Latest news with #Appavu


New Indian Express
5 days ago
- New Indian Express
TN Assembly Speaker alleges custodial torture in Tirunelveli worker's death in Madhya Pradesh
TIRUNELVELI: Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu raised suspicions of custodial torture in the death of a Tirunelveli-based 43-year-old worker at Ganj Basoda police station in Madhya Pradesh. According to a petition submitted by Appavu to Tirunelveli collector, on Thursday, 'Masanamuthu is survived by his wife and three children. Due to poverty, he had recently gone to Pune to work at an idly shop. He knew only Tamil, and decided to return to TN as he could not survive there after 20 days. He bought a train ticket to Chennai but mistakenly boarded another train arriving at Ganj Basoda station. He was taken to a police station on suspicion, where he died allegedly after being tortured. His body has been kept at the postmortem ward of the Rajiv Gandhi GH in MP,' Appavu said. In the petition, Masanamuthu's son M Sujin alleged that his father was physically tortured and killed during the interrogation. 'The Ganj Basoda police are responsible for my father's death,' he claimed. Speaking to media persons at the collectorate, Appavu insisted that the autopsy be conducted only after arranging for the procedure to be videographed. He hoped that CM Stalin will send officials to bring back Masanamuthu's body to the state.

The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
‘Ungaludan Stalin' grievances redress camps launched in districts; petitioners to get resolution within 45 days
'Ungaludan Stalin' camp, which has been introduced by bringing all major government departments under one roof in every local body for addressing the genuine grievances of the public within 45 days from the day of submission of their petition, was launched here on Tuesday. After Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched formally the scheme at Chidambaram in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu inaugurated the camp at Tirunelveli Town in the presence of District Collector R. Sukumar, Corporation Commissioner Monika Rana, Corporation Mayor G. Ramakrishnan, Palayamkottai MLA M. Abdul Wahab, Tirunelveli District Panchayat chairman V.S.R. Jegadeesh and Deputy Mayor K.R. Raju. Mr. Appavu said a total of 255 camps would be organised in the district including the areas falling under the jurisdiction of the Tirunelveli Corporation, 3 municipalities – Kalakkad, Ambasamudram and Vickramasingapuram, 17 town panchayats, 204 village panchayts in the district till October 7 from Tuesdays to Fridays. 'On the first day today (July 15), six camps to cover 19,165 households are being conducted. In the first one month – till August 14 – a total of 114 camps will be organised to cover 3,22,698 houses in the urban and the rural local bodies,' Mr. Appavu said. In urban areas, officials from 13 government departments, offering 43 services, will participate. Officials from 15 departments will be present in the camps to be held in rural areas to address grievances pertaining to 45 services. Since the petitioners have to submit their applications in the prescribed format, the applications and awareness pamphlets are being distributed through door-to-door campaign by the volunteers, even as 114 supervisors are monitoring and coordinating this exercise. Aadhar booths, police department's 'May I help you?' booths, preliminary screening health booths by the Public Health Department, E-seva centre are also be present in these camps. 'Regular review of the camps will be done by the senior officials designated for this purpose as the grievance will be redressed within 45 days from the date of the submission of the application,' Mr. Appavu said. Since significant number of petitions seeking the monthly assistance of ₹1,000 is submitted during the weekly grievances redress meet being conducted at the Collectorate on Mondays, four counters dedicated for this scheme has been set-up in 'Ungaludan Stalin' camp. Moreover, three counters have officials from the Department of Revenue to redress the grievances of the public since the public have to run from pillar to post to get the certificates being issued by this department or seek the help of the brokers camping in these offices to get things done. In Tenkasi district, Collector A.K. Kamal Kishore inaugurated the camp at Veerasigamani village in the presence of MLAs T. Sadan Thirumalaikumar and E. Raja. The Collector said 282 camps – 48 in municipalities, 56 in town panchayats and 178 village panchayats - would be organised till October 23. 'More than 1,200 volunteers have been deployed across the district for distributing to the public the applications and the booklet detailing the welfare schemes,' Mr. Kamal Kishore said. In Kanniyakumari district, Minister for Dairy Development T. Mano Thangaraj inaugurated the camp at Thiruvarambu Kuruvikkaadu under Thiruvattar town panchayat in Padmanabhapuram Assembly constituency in the presence of District Collector R. Alagumeena. The Minister said 341 camps would be conducted across the district till October 15 to redress the grievances of 7.14 lakh families in the district. In Thoothukudi district, Minister for Social Welfare P. Geetha Jeevan and MP Kanimozhi inaugurated the camp at Kovilpatti along with District Collector K. Elambahavath. They also handed over a retrofitted scooter to a beneficiary while 5 differently-abled persons were given mobile phones.

