Panruti T.Velmurugan expelled from Pattali Makkal Katchi

        The Pattali Makkal Katchi on Monday expelled T. Velmurugan, the joint general secretary of the party and two-time MLA, for anti-party activities and his “harsh remarks” against party founder S. Ramadoss and other senior leaders.

     The high-level committee meeting of the PMK held here on October 30 and 31 took a decision on his expulsion. “The 24-member body of the high-level committee on Sunday unanimously decided to expel him and the decision was implemented today,” PMK founder S. Ramadoss told The Hindu.

       Dr. Ramadoss said Mr. Velmurugan himself was present when an inquiry was conducted in the high-level committee meeting. “We had the recorded speech of Velmurugan in Cuddalore, addressing his supporters in the wake of Assembly elections. The committee watched and sought an explanation. He could not give a proper reply,” Dr. Ramadoss further said. The PMK leader accused Mr. Velmurugan of “planting” negative stories in some section of the media aimed at tarnishing the image of the party. Mr. Velmurugan, elected from the Panruti constituency two times, defeating veteran Panruti Ramachandran, functioned as the whip of the party in the previous Assembly.

      An articulate politician, Mr. Velmurugan was one of the MLAs who won the affection of the then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. However, he preferred an alliance with the AIADMK in the 2011 Assembly election. But the PMK leadership decided to go with the DMK. Mr. Velmurugan, contested from the newly created Neyveli Assembly constituency, instead of Panruti in the elections. He, however, lost to the AIADMK's M.P.S. Sivasubramaniyam. Asked for his comments, Mr. Velmurugan told The Hindu he was not given an opportunity to explain his position and was not informed about his expulsion.

           “I started my political career in the Vanniyar Sangam in the early eighties when I was 15 years old. I reached the position of joint general secretary of the party through hard work and loyalty to the leadership. I have faced cases and spent money for party activities by selling properties. I don't like to say anything else,” he said.

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அரசியலில் ஈடுபடும் என்.எல்.சி. ஊழியர்கள் மீது நடவடிக்கை: என்.எல்.சி. நிர்வாகம் முடிவு

நெய்வேலி:

              அரசியல் கட்சிகளின் பொறுப்புகளில் உள்ள என்.எல்.சி. ஊழியர்கள் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பது தொடர்பாக விளக்கம் கேட்டு நோட்டீஸ் வழங்க என்.எல்.சி. நிர்வாகம் முடிவு செய்துள்ளது.  

           என்.எல்.சி. நிறுவனத்தில் ஊழியர்களாக இருக்கும் பலர் அரசியல் கட்சிகளின் மாநிலம், மாவட்டம், ஒன்றியம் மற்றும் நகர பொறுப்புகளில் நிர்வாகிகளாக பதவி வகிக்கின்றனர். இவர்கள் அரசியல் கட்சிகளில் நிகழ்ச்சிகளில் பங்கேற்பதற்காக பல நேரங்களில் வெளியூர் செல்கின்றனர். இதனால் அவர்கள் சரிவர பணிக்கு வர முடியாத சூழல் நேரிடுகிறது.  மேலும் கட்சி நடவடிக்கைகளில் தீவிரமாக ஈடுபடும் நேரத்தில் கட்சியின் தலைமைக்கு கட்டுப்பட்டு, பொது நலத்துக்காக போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டு சிறை செல்லவும் நேரிடுகிறது. 

              அவ்வாறு ஒரு ஊழியர் சிறை செல்ல நேர்ந்தால், அது சட்டப்படி குற்றச்செயல் என்பதால், என்.எல்.சி. விதிமுறைகளின்படி அவர் மீது ஒழுங்கு நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டிய கட்டாயத்துக்கு நிர்வாகம் தள்ளப்படுகிறது.  ÷இது ஒருபுறம் இருக்கையில் அரசியல் கட்சிகளின் பொறுப்புகளில் உள்ள ஊழியர்கள் தினந்தோறும் பணிக்கு வந்தது போன்று தங்களது வருகையை பதிவுசெய்துவிட்டு, அதன்பின் அரசியல் கட்சிகளின் நிகழ்ச்சிகளில் கலந்து கொள்கின்றனர்.  

