravidan style and is home to a gold-plated statue of Natraja. Also well known are the Marudamalai Temple of Lord Muruga, and the Thirumoorthy Temple situated on the highway from Palani to Coimbatore. Urban-yuppies however may find solace in the Dhyanalinga Temple of the Isha Foundation. While everyone may not agree to the Foundation’s concepts and beliefs, we’d highly recommend a visit to this complex, for its unusual temple architecture. A 33-feet high and 76-feet wide dome, built without any steel, cement or concrete and a 35-feet deep subterranean water body are the highlights; and the entire complex is embellished with uber-chic design elements.
The Forest College Museum preserves a variety of flora, fauna and other exhibits related to the natural world, while the Khadi Gandhi Gallery has an engaging display about the Father of the Nation. All major events from Gandhiji’s life are showcased with photographs and memorabilia. The Government Museum in the VOC Park, the G D Naidu Industrial Exhibit and the Textile Museum in the Shreenivasan Art Gallery are also worth-a-dekho.
But if you’d rather spend your time outdoors, then head to the hilly areas surrounding the city that comprises numerous waterfalls such as Sengupathi Falls, Monkey Falls, Vaideki Falls and the Siruvani Waterfall.
Food and drink
Sambar, rice, idlis, vadas and chutneys are the staple food, and can be relished at any time of the day. Sweets and non-vegetarian dishes are best sampled at the more established eateries. Also drink a few sips of water from the Siruvani Dam, and decide for yourself if it indeed is the ‘second sweetest water in the world’ as the locals sweetly claim it to be.
Shopping
Being a major textile centre, clothing items – saris and dhotis - are Coimbatore’s best buys. Also stock up on banana-wafers, sambar powder and the local sweets.
Fact file
Getting around: Though city-buses and non-metered auto rickshaws are available, the best option for tourists is to use the taxis
Best time to visit: All year round, not counting the summer months
Getting there
Air: Peelamedu Airport is about 10km away from the city centre, and is well connected to major South Indian cities, as well as to Mumbai
Rail: Coimbatore Junction
Road: Coimbatore has three national highways that pass through it: NH 47, NH 67 and NH 209
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Thousands of seats vacant in Tamil Nadu's self-financing engineering colleges
In an alarming indication of the turbulent state of affairs in Tamil Nadu's self-financing engineering colleges, it has emerged that more than 51,000 BE/B.Tech seats are lying vacant for want of students in the current academic year.
This figure is a significant and unparalleled 31% of the 1,65,980 seats, (including a few BArch seats), that were available in the 440 engineering colleges both under government and management quotas.
Latest admission statistics in engineering colleges compiled by officials of the higher education ministry revealed that only 1,14,518 seats were filled up during the admission season that started in July (government quota) and ended in October (management quota).
A copy of the statistical report sourced by The Times of India shows that three engineering colleges and one architecture institution (Ranganathan Architecture College in Coimbatore) had failed to attract even a single student.
Interestingly all three engineering colleges were exclusive women's institutions the Chennai Institute of Science and Technology for Women in Chengalpet; The Selvam Women Excellence Engineering Technology College in Trichy; and the St John's College of Engineering and Technology for Women in Vellore.
"Such a huge vacancy in engineering colleges is unparalleled in the history of technical education in Tamil Nadu. Although over 70 new private engineering colleges were established last year, presumably to address the demand from students, nearly one-third of the seats could not be filled as students had stayed off. In contrast, if you look at the admission figures for the previous academic year 2008-09, as many as 1,18,565 of the 1,31,680 seats available were filled in the 344 engineering colleges that were functioning then. The percentage of vacant seats worked out to less than 10% last academic year," a higher education ministry official pointed out.
Similarly, during 2007-08, of the 1,09,784 available seats colleges had managed to find students for 94,346 seats, which meant that only around 14% of the seats remained vacant.
"Less than half-a-dozen of the engineering colleges in the state were able to attract students for the entire sanctioned student intake strength in the current academic year. While several institutions admitted students in double digits against an individual sanctioned students' strength ranging from 240 to 300, less than 10 students were admitted in three private colleges," the official added.
