As houses and empty plots give way to shops and office complexes, the rich history behind the name of Arokiasamy Road seems to getting buried deeper by the day. Extending from Thadagam Road in the west till Sri Shanmugam Road, Arockiasamy Road is practically filled with landmarks either side.
It’s a favourite with young people in R S Puram because the burial ground is used as a playground by cricket and football lovers. The corporation’s Ammini Amma Girls High School, government Tamil Isai Kalloori, R S Puram Ladies Club and Purandara Dasar Hall, which is a favourite for functions, ot this street.
Historians say the road was named in the 1940s or 1950s as a minor tribute to a great man. “We have information that runs into pages about the man who played a significant role in making Coimbatore the city it is today,” said historian Perur K Jayaraman.
M Arokiasamy, born in 1857, began his career as a sub-registrar with the government. His grandfather had served as a minister in the erstwhile Thanjavur kingdom. Arokiasamy studied law and became a prominent advocate in the city and a member of the Coimbatore Bar Council. He began his career as a lawyer with British company Boison and Mills. “During his tenure as a lawyer he bought a lot of property all over the city and did a lot of social service,” says Jayaraman.
He became a municipal councillor in 1888, vice-chairman of the council between 1896 and 1899 and Coimbatore municipal chairman in 1913 and remained in the post till 1916. In 1912, he was awarded the Rao Bahadur title coronation medal by the British government. “Not many people know that a lot of prominent buildings and institutions owe their legacy to this gentleman,” says Jayaraman.
Arokiasamy was the secretary of the construction committee of Victoria Town Hall, out of which the corporation functions today. He was responsible for building the coronation memorial at Chidambaram Park. “He was the one who built the Indian Christian Students Hostel in 1925,” he says. He was also instrumental in setting up many Christian education institutions like CSI Boys High School, St Francis Convent and London Boys Mission School.
source: http://www,timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / TNN / July 21st, 2014
Milk production in Tamil Nadu has gone up by 1.2 lakh litres per day and 18,356 new born calves were added to the cattle population as a result of the 36,000 milch cows distributed by the initiatives of Chief Minister J Jayalalitha, Animal Husbandary Minister TKM Chinnayya said on Saturday.
Speaking at the valedictory of the 21st Annual Convention of Indian Society for Veterinary Immunology and Biotechnology at the Madras Veterinary College, he said the 6 lakh goats distributed free by the government have more than doubled their population to increase to 14.86 lakh.
According to him in the three years that the scheme has been implemented, about 1.2 lakh people who have received milch cows and over 1.5 lakh beneficiaries who have received goats are reaping the benefits of the scheme.
He also informed that Tamil Nadu accounts for 17.71 per cent of the poultry population of the country and more than 90 per cent of poultry products exported from India originates from the state.
The minister distributed several awards to the participating students and prize winning presentations at the conference which has drawn several delegates from the US and UK. Secretary to Government, Animal Husbandary, Dairying and Fisheries Department, S Vijayakumar, President of ISVIB, RK Singh, Dean of Virginia – Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, USA, Cyril Clarke and Vice -Chancellor of TANUVAS, TJ Harikrishnan, were present on the occasion.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / July 20th, 2014
Picture for representational purpose (Photo: DC archives)
Chennai:
The state government has proposed to set up a deep water port and a gas-based power plant (500 MW capacity) with a floating storage re-gasification unit (FSRU) project in Nagapattinam district as a joint venture with an estimated investment of Rs 3,500 crore.
The FSRU required for import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be on a charter basis. The land needed for the back up area for the deep water port for the gas- based power plant and future developments have been identified in south of Nagapattinam.
A policy note tabled by industries department in the assembly on Monday by industries minister P. Thangamani said plans were also on to set up maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in a 50-acre area adjoining the existing Chennai airport. The land has been identified for the project.
It has also been proposed to develop the components manufacturing park for aerospace industry in Sriperumbudur in an area of about 300 acre. Among some of the other projects proposed in the note include a plastic industries park that would be established at Voyalur vilage near Ponneri in Tiruvallur district for Rs 243 crore through the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).
