SC asks panel to reduce water level at Mullaperiyar dam by three feet

The Supreme Court today asked the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) and a sub-committee set up by Kerala to deal with the flood situation in the state to coordinate and explore the possibility of reducing the water level at the Mullaperiyar Dam by three feet.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice D Y Chandrachud asked Kerala and Tamil Nadu to abide by the directions given by NCMC on the rehabilitation of displaced people and the reduction of water level from the existing 142 feet to 139 feet at the dam.

The bench observed that it was not an expert to deal with such severe natural calamity and was leaving to the executive to contain the crisis.

The top court asked Kerala to submit the report on the steps taken on disaster management and rehabilitation measures.

The death toll in the monsoon fury in the southern state has crossed 167, while rains and flood water have caused extensive damage.

Rise in flood waters in Periyar River due to the rains and opening of the shutters of all major dams including Mullaperiyar, Cheruthoni, part of Idukki reservoir and Idamalayar, have severely affected the lives of people in downstream areas.

Maratha reservation: Sambhaji Brigade chief talks about genesis of demand

Maratha Reservation - A bandh was recently observed in different parts of Maharashtra, as part of the series of protests in the ongoing agitation of the Maratha community which is demanding reservation in education and employment sectors. Over the last two years, almost 60 silent marches have been held, all of them peaceful, except for the last few when violence broke out in parts.

It looks like the Marathas, unconvinced about the assurances given by Devendra Fadnavis government, are upping the ante.

The demand itself goes back 34 years. A leader of Mathadis (headloaders) Annasaheb Patil had committed suicide in 1982 over demands for Maratha reservation. The community, which is said to form 33% of Maharashtra’s population is the largest group in the state, enjoys a sizable representation in politics and in the sugar co-operative sector. Even several chief ministers of Maharashtra have been Marathas.

At the same time, it is relatively backward when it comes to the education and employment fronts. Now, community leaders, under the banner of several groups, have been agitating across the state and have been demanding the Other Backward Class (OBC) status along with a 16% quota.

With 47 agitations a day, Tamil Nadu protests put investors in a spot

Tamil Nadu Protest - Recently, a delegation from a global consulting firm visited Tamil Nadu and met with industrialists, industry chambers, politicians and journalists. The members were on a mission to understand the investment climate and ascertain whether the state was still a safe place for investors.

The questions over the investment worthiness of Tamil Nadu were puzzling given that the state is still the putative champion in terms of foreign direct investment inflows, ranking fourth in 2017 behind only Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka. However, their cause of worry came from a different quarter: ...Read Full Coverage

Opposition calls for Tamil Nadu 'bandh' over police killings

Opposition parties on Thursday called for a 'Tamil Nadu bandh' on Friday and sought the resignation of the "BJP's puppet government" in the state over the death of 13 people in police firing in protests against the Sterlite company in Thoothukudi.

DMK leader Kanimozhi accused the Modi government of remote-controlling the Tamil Nadu government and alleged that the Sterlite factory was able to thrive because of the support it received from the central and state governments.

It is important to know who ordered the police firing that killed 13 protesters in Thoothukudi town, the MP said.

The police action followed mass protests against the factory that locals say was depleting the water table in the region and also causing health hazards.

Thoothukudi's new Collector Sandeep Nanduri said that since the government had ordered an inquiry committee to probe the various incidents, it would be improper for him to comment on the issue.

Tamil Nadu bandh: DMK protests over Cauvery Water Management; 10 highlights

The Opposition-sponsored bandh in Tamil Nadu bandh on Thursday disrupted public life in the state and in Pondicherry. Protests, fasts and demonstrations are being held against the Union government’s failure to form the Cauvery Management Board. Farmers, traders, students, lawyers and film associations have joined Opposition to protest against Modi government.

The bandh has hit public transport as buses were off roads and shops and hotels remained shut. The main opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), along with Congress, the Communist parties and regional parties including Viduthalai Chiruthai Katchi (VCK) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), have called for the bandh demanding the setting up of the CMB as per a Supreme Court order. The apex court on February 16, directed the Centre to set up the authority to control the issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, within six weeks.

The Centre had approached the Supreme Court during at the end of March, seeking some clarification regarding the interpretation of its judgement.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu approached the Supreme Court alleging contempt of court against the Centre for not setting up the Board, as the lack of action violates the Court's order. The matter is listed for hearing on April 9.

Aircel services hit in Tamil Nadu, customers line up to port number

Crisis-hit telecom major Aircel is facing customers' fury in Tamil Nadu as its network was affected by the cessation of services by tower infrastructure provider owing to financial dispute.
With panic-stricken customers pushing for mobile number portability in large numbers, Aircel's server crashed, forcing customers to throng its limited number service centres across Tamil Nadu.
Aircel has around 15 million customers in Tamil Nadu, largest among states, out of the total 89 million customers across the country.

Aircel, promoted by Malaysian firm Maxis Communication, has been in financial crisis in the recent past due to severe competition and credit restrictions from banks. A proposed deal to merge the company with Reliance Communications also failed.

The latest issue started after one of the tower infrastructure provider, which operates 10,000 towers for Aircel in Tamil Nadu, allegedly switched off around 9,000 towers. The dispute is related to payment of a penalty to the infrastructure provider for around five to six circles closed down a few years back, said company sources.

Sasikala convicted in DA case: How a Poes Garden raid did her in

Over the past week or so, one of the staunch supporters of VK Sasikala claim to form a government in Tamil Nadu was BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. He was seen openly supporting her in TV channels and even met the governor at Chennai. Ironically then, the final blow that dashed Sasikala's hopes of occupying the chief minister's chair came from a bullet fired by Swamy two decades ago.

In fact, while Swamy's complaint named only Jayalalithaa, a raid of Poes garden and evidences gathered there and other locations in 1996-97, brought in Sasikala, her nephew VN Sudhakaran and her sister in law J Elavarasi as accused no 2, 3 and 4 in what came to be known as the disproportionate assets (DA) case.

The trial court judgment by Justice John Michael Cunha in September 2014, records that the criminal law was set in motion against former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa by Subramanian Swamy, the then president of Janata Dal.

He lodged a complaint on June 14, 1996 alleging that, subsequent to the assumption of the public office of the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa acquired properties and earned income disproportionate to her known source of income. The complaint came a month after the AIADMK was condemned to its worst defeat till date in the Assembly elections. Jayalalithaa herself lost in Barugur. Her party was reduced to four seats from 164, five years earlier.(Read More)

AIADMK is now with autocracy, says Presidium Chairman Madhusudanan

Adding a new twist in the Tamil Nadu politics, AIADMK Presidium Chairman E Madhusudanan Thursday met O Panneerselvam and extended his support. The development comes ahead few hours before Tamil Nadu governor is expected to reach Chennai.

Madhusudanan reached caretaker Chief Minister Panneerselvam house in the afternoon. Being an eminent figure in AIADMK, he chairs all the meetings of the Party, including the MLAs meeting held at Chennai yesterday.

Madusudanan is a close confidant of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. In fact Panneerselvam yesterday said that late Jayalalithaa wanted Madhusudanan to be general secretary.

Madhusudhan said: “AIADMK is now with autocracy and we need to save the Party so I decided to support OPS.”

Natham Viswanathan, one of the cabinet ministers who support OPS and was also a member of Jayalalithaa’s party, said, “The Party needs to be saved from Sasikala family.”(Read More)