QChennai: Kamal to Launch Party Today; 2,000 New State Buses Soon
Here is your roundup of the top stories from Chennai.
1. Party Launch: Kamal Haasan’s Political Drama Coming Soon
Veteran actor Kamal Haasan is set to launch his political party on Wednesday, 21 February. Haasan will begin his political journey from his birth place – Kamuthi in Ramanathapuram district. He will then hoist the party flag in Madurai. Haasan welcomed people to attend his party launch to “create a new era.” “I am going to explain (about my) new party and the gist of our policies... Please come, to create a new era,” he said.
The actor-turned-politician had become increasingly critical of the Tamil Nadu government following the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
Read the full story here.
2. STCs to Get 2,000 New Buses Soon
Eight State Transport Corporations (STCs), which have been saddled with aged buses, are set to get 2,000 new buses in the next six months. According to a schedule drawn up by the authorities, the initial set of 200 buses will be delivered by 31 May; 500 buses by 30 June; 700 buses a month later; and the remaining 600 buses by the end of August.
Last month, the government had said that of the STCs’ fleet of 22,000 buses, 15,000 vehicles were more than six-and-a-half years old, the normal life of a bus. Sources said Ashok Leyland will supply the chassis for the new buses. The government has roped in the services of 10 different firms for body building.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Body in Van Carrying Veggies Causes Flutter
The act of transporting a body with two elderly people and a consignment of vegetables and groceries from one branch to another of a hospice in Kancheepuram district caused a flutter on Tuesday. The shocking act of the hospice, which runs facilities in Dindigul, Paleswaram and Irumbuliyur in Kancheepuram, came to light when a woman, who was made to travel with the body, cried out when the van that left the Irumbuliyur branch near Tambaram was close to Paleswaram at around 2:30 pm.
On hearing her, passers-by on Idaiyathur Road intercepted the van to find the woman and a man being made to travel with vegetables, groceries and a body covered in a blanket. Personnel from the Salavakkam police station reached the spot and questioned the driver.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. Jaya’s Cook Deposes Before Panel
Rajammal, 70, a long-time employee of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, on Tuesday deposed before the Commission looking into the former chief minister’s death. Rajammal, who continues to live at the Poes Garden residence of Jayalalithaa, has been cooking for Jayalalithaa’s family for several decades. She hails from Madurai and reportedly joined the workforce when the former CM’s mother Vedavalli was still alive.
She was summoned after figuring on a list of 31 names – all employees of Jayalalithaa – submitted to the Commission by Jayalalithaa’s personal assistant S Poongundran.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Film Dues: SC Deadline for Latha Rajinikanth
The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave Mediaone Global Entertainment, a company in which Tamil actor Rajinikanth’s wife is a director, 12 weeks’ time to pay Rs 6.2 crore it owes a movie distribution company for the post-production work it did for the Tamil film Kochadaiyaan.
A Bench led by Justice Ranjan Gogoi passed the order while hearing an appeal filed by distribution company Ad Bureau Advertising Private Limited against an order passed by the Karnataka High Court on 10 March 2016 quashing criminal proceedings pending before a Magistrate court in Bengaluru.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. Heightened Security Ahead of PM’s Visit
Security arrangements in the city and Puducherry have been tightened ahead of the visit of VVIPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on different dates this week. Besides Modi, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh are visiting the state capital. The prime minister will arrive in Chennai from Surat on Saturday evening and thereafter take a helicopter to INS Adyar naval base from where he would proceed to Kalaivanar Arangam by road. He is scheduled to take part in the launch of Amma two-wheeler scheme on the birth anniversary of former chief minister Jayalalithaa.
Soon after his participation in the golden jubilee celebration of the Auroville International township, Aurobindo Ashram and a party event in Lawspet, Modi would leave for Chennai and then to Delhi.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. With ‘Stars’ on the Horizon, DMK Looks to Press Reset Button
Four years after reorganising the party structure by bifurcating and trifurcating the district units, the DMK high-command has decided to launch a yet another revamping exercise by constituting a committee headed by former Union Minister TR Baalu to make recommendations.
Former MP and spokesperson TKS Elangovan and sitting MLA S Austin are other members of the committee, which will submit its report by 20 March. The objective is to simplify the administration of the district units and revamp them so that they are in alignment with the Assembly constituencies.
(Source: The Hindu)
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