It will have specialised infrastructure required to accommodate about 70 plastic goods manufacturing units. When fully developed, this park will be able to attract investments to the tune of Rs 2,100 crore and is expected to generate employment for about 25,000 people. The Centre will extend Rs 40 crore as grant for the project.
Tidco would also develop solar power parks to set up around 1000 MW of power projects in multiple locations in association with private players involving a total investment of Rs 9,000 crore. A petroleum, chemicals and petrochemicals investment region (PCPIR) project, would be implemented in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts to create manufacturing facilities.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by DC Correspondent / July 15th, 2014
Wabco India Ltd, a braking systems maker in the automobile industry, has bagged the Madras Management Association’s Award for Managerial Excellence in the manufacturing category, while iGate Global Solutions has won the award in the services category.
Vaishnavi Biotech
Vaishnavi Biotech is the winner in the small firms segment and National Institute of Technology, Trichy’s department of management studies, has bagged it in the institutions category.
R Chandrasekaran, Vice-Chairman, Cognizant, and Chairman of Nasscom; and Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, TVS Capital Funds, will be guests of honour at the awards function.
The companies, chosen for their business philosophies, will make presentations about their journey.
This is the 13th MMA Award for Managerial Excellence and is supported by the Murugappa Group and Mercedes Benz.
The awards will be given away at an event at Le Royal Meridien on Friday.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> National / by The Hindu Bureau / Chennai – July 02nd, 2014
From left to right: M M Murugappan, Vice Chairman, Murugappa Group, Chennai, with T Sathish Kumar, MD, Milky Mist Dairy Foods Pvt Ltd, Chittode, Erode district, and K. Srinivasan , Managing Director of Emerald Jewel Industry India Ltd., Coimbatore. Photo: Special Arrangement
Coimbatore :
K Srinivasan, Managing Director of Emerald Jewel Industry India Ltd, Coimbatore, has been awarded the ‘EO- Entrepreneur of the year 2014’ by the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation (EO), Coimbatore.
T Sathish Kumar, Managing Director, Milky Mist Dairy Foods Private Ltd, Chittode in Erode District, was chosen for the ‘Emerging Entrepreneur of the year 2014’ award.
The awards, given to young entrepreneurs from the western region of Tamil Nadu comprising Coimbatore, Tirupur, the Nilgiris, Erode, Namakkal and Salem districts, was presented by M M Murugappan, Vice Chairman of Murugappa Group, Chennai, at a function held here on Friday.
The organisation said that the award was given in recognition of entrepreneurs for their contribution in stimulating economic growth, in employment generation and for fulfilling their social responsibilities etc. Deloitte had collaborated with EO Coimbatore in this regard.
Karthikeyan Palanisamy, President, Coimbatore chapter, said that EO is a network of business owners in over 40 countries that facilitated small and large business owners to network and help each other to grow.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies / by R. Yegya Narayanan / Coimbatore – June 30th, 2014
Peanut vendor P.S. Gopalakrishnan on the Government Botanical Garden Road in Udhagamandalam. / Photo:M.Sathyamoorthy / The Hindu
His presence is not as conspicuous as his absence. That is Trichur Kilimangalam P.S. Gopalakrishnan, a septuagenarian, who along with his pushcart equipped with a stove, a hurricane lamp, a ladle, a pan and a stainless steel container is a familiar sight on the Government Botanical Garden road here.
Though his presence is taken for granted and people from all sections of the society here and many regular visitors are aware of the fact that he has been around for long, only a few know that it is now 50 years since he started wheeling a push cart with pea nuts. Though landmarks are aplenty in this vacation destination many tend to agree that the best known is Mr .Gopalakrishnan’s pushcart.
The landmark makes its appearance near the out gate of the Lawley Institute, a heritage club on Government Botanical Garden road everyday around 2 p.m. and remains there till late in the night monsoon rain or winter chillness notwithstanding.
Mr. Gopalakrishnan who is now about 72 has been pushing it between that place and his house or some place nearby almost everyday since 1964 selling roasted pea nuts. Ever since he started the business, he has stuck to the spot near the Lawley Institute. In the process very few among the large number of people who use the road fail to stop or slow down to exchange pleasantries with him or buy a packet of his peanuts.
