New line will allow more trains from Tambaram

New line will allow more trains from Tambaram

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.02.2021

More trains can be operated from Tambaram to northern destinations via Egmore as the fourth line between Egmore and Chennai Beach is set be completed next year, almost a year earlier than the deadline as the Union budget has allocated more funds for doubling.

Southern Zone has got a grant of ₹5crore for building the line.

The doubling of the Tambaram-Chengalpet line is also expected to be ready by next month. This will ensure that more trains are operated from the north to Tambaram and further down south without a hassle as lines will be available to handle more traffic.

Southern Railway general manager John Thomas said this would increase mobility from northern cities and towns to Tambaram. “Tambaram is the third terminal with trains going to the north and south.”

Three lines are currently available between Chennai Beach and Egmore but that was not enough because of suburban, goods and express train traffic. There was a bit of a bottleneck and land too is required from the defence ministry for construction of the line. “August 2023 was fixed as the deadline, but we will be able to complete it by 2022 itself,” said Thomas.

Southern Railway has got ₹1,206.4 crore for doubling of lines in the budget.

The railways, which had already tried out trains from Tambaram instead of from Egmore, achieved success but for some minor glitches in terms of passenger amenities. When services resumed, a couple of trains were terminated at Tambaram instead of Egmore. Still there was patronage for the services.

Sources said a lot of trains can be operated from northern destinations to pilgrim centres in the south as the number of people who travel from states in the north to Egmore to change over to trains to places like Rameswaram continues to be high. Doubling of a small stretch near Madurai will also be taken up this year and once completed, the entire stretch from Chennai to the south via Trichy and Madurai will have double lines with upgraded tracks making it easy for running trains at speeds touching 100kmph and above.

The doubling of the Tambaram-Chengalpet line is also expected to be ready by next month. This will ensure that more trains are operated from the north to Tambaram and beyond

Implement protocol to reopen colleges: UGC

Implement protocol to reopen colleges: UGC

Chennai:07.02.2021

With many states including Tamil Nadu poised to reopen colleges and universities from next week, the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Friday asked the higher educational institutions to implement its guidelines for reopening campuses post Covid-19 lockdown appropriately.

Among the general measures,theUGC askedtheeducational institutions to maintain physical distancing of at least six feet feasible and wearing face masks.

As per the guidelines reissued by the UGC, the higher educational institutions should ensure that not more than 50% of the total students present at any point of time on the campus. Further, the institutions may provide online study material and access to eresources for students who prefer not to attend physical classes and want to study online.

Institutions also need to have a plan for international students who could not join physical classes due to travel restrictions. Online classes should also be made for them. Clean and hygienic conditions, as per safety and health advisories of the concerned government departments are to be maintained at all places including hostel kitchens, mess, washrooms, libraries and classrooms, the guidelines said.

UGC also asked colleges to reduce the class size and have multiple sections to maintain physical distancing during the classes and advised them to follow a six working day in a week schedule so that classes can be conducted in phases. TNN

2kg of gold found hidden in aircraft seats, 1 held

2kg of gold found hidden in aircraft seats, 1 held

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:07.02.2021

Chennai air customs on Friday uncovered a new smuggling modus operandi in which smugglers concealed gold in an aircraft flying on an international route and used a passenger travelling on its domestic leg to retrieve the gold. The customs seized 2.32kg of gold worth ₹1.14 crore and arrested a man in connection.

Based on intelligence that gold was likely to be smuggled from Dubai concealed in an aircraft, customs officials took up special rummaging of a specific flight and five rectangular bundles, wrapped with black adhesive tapes, inside a seat. The bundles were cut open and 10 gold bars of 10 tolas with foreign markings, weighing a total 1.16kg, were recovered. The aircraft then operated on its domestic leg to Guwahati and returned to Chennai.

Mohabath Khan, 56, of Kancheepuram, who travelled from Guwahati to Chennai on the same seat from which the gold was recovered earlier, was intercepted. When he was searched, another 10 gold bars with similar markings and concealed in a similar way were found and seized.

When questioned, he informed sleuths that he had flown from Chennai to Guwahati through another air carrier the same day. He also informed the customs officials that he was supposed to retrieve gold bundles from two seats in the specific aircraft but could find gold only in one. He admitted to his involvement in the crime and was arrested.

Further investigations were on, officials said.

Sasi’s return triggers war of words between AIADMK & AMMK

Sasi’s return triggers war of words between AIADMK & AMMK

OPS, EPS Appeal For Unity, Ministers Take Fight To DGP

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:07.02.2021

V K Sasikala’s impending arrival in Chennai on Monday (February 8) sparked reactions in the AIADMK and AMMK camps with the rivals questioning each other’s political relevance. An AIADMK meeting convened by party coordinator and deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam and joint coordinator and CM Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday evening saw the leaders making a fervent appeal to partymen for unity.

It was an action-packed day with a group of ministers lodging a complaint with the DGP, accusing Sasikala and her nephew and AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran of “hatching a conspiracy to disturb public peace in Tamil Nadu and their supporters threatening to unleash attack as human bombs’’. Dhinakaran retorted, wondering why the ministers were so “agitated”. Across the city, the government deployed police in large numbers at “sensitive points” to ensure there are “no untoward incidents’’.

Meanwhile, at the meeting convened by AIADMK at its headquarters in the city, EPS and OPS exhorted partymen to put up a united show and register a massive victory in the forthcoming assembly election. OPS even went on to state that he would remain supportive of the Edappadi K Palaniswami government to ensure the party won yet another election. It was clearly an exercise to boost party morale and ensure that the party rank and file stood firmly behind the leadership.

PIC AND STORY: Posters hailing Sasikala were seen at several places across the city on Saturday

POLITICAL MINEFIELD

Sasikala posters on Chennai walls leave AIADMK red-faced

The AIADMK, which had been expelling lower rung functionaries for openly supporting Sasikala over the last week, was further embarrassed on Saturday, when posters sprung up on street walls right next to the CM and deputy CM’s residences on Greenways Road, hailing Sasikala as “Rajmata” (which literally means the king’s mother).

During the 90-minute meeting, the leaders, including deputy coordinators, K P Munusamy and R Vaithilingam, besides party presidium chairman E Madhusudhanan, sought to downplay Sasikala’s return to the city.

“EPS said Dhinakaran had floated a party but failed on every count. He failed to achieve success in his battles before the election commission, in the court and in the elections as well. OPS narrated how he waged a ‘dharmayudh’ against the Sasikala clan and backed the EPS government,” said a senior leader, seeking anonymity.

Setting the tone for the anti-Sasikala and anti-Dhinakaran narrative was none other than the deputy coordinators and party presidium chairman. “They vehemently opposed Sasikala. Madhusudhanan demanded to know what bond Sasikala had with the AIADMK and the party founded by M G Ramachandran. Munusamy criticised the family as “middleagents” and said the party did not need such people,” said another leader, privy to the meeting. Ministers, district secretaries and headquarters’ office-bearers attended the meeting. It was a show of solidarity to back OPS and EPS without reservations, sources said. “The CM said the AIADMK would fetch victory for the third consecutive term if the partymen worked hard,” said a leader, adding that he called for burying differences and ridding factionalism. The chief minister invited partymen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s event on February 14 in Chennai to launch various projects. Later, an official release from party headquarters said the leadership advised partymen to take to the masses the historic achievements of the government through pamphlets and advertisements.

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