            அண்மையில் நடந்து முடிந்த சட்டமன்றத் தேர்தலின்போது நிறுவனத்தைச் சேர்ந்த பல ஊழியர்கள் தங்களது கட்சி வேட்பாளர்களுக்காக வெளியூர்களில் முகாமிட்டு தேர்தல் பிரசாரத்தில் ஈடுபட்டதாகவும், அவ்வாறு அவர்கள் தேர்தல் பிரசாத்தில் ஈடுபட்ட நாள்களில் என்.எல்.சி. பணிக்கு வந்தது போன்று, வருகைப் பதிவு செய்து ஊதியம் பெற்றிருப்பதாகவும் இதனால் நிர்வாகத்துக்கு இழப்பு ஏற்படுவதாக மர்மநபர்கள் சிலர் என்.எல்.சி. கண்காணிப்புத் துறைக்கு கடிதம் எழுதியதாகத் தெரிகிறது.  

             இதையடுத்து அவ்வாறு அரசியல் கட்சிகளின் பொறுப்புவகிக்கும் என்.எல்.சி. ஊழியர்களை அடையாளம் கண்டு அவர்கள் மீது துறை ரீதியாக நடவடிக்கை எடுப்பது தொடர்பாக விளக்கம் கேட்டு நோட்டீஸ் வழங்கவும் தயாராகிவுள்ளது என்எல்சி நிர்வாகம்.  

இது குறித்து சம்மந்தப்பட்ட அரசியல் கட்சிகள் பொறுப்பு வகிக்கும் நிறுவன ஊழியர்கள் கூறுகையில், 

             "இது காலங்காலமாக இருந்துவரும் நடைமுறை. நிர்வாகத்திற்கு இப்போதுதான் ஞானோதயம் ஏற்பட்டதா? இதையெல்லாம் சிறிது நாள்களுக்குத்தான். எங்களது ஆதரவு நிர்வாகத்துக்கு தேவை. எனவே பயப்படும் படியாக எதுவும் நடைபெறாது' என்றனர்.  நெய்வேலியில் மிகப்பெரிய அலுவலகத்தைக் கொண்டு, ஒரு ஏ.டி.ஜி.பி. அந்தஸ்தில் ஒரு தலைமை அதிகாரியுடன்,75-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட ஊழியர்களை வைத்துக் கொண்டு இயங்கும் என்.எல்.சி. கண்காணிப்புத் துறை, இத்தனை ஆண்டுகள் கண்டும் காணாமல் இருந்துவிட்டு தற்போதுதான் விழித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறதோ?

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Do not get upset by poll results, M.R.K.Panneerselvam tells cadres

NEYVELI: 

         The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Democratic Progressive Alliance met at Neyveli on Thursday to take stock of the situation arising out of the severe drubbing the front suffered in all the nine Assembly constituencies in Cuddalore district.

      Former Health Minister M.R.K.Panneerselvam, who lost the Kurinjipadi seat, chaired the meeting. He called upon the cadres of the DMK and the allied parties not to get upset by the defeat but continue to do party works on the direction of their respective leaders.

In the meeting the unsuccessful alliance candidates such as 

E.Pughazhendi (DMK—Cuddalore), 

T.Velmurugan (PMK—Neyveli), 

Saba Rajendran (DMK—Panruti),

T.Arivuselvan (PMK—Bhuvanagiri), 

T.Neethirajan (Congress—Vriddhachalam), 

VCK leader Thirumarban, 

District Congress Committee president A.Nedunchezhiyan and others participated.

However, the notable absentees who also lost the elections were 

D.Ravikumar (VCK—Kattumannarkoil), 

M.Sinthanaiselvan (VCK—Thittakudi) and

Sridhar Vandayar (Moovendar Munnetra Kazhagam—Chidambaram 

who contested on DMK symbol).

         Mr Panneerselvam said that having realized the plight of the people of Cuddalore district during monsoon seasons, as they were frequently subjected to flood ravages, former Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi had allotted Rs 600 crore for taking up permanent flood control measures. The latter also had launched many a welfare schemes from which almost all the families benefited. But soon after becoming Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa had arbitrarily set her sight on moving the Assembly and the Secretariat from the new building built at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore on the Omandurar Estate back to St.George Fort campus. It was for environmental reasons that Mr Karunanidhi had shifted the Assembly and the Secretariat to the new premises. Therefore, Ms Jayalalithaa's obduracy in reversing the decision was condemnable, he said.

