Monthly Archives: April 2013

Tirupur, a hotspot for migrants

Business & Economy

TirupurCF20apr2013

Coimbatore : 

Its little wonder that Tirupur, which has established itself as a knitwear export hub on the global map is today attracting labour, not merely from the neighbouring districts in the State but from other parts of the country as well.

Industry insiders say that the number of job seekers from Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal among others is on the rise. From just around 5000-odd persons about four years back, the number is estimated to have risen to 40,000+ at present.

Preferring anonymity, an industry source said that some units have established recruitment offices in Bihar and Odisha. ‘With local labour becoming scarce, we have no option but look elsewhere to fill this void by allowing migrants from the north,’ the source said.

LABOUR DYNAMICS

And the labour dynamics is witnessing a change not just on the shop floor, but on the streets, canteen and eatery as well.

The Nethaji Apparel Park (NAP), on the outskirts of this dollar town houses 54 units and provides employment to around 17,000 labourers.

According to R. Subramaniam, Executive at NAP, at least 7000 of the total workforce at NAP units were from the northern and central parts of the country. “Most of the northern companies prefer to engage north Indian labour,” he said, justifying the significant rise in the number of migrant labour.

And in recent years, some of the garment exporters seem to have gone to the extent of getting cooks from these states to enable the workforce appease their hunger. “We realised that the migrant workers from north Indian states missed their food and decided to address this issue,” said an exporter.

J-Marks Exim (I) Private Ltd has, for instance, five units at NAP. Not less than 65-70 per cent of the workforce in this company is from the North.

Rakesh, aged about 21, is working in the bundling section at J-Marks. Hailing from a village near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, this youngster came to Tirupur two years back.

Stating that his uncle introduced him to this knitwear exporting unit, Rakesh told this correspondent that he has been able to send home around Rs 12,000 every alternate month. “Ours is an agricultural family. We cultivate wheat in our farm. I usually go home during the harvest season. My people are using this money for building a house,” he said.

Lakshman, a co-worker with Rakesh at the same unit says he came to Tirupur to eke out a living. These two along with ten others from Uttar Pradesh take turns and make their meal. “It’s no big deal,” says Lakshman.

ACCOMMODATION

Subramaniam said accommodation was becoming a major issue, with rentals hitting the roof. “We have a women’s hostel, which can accommodate 1,000 women. Many more are coming up in Tirupur,” he added.

An industry insider meanwhile pointed out that workers from different States preferred to live in colonies. “Perumanallur, located about 12 km from Tirupur is a Nepalese settlement,” the source said.

The units continued to provide conveyance. “Earlier, one would see the locals commuting in these buses. Now, a majority of the occupants in these buses are from other states,” said Subramaniam.

According to the NAP Executive, the employer reference is sought when such migrants seek rental accommodation.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> National / by  L.N. Revathy / Coimbatore – April 18th, 2013

Tiruchi Airport records 44 p.c. growth in cargo handling

Business & Economy, Records, All
The average monthly handling of cargo at the airport has gone up to 243 tonnes now against the 100 tonnes in 2010-11. File Photo: R. M. Rajarathinam / The Hindu
The average monthly handling of cargo at the airport has gone up to 243 tonnes now against the 100 tonnes in 2010-11. File Photo: R. M. Rajarathinam / The Hindu

Cargo terminal records highest monthly handling in March

Cargo exports from Tiruchi Airport have registered 44 per cent growth during 2012-13. The cargo terminal has also registered a new high by handling 395 tonnes of international cargo during March, the highest ever for the airport so far. The previous high was 313 tonnes handled in January early this year.

The cargo terminal at the airport has totally handled 2,920 tonnes of cargo during 2012-13 against 2,022 tonnes recorded during the previous financial year.

“The continued growth places Tiruchi International Airport as one of the leading cargo terminals among the non-metro airports under the control of the Airports Authority of India in the country,” said S. Dharmaraj, Airport Director.

The rise in exports come in the wake of the increase in the uplift capacity from Tiruchi after Tiger Airways started lifting cargo from here to Singapore in September last year.

Tiger Airways was the fourth major airline to lift cargo from the city after Sri Lankan Airlines, Air Asia, and Mihin Lanka. Air India Express, the other major operator from the city, remains the only airline that does not lift cargo though it has international operations from here.