Academics felt that the figures reflected two aspects one, that parents and students did not have faith in the quality of education provided in many private institutions and second they stayed away due to prohibitive costs of engineering education.
This figure is a significant and unparalleled 31% of the 1,65,980 seats, (including a few BArch seats), that were available in the 440 engineering colleges both under government and management quotas.
Latest admission statistics in engineering colleges compiled by officials of the higher education ministry revealed that only 1,14,518 seats were filled up during the admission season that started in July (government quota) and ended in October (management quota).
A copy of the statistical report sourced by The Times of India shows that three engineering colleges and one architecture institution (Ranganathan Architecture College in Coimbatore) had failed to attract even a single student.
Interestingly all three engineering colleges were exclusive women's institutions the Chennai Institute of Science and Technology for Women in Chengalpet; The Selvam Women Excellence Engineering Technology College in Trichy; and the St John's College of Engineering and Technology for Women in Vellore.
"Such a huge vacancy in engineering colleges is unparalleled in the history of technical education in Tamil Nadu. Although over 70 new private engineering colleges were established last year, presumably to address the demand from students, nearly one-third of the seats could not be filled as students had stayed off. In contrast, if you look at the admission figures for the previous academic year 2008-09, as many as 1,18,565 of the 1,31,680 seats available were filled in the 344 engineering colleges that were functioning then. The percentage of vacant seats worked out to less than 10% last academic year," a higher education ministry official pointed out.
Similarly, during 2007-08, of the 1,09,784 available seats colleges had managed to find students for 94,346 seats, which meant that only around 14% of the seats remained vacant.
"Less than half-a-dozen of the engineering colleges in the state were able to attract students for the entire sanctioned student intake strength in the current academic year. While several institutions admitted students in double digits against an individual sanctioned students' strength ranging from 240 to 300, less than 10 students were admitted in three private colleges," the official added.
Academics felt that the figures reflected two aspects one, that parents and students did not have faith in the quality of education provided in many private institutions and second they stayed away due to prohibitive costs of engineering education.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Polo Cup kicks off in India
Finally, the Polo Cup kicks off in India. Volkswagen has announced that the Polo Cup will run alongside the 2010 JK National Racing Championship. The Indian edition of the Polo Cup will have six races in total, the first of which will be held on 19th June 2010, followed by races every weekend till December. The first race is likely to be run in Pune, with the remaining five rounds being held in Chennai and Coimbatore.
The Race Polos are centrally prepared at the Volkswagen Factory in Pune by highly trained race mechanics. Professional data logging will ensure that drivers have the chance to check their own performances and compare them with those of other drivers. In addition to technical training courses, the coaching programme, which includes an introduction into data analysis, classes on tyres focused on the JK tyres used in the cup as well as setup work, encompasses media training, a fitness camp and a pre-season basic training course at which the young racers work on fine-tuning their skills for the new season.
Joerg Mueller, Volkswagen Group Chief Representative India, said, ”This is a very significant move by Volkswagen in India. We are glad that we are contributing to the development of a unique Indian motor sports culture. Volkswagen’s motor sports activities are renowned globally and we look forward to bringing our knowledge and expertise in this direction to India.”
Motor sports enthusiasts interested in getting further information can log on to the new website, www.polocup.in This website will display information about the format of The Polo Cup India, race updates and driver profiles.
The Race Polos are centrally prepared at the Volkswagen Factory in Pune by highly trained race mechanics. Professional data logging will ensure that drivers have the chance to check their own performances and compare them with those of other drivers. In addition to technical training courses, the coaching programme, which includes an introduction into data analysis, classes on tyres focused on the JK tyres used in the cup as well as setup work, encompasses media training, a fitness camp and a pre-season basic training course at which the young racers work on fine-tuning their skills for the new season.
Joerg Mueller, Volkswagen Group Chief Representative India, said, ”This is a very significant move by Volkswagen in India. We are glad that we are contributing to the development of a unique Indian motor sports culture. Volkswagen’s motor sports activities are renowned globally and we look forward to bringing our knowledge and expertise in this direction to India.”
