1. Political Leaders Hail CM's Announcement on Delta
Political leaders in Tamil Nadu have welcomed Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami’s announcement that the Cauvery delta region will be declared a protected agricultural zone. Welcoming the move, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K S Alagiri said industries other than those that damage agriculture could be allowed in the region.
Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary T T V Dhinakaran said the State government had finally realised the extent of public anger after trying to suppress the protests against hydrocarbon and methane extraction.
(Source: The Hindu)
2. Private Insurance Firm Asked to Pay Rs 27 Lakh to Accident Victim's Kin
Four years after a 20-year-old salesman died in a road accident near Ennore, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal has directed a private insurance company to pay a compensation of Rs 27.45 lakh to his family. The petition filed by KM Vijayakumar, father of KV Meianandan, said on June 30, 2015, his son was riding a bike on Ennore Expressway, when a lorry hit the bike.
His son suffered grievous injuries and died in a hospital. He was the sole breadwinner of the family. The tribunal, presided by S Umamaheswari, held that the accident occurred only due to the rash and negligent driving of lorry driver and directed TATA AIG Insurance Company to pay the compensation.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
3. Hike in Auto LPG Prices Worries Drivers
A hike in the price of auto liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs 7.37 a litre this month has worried autorickshaw drivers in the city. Though most three-wheelers have the capability to use petrol as fuel, drivers opt for LPG since the fuel is cheaper than petrol.
“A litre of petrol costs Rs 76, whereas LPG costs Rs 49.70. So we will naturally opt for LPG, the cheaper option. But when its price too goes up, we cannot afford to get paid the same for trips. Every week we also have to buy oil that costs Rs 180 a litre,” said Yuvaraj, an autorickshaw driver. Many autorickshaw drivers have opted to drive for private companies such as Ola and Uber, hoping that they will get at least a few trips every day.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. Proposal to Ban Parking of Buses Along GST Road
To decongest West Tambaram, a draft comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) has proposed banning of parking of MTC and long-distance buses along GST road. According to the report, since MTC buses are parked or terminated all along GST Road from Market Area till Tambaram Sanatorium Bus Stand, there is a need to shift the terminal to existing bus stand to avoid chaos in the already congested area.
The existing on-street terminal shall be used only as pick-up, drop off bays, the report said. The report said it has been observed from traffic surveys that a total of over 1.5 lakh vehicles are registered on GST Road. The road has a mix of heterogeneous traffic. On-street parking has been a menace for pedestrians as vehicles encroach pedestrians’ usage area forcing them to walk on the carriageway.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
5. Private Security Personnel Posted at Several MRTS Stations
For the first time, Southern Railway has posted private security personnel on the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) to enhance security at the stations. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has deputed more than 15 ex-servicemen at the stations. The proposal was mooted a few years ago.
The need to have private security personnel in the MRTS section was felt after incidents of sexual harassment of women commuters and several thefts were registered at the Taramani, Indira Nagar, Velachery and Chindatripet stations. A senior official of the RPF's Chennai division said a total of 16 private security persons have been posted a few days ago. Two persons each have been posted at the Perungudi, Taramani, Thiruvanmiyur, Indira Nagar, Greenways Road, Chepauk, and Chintadripet MRTS stations.
(Source: The Hindu)
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