Irrespective of who is contesting in polls in Tamil Nadu, biryani always wins

Irrespective of who is contesting in polls in Tamil Nadu, biryani always wins 

As enquiries trickle in, biryani masters in North Chennai take us through how they prepare for the election season.

 April 07, 2024 01:12 am | Updated 11:50 am IST 

M. Abbu Bhai’s kitchen at Tondiarpet has three pitch-black cauldrons of oil roaring to life as the firewood picks up heat. Onions, chillies, and whole spices sputter while the meat waits patiently for its turn. It is a relatively small order today — biryani, chicken 65, kathrikai, and a sweet made of bread for a birthday party. Irrespective of who is contesting in polls in Tamil Nadu, biryani always wins

 As enquiries trickle in, biryani masters in North Chennai take us through how they prepare for the election season. April 07, 2024 01:12 am | Updated 11:50 am IST SANJANA GANESH Peak season: In a week, many biryani kitchens will function non-stop leading up to the April 19 Lok Sabha election.

 The aroma entices even cats in the area as they promptly poke their head through the gates of his kitchen. This is the sign and a promise of a decadent, sumptuous meal. In a week, the kitchen, like many others in the city, will function non-stop leading up to the Lok Sabha election scheduled for April 19. Thousands of kilos of chicken and mutton biryani will be prepared from here, on orders from political parties.

 After all, the biryani is a meal of celebration after every election — a signal of respite for cadre who would have finished their pre-poll duties; to voters who would have picked their candidate; and polling officials who would have tried to sneak in a few bites amid their stressful day. Enquiries have already begun trickling in from the DMK, the AIADMK, the NTK, the Congress and the DMDK. “However, things will get finalised only a week before the election,” says Abbu Bhai, a third-generation biryani master.

 According to him, till about 15 years ago, biryani in Chennai was synonymous with Royapuram and the occasional plush hotel in Central and South Chennai. It was also not associated with elections until the early 2000s, adds documentary filmmaker and commentator, Kombai S. Anwar. “The biryani is a ubiquitous favourite for people across class backgrounds and was employed as an easy bait to get voters to the polling booth. More importantly, it is easy to pack. It is probably why it became the meal of the election,” he says

Chennai: Lack of access ails new hospitals at King Institute campus in Guindy

Chennai: Lack of access ails new hospitals at King Institute campus in Guindy

The lack of reliable direct or last-mile connectivity is particularly arduous for elderly patients.

The health department opened two hospitals on King Institute campus at Guindy, but no proper transport facility is available to reach them.(Photo | Martin Louis)

Sinduja Jane

Updated on:

12 Mar 2024, 9:27 am

CHENNAI: Lack of direct public transport services and last-mile connectivity to the newly-opened Kalaignar Centenary Super Specialty Hospital and National Centre for Ageing at the King Institute campus in Guindy is putting scores of patients, caregivers and hospital staff, including doctors, in hardship every day.

The lack of reliable direct or last-mile connectivity is particularly arduous for elderly patients. Health department officials said some particularly needy elderly patients, referred from the Geriatrics Department at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to the National Centre for Ageing, are transported by hospital vehicle. Officials have also sought help from NGOs and volunteers to help transport patients.

For others, there are only two small buses (S 30 from Ashok Pillar to Saidapet market and S 35 from Ashok Nagar to Defence Colony) that directly stop outside the campus. D Varun, an attendant who had brought his grandmother to the orthopaedic out-patient unit at the super specialty hospital on Friday, pointed out that the services were limited and their timings not well known.

The alternative is to commute via the Guindy bus depot, 800m away.

"Many of us walk to the depot to board buses to different parts of the city," Varun said. After patients had complained about the gap in last-mile connectivity, a shuttle service was introduced between the campus and the Guindy bus depot. Although the service is meant to be available every five minutes, TNIE found the wait time could be as long as 20 minutes. Worse, the service is only available from 6.30am to 1.40 pm.

After that, visitors and staff must either shell out for an autorickshaw, cab or bike service or walk to the Guindy depot via the busy Alandur road, a source in the transport department said.