The taste of his uniformly roasted (in hot sand) peanuts sold earlier in ‘potlams’ and now in packets has remained the same but the price has gone up over the years. Speaking to The Hindu the ‘kadalaikaran’ as he is popularly known said that a small ‘potlam’ which he had in the early days sold for ten paise started fetching fifteen paise in the early 1970s. A few years later 25 paise and 50 paise potlams were offered.
With coins becoming increasingly scarce he started selling Rs. 1 potlams. For sometime now small packets are being sold for Rs. 5 and slightly larger ones for Rs. 10. In a reminiscent mood he says that he dropped out of school after doing his Class V due to personal reasons and when he was around 20 years moved to Ooty in search of a livelihood.
Finding a ramshackle cart he had started selling peanuts. With perseverance enabling him to make ends meet, he got married in 1970.The couple has a daughter and two sons and all are married.
Stating “my worst experience was when I was attacked by a few stray ponies and my cart caught fire in 1972”, he said that he escaped with minor injuries. Regretting that with age catching up he is finding it increasingly difficult to stick to his routine.
“The strain of standing in a single spot for 50 years is beginning to tell”. He added that he would be happy if his health permits him to continue his trade for at least another couple of years.
Having endeared himself to people of all ages by patiently answering questions about himself and his trade and listening to the personal problems of his customers, many treat him as, ‘part of the family’. He cherishes a scarf thoughtfully bought for him from New York by a girl from the Lawrence School in Lovedale who has been eating his peanuts since the late 1980s. Many tourists particularly foreigners are intrigued and excited at the manner in which he roasts the peanuts and see in him a fine photo opportunity.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by D. Radhakrishnan / Udhagamandalam – June 30th, 2014
Country chicken farm at Keeranur in Sivaganga district. / Photo: L. Balachandar / The Hindu
Animal Husbandry Department plans to provide poultry sheds for free
As the country chicken (native breed or nattu kozhi) commands a niche market and prime rate compared to broiler chicken, the Department of Animal Husbandry has decided to encourage successful country chicken breeders by providing them additional sheds free of cost.
For the first time in Sivaganga district, those who had taken up country chicken breeding as an additional income generating source and bred three batches of birds, would be provided with an additional shed, costing about Rs. 1.25 lakh free of cost this year. The sheds measuring 331 square feet, would be built by involving the workers employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), said T.Nagarajan, Joint Director of Animal Husbandry and B.Manivannan, Nodal officer, poultry scheme during a field visit.
The department has launched the process of short listing existing breeders to extend the benefit, they said. Besides, 160 new beneficiaries would be given front ended subsidy of Rs. 29,250 each to set up poultry farms during the current year under the State Poultry development scheme, they added.
The beneficiaries would also be entitled for back ended subsidy of an equivalent amount by the National Bank for Rural Development (NABARD) if they set up the farms, costing Rs. 1.25 lakh by availing loans from public sector banks. However, not many could get bank loans last year, they said. “We proposed 90 out of 240 beneficiaries for bank loans last year, but only 22 were given,” they said.
When contacted, sources in the lead bank said the banks could not concentrate on the loan applications last year when the model code of conduct for the elections was in force. This year public sector banks would be instructed to examine all applications and provide loans to eligible breeders, the sources said.
S. Kaleeswaran and his wife K. Sathya, practicing integrated livestock farming at their farm in Keeranur, have set up a country chicken poultry farm and had made a profit of Rs. 25,000 when they sold the batch of 220 birds. They, however, lost the second batch of 250 birds following diseases.
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon K.Suganya who periodically visited the farm said the birds had died of Raniket and Coccidiosis diseases, which affect the birds due to poor maintenance of litter. The farmers were advised to follow guidelines to avoid mortality, she said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National / by D. J. Walter Scott / Kalayarkoil (Sivaganga) – June 29th, 2014
Giving clothes a second innings: Employees of Re-Stitch Point./ Photo: K. Pichumani / The Hindu
For 25 years, this small establishment in Mylapore has made a business out of a need to alter clothes, reports Liffy Thomas
Finding a tailor who specialises in altering stitched clothes is a challenge. More likely than not, your regular tailor is not keen on alteration work. If he accepts such work, he is likely to sit on it for a few weeks. And then, you don’t always trust the road-side tailor with an expensive dress.
