Enhance compensation for crops damaged in floods: Thirumavalavan

CUDDALORE: 

           Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader and MP Thol.Thirumavalavan has called upon the government to enhance the compensation for agricultural crops damaged in the floods from Rs 7,500 to Rs 15,000 a hectare and Rs 25,000 for an acre of betel leaves raised mainly by the minority community.

           After inspecting the flood-affected areas, along with D.Ravikumar, MLA, at Chidambaram on Friday, Mr Thirumavalavan told the presspersons that there were complaints in certain places that the relief had not properly reached them. Therefore, he urged the district administration to provide necessary relief to all the affected people without delay. As Chidambaram was repeatedly battered by recurring floods it deserved special attention in terms of flood control measures, he said.

          Asked whether the present political alliance would be expanded for the next Assembly elections, Mr Thirumavalavan said that any political party would be welcome into its fold, and of course with the consent of Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi. On the 2G spectrum scam, he said that even after A.Raja had resigned as Union Minister for Telecommunications and the CBI had seized of the issue, the opposition parties were paralysing the functioning of Parliament and this obviously showed their anti-Dalit attitude.

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Call to check pollution

CUDDALORE: 

          The SIPCOT Area Community Environmental Monitoring (SACEM), a body comprising local residents, environmentalists and social activists, has voiced concern over pollution levels in Cuddalore.

            Spokespersons of the SACEM, including M. Nizamudeen, told presspersons here on Friday that on the 26th anniversary of the Bhopal gas leak tragedy, it would be appropriate to know about the status of the environment in the SIPCOT Industrial Estate here. They released three reports on air samples collected from the industrial estate from July to August 2010. The reports indicated the presence of 19 toxic chemicals, of which six were carcinogens, much beyond the permitted levels prescribed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

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NLC chief clarifies on disinvestment

CUDDALORE: 

          Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NLC A.R. Ansari has said that since the NLC had sufficient funds at present, there was no proposal to raise funds through public issues.

          In a statement released here on Thursday, Mr. Ansari denied having made any observation to the effect (reported in a section of the press) that the Centre had proposed to disinvest 10 per cent of its shares in the NLC. He noted that disinvestment was the policy decision of the Centre and the NLC had no authority to decide on the issue. The size and timing of disinvestment would be decided by the Centre.

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