The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Speaker reviews progress of drinking water project to benefit Valliyoor, Radhapuram unions
Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu and District Collector R. Sukumar reviewed on Thursday the progress of the Tamirabharani Combined Drinking Water Scheme being implemented in Radhapuram Assembly constituency on an outlay of ₹605 crore for giving drinking water to 831 rural habitations. Mr. Appavu said the scheme would benefit the residents living in 18 village panchayats in Valliyoor panchayat union and 27 village panchayats in Radhapuram union. An infiltration well being sunk in the Tamirabharani River at Mela Munneerpallam would supply drinking water for this project. Besides expediting this work, the cables carrying powerlines to the infiltration well should be installed at the earliest. The water pumped from the infiltration well would be taken to the purification unit being established at Singikulam near Kalakkad with a capacity of 22.79 lakh litre. 'We've completed more than 95% of the work in the purification unit. Once this work is completed before August-end, it will start receiving water from the infiltration well at Mela Munneerpallam,' Mr. Appavu said. The Singikulam purification unit will supply 9.50 lakh litre water to the First Primary Overhead Tank at Pirandaimalai, from where water will be pumped to the 6.50 lakh litre capacity overhead tank coming-up at Therkku Valliyoor and another overhead tank with similar capacity at Radhapuram. Feeder pipes for 303.88 Km have been laid. 'Since the 831 habitations will start getting drinking water in another 90 days, I thank Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru, District Collector, TWAD Board officials and the local body representatives,' Mr. Appavu said. After the progress made in the project was explained by the TWAD Board officials, they also clarified the public representatives' doubts. Chairman of Tirunelveli district panchayat V. S. R. Jegadeesh, who hails from Appuvilai near Thisiyanvilai, TWAD Board officials, panchayat presidents from these two unions also participated in the review meeting.


The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
After enjoying loan waiver of ₹ 16 lakh crore, corporate firms collect toll from TNSTC buses, says Appavu
The Corporate firms that enjoyed a whopping loan waiver of ₹16 lakh crore, thanks to the largesse of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union Government are collecting toll from the Tamil Nadu State Corporation buses offering free travel for students and the women to encourage them to be productive workforce, Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu said. During an informal chat with the reporters here on Wednesday, Mr. Appavu, when asked about his reaction on the Court's order empowering 4 toll plazas in southern Tamil Nadu not to allow the TNSTC buses for the toll arrears to the tune of ₹276 crore, said the TNSTC, which operates buses to remote villages without increasing the fare even though the diesel is being sold at ₹92 a litre, also ply free buses for the women and the students. The Tamil Nadu Government bears this cost by paying over ₹3,700 crore a year to the TNSTC. Apart from this, the timely disbursal of salary to the TNSTC and State Express Transport Corporation workers had been ensured since 2021. 'Mr. Narendra Modi, if he is really concerned about the women empowerment and prosperity and the continued education of the children, should instruct the Ministry of Highways not to collect toll from the TNSTC buses for its yeomen service. However, he is supporting only these Corporate firms collecting toll from the TNSTC buses and giving them loan waiver to the tune of over 16 lakh crore. Mr. Modi also refuses to release Tamil Nadu's due share under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan citing the reason that the State had rejected the Centre's New Education Policy,' Mr. Appavu slammed. He also criticised the Indian Railways for having posted North Indians, who do not know Tamil, the local language, as gatekeepers at railway level crossings. 'Even after this serious issue has resulted in an accident killing three innocent children, the railway officials have not realised the gravity of the problem,' the Speaker said. He justified the use of temple funds for opening new schools and colleges for providing quality education to the children, especially students form poor families. Mr. Appavu also ridiculed Opposition Leader and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami's claim that the Stalin-led government's policies had strangulated the micro, small and medium industries. 'The State had 14.17 lakh MSME industries till 2021 and the present government has facilitated the creation of 17.95 lakh new MSME units in the past four years alone,' he said.

The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Workshop on preventing crime against women and children
A three-day workshop for multi-department personnel on prevention of crime against women and children commenced here on Wednesday. The event is being organised by the Department of Social Welfare with the objective of sensitising the personnel from social welfare, police, public health, education, child welfare and integrated child development departments to the measures to be taken to empower women and the children and and protect them from crimes of all sorts based on participants' experiences during their field visits. Inaugurating the workshop, Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu said the State government's special initiatives for protecting the wellbeing of women and the children had yielded excellent results as the women gross enrolment ratio in higher education had become the highest in the country while the school dropout number had come down after 'Puthumaipenn' and 'Thamizh Puthalvan' schemes were launched. The educational expenses of the 'first graduates' were being borne by Tamil Nadu government. While the livelihood of the poor rural women was being strengthened through the funding of self-help groups' business ventures to given them economic independence, the medical care being given to the pregnant women living in even remote corners of Tamil Nadu had brought down the maternal mortality rate to 42 per 1 lakh expectant mothers. 'Since the participants of this workshop might have encountered diverse experiences - both positive and negative – during their field visits, the same should be shared and discussed here for taking positive steps for the betterment of women and the children,' Mr. Appavu appealed. Collector R. Sukumar said 12,052 girls and over 9,900 boys were getting assistance through the 'Puthumaipenn' and 'Thamizh Puthalvan' schemes respectively for pursuing their higher education and the district administration was keen on cent per cent gross enrolment ratio in higher education by encouraging the children to get admitted in the colleges. Despite several challenges, including child marriage and poverty, steps had been taken to ensure the continued education of the children after Plus Two. 'After identifying the dropouts after passing Plus Two, we are visiting the houses of those children to encourage their parents to admit them in the colleges. When we found 88 girls from Melapalayam area became dropouts after passing Plus Two, more than 50 of them had been admitted to colleges, thanks to our sustained initiatives taken by the officials. Anyone coming across the dropouts should alert the police, social welfare, child development or education department officials, who will take due steps for admitting them either in the school or the college based on their qualification,' Dr. Sukumar said. District Revenue Officer M. Suganya, Corporation Mayor G. Ramakrishnan, and Palayamkottai MLA M. Abdul Wahab participated.