Independence day celbrated in districts

Coimbatore District Collector, T N Hariharan today unfurled the tricolour to mark the 70th Independence day celebrations in the district.
After receiving the salute at a parade, Hariharan honoured freedom fighters by adorning shawls and distributed welfare schemes worth Rs 2.23 crore to 144 beneficiaries.
The beneficiaries, include ex-servicemen, physically disabled and persons from minority communities and also 64 persons from the district, who were given educational loans and assistance for self-employment to the tune of Rs 1.78 crore by district lead bank.
Security was tight in and around the VOC Park grounds, the venue.
An Indian Air Force band, specially flown in from Bengaluru, enthralled the locals with patriotic songs on the eve of the 70th Independence Day, during a musical concert here, last night.

The 38-member band was led by master Warrant Officer, A L Maxwell.

The concert was held under the auspices of Air Force Administrative College here, under guidance and leadership of Air Commodore Nitin Vaidya, its Commandant.
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Addressing a meeting after unfurling the national flag, Madurai Divisional Railway Manager S K Garg expressed hope that doubling of track between Villipuram and Madurai would be competed by the end of this year.
He said 1.11 lakh additional berths had been created in madurai division by augmenting coaches on permanent and temporary basis.
Under green corridor programme, two lakh trees would be planted in Rameswaram-manamadurai section where greenery was being undertaken successfully, he added.