The total available uplift capacity of the airlines for cargo from the city is around 350 to 400 tonnes a month and the terminal is inching towards full capacity utilisation, airport sources said.

The average monthly handling of cargo at the airport has also gone up to 243 tonnes now against the 100 tonnes in 2010-11.

Airport sources also indicate that the composition of the cargo exported from Tiruchi was also gradually changing though perishables, mainly vegetables and flowers, continue to account for 85 per cent of the exports. Of late, consignments of readymade garments, fabrics, leather goods, pharma products, tea, food products such as ‘murukku’ and other eatables, and household goods are gradually coming in.

Exports are mainly to Kuwait, Dubai, Colombo, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Colombo. The export market to Europe is still largely untapped for want of connectivity, as far as the airport here is concerned.

The expansion of the runway, paving the way for wide-bodied aircrafts, could lead to export of consignments to Europe from here. For instance, most of the handmade textile exports from Karur, headed for European markets, are currently sent by ship.

The cargo terminal is also expected to get a cold storage with a capacity of five tonnes soon with assistance from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Although tenders have been finalised by the AAI, the work order is yet to be issued pending release of funds from the APEDA.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities / by Special Correspondent / Tiruchi, April 03rd, 2013

Survivors of Time : Bridges of Madras – The concrete connect

Business & Economy, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All
The Adyar bridge in 2010. Photo: M. Karunakaran / The Hindu
The Adyar bridge in 2010. Photo: M. Karunakaran / The Hindu

In this concluding part on old bridges, Anusha Parthasarathy explores some lesser-known ones, besides the big names that define Chennai

As the 1700s dawned, more villages came under Madras. Governor Thomas Pitt, who took over in 1698, is credited with adding five more towns to the city — Trivatore, Nungumbaukum, Vasalavada, Catawauk and Satangadu. Soon, more bridges would be needed.

An Island bridge was projected by Yale in 1690 but wasn’t built until 1715, connecting the Fort to the Island, but this was damaged over and over again and was later removed because there was a diversion of the stream on which it was built.

Following this was the Triplicane Bridge, also known as St. George’s Bridge, Lord Willingdon Bridge, now the Periyar Bridge. According to Vestiges of Old Madras, it connected the Island to Triplicane, and the Fort to San Thome and the Mount. This was sometime between 1715 and 1718.

Periyar Bridge, a multi-arched bridge rebuilt in 1805, is of a different alignment.

THE MARMALONG BRIDGE

In 1726, one of the most popular bridges of Madras was being built — Marmalong Bridge, the first across the Adyar River. Built by the Armenian Coderjee Petrus Uscan (who came to Madras in 1724) with his own money, the bridge was named Marmalong after Mambalam, a village on the Adyar River, west of San Thome. The plaque on one of the pillars of the old bridge still exists, even if in another place altogether. There is no trace of Uscan’s arched bridge now and a concrete structure, Maraimalai Adigalar Bridge, has taken its place.

The plaque refers to the wealthy Armenian Coja Petrus Uscan / . Photo: S. Mahinsha / The Hindu
The plaque refers to the wealthy Armenian Coja Petrus Uscan / . Photo: S. Mahinsha / The Hindu

In 1755 came the Wallajah Bridge, connecting the Wallajah Gate of the Fort to the Island. The bridge ends and in the middle of this stretch is the Monroe statue, says S. Muthiah’s Madras Rediscovered. According to Vestiges of Old Madras, a stone inscription on the west end of the bridge says, ‘Wallajah Bridge, erected by Order of Government in 1755…’ This was widened and the new bridge, with concrete on one side, is now called the Quaid-e-Millath Bridge.

Except for those mentioned above, it has been difficult to pinpoint dates for the other bridges that were built in the 1700s and 1800s. While there is some information about a few of them, the stories of most arched bridges are foggy, to say the least.

Archival information

Hemachandra Rao has diligently gathered details from the State archives and other sources. “There is a rather old bridge down Chintadripet which leads to Ripon Building, called Law’s Bridge. A name plaque still exists,” he says. “If you look down at the river, you can even see an abandoned boat jetty nearby.” The bridge, however, is now full of garbage and just a walk down is an assault on one’s senses.

