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The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
New-look Thoothukudi Airport ready with extended runway to receive larger flights even after dusk
The new-look Thoothukudi Airport with extended runway, night landing facilities and aesthetically constructed sprawling new terminal building is ready for inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 26 evening, according to BJP State president Nainar Nagenthiran. When the port town found a place in India's air traffic map in 1992, Thoothukudi became the second town in Tamil Nadu after Chennai to have air, sea, road and rail connectivity. Pinning hopes on the heavier industries and the seaport of Thoothukudi, 'Vayudoot Airlines', a regional airline, commenced its service to Thoothukudi this year as its flight landed on April 13, 1992 on the 1,350-long airstrip capable of handling only smaller aircraft. However, poor patronage put an end to this service within next 14 months. After a gap of three years, Thoothukudi Airport became alive again as NEPC resumed air service from Chennai to Thoothukudi via Kochi that consumed four-and-a-half hours, and the tiring, long travel kept the fliers away from taking flights to Chennai. And, the service came to an end again within next six months. Following repeated appeals to the government from the business community and the industrialists of Thoothukudi, budget carrier Air Deccan started its service on April 1, 2006. After the passenger traffic grew feverishly, two private carriers are offering nine services to Chennai and Bengaluru every day, and all the flights are almost full on any given day, as 'Thoothukudi flight' is the first choice for even the middle class families and their children working in software companies. 'In May 2025 alone, Thoothukudi Airport has handled more than 20,000 passengers. On May 13 alone, more than 1,000 passengers were handled, which shows the phenomenal growth of this airport which once had to be closed down due to poor patronage in its early days,' an AAI official recalled. With the number of passengers swelling manifold, the Airports Authority of India has now expanded the runway from 1,350 meters to 3,115 meters by acquiring over 600 acres of land on the eastern and western sides of the airport. An additional 110 acres of land have been assigned for the Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard flights. Runway width has been increased from 30 meters to 45 meters for handling larger aircraft like A320. The new terminal building with 17,341 square meter area with four entry gates, 21 check-in counters, seven baggage scanner, three aerobridges, 644 seats, isolation areas, five aircraft parking bays, a fire station, extended airstrip and night landing facilities have been created on an outlay of ₹381 crore to handle wide-bodied aircraft. Hence, most of the Indian cities including capital New Delhi and financial capital Mumbai are to be connected by air in near future. After the expansion, the Thoothukudi airport can handle up five aircrafts simultaneously and up to 1,400 passengers per hour which stood at just 156 earlier. More than 400 vehicles can be parked. 'The Prime Minister's Aircraft will be the first wide-bodied flight to land in Thoothukudi airport on August 26 around 8 p.m. as he will be flown from The Maldives. After formally inaugurating the new-look airport, the Prime Minister will leave for Tiruchi around 9.30 p.m.,' AAI officials said. (OUR PHOTOGRAPHER WILL SEND A PIX FOR THIS STORY)
The Hindu
18-07-2025
- The Hindu
People in large numbers throng Chamundi Hills on last Ashada Friday
The last Friday of the Ashada season witnessed a massive rush of devotees at the Chamundi Hills, as thousands of people visited the temple of Goddess Chamundeshwari to seek blessings. Visiting the Chamundeshwari temple on Ashada Fridays is a centuries-old tradition in the region, and has gained more traction in recent years. As a result, not only people from Mysuru, but also from nearby districts and other parts of the State made a beeline to the hill shrine on Friday. The temple was decorated with flowers to mark the event, while religious rites and ceremonies commenced at dawn. As the entry of private vehicles was banned to regulate traffic, KSRTC had introduced shuttle services from the Lalitha Mahal Palace grounds to Chamundi Hills for the devotees. In sync with the tradition, many devotees walked up 1008 steps barefoot leading to the shrine. Among them was Minister of State for MSMEs Shobha Karandlaje, who has been following this tradition for years. As it was the last Friday of Ashada, the district administration had anticipated heavy rush and had made adequate arrangements to enable the public to have a hassle-free darshan at the temple. But the authorities also had to manage the 'VIPs', including ministers and political leaders who made a beeline. Minister K.H. Muniyappa, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra, and others were among the ones who visited. The serpentine queue winding along the barricades was lengthy since dawn and police personnel were deployed in large numbers to handle any exigency.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Jagan never stood for farmers, alleges BJP
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dubbed the visit of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to a mango mandi in Chittoor district on Wednesday as 'politically motivated', and stated that he never stood for the farming community. BJP State spokesperson and TTD trust board member G. Bhanuprakash Reddy said that the visit was not an 'inspection', but taken up out of 'frustration'. At a media conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Reddy displayed mango varieties such as Benisha, Totapuri and Neelam, and asked if Mr. Jagan could recognise any of them. 'While he was in power, he never stood by the farmers. The demonstration by the Amaravati farmers for their survival is a classic example,' he said. While the farmers' woes had their roots in bumper production and market dynamics, the former Chief Minister, with no knowledge of the ground reality, pretends to support the farmers in a bid to corner the government, Mr. Bhanu added. The BJP leader called Mr. Jagan as 'politically unemployed' and alleged that he was creating controversies and disturbing peace in the State.
