1. DMK MLAs Return to House
After boycotting the session for four days, the DMK MLAs are getting back to the Assembly on Monday, 4 June, with ‘new hope’ to reflect the pubic issues in a ‘stubborn’ manner. The principal Opposition party, having a strength of 89 in a House of 235, walked out of the Assembly on 29 May when the House resumed for transacting business relating to demand for grants, saying they would boycott the entire session to show their displeasure over the manner in which orders were issued to permanently close down the Sterlite Copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi following the outrageous shootout.
In a sudden move, DMK working president Stalin changed his mind to announce that his party’s legislators would take part in the Assembly session bowing to the sentiments of the public and the views of the Opposition parties that were with DMK.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
2. Rescued From Bondage but Caught in Red Tape
Once they suffered in bondage, toiling under the sun for years together without pay. But, even after being rescued from bondage and issued release certificates, these labourers in Tamil Nadu continue to wait for what they are entitled to – an immediate cash assistance of Rs. 20,000 from the district administration under the Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour–2016.
Over the last few months, the Revenue Divisional Officers, who conducted raids in brick kilns and other places in various districts, have only been rescuing labourers from bondage and issuing release certificates but have not handed over the immediate cash assistance they are supposed to give the labourers.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Man Killed as Car Goes up in Flames
A city resident was burnt to death when his car went up in flames after hitting a barrel placed on the road by police near Retteri flyover on Sunday, 3 June.
M Dhakshanamoorthy, 35, was driving a Maruti Alto car at high speed at around 3 am when he hit one of the barrels police had placed with barricades on the Jawaharlal Nehru 100 feet road.
“After hitting the barrel the car swung to the other side of the road and quickly went up in flames,” said a police officer. “Passers-by tried to put out the fire and save him. But it was too late,” said a traffic policeman. In the video of the burning car, circulated on social media, people can be heard shouting that a man is inside the car.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
4. Expert Panel Clears 400 MLD Desalination Plant on OMR
The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Environment Ministry has recommended the setting up of a 400 MLD desalination plant at Perur on East Coast Road, for CRZ clearance.
The decision was taken at the 190th meeting of the EAC on 8 May. The EAC took note of a report submitted by a team after undertaking a site visit.
“The proposal was again taken up at the meeting and the recommendations and findings of the site visit were placed before the committee. The committee accepted the site visit report,” according to the minutes of the meeting.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Ariyalur Fossil Museum to be Ready by July-End
The State Archaeological Department is setting up a museum in Ariyalur that is said to have a large repository of fossils in the region. Work is likely to be completed in about two months and the museum would be inaugurated around the end of July, officials said.
“The construction work is complete, and only the electrical work is going on. Once that is complete, the museum should be ready for inauguration,” officials said.
The museum is being set up on 48.84 hectares and will also have an open air museum and a mini theatre.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. ‘My Views on Protests are Different from That of Rajini’s’
Protests should neither wane nor stop, and at the same time, they should not be stained by violence too, said actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam president Kamal Haasan on Sunday, 3 June.
Speaking to reporters at the Chennai airport before leaving for a meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday, 4 June, the actor said his views on protests were different from those of actor Rajinikanth.
“I am a student of Gandhi. There must be a character in protests, and that was there with Gandhi.
“Protests are not about fighting with guns and knives but even if guns are brought out, people should have the character to face them with an open heart,” he said.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. In Waste Management Integral Coach Factory Shows the Way
Ahead of the World Environment Day, civic bodies in and around Chennai have a lot to learn from the Integral Coach Factory, which launched its integrated solid waste management facility in January to handle the waste of its staff quarters.
The facility handles the waste of the four residential colonies, which are spread out in the industrial complex and house around 3,500 families.
While the ICF follows the source segregation model like the Chennai Corporation, its streets are litter-free and there are no overflowing dustbins at the end of street corners. However, it is not the residents who deserve the credit for the ‘green campus’.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
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