          The proposal to remove certain portions, particularly relating to Mr Karunanidhi's contributions to Tamil language, from the syllabus under the equitable education system was not in the interest of the student community, he said. He alleged that on the one hand Ms Jayalalithaa claimed to take steps to maintain law and order, but on the other her cadres were letting loose violence in many parts of the State by targeting the houses of the leaders of the opposition parties and damaging their banners. He called upon the police not to remain mute spectators to such violence but take prompt action against the perpetrators. Endorsing the views the meeting passed resolutions on similar vein.

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Police to probe PMK T. Velmurugan MLA's allegations

CUDDALORE:

          All those who are involved in causing damage to the electronic voting machines in booth Nos.55 and 56 at Samattikuppam in Neyveli Assembly constituency, would be brought to book and duly convicted, said Ashwin Kotnis, Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore.

        Mr. Kotnis told The Hindu that 50 persons had already been booked in this regard. The SP said that T. Velmurugan MLA too had levelled very many other charges. He added that he had appointed Additional Deputy Superintendent of Police Ramakrishnan to inquire into the charges.

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Re-poll at Samattikuppam passes off peacefully

CUDDALORE: 

           The re-poll held on Saturday at two booths in Samattikuppam, falling under the Neyveli Assembly constituency, went off peacefully, recording an average of 83.56 per cent polling.

         The re-poll was conducted under the direct supervision of Additional Chief Electoral Officer D.Raajendiran, District Electoral Officer P.Seetharaman, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Pon.Manickavel and Superintendent of Police Ashwin Kotnis.Mr. Seetharaman told The Hindu that 810 of 961 voters cast their votes in booth number 55 (84.28 per cent polling) and 942 of 1,137 voters exercised their franchise in booth number 56 (82.84 per cent polling).

             On April 13, the polling trend was as follows: 854 voters polled in booth no.55 (89 per cent) and 1,006 in booth no.56 (88 per cent). The re-poll was ordered because miscreants forced their entry into the booths after polling hours, located on the Panchayat Middle School compound, snatched the electronic voting machines from the officials and broke them into pieces. Mr. Raajendiran told this correspondent that because of the law and order problem created at these booths on April 13, the re-poll was conducted on Saturday. He termed it an unexpected development (because it occurred at the end of the polling that otherwise went off peacefully during the day).

            The Additional CEO further said that compared to April 13 only 108 voters did not turn up for the re-poll. Soon after the commencement of the polling, Mr Raajendiran himself verified the booth slips in possession of the voters standing in the queue. He was seen in discussions with Mr. Seetharam and Mr. Kotnis during the course of the polling. The entire school premises had been brought under the security cordon of the weapon-wielding Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the whole of the campus was barricaded, making provision for separate queues for men and women voters.

             The RPF personnel themselves checked the booth slips before allowing the voters inside the campus. Inside the polling booths, the voters were dealt with in a systematic manner, such as making entries, allowing them to vote, and then asking them to spell out their names in front of the web-camera fitted laptops. At least four checkpoints, at a distance of 200 metres, had been put up on the road from the entry point of the village to the booths. The vehicles entering the village were thoroughly checked with a view to keep away outsiders.

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Miscreants who ransacked booths still at large: PMK MLA T. Velmurugan

CUDDALORE:

        Sitting Panruti MLA T. Velmurugan, now running for the newly-formed Neyveli Assembly constituency as the Pattali Makkal Katchi candidate, has alleged that certain criminal elements, who ransacked Samattikuppam polling stations on April 13, were still at large while innocent party workers had been secured by the police.

          Mr. Velmurugan said that he observed a fast at the Elections Department on St.George Fort premises in Chennai from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, urging authorities to arrest the real culprits. Later, he was taken to the B-1 Beach Police Station for inquiry and, on execution of a personal bond, was set free. Mr. Velmurugan said that the police had suddenly withdrawn the personal security guards provided to him for over a decade.

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