The famous Napier Bridge, which connects the entire stretch of the Marina with the Fort, was built in 1869 by Francis Napier, then Governor. This bridge was widened in 1999. “On this bridge, the arches are on the top, a rather different one,” says Rao.

Chepauk bridge, put up in 1961./ Photo: Parthasarathy / The Hindu
Chepauk bridge, put up in 1961./ Photo: Parthasarathy / The Hindu

Other bridges are the Chintadripet Bridge, which connects Chintadripet with Egmore. Turn right and you will land on St. Andrew’s Bridge, which is now popularly called Gandhi-Irwin Bridge. “When these bridges were constructed is not clear and there is very less information available,” says Rao, who also pinpoints that a left from Chintadripet bridge will take one down Lang’s Garden Road and to Harris Bridge (now Adhithanar Bridge), which, according to the plaque on one of its stone walls, was built in 1855.

Binny Bridge, adjacent to Connemara Hotel, is named after John Binny, whose residence became the Imperial Hotel, which is now the Vivanta by Taj Connemara. This also seems to be called Commander-in-Chief’s Bridge, which would lead us to think it was built in 1825 (according to H.D. Love’s book). “If you go down that road, you can see the arches of Anderson Bridge as you approach the Pantheon Road signal,” says Rao. This bridge is named after Dr. James Anderson, who had a botanic garden in the area once. The bridge was built in 1829.

There seems to have been a Monroe’s Bridge but it is no longer in use. An Elphinstone Bridge (1840) on River Adyar, seems to be the one in disuse on the side of the current Adyar Bridge, says Rao. Basin Bridge, named after a basin nearby to purify water, is one of the bridges on the Buckingham Canal. There seems to have been a Granduff Bridge nearby (named after an erstwhile Governor) but one can’t pinpoint its location. Chepauk Bridge, Royapuram Bridge over a railway line (the arches are clearer since there is no water beneath) and the Ice House Bridge are the others.

More links to the past

On the other side of Mount Road and Triplicane are a few more bridges that aren’t really talked about. The Luz Bridge connects Mylapore and Luz, Mundakanniamman Koil Bridge connects Luz to Kutchery Road and the Cancer Institute Bridge. Pycrofts Bridge, one on Edward Elliot’s Road (now R.K. Salai) near the DGP’s office, is lesser-known.

Mundakanniamman koil bridge in Mylapore /. Photo: K.N. Chary / The Hindu
Mundakanniamman koil bridge in Mylapore /. Photo: K.N. Chary / The Hindu

Even as the arches grow weary and their colours turn dull, these bridges witnessed the growth of this city, from its humble beginnings to the metropolis it has now become.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Anusha Parthasarthy / April 16th, 2013

Tough as leather

Business & Economy
lesson in longevity: A row of leather shopt on Vepery High Road. / Special arrangement / The Hindu
lesson in longevity: A row of leather shopt on Vepery High Road. / Special arrangement / The Hindu

Old leather shops on Vepery High Road prove they are made to last. YUIMI VASHUM reports

“My shop is like a studio for me, this is where new designs are born, and old ones are preserved,” says Abdullah (name changed), manager of a 25-year-old leather shop in Periamet.

A stretch, lined with leather shops, on Vepery High Road in Periamet is very easy to miss unless you are given to exploration. Being the oldest and the only area in Chennai that deals with tanned and semi-tanned leather on a large scale, you expect the place to be reeking of a thick smell of leather. But it is free of any strong smell.

With the city being invaded by big branded fancy apparel companies, this age-old leather lane is expected to go out of existence.

But Afroze Ahamed says, “This place will never run out of business, for we are the originals when it comes to leather”.

A sales man from Lee Grien Store says, “We get around two hundred customers daily and our business is finally booming”.

The shopkeepers know each other by their first names and chat over a cup of chai like old friends.

But when a customer shows up, they shrug off their friendliness and get competitive, rushing to meet him.

“Our biggest competitors are the other leather shops here; we couldn’t care less about the rest.

People who know good leather know it is only to be found here,” says S. Amjad of the Belt World store.