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Board member alleges scam in TTD's Ayurvedic pharmacy
TTD's trust board member and BJP State spokesperson G. Bhanuprakash Reddy on Monday accused the previous YSRCP government of misusing TTD's funds to the tune of ₹3.9 crore to resort to a scam in Ayurvedic pharmacy. The TTD runs an Ayurvedic pharmacy at Narasingapuram near Srinivasa Mangapuram, where the management installed machinery and equipment to make Panchagavya-based products, as part of its Desi cow conservation mission. 'The TTD trust board, at its meeting dated February 17, 2022, had resolved to purchase the set of 64 machinery/ equipment such as pulveriser, chopper, blender, dryer, rapid mixture granulator, de-dusting machine, capsule packing machine, bottle sealing machine etc from Hyderabad-based Sai Teja Steel Corporation for ₹3.90 crore. The entire set stands as scrap today and is not even worth ₹40,000', Mr. Reddy told media here on Monday. Lashing out at the previous government for resorting to large scale corruption by misusing the funds dropped by the devout into Srivari Hundi at the Tirumala temple, he said his investigation had revealed that the company which got the contract was found to be a small-time firm running in a shed. 'The staff working at the pharmacy also told us that the machinery was second hand in nature. This is how the previous administrators misused their position', he charged. Criticising the previous chairman and former MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy for making wild allegations against the present government, he questioned how the former chairman missed the 'corruption' by the previous board headed by his predecessor Y.V. Subba Reddy. 'Was it because you both belong to the same party?' he asked. Mr. Reddy demanded a thorough investigation into the deal and punitive action against the erring persons.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
TTD Trust Board member demands vigilance probe into ‘Tulabharam scam' in Tirumala during YSRCP government
The BJP State spokesperson and a member of the TTD Trust Board G. Bhanuprakash Reddy has demanded a vigilance probe into what he termed as 'Tulabharam scam' at the abode of Lord Venkateswara during the erstwhile YSR Congress Party government. Mr. Bhanuprakash Reddy formally addressed the complaint to Director-General of Police (Vigilance and Enforcement) and submitted the same to the Superintendent of Police (V&E), Tirupati, on Monday. Tulabharam is a form of fulfilment of vow, where the devotees weigh themselves against banana, rice, jaggery, coins etc., and submit the same as an offering to Lord Venkateswara. Alternately, they pay an equivalent amount worth the offering. In the complaint, he said that the amount offered by the devotees towards 'Tulabharam' had not reached the TTD exchequer during 2019-2024. His other charge was that an employee hired on contract basis was deployed to man the point, instead of a regular employee placed in the past. 'During the said period, the staff working at the Tulabharam had misappropriated lakhs of rupees daily by diverting the donated amount for their personal use', he said in the complaint. Further, he said that the modus operandi was to remit a smaller amount in the bank to avoid suspicion and siphon off the remaining funds. 'This is a form of deceiving the devotees, which amounts to criminal breach of trust', he told the media later. Immediately after coming to power in 2024, the NDA government had initiated vigilance probe into several cases of alleged irregularities, but 'Tulabharam' remained out of the department's radar, Mr. Bhanuprakash observed. He suspected the hands of influential persons in the scam, as the scores of complaints received from the devotees during the previous regime had been relegated to the dustbin.
