8/8/2019 Victoria Public Hall, Chennai

1/1

D. DANIEL RAJ

DC | COIMBATORE

Jan. 9: Trouble is brewingfor commuters in Coimbat-ore with Tamil Nadu StateTransport Corporationworkers here upset over theinterim relief announced bythe state, as it did not meetthe promise made by theruling party in its electionmanifesto.

Union members of the rul-ing party have torn up circu-lars put up in TNSTCoffices and are planning togo on a massive strike.

An interim relief ofbetween `2,000 and `4,534was announced for all per-manent staff of TNSTC, oraround 93,000 workers,excluding 35,000 tempo-rary workers, which,

TNSTC employees say, isfar from satisfactory.In the election manifesto,

they promised to get salaryfor TNSTC workers on parwith TNEB workers. Butthis is just one third of what

the TNEB workers are get-ting. Why has the promisenot been kept? asked CITUstate deputy secretary P.Kaliappan in a concersationwith Deccan Chronicle onSunday.

With Assembly electionson the anvil, the previouselection manifesto stillremains only on paper, hesaid, adding, The strikewill be launched at anytime. A meeting of CITUmembers will be held Mon-day morning to discuss theissue and other trade unionswill join in the afternoon.

AITUC state vice-presi-dent M. Arumugam saidfull details of the text hadnot yet been released but, asper the announcement, thewage increase was only ameagre 18 per cent, as

against the 44 per centpromised.He also claimed that only

the ruling party union hadsigned the settlement, whileother registered unionswere not called for the talks.

c m y k c m y k

Chennai Monday 10 January 2011

`60 crore hasbeen allotted torepair and layroads: MayorM. Subramanian

5Diabetologist

V. Mohanreceived anhonoraryD.Sc degree.

Cricketer SanathJayasurya to unveilthe jersey of cricketevent, ChennaisSuper Sixes.

DC

State

Visitors glance through books displayed at the 34th Chennai Book Fair, in the

city on Sunday.DC

flipping throughCULPRITS PUT ADVERTISEMENTS OFFERING LUCRATIVE JOBS

DC CORRESPONDENT

COIMBATORE

Jan. 9: The Coimbatorepolice has arrested threepeople including a womanfor running a fake employ-ment exchange and dupingmore than 100 jobseekersupto `5 crore in Coimbatoreand neighbouring districts.

Coimbatore police com-missioner C. Sylendra Babusaid R. Kaleeswaran, 33, hislive-in partner Renu aliasRasia, 27, and fatherRajendran, 55, wereinvolved in the job scam.

Their modus operandi wasto put advertisements claim-ing that there were jobopenings in leading compa-

nies across Tamil Nadu.Sometimes Kaleeswaran

and Renu contacted candi-dates who posted theirresums on employmentwebsites. Jobseekers werecalled for interviews andbased on their qualificationsRenu would promise alucrative job in leading con-cerns. In turn she woulddemand a service charge ofup to `5 lakh.

The fraud came to light

when Nesamanoharan ofKangeyampalayam in Sulur

lodged a complaint with theCoimbatore police commis-sioner, alleging thatKaleeswaran had duped herson of`1 lakh after promis-ing to get him a job.

Investigating officers saidKaleeswaran moved hisplacement office to Salem afew months ago after thecops launched a hunt forhim. The accused had runplacement centres calledSri Kumaran Tech inRamanathapuram, LakshmiIndustries Placement inSinganallur, Gandhipuramand Info ComputerTechnology in Salem andCoonoor districts.

A car, motorcycle, severalcheque books, 13 passports

and other documents havebeen seized from them.

modus

Jobseekerswere called

for interviews and off-ered jobs based on theirqualifications. Applicantsin turn paid servicecharges of up to `5 lakh.

operandi

TN breaks vow, TNSTC to strike

GEORGE ADIMATHRA

DC | CHENNAI

Jan. 9: Victoria PublicHall, also known as TownHall, in Chennai was erect-ed to honour Queen Victo-ria on her golden jubilee.

This Romanesque build-ing that was opened to thepublic in 1887 has wit-nessed numerous stage per-formances, lectures and hasalso, at times, been trans-formed into a ballroom in itsheydays.

From the outside, onecant guess that this redbrick and lime mortar build-ing between Chennai Cen-tral and Ripon Buildingshouses two large halls, oneon the ground floor and theother on the first floor,which are large enough tocomfortably seat 600 peopleeach.

The inclusion of Corinthi-an architectural features, aswell as its unique squaretower complete with a pyra-mid roof, gives an alluringbeauty to the building.

The hall, which wasdesigned for public gather-ings has witnessed impor-tant events like the protestmeet following the collapseof the Arbuthnot Bank andalso the first demonstrationof cinema, historian V.Sriram says.

Despite being unsuitablefor dramatic purposes,mostly due to its inferioracoustics, Victoria PublicHall was frequented bydrama groups, the mostimportant of them beingSuguna Vilasa Sabha(SVS).

The Sabhas associationwith the hall went on forover 40 years. Besides SVS,several officers associa-tions and amateur groupsconsidered it as the firstvenue for their dramaticperformances, Mr Sriramadds.