At a time when old businesses cannot be expected to withstand the currents of change, it is amazing that the leather show rooms on the Vepery High Road have survived to this day.

source: http://www.thehindu.com  / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Yuimi Vashum / Chennai,  April 03rd, 2013

Creative twist to leather products

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Science & Technologies

MathsyaCF18apr2013

Moving away from black, brown, tan and burgundy leathers, here is a line-up of leather products  with floral and tribal art-work that will be on display at Hotel  B R Mathsya, T Nagar. Designed and created by Nandini Sharma, this expo will display products like handbags, clutch purses, travel pouches, decorative boxes, executive folders, mobile pouches and photo frames.

Nandini has used a variety of materials such as leather, felt, tissue, hand-woven fabrics, decorative motifs, beads, stones and hand-painted leather appliqués, and combined them with a creative twist to make useful products for homes and offices.

The products will be on display on April 5 and 6 (Friday and Saturday) from 3 pm to 8 pm at the hotel’s conference hall and part of the proceeds will be donated for a noble cause towards the development of under-privileged women and children.

For further information, call 98410 58101.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Services – Chennai / April 04th, 2013

College girls produce documentary on millet

Green Initiatives/ Environment, Nature, Science & Technologies
Teachers and students of Fatima College watching a documentary 'Back to Tradition' in Madurai on Tuesday. / Photo: G. Moorthy / The Hindu
Teachers and students of Fatima College watching a documentary ‘Back to Tradition’ in Madurai on Tuesday. / Photo: G. Moorthy / The Hindu

The Chinese discovered a 4,000-year-old bowl of well preserved noodles made from foxtail millet and broomcorn millet at the Lajia archaeological site in 2002. Though such a discovery is yet to be made in India, it is no doubt true that the nutritious millet was once upon a time a staple diet of Indians too, says a group of students from Fatima College here.

A documentary film produced by first year postgraduate students of the English Department claims that millet lost their prime position in Indian kitchens due to excessive importance given to rice and wheat during the Green Revolution in 1960s.

The film, titled ‘Back to tradition — reviving legacy of small millet,’ was released by principal Rev. Sr. A. Jospin Nirmala Mary here on Tuesday.

Produced in association with the Centre for Development Communication of the DHAN Foundation, a non-governmental organisation here, the 12-minute documentary film highlighted how millet was superior to rice in terms of its nutritive values. Almost all millet varieties had much higher content of protein, magnesium and calcium than rice, it averred.

The students had visited rural pockets like Sengapadai, close to Thirumangalam near here, and interacted with the locals who cultivated and consumed millet as a preferred diet. They had documented rural women ruing about their urban counterparts relying excessively on electrical mixer grinders because they lacked the stamina to work on manual pounders.

“Women these days are weak because their diet does not contain nutritious millet preparations like Kammangkoozh and Kelviragu kanji,” says Ravimani, a farmer woman of Sengapadai.

Similar opinions were expressed by other villagers who cited consumption of millet to be the reason for rural people to possess the energy required for physical labour.

The students ended the documentary with a stress on the need to give back the prime place that millets once enjoyed in Indian kitchens. They also recalled with gratitude the support they received from M. Rosary Royar, Head of the Research Department of English; P. Krishnamurthi, team leader of CDC, DHAN Foundation and filmmaker T. Veerabathiran in producing the film.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Madurai / by Mohamed Imranullah S. / April 17th, 2013

Tamil Nadu to help weavers of Kandangi sarees

Business & Economy

Chennai : 

Seeking to give a push to the production of famous Chettinadu Kandangi sarees, Tamil Nadu Government on Wednesday said it would take steps to help weavers and help them get silk threads.

“The government would take steps to increase the production of Kandangi sarees by weavers in the state. If they come forward, the government would source silk threads to them,” state Handlooms and Textiles Minister S Sundararaj informed the Assembly.

He was replying to a query by Karaikudi MLA Cholan C T Palanichamy during the Question Hour. Palanichamy wanted to know whether the government would set up a Silk Welfare Board in Karaikudi.

Minister Sundararaj also said that the government would source silk from Bangalore and Mysore, if weavers in the state were interested.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> National / by PTI / Chennai, April 17th, 2013

Dindigul students win national award

Education, Records, All

Madurai :

Two students of Gandhigram Rural Institute, in Dindigul district’s Gandhigram village near here, have won the first prize with a cash award of Rs 40,000 at the National Student Research Convention held in Mumbai recently.