Motor sports enthusiasts interested in getting further information can log on to the new website, www.polocup.in This website will display information about the format of The Polo Cup India, race updates and driver profiles.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
CBay Systems sees immense potential in Coimbatore
Medical Transcription company CBaySystems sees immense potential in Coimbatore for its growth. The company’s Director and Chief Operating Officer Dinesh Kumar told that CBay opened a 450-seater facility here in April 2009, with an initial investment of Rs. 2.25 crore.
The second facility was opened in October 2009. Currently, the company had about 800 employees in these two facilities, accounting for 13 per cent of its total workforce.
Advantages
Coimbatore had advantages such as skilled manpower, scalable infrastructure and a large talent pool that could be trained.
“Going forward, a significant amount of investment will be made in the Coimbatore centres as it will play a strategic role in the company’s India operations,” he said.
The second facility was opened in October 2009. Currently, the company had about 800 employees in these two facilities, accounting for 13 per cent of its total workforce.
Advantages
Coimbatore had advantages such as skilled manpower, scalable infrastructure and a large talent pool that could be trained.
“Going forward, a significant amount of investment will be made in the Coimbatore centres as it will play a strategic role in the company’s India operations,” he said.
Coimbatore City, suburban Coimbatore and Tirupur to be free of level crossings
The administrative approval for construction of road overbridges (ROBs) across railway level crossings will make Coimbatore City, suburban Coimbatore and Tirupur free of level crossings.
Highways Minister M.P. Saminathan said at a function on Saturday that there were only 236 road overbridges before the the DMK came to power. In the last four years the DMK Government had given sanction for construction of 95 ROBs.
The work on the bridges would begin soon in a phased manner in co-ordination with the railways, Mr. Saminathan said.
The construction of the ROBs is usually undertaken by the Highways Department and the Railways only on the basis of train-vehicles (i.e., vehicles per train) ratio.
The permission covers 23 bridges in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts. Of these 13 of them will be in Coimbatore City and its immediate peripheral areas.
The notable among them will be at Hope College, Thaneerpandal, Irugur, Nanjundapuram Road, Avarampalayam, Vilankurichi, Rathinapuri, Kannappan Nagar, Neelikonampalayam, Singanallur, Sundarapuram and Irugur in Coimbatore City.
The bridges will ensure free flow of traffic in the city relieving motorists of the ordeal of waiting indefinitely at level crossings.
The other two at Eachanari and Mullupadi on the outskirts of the City will come up on the National Highway Number 209.
The other overbridges in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts will be at Somanur, Udumalpet, Pollachi, Koolipalayam, SRC Nagar-Tirupur, Kongu Nagar – Tirupur, Vanjipalayam, Chikkanna College.
The total outlay for these is Rs 368.51 crore.
Highways Minister M.P. Saminathan said at a function on Saturday that there were only 236 road overbridges before the the DMK came to power. In the last four years the DMK Government had given sanction for construction of 95 ROBs.
The work on the bridges would begin soon in a phased manner in co-ordination with the railways, Mr. Saminathan said.
The construction of the ROBs is usually undertaken by the Highways Department and the Railways only on the basis of train-vehicles (i.e., vehicles per train) ratio.
The permission covers 23 bridges in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts. Of these 13 of them will be in Coimbatore City and its immediate peripheral areas.
The notable among them will be at Hope College, Thaneerpandal, Irugur, Nanjundapuram Road, Avarampalayam, Vilankurichi, Rathinapuri, Kannappan Nagar, Neelikonampalayam, Singanallur, Sundarapuram and Irugur in Coimbatore City.
The bridges will ensure free flow of traffic in the city relieving motorists of the ordeal of waiting indefinitely at level crossings.
The other two at Eachanari and Mullupadi on the outskirts of the City will come up on the National Highway Number 209.
The other overbridges in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts will be at Somanur, Udumalpet, Pollachi, Koolipalayam, SRC Nagar-Tirupur, Kongu Nagar – Tirupur, Vanjipalayam, Chikkanna College.
The total outlay for these is Rs 368.51 crore.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Coimbatore Tidel Park to be ready by April end
As the outlook has brightened for the Indian software services sector in the new year, Coimbatore, the largest Tier-II city in Tamil Nadu is gearing up to join the IT revolution.
The much-awaited Tidel Park in the IT & ITES special economic zone (SEZ) in the city is expected to be up and running by April-end this year. Nearly 80 per cent of the construction work is over now, said a top official in the company.