The downfall and neglectof the hall started along-

side the degradation of thePeoples Park and follow-ing appeals by heritageenthusiasts, the state gov-

ernment initiated plans torestore the building to itsformer glory, work onwhich is now underway.

Romanesque edificehosted key city events

ANUPAMA SUBRAMANIAN

DC | CHENNAI

Jan. 9: The Tamil Film Pro-ducers Council at a meetingon Sunday passed severalstringent resolutions, inclu-ding cancellation of licen-ces of theatres that sell tick-ets at higher rates than per-missible, and that moviehalls must run Tamil filmsfor 36 weeks in a year.

Sources said with onlynine hits among almost 200Tamil films released in2010, the hard-hit producerswere forced to take action.

After thanking chief min-ister M. Karunanidhi for hisbenevolent gestures towar-ds the Tamil film industry,including the recent housingscheme, council chairmanRamanarayanan, who chai-red the meeting, said sheercarelessness resulted inmost films released last yearnot recovering their cost.

Among the other resolu-tions passed was that theproducers would insist thatthe government exempt allTamil films (all non-dubbedmovies) screened in up to75 theatres from entertain-

ment tax. However, filmsplaying in more that 75 cin-ema halls should not beexempted from the tax.

The council requested thegovernment to increase thegrant given to small filmproducers from `7 lakh to`10 lakh.

Recalling their earlieragreement with the SouthIndian Film Artistes Associ-ation, the council said theproducers will pay 70 percent of the salary of theartistes during the shootingstage and the rest just beforethe films release.

Producers lay rules for theatres

DC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

Jan. 9: The city corporationis all set to open more dentaland eye clinics, as well asdialysis centres in north andsouth Chennai, followingthe good public patronagereceived from existing clin-ics in the areas.

With private clinicsfleecing the public, the cor-poration clinics, if wellmaintained, will be a boonfor the public, opinedmayor M. Subramaniam.

The specialised clinics,which were recently inau-gurated for eye and dentalailments, have become a hitwith the residents of northand south Chennai.

Following this, the citycorporation is gearing up toopen additional dental andeye clinics across the citywithin ten days. The open-ing of two dialysis centres isalso on the cards.

New dental clinics hadbeen announced after health

department officials foundthat there was poor oralhygiene and increasing den-tal ailments among thecitys youngsters, in arecent study by the corpora-tion focussing on children.

The corporation is alsoplanning to open eye clinicsand a 600-bedded commu-nicable diseases hospital insouth Chennai.

We are planning to openone dental clinic in eachzone. However, it will takesome time for the estimateto be ready as the hospital-requires central governmentfunding for construction,said the mayor.

Corporation set toopen more clinics

With privateclinics fleecing thepublic, the corpora-tion clinics, if wellmaintained, will bea boon for them

M. Subramaniam,Mayor of Chennai

MotherExpress

reaches city

Burglarssteal silver,cell phones

Statescan

DC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

Jan. 9: Mother Express, aphoto exhibition on railshowcasing the life anddeeds of Mother Teresa,was welcomed at the Cen-tral railway station in thecity on Sunday by division-al railway manager S.Anantharaman.

The train, designed by thecommittee of heritage andculture of the ministry ofrailways, will cover over100 cities and towns acrossthe Indian railway networkand showcase Mother Tere-sas selfless service to thepoor and destitute throughrare photographs culled outfrom the archives.

Pavementbookshopslure manyDC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

Jan. 9: If the annual bookfair in Chennai is attractingmore crowds every year,pavement bookshops are inno way lagging behind,thanks to the hundreds ofbook lovers who still fre-quent the roadside stalls.

Almost every author andtitle is available on thepavement, with copies infairly good shape.

Ranging from Shake-speares As you like it,which was published in1954, to Chetan Bhagatsbooks published in 2009,pavement shops have alm-ost all kinds of books andsell them at a discount too.

Bookseller K. Nand-hagopal, who opens his

store at 11 am says he isbusy throughout the day.

DC CORRESPONDENT

CHENNAI

Jan. 9: Burglars struck at apawn shop and a mobilephone store and made awaywith one and a half kg ofsilver items and 20 mobilephones in Kattupakkam onSaturday night.

Police said, the incidentcame to light on Sundaymorning when the shop-owner Prathap, 24, ofAnnai Indira Nagar came toopen his two shops.

The burglars broke openthe shutters of the two

adjacent shops to loot jew-ellery and other valuables,police said. Based on acomplaint from Prathap,Poonamallee police hasregistered a case and is onlookout for the culprits.

Couple held for duping

jobseekers of`5 crore

LOCKED HORNS

UPSET: TNSTC work-ers here upset overthe interim reliefannounced by thestate, as it did not meetthe promise made bythe ruling party in itselection manifesto.

NO RELIEF:An interimrelief of between`

2,000 and `4,534 wasannounced for all per-manent staff of TNSTC.

A meeting of CITUmembers will be heldMonday morning todiscuss the issue andother trade unions willjoin in the afternoon.

Union members ofthe ruling party havetorn up circulars putup in Tamil Nadu StateTransport Corporationoffices and are callingfor a massive strike.

CHENNAI REVISITED

Victoria Public Hall in the city, which was opened in1887 to honour Queen Victoria, was in a state ofneglect for a long time but work to restore the struc-ture has commenced. DC