For 25 years now, this shop specialises only in alteration of clothes for men and women. Re-Stitch Point at Mylapore does not take up stitching jobs. It does not have to. It has a huge number of customers giving it re-stitching jobs.
Not many tailors are keen on taking up such work, so that makes us different from most tailors, says M. Sashikala, who owns the shop.
Five tailors and two front-office staff take care of the day-to-day activities: taking measurement of customers and altering clothes.
From patchwork on an old and torn jeans to re-sizing a salwar kameez , the shop does it all, except for altering blouses.
A good number of customers want clothes altered for sentimental reasons.
For instance, a lady customer wanted a pair of trousers worn by her brother, who passed away, altered to fit her so that she could continue to wear it.
“It was a low-waist trouser and we had to add extra material to make it her fit,” said a staff that altering was more challenging that stitching.
Amjad Khan, who has been working in the shop for the last two decades, says the most difficult task is increasing the waist. “Unlike other parts that have extra stitches, here we have to get almost matching material to increase the waist,” he says.
Re-Stitch is keen on expanding, provided it gets more employees.
The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.
Chennai, well-known for its rich Kanjeevaram saris, can undoubtedly be called India’s Mecca of silk./ Photo: K.V. Srinivasan / The Hindu
In the age of social media, the traditional garment is unfurling itself in more ways than you can imagine. Pragya Priyadarshini traverses the lanes of T. Nagar to tell you why
If you think tradition and technology make for an incongruous marriage, think again. ‘Sari’, an app, can teach you how to drape your six unstitched yards like a professional, while your mother’s trusted silk-store is now creating Style Boards on Pinterest. The age-old sari has unfurled itself in more dimensions than our minds ever imagined.
Whether it is granting the wishes of its young connoisseurs or wooing the larger audience through the Internet, Sari like a mythological goddess with a hundred hands, is managing the incredible feat of pleasing women of all age-groups and how!
“Everything is quick now, the customers send us the designs of their choice through WhatsApp and we get them manufactured at our factory,” says A.B. Sidiq of Madeena Kalanther, a store in T. Nagar. “The designs are mostly from films, and television, especially Bollywood,” he says, as he turns the pages of the latest sari design catalogue, frequently pausing to point out the “filmi-saris” to me.
At a time when older generations are concerned about the increasing loss of tradition, the World Wide Web has made sure that the sari retains its magical charm in an ever-changing scenario. “With close to six lakh followers on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest accounts, we are ahead of our competitors on social media,” beams Priyadarshini Ramesh of Pothy Silks. At 23, Priyadarshini, just out of college, is all set to bring in a fresh perspective to the business that her great-grandfather set up almost a century ago.
Chennai, well-known for its rich Kanjeevaram saris, can undoubtedly be called India’s Mecca of silk. The city exports saris to Germany, Russia and France where they have graced numerous red carpets. As I walk through the bustling streets of T. Nagar, making my way through the evening crowds with the aroma of lip-smacking street food hanging heavily in the air, each sari shop appears to be more lavish than the other. Some shops are spread across multiple floors, dressed in carved wood and glass-chandeliers, while others have an army of salesmen in matching uniforms to assist you, their lips curved in welcoming smiles, their hands joined in a vanakkam. Some of these shops have been here for more than half a century while the others, relatively new, are quickly catching up in terms of variety.
There was a time when saris from Chennai meant being exuberant Kanjeevarams with gold borders and temple prints, gracefully ending in pallavs with tassels. Snap out of that dream! Far from the Ramakathas and Dasavatara tales from olden times spun on them in conventional reds, blues and greens, saris today are inspired by every colour and theme under the sun. Saris are not confined anymore to Kanjeevarams and Pochampallis. From Kollywood designs to prints of auto-rickshaws, you’ll find symbols of namma Chennai ooru in a variety of saris.