The Park is jointly developed by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco), Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Elcot), Software Technology Parks of India (Stpi) and Tidel Park, Chennai.
With the state government actively promoting IT and ITES in Tier-II cities, Elcot has also embarked on developing SEZs in cities such as Madurai, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Salem and Hosur.
"Apart from developing common infrastructure facilities in the SEZs, we are building 50,000 sq ft buildings each in Madurai, Trichy and Tirunelveli to house IT companies," said an Elcot official.
He added Elcot would soon call for tender to start construction works at Salem and Hosur. Conceived in August 2006, the foundation stone for the Tidel Park Coimbatore was laid in February 2007, but due to global recession, the civil works contract was awarded as late as September 2008. "The costs escalated and we had to call for tenders twice," an official said.
Coimbatore has already attracted big IT companies including Cognizant, which has created a huge infrastructure inside a private SEZ. IT-enabled services companies such as Perot System, KGiSL and CBay Systems are also present in the city.
Built at a cost of Rs 380 crore, Tidel Park Coimbatore has three basement floors for parking, ground floor for commercial and IT & ITES purpose and four upper floors specifically for IT & ITES companies.
The SEZ is located behind Coimbatore Medical College on the NH 47 and is 3 kms from the airport. With about 9 lakh sq ft of space for IT and ITES companies, the Tidel Park is expected to provide employment to 12,000 professionals in one shift.
Apart from Tidel, Wipro, TCS and HCL too have bought 9.5 acres each inside the 56-acre IT-SEZ . While Wipro stopped its construction works after completing nearly 80 per cent of one block early last year, the other two companies are yet to start work.
But now with the Tidel Park nearing completion, TCS and HCL have requested for a floor each (2 lakh sq ft) to house their offices before building their own space.
A top Tidel official told that about 15 companies including government-owned Centre for Development of Advanced Computing and city-based Point Perfect Solutions have booked space inside the Tidel Park.
Many smaller companies including US-based Exterro have evinced interest. "The bookings are made on first come-first service and we lease out on short term (3 years) and long term (15 years) basis," he added.
Apart from housing IT and ITES companies, Tidel Park will have commercial shops catering to the needs of the employees. "Right from cafeteria to saloon to banks, nearly 1 lakh sq ft area in the ground floor will have all such facilities," an official said, adding Archies had already booked space under bookstore facility.
The much-awaited Tidel Park in the IT & ITES special economic zone (SEZ) in the city is expected to be up and running by April-end this year. Nearly 80 per cent of the construction work is over now, said a top official in the company.
The Park is jointly developed by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (Tidco), Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Elcot), Software Technology Parks of India (Stpi) and Tidel Park, Chennai.
With the state government actively promoting IT and ITES in Tier-II cities, Elcot has also embarked on developing SEZs in cities such as Madurai, Trichy, Tirunelveli, Salem and Hosur.
"Apart from developing common infrastructure facilities in the SEZs, we are building 50,000 sq ft buildings each in Madurai, Trichy and Tirunelveli to house IT companies," said an Elcot official.
He added Elcot would soon call for tender to start construction works at Salem and Hosur. Conceived in August 2006, the foundation stone for the Tidel Park Coimbatore was laid in February 2007, but due to global recession, the civil works contract was awarded as late as September 2008. "The costs escalated and we had to call for tenders twice," an official said.
Coimbatore has already attracted big IT companies including Cognizant, which has created a huge infrastructure inside a private SEZ. IT-enabled services companies such as Perot System, KGiSL and CBay Systems are also present in the city.
Built at a cost of Rs 380 crore, Tidel Park Coimbatore has three basement floors for parking, ground floor for commercial and IT & ITES purpose and four upper floors specifically for IT & ITES companies.
The SEZ is located behind Coimbatore Medical College on the NH 47 and is 3 kms from the airport. With about 9 lakh sq ft of space for IT and ITES companies, the Tidel Park is expected to provide employment to 12,000 professionals in one shift.
Apart from Tidel, Wipro, TCS and HCL too have bought 9.5 acres each inside the 56-acre IT-SEZ . While Wipro stopped its construction works after completing nearly 80 per cent of one block early last year, the other two companies are yet to start work.
