Page 68 - Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi arrives in New Delhi, to meet officials

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi arrived in the national capital on Friday late night.According to Raj Bhavan sources, Tamil Nadu Governor is likely to meet officials in the Capital.The visit to Delhi comes on the heels of his continuing war of words with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over the order sacking jailed DMK minister Senthil Balaji from the state cabinet.The dismissal order, however, was later put on hold at the behest of the governor.Balaji was dismissed by Governor Ravi from the council of minister following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14 in connection with a cash-for-jobs scam.Earlier, on Thursday Tamil Nadu Law Minister Thiru S Regupathy engaged in a war of words with the Tamil Nadu Governor alleging that the latter was shielding the Opposition leaders from corruption charges.Tamil Nadu Law Minister wrote to Governor Ravi seeking prosecution of former AIADMK ministers while alleging that the latter was shielding the Opposition leaders from ...

Senthil Balaji HCP: Arguments to commence before third judge on Jul 11

The Madras High Court will look into the Habeas Corpus Petition filed by arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji's wife from July 11, when the third judge will conduct the hearing following a spilt verdict by a division bench earlier on the matter. Justice C V Karthikeyan, who was named as the third judge to hear the HCP, passed an order on Friday to commence the arguments from July 11. Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate prepared a chart in a tabular form pointing out the difference of opinion between the two judges-- Justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy who gave the split verdict, and circulated the same to Balaji's counsel and to the court. In his order, the judge said the court has to test the difference of opinion expressed by the two judges i.e. whether the Enforcement Directorate has powers to seek police custody and if the HCP was maintainable after the detenu was remanded to judicial custody. This court also has to test whether the period of police cust

Guv trying to save former AIADMK ministers from graft charges: TN minister

While not naming the BJP, the minister said the governor was busy appeasing a certain political party as opposed to fulfilling his constitutional mandate

Tamil Nadu CM accuses Centre, says govt using UCC to target non-BJP states

'They (BJP-led NDA at the Centre) want to impose the UCC and use it against the non-BJP states. Those opposing it are being threatened with CBI, ED, and IT raids'

Indian Oil to invest Rs 54,000 crore in projects including TN refinery

The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Chennai, has committed to invest Rs 54,000 crore in various projects in Tamil Nadu in the next few years, including a 9 MMTPA (million metric tonnes per annum) grass-root refinery at an estimated cost of Rs 35,580 crore, its executive director and state head (TN & Puducherry) V C Asokan said here on Thursday. This new refinery, which will come up on about 1,300 acres of land in Nagapattinam, will produce petrol and diesel for BS-VI specifications and also polypropylene. The world's second-largest integrated lubes complex at Ammullaivoyal village for Rs 1,398 crore apart, the IOCL has planned to lay product pipelines (Rs 2,600 crore), gas pipelines including LPG (Rs 2,225 crore), CGD projects (Rs 7,570 crore), open new retail outlets and launch a modernisation programme (Rs 2,500 crore), build a captive POL/LPG jetty at Kamrajar port (Rs 921 crore), establish a terminal at Vallur (for Rs 724 crore) and set up a new terminal at Asanur (for .

Special court acquits Tamil Nadu minister Ponmudy in land grabbing case

A special court here trying cases against MPs and MLAs on Thursday acquitted Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minster K Ponmudy in a land grabbing case. Holding that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond any reasonable doubt, Special Judge G Jayavel acquitted Ponmudy, a senior DMK leader and six others. The prosecution case was that during the period 1996-2001 when Ponmudy was Transport minister in the then DMK regime, he had grabbed 3,630 sq. ft. of government land at Saidapet in the city and registered it in his mother-in-law's name. Following a complaint, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption filed the present case against Ponmudy and 9 others. During the pendency of the case, his mother-in-law and two others died.

Cauvery life issue, won't allow construction of Mekedatu dam: TN Minister

The Cauvery water sharing is not some ordinary matter but a 'life' issue and Tamil Nadu will not allow the construction of a dam across the inter-state river at Mekedatu by Karnataka, state minister Duraimurugan said here on Thursday. He was speaking to reporters early today upon his arrival from New Delhi after meeting Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat over the Cauvery issue. TN has flagged the lower realisation from the inter-state river with the Centre. The Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister pointed out at his state receiving lesser quantum of water from the Cauvery river as of July 3 and said if the situation continues the short-term 'kuruvai crops' in the delta districts may be affected. To protect the crops in the Cauvery Delta districts in the state, Karnataka has to release water from the river and for this purpose, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) "has to hold talks with Karnataka or order it to do so," he said, adding this request was conveyed to .

'Not just Tesla, TN may be the most preferred state for any big investor'

T R B Rajaa, the Minister for Industries, Investments and Commerce, Tamil Nadu government, is targeting $6 billion of investments in the EV sector in the near future

Tamil Nadu may attract 35% of all EV investments in India till 2030

State sees Rs 43,000 crore investment in two years; Hyundai, Ola, Ather among major players

Tamil Nadu govt considers 'unlocking' Ford India for real estate purposes

Other options such as plant takeover by an automobile manufacturer also on the table, says state industries minister

Bihar overtakes Tamil Nadu to become biggest MFI market in India

Bihar has overtaken Tamil Nadu to emerge as the state with the highest microlending borrowings as of March 2023, a report said on Wednesday. Bihar achieved the growth courtesy of a 13.5 per cent growth in the gross lending portfolio in the March quarter as compared with the preceding quarter, the report by a credit information company said. The report by Crif High Mark has put the overall Microfinance (MFI) borrowings in Bihar at Rs 48,900 crore as of March, which represents 14.5 per cent of the overall portfolio, while the same in Tamil Nadu stood at Rs 46,300 crore, representing 13.7 per cent of the overall outstanding. The overall MFI portfolio outstanding grew by 17.9 per cent to Rs 3.37 lakh crore at the end of March, the report said, adding that there was an improvement in the asset quality as well. The proportion of MFI loans overdue for over 90 days came down to 1.1 per cent as of March 2023, as against 2 per cent in December 2022, the report said. The top ten states now .

