T Nagar paying for shoddy Smart City works: Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday reiterated his charge that T Nagar in Chennai suffered a lot owing to the irregularities in the Smart Cities Mission. Addressing reporters after visiting inundated areas such as T Nagar, Nandhanam, GN Chetty road, Viswanathapuram, and Rangarajapuram, Stalin said the previous AIADMK government didn’t carry out smart city works properly as they “took commission” and “committed scams”. He added that the stagnant rainwater in the Vijayaraghava road is being drained using pumps.

On seeking relief assistance from the Centre, Stalin said his government decided to wait as rains are expected in the next two days as well. The State government, in the meantime, is focussing on relief measures in the affected areas.  On precautionary measures to prevent diseases, he said that works to conduct medical camps at relief camps are going on. 

‘Creativity shouldn’t denigrate a community’ 
Chennai: Former Union minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss condemned the Jai Bhim film crew for defaming the Vanniyar community by portraying it as an “anti-social element”. Following a debate on social media on the community’s portrayal, Ramadoss wrote a letter to the actor and producer of the film, Suriya, stating that the freedom of creativity shouldn’t be used to defame any community. He said the “unwarranted” and “deliberate humiliation” of the Vanniyars in the film has caused pain among the public. 

TN urged to not pay heed to KL’s dam demand
Chennai: The PMK urged the State government to not give in to Kerala’s demand for a new dam on the Mullaiperiyar. The demand came following Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnan Kutty’s statement of a Chief Minister-level discussion, slated for December, to decide on building a new dam. PMK founder said many luxury hotels and buildings of VVIPs have been built on the catchments of the dam. These would be submerged if the water level of the dam is raised to 152 feet, he added. 

‘Provide Rs 5,000 to  rain-affected residents’
Chennai: CPM on Wednesday urged the State government to provide Rs 5,000 to families who lost their belongings in the recent floods. In a statement, CPM State secretary K Balakrishnan highlighted that relief assistance is yet to reach many areas despite the Chief Minister and authorities involved in the relief measures. He added that the previous AIADMK government was the reason for today’s problem. 

Hike MSP for paddy and sugarcane: AIADMK
Chennai: AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to hike the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy to Rs 2,500 a quintal and to Rs 4,000 a metric tonne for sugarcane considering the plight of farmers. In a joint statement, they recalled that the DMK had promised during the Assembly campaign to hike MSPs for paddy and sugarcane. The government should provide compensation to the affected farmers, they said.