But now with the Tidel Park nearing completion, TCS and HCL have requested for a floor each (2 lakh sq ft) to house their offices before building their own space.
A top Tidel official told that about 15 companies including government-owned Centre for Development of Advanced Computing and city-based Point Perfect Solutions have booked space inside the Tidel Park.
Many smaller companies including US-based Exterro have evinced interest. "The bookings are made on first come-first service and we lease out on short term (3 years) and long term (15 years) basis," he added.
Apart from housing IT and ITES companies, Tidel Park will have commercial shops catering to the needs of the employees. "Right from cafeteria to saloon to banks, nearly 1 lakh sq ft area in the ground floor will have all such facilities," an official said, adding Archies had already booked space under bookstore facility.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Latest news on Jaggubhai piracy DVD
Nearly 50000 DVDs of Jaggubhai, the yet to be released Sarath Kumar - K S Ravikumar film, were seized by the Chennai police yesterday, against the complaint lodged by the producer of the film Radhika Sarathkumar. The police also arrested a web site owner in Coimbatore for uploading it illegally on his site!
Nearly 50000 DVDs of Jaggubhai, the yet to be released Sarath Kumar - K S Ravikumar film, were seized by the Chennai police yesterday, against the complaint lodged by the producer of the film Radhika Sarathkumar. The police also arrested a web site owner in Coimbatore for uploading it illegally on his site!
Buzz up!Jaggubhai was long in the making and was to finally release for this Pongal. The pirated version has no background music, so obviously it was taken before the re-recording and final mixing from the lab or somewhere.
According to sources, the footage available on the internet runs for two hours twenty four minutes with the complete climax. The Chennai cyber crime cell arrested Shankar Ganesh owner of an Internet site which uploaded the film.
Earlier, Radhika Sarathkumar complained personally to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi about this illegal upload on the web. On the Chief Ministers directive, the Cyber Crime cell registered a case. Acting on a tip off that fake CD’s of the film were being sold in Chennai, the police raided different localities. In a press release, Radhika thanked the Chief Minister and the police for acting swiftly, which led to the huge haul of pirated video CD’s of the film
Buzz up!Jaggubhai was long in the making and was to finally release for this Pongal. The pirated version has no background music, so obviously it was taken before the re-recording and final mixing from the lab or somewhere.
According to sources, the footage available on the internet runs for two hours twenty four minutes with the complete climax. The Chennai cyber crime cell arrested Shankar Ganesh owner of an Internet site which uploaded the film.
Earlier, Radhika Sarathkumar complained personally to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi about this illegal upload on the web. On the Chief Ministers directive, the Cyber Crime cell registered a case. Acting on a tip off that fake CD’s of the film were being sold in Chennai, the police raided different localities. In a press release, Radhika thanked the Chief Minister and the police for acting swiftly, which led to the huge haul of pirated video CD’s of the film.
Nearly 50000 DVDs of Jaggubhai, the yet to be released Sarath Kumar - K S Ravikumar film, were seized by the Chennai police yesterday, against the complaint lodged by the producer of the film Radhika Sarathkumar. The police also arrested a web site owner in Coimbatore for uploading it illegally on his site!
Buzz up!Jaggubhai was long in the making and was to finally release for this Pongal. The pirated version has no background music, so obviously it was taken before the re-recording and final mixing from the lab or somewhere.
According to sources, the footage available on the internet runs for two hours twenty four minutes with the complete climax. The Chennai cyber crime cell arrested Shankar Ganesh owner of an Internet site which uploaded the film.
Earlier, Radhika Sarathkumar complained personally to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi about this illegal upload on the web. On the Chief Ministers directive, the Cyber Crime cell registered a case. Acting on a tip off that fake CD’s of the film were being sold in Chennai, the police raided different localities. In a press release, Radhika thanked the Chief Minister and the police for acting swiftly, which led to the huge haul of pirated video CD’s of the film
Buzz up!Jaggubhai was long in the making and was to finally release for this Pongal. The pirated version has no background music, so obviously it was taken before the re-recording and final mixing from the lab or somewhere.