Drivers upbeat, hotels fret over Tamil Nadu's new accommodation norms

Apart from the huge investment separate staying facilities for drivers will entail, hotels also worry that the urban space crunch will prevent them from meeting the 250-metre rule set by the state

Police says rats ate up 22 kg of marijuana in storehouse, accused acquitted

Rajagopal and Nageshwara Rao were acquitted by the court as the police could not submit the amount of marijuana mentioned in the charge sheet

DMK regime asks Guv Ravi to give nod to prosecute former AIADMK ministers

Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi should not delay any further his sanction to prosecute former Ministers in the previous AIADMK regime and clear the 13 Bills pending with him for his assent, the State government urged Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. Writing to Ravi, Tamil Nadu Law Minister S Regupathy said no further steps could be taken in the case involving the Gutkha scam since no reply has been received from the Raj Bhavan on CBI's request for sanction to prosecute C Vijayabaskar and B V Ramana, former Ministers in the AIADMK regime (2016-21). On September 12, 2022, the CBI's plea for sanction was forwarded to the Governor by the state Cabinet. The central agency is probing the scam in which bribes were allegedly paid by the Gutkha firms. Vijayabaskar and Ramana were among the accused. The TN Law Minister said similarly, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) sought sanction to prosecute KC Veeramani and M R Vijayabaskar, also former Ministers in the AIADMK government. The ..

TN tweaks norms, directs hotels to provide accommodation for drivers

The Tamil Nadu government has amended rules making it mandatory for hotels and lodges to provide dormitory and toilet facilities to vehicle drivers of guests. A dormitory shall be provided by hotels and lodges to make exclusive accommodation available to the drivers of guests, amendments made by the government said. Space to move around the bed, one separate toilet and one separate bathroom for every eight beds have been mandated. The dormitory may be provided either within the premises of the hotel or lodge or within a distance of 250 meters radius of the premises, the government said. The Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building (TNCDB) Rules, 2019 has been amended mandating hotels and lodges to provide amenities such as dormitory to vehicle drivers. In this regard, two specific TNCDB rules have been tweaked. The amendments to the rules have been made by the Tamil Nadu Housing and Urban Development Department. A government order dated June 28, 2023 has been issued for this .

HC gives split verdict in Senthil case, matter to be referred to 3rd judge

The Madras high court on Tuesday delivered a split verdict in the case relating to the alleged illegal custody of Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). A division bench comprising Justices J Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy gave the split verdict and directed the Registry to place the matter before the Chief Justice for referring it to a third judge. While Justice Nisha Banu allowed the Habeas Corpus Petition, (HCP) filed by Megala, the wife of Balaji, Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy dismissed it. Holding that the HCP was maintainable, Justice Nisha Banu directed the police to set Balaji at liberty forthwith. Disagreeing with the judgment of Justice Nisha Banu, Justice Bharatha Chakravarthy in his order framed four questions and answered the same. The judge said the HCP was not maintainable. The petitioner has not made out any case to hold that the remand was no

TN kicks off BizBuddy Outreach programme to address industry concerns

SIPCOT or the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu is an institution owned by the Government of Tamil Nadu to promote industrial growth in the state

TN CM Stalin speaks to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, expresses solidarity

DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday expressed his party's support to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, whose party has suffered a split. Stalin spoke to the Maharashtra leader over the phone and conveyed the DMK's support to the NCP in taking on the BJP, sources said. On July 2, Sharad Pawar's nephew and NCP leader Ajit Pawar led a split in the NCP, taking eight party MLAs with him to ally with the BJP in Maharashtra. He took oath as deputy chief minister and the eight NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the alliance government led by the Shiv Sena breakaway Eknath Shinde and the BJP. In May, when Sharad Pawar said he would step down as NCP chief, Stalin was among those who appealed to him to reconsider his decision, as the veteran leader's heft would be required to forge a secular alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Sharad Pawar eventually withdrew his decision -- to resign from his position of national president of NCP -- in

Light to moderate rain likely at several districts in TN in 4 days: IMD

According to the IMD, a gyre zonal circulation prevails over the Southwest Bay of Bengal and also due to the variation in speed of westerly wind Tamil Nadu will experience light to moderate rainfall

Discrimination, untouchability has no place in Sanatana Dharma: TN Guv

Discrimination or untouchability has no place in Sanatana Dharma and aberrations cannot define the fundamental characteristics of this ancient dharma which is about uniting people as one family, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi said here on Saturday. In his address at the golden jubilee celebrations of a mutt here, Ravi referred to the lineage of saints of India, like Sri Adi Sankara, Sri Ramanujacharya, Sri Madhvacharya; Sri Raghavendra Swamy and the Nayanmars and Alwars. He said, 'there is no discrimination at all.' Such saints stood for equality, he said and cited examples including that of Ramanujacharya being a great proponent of equality. Such a tradition --of Sanatana Dharma and its values-- was passed on to generations of people by the saints. This is unique and no other civilisation could claim to have such a living ancient tradition, he said. "Some people out of their ignorance, they try to say that Sanatana Dharma is discrimination; untouchability, no, this is not. ...