According to S. Karthigai Selvi, a Ph. D. student and M. Raj Kumar, an MCA student, their project, titled Radiological support system of brain abnormality detection from MRI Scans, was selected under the health science and allied sciences category.

The two say that the first 20 minutes is critical in a trauma care situation to save a patient. Their application could be used during such an emergency situation. When an MRI scan is done for head injuries, it could be made available through cloud computing and accessed through smart phones. The physician, using this application, can easily locate the injury and alert the supporting staff on the appropriate surgery plan, they explained.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Industry> Education / by Correspondent / Madurai, April 03rd, 2013

Mylapore Club takes trophy

Records, All, Sports
CHAMPION:The Mylapore Club team poses with the VGN-Prince of Arcot Trophy.— Photo: S.R. Raghunathan / The Hindu
CHAMPION:The Mylapore Club team poses with the VGN-Prince of Arcot Trophy.— Photo: S.R. Raghunathan / The Hindu

Mylapore Club won the VGN-Prince of Arcot trophy after defeating VGN by 20 runs in the final here on Sunday. Sandeep Srinivasan scalped six for 19 as VGN, chasing a target of 122 in 20 overs, was bowled out for 102.

The 15-club tournament, which is in its fifth year now, came to a close with a prize distribution ceremony at the Amir Mahal Palace.

Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, Chairman and Managing Directors of the VGN group, V.N. Devadoss and Pratish respectively, and former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu N. Ram gave away the prizes.

The scores:

Final : Mylapore Club 122 for seven in 20 overs (Karthik Narayanan 35, Surender two for 17, Arunai Vel two for 30) bt VGN 102 in 17.4 overs (Sridhar 35, Sandeep Srinivasan six for 19).

Semifinals : MCC 125 for eight in 20 overs (J. Harish 62, Rohan three for 27, Samrudh two for 16) lost to Mylapore Club 128 for two in 16.3 overs (Karthik Narayanan 40 n.o., Ashwin 36).

Indiranagar SC 129 for seven in 20 overs (K. Venkatesan 37, Louie Marieno 42, P. Sivakumar five for 27) lost to VGN 130 for four in 16.5 overs (E. Sivakumar 33 n.o., Vivek 51 n.o.).

Special awards: Man of the tournament : Karthik Narayanan (Mylapore Club); Best batsman : Vijay Nirmal (Presidency Club); Best bowler : P. Sivakumar (VGN); Promising youngster : D. Anchit (Mylapore); Outstanding contribution : Srinivasan (Presidency).

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports / by Sports Reporter / Chennai, April 01st, 2013

Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry delegation to take part in US expo

Business & Economy, World Opinion

Madurai :

A trade delegation from the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TNCCI) will be participating at the International Franchise Expo which would be held in New York from June 20 to 22. In wake of the preparations, Jennifer A McIntyre, consul general of the US consulate general and James Golsen, principal commercial officer from the consulate interacted with the members of the chamber on Thursday.

As many as 60 members from the chamber who are into various industry and trade will be visiting US during these days and participate in the franchise expo where 400 more companies from 100 countries are expected to participate.

Addressing the event, McIntyre said that US-India trade is expected to increase as the countries are to enter another treaty shortly. She assured help from the consulate for the members visiting the US.

Announcing various measures from the consulate to facilitate the visiting delegation, Golsen said that Mala Venkat, commercial specialist will accompany the delegation and render her expertise in the field. They will help them with entry, meetings with the desired companies, workshop and site visits. He also assured accessibility to industrialists, experts and politicians if required by the delegation. However, the delegation has to go through the regular procedures in the visa applications, Golsen said. Besides, they will organise a welcome meeting for the delegation upon returning where they can share the feedback of their visit to franchise expo, he said.

Senior president of the chamber, S Rethinavelu said that it is the first time, TNCCI is taking a delegation to the United States though they were contemplating such attempt for the last one decade.

N Jegadeesan, president of the chamber said the expo will be very helpful for entrepreneurs in Madurai. “The exposure towards 400-plus companies for franchising will be great experience and they are coming from all continents. There may be some companies in our neighbouring countries and we may not be aware of them. We can strike a deal of franchising with interested companies,” he said. The response to the delegation is overwhelming and they are planning to limit the numbers to 60. Lot of young entrepreneurs from the chamber are very eager to attend the expo, he said.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / TNN / April 05th, 2013