According to sources, the footage available on the internet runs for two hours twenty four minutes with the complete climax. The Chennai cyber crime cell arrested Shankar Ganesh owner of an Internet site which uploaded the film.
Earlier, Radhika Sarathkumar complained personally to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi about this illegal upload on the web. On the Chief Ministers directive, the Cyber Crime cell registered a case. Acting on a tip off that fake CD’s of the film were being sold in Chennai, the police raided different localities. In a press release, Radhika thanked the Chief Minister and the police for acting swiftly, which led to the huge haul of pirated video CD’s of the film.
Infrastructure facilities to be upgraded in Coimbatore
Textile city Coimbatore is awaiting a massive facelift at a cost of Rs 178 crore ahead of the World Classical Tamil Conference to be held in the last week of June this year. A total of 72 roads spanning 96 km including several arterial roads within the city and roads surrounding it, will be upgraded.
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Monday ordered the construction of 3,840 multi-storied tenements in Ukkadam and Ammankulam areas and also ordered the creation of infrastructure facilities required for these tenements at a cost of Rs 118 crore. As many as 2,232 multi-storied tenements will be constructed at Ukkadam at a cost of Rs 68 crore and in Ammankulam, 1,608 tenements will be built at a cost of Rs 50 crore.
The entire upgradation work will be done under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to help providing housing facilities to the poor.
Besides, the Chief Minister has also directed the authorities to upgrade major roads within the city and roads which connect the city to the railway station, airport and the trade fair complex of the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association, which is regarded as the biggest in the country next to New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan.
Roads leading to the airport, bus stand and railway station which connect the Salem- Cochin Road on which the conference venue is located, roads which connect the Singanallur bus stand, the Coimbatore Central bus stand, and roads connecting the Ramanathapuram and Pothanur railway stations will also be upgraded.
Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Monday ordered the construction of 3,840 multi-storied tenements in Ukkadam and Ammankulam areas and also ordered the creation of infrastructure facilities required for these tenements at a cost of Rs 118 crore. As many as 2,232 multi-storied tenements will be constructed at Ukkadam at a cost of Rs 68 crore and in Ammankulam, 1,608 tenements will be built at a cost of Rs 50 crore.
The entire upgradation work will be done under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission to help providing housing facilities to the poor.
Besides, the Chief Minister has also directed the authorities to upgrade major roads within the city and roads which connect the city to the railway station, airport and the trade fair complex of the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association, which is regarded as the biggest in the country next to New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan.
Roads leading to the airport, bus stand and railway station which connect the Salem- Cochin Road on which the conference venue is located, roads which connect the Singanallur bus stand, the Coimbatore Central bus stand, and roads connecting the Ramanathapuram and Pothanur railway stations will also be upgraded.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Janatha Meal vanishes from Coimbatore Hotels
The Rs 20-meal, introduced by the Tamil Nadu Government in hotels for the benefit of the downtrodden, is no longer available in the eateries across the State.
The scheme, fondly called as Janatha Meal, was introduced in 2008 on the birthday of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on June 3 across the State.
It was made mandatory for all the hotels to serve Rs 20-meal, besides tiffin items like idly, dosa and hot drinks like tea and coffee at a reduced price, thus catering to the needs of the poor. However, now none of the hotels follow the price regulations stipulated by the government.
The hotels served the food items at a reduced rate for a few months, after which the Janatha Meals vanished from their menu. The Rs 20- meal should comprise 400 gram of rice, sambar, rasam, butter milk and a side dish.
The hotels were also asked not to compromise on the quality of the food items. Besides, the government insisted that tiffin items like idly, dosa, pongal and puri, also coffee and tea to be served by the hotels at a reduced price.
Due to the unchecked price rise in hotels at Coimbatore, which serves as a hub for migratory population working in textile units and construction industry, they are largely affected.
“Life is not the same as it were two years ago due to the rising cost of food items in the hotels. In fact, I spend a major share of my salary for food. The government should do something to check the rising prices of food items in the hotels,” said R Suresh, a batchelor, who works at a textile unit in Coimbatore.
Further there is also a general feeling among the public that the price of food items in Coimbatore are generally sold at higher rates than elsewhere. Even at any moderate level hotel in the city, the price of a meal is fixed at around Rs 40, besides, pongal, dosa and other items are sold at a price range of Rs 20 to 30.