“I have never seen my mother in anything else than a sari, she loves her silks,” says Amrutheshwari V., 23. When asked if she would wear one herself, she giggles, saying, “Yes, I would, but something more stylish you know, something modern.”
As I wander on my sari-quest through the city, at several places I am greeted with the new-age kitschy palm prints and Madhubani-inspired saris in bright colours. “You can’t wear heavy silks for occasions such as ethnic day in college or the valedictory function. Silks are okay for weddings, but for other occasions I would love to go for some funky kitsch designs on chiffons or crepes,” says 21-year-old Karthika Suresh, who speaks for girls of her generation. With street style trickling in, these new age saris also jostle for space alongside silks in many of the stores. “Saris in kitschy colours and prints are fashionable and fun, and they have been in demand, especially with youngsters, for three years now. Earlier, for all the wedding events, we wore just silks, but girls now want to wear something other than silk at receptions. That is where kitsch comes in, there’s nothing wrong with it,” says Priyadarshini. “Personally I would like to wear the designs and the silk that my grandmother wore 50 years ago. Fashion always gets back to its roots.”
Another store stocks a collection of beautiful half-saris called ‘Kochadaiiyaan’, named after the latest Rajinikanth flick. “There are always some customers who come looking for film names, every shop has them these days. Anything worn by Deepika (Padukone) or Sonam (Kapoor) becomes a hit, we have to meet the demand,” the manager says.
When some 150 years ago, Raja Ravi Verma, through his paintings, popularised the nivi drape as the Indian way of wearing a sari (with the pleats in front and the loose end draped across the shoulder), would he have ever imagined that this elaborate process of placing, pleating and pinning would turn into a quick-fix “tuck-and-go” affair. Gone are the days when grandmothers and mothers would spend their evenings carefully sewing gold borders onto their daughter’s trousseau, and chiffons and georgettes were ordered from abroad.
A lady’s silks were a symbol of prestige. While some lament the loss of hand-woven saris that lasted decades and were passed on as heirlooms, light and convenient machine-made saris have come as a whiff of fresh air to others. Either way, each strand of this six-yard- long canvas still has a story to tell. It is the story of a tradition, which has gracefully made its way from the treasure chests of our grandmothers to the aisles of modern-day boutiques. One that has synchronised its rhythm with our fast-paced times. Like a perpetually flowing river it can never go out of fashion. A celebration of our culture, our history and who we are, the sari is here to stay.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Pragya Priyadarshini / Chennai – June 27th, 2014
Taking the recently constructed fish landing centre at Nagore to a higher degree of functionality, a new project of building breakwaters (bulkheads) to prevent siltation of the bar mouth at Vettar in Nagore has been launched here.
The project envisages setting up of breakwaters of up to 330 metres long, with an underwater depth of 4.3 metres and above water height of four metres.
The proposal envisions providing a secure harbour in the fish landing centre for the fishing boats that were hampered by intense and frequent siltation resulting from long-shore drift.
An official source told The Hindu that the heightened siltation and sedimentation is caused by similar bulkheads built by the Marg Port in Vanjoor in the vicinity of Nagore.
The fish landing centre was recently made operational at a cost of Rs. 6 crore.
However, the fishing boats faced difficulties in passing through Vettar bar mouth because of siltation, posing the need for frequent dredging.
The breakwater project under the Modernisation of Coastal Inlet of the Vettar and funded by NABARD under its Rural Infrastructure Development Scheme envisages an estimated cost of Rs. 11 crore.
For NABARD, it is the 19th scheme under RIDS for the district.
The project implemented by the Fisheries Department has been awarded to Erode-based Sripathi Associates with a completion period of 12 months.
Consultations for the project has been provided by IIT Madras.
According to the official, the project is proposed to be completed within nine months, with a three-month buffer period in the event of monsoon hurdles.
Earlier, the foundation stone for the project was laid by Minister for Fisheries K.A. Jayapal here.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by Staff Reporter / Nagapattinam – June 24th, 2014