Tamil Nadu Hotel Association Youth Wing President C R Senthil Kumar said the hotels could not serve the food items at the stipulated price due to the hike in input cost, besides increasing labour wages and rentals. “All the eateries managed to serve the food items at the government fixed rate for over a year, but now the hotels are helpless. So, it is not possible to serve at the fixed price,” he said. Kumar said the association has urged the government refix the rate of food items.
The scheme, fondly called as Janatha Meal, was introduced in 2008 on the birthday of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on June 3 across the State.
It was made mandatory for all the hotels to serve Rs 20-meal, besides tiffin items like idly, dosa and hot drinks like tea and coffee at a reduced price, thus catering to the needs of the poor. However, now none of the hotels follow the price regulations stipulated by the government.
The hotels served the food items at a reduced rate for a few months, after which the Janatha Meals vanished from their menu. The Rs 20- meal should comprise 400 gram of rice, sambar, rasam, butter milk and a side dish.
The hotels were also asked not to compromise on the quality of the food items. Besides, the government insisted that tiffin items like idly, dosa, pongal and puri, also coffee and tea to be served by the hotels at a reduced price.
Due to the unchecked price rise in hotels at Coimbatore, which serves as a hub for migratory population working in textile units and construction industry, they are largely affected.
“Life is not the same as it were two years ago due to the rising cost of food items in the hotels. In fact, I spend a major share of my salary for food. The government should do something to check the rising prices of food items in the hotels,” said R Suresh, a batchelor, who works at a textile unit in Coimbatore.
Further there is also a general feeling among the public that the price of food items in Coimbatore are generally sold at higher rates than elsewhere. Even at any moderate level hotel in the city, the price of a meal is fixed at around Rs 40, besides, pongal, dosa and other items are sold at a price range of Rs 20 to 30.
Tamil Nadu Hotel Association Youth Wing President C R Senthil Kumar said the hotels could not serve the food items at the stipulated price due to the hike in input cost, besides increasing labour wages and rentals. “All the eateries managed to serve the food items at the government fixed rate for over a year, but now the hotels are helpless. So, it is not possible to serve at the fixed price,” he said. Kumar said the association has urged the government refix the rate of food items.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Kongu Nadu Munnetra Kazhagam to stage agitations
Kongu Nadu Munnetra Kazhagam (KMK) has threatened to stage a series of agitations if the Centre and the State governments failed to come up with a solution for the issue of discharge of effluents into river Noyyal.
State President of KMK Best S. Ramasamy told journalists that indiscriminate discharge of untreated effluents from dyeing units had affected people in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Karur districts, causing ailments such as skin diseases, infertility and even kidney failure.
The effluents had also affected agriculture in this region substantially.
As per a Supreme Court order, dyeing units would be barred from discharging effluents into Noyyal from January 6.
The dyeing units have gone on strike citing constraints in complying with the court order. They had been asked to provide compensation to farmers, pay the penalty for effluents discharged so far, and ensure Orathuppalayam Dam was cleaned and de-silted.
The strike would affect lakhs of workers in hosiery and dyeing units as the two were allied industries.
The governments should depute a committee to closely monitor and spell out solutions. The trade was facing problems because of the effluents issue, Mr. Ramasamy said and added that the attitude of both the governments was ‘lethargic.’
State President of KMK Best S. Ramasamy told journalists that indiscriminate discharge of untreated effluents from dyeing units had affected people in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Karur districts, causing ailments such as skin diseases, infertility and even kidney failure.
The effluents had also affected agriculture in this region substantially.
As per a Supreme Court order, dyeing units would be barred from discharging effluents into Noyyal from January 6.
The dyeing units have gone on strike citing constraints in complying with the court order. They had been asked to provide compensation to farmers, pay the penalty for effluents discharged so far, and ensure Orathuppalayam Dam was cleaned and de-silted.
The strike would affect lakhs of workers in hosiery and dyeing units as the two were allied industries.
The governments should depute a committee to closely monitor and spell out solutions. The trade was facing problems because of the effluents issue, Mr. Ramasamy said and added that the attitude of both the governments was ‘lethargic.’
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