"We have to pay at least Rs 75 to the local autorickshaw drivers to get dropped at the depot. Many of the staff have collected the contact numbers of auto drivers nearby so we can call them once we finish work and they can pick us up," a doctor at the hospital said.

Asked about the limited transport facilities, Health Secretary, Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the matter would be taken up with the transport department to ensure convenience for the patients.

The 1,000-bed Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital was constructed at a cost of Rs 230 crore and inaugurated last year. The National Centre for Ageing was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually on February 25. The 200-bed facility with 40 intensive care units functions under the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

Heavy rain in city and suburbs likely today, warns IMD

Heavy rain in city and suburbs likely today, warns IMD

TNN /

LargeChennai: Office-goers and students may have to carry umbrellas and watch out for traffic slowdowns on Monday morning, as IMD has issued yellow alert (7-11cm/day) with heavy rainfall warning for six northern districts including Chennai and Tiruvallur and to three southern districts. The agency has also issued an orange alert (12-20cm/day) for Kancheepuram and Chengelpet as they may receive heavy to very heavy rainfall.

The rain activity in a relatively dry January is due to convergence of winds because of a trough, an elongated region of relatively low pressure, in the easterlies moving inland.

On Sunday, largely cloudy weather accompanied intermittent light rain spells over many parts of the city. Till 5.30pm, Nungambakkam and Meenambakkam recorded 17.3mm rainfall and 9.4mm rainfall.

The automatic weather station at Ennore Port recorded 66mm. Day temperatures dropped to 26.2 deg C and 25.7 deg C, around 3 deg and 3.7 deg C below normal.

“For the next 48 hours, Chennai city and neighbourhood may receive moderate to heavy rainfall over some areas. Skies may be partly cloudy. Maximum temperature may be around 26-27 deg C and minimum temperatures may be around 25 deg C,” said an IMD bulletin.

Apart from Chennai and Tiruvallur, IMD has forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places over Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Ranipet, Vellore districts in the north and Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts in the south of Tamil Nadu. The heavy rainfall may continue over the southern districts on January 9 and 10 as well.

“It is not clear exactly where the wind convergence could happen. Models are showing heavy rainfall either north or south of Chennai. But some area is sure receive heavy spells on Monday,” said blogger Pradeep John.

Chennai to receive heavy rainfall on Sunday, light to moderate rainfall forecast across TN in next few days

Chennai to receive heavy rainfall on Sunday, light to moderate rainfall forecast across TN in next few days

As per the bulletin issued by the weather department, light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur in many places in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from January 4 till January 10.

By: Express Web Desk

Chennai | Updated: January 5, 2024 08:10 IST

The weather department has issued a warning for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on January 6 and January 7. (File photo)

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai has forecast light to moderate rainfall across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal for the next few days with heavy rainfall in a few districts including Chennai.

As per the bulletin issued by the weather department, light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur in many places in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from January 4 till January 10.

The RMC noted that heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in Theni, Dindigul, and Nilgiris districts on Thursday and Friday.

On January 6, heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai districts and Karaikal area.

Since Thursday, Chennai and its neighbouring districts have been receiving light showers.

The weather department had forecast heavy rainfall at isolated places in Cuddalore, Viluppuram, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Chennai, Ranipet and Tiruvallur districts and Puducherry on January 7 (Sunday).

On January 8, heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places in Tiruvallur.

The weather department has issued a warning for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on January 6 and January 7, as squally weather with wind speed of 40-45 kmph, gusting up to 55 kmph, is likely to prevail along the Tamil Nadu coast, adjoining Gulf of Mannar and Comorin area. The fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea during this period.

As per the bulletin issued on Friday morning at 6:45 am, For the next three hours, light rain is likely to occur over Chennai and other neighbouring districts including Chenglapattu, Kancheepuram Ranipet, Tiruvallur, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirapalli, Salem, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur, Sivagangai, Mayiladuthurai and Nagapattinam.

From 8:30 pm on Thursday till 5:30 am on Friday, Nungambakkam (Chennai) recorded the maximum rainfall of 18.6 mm followed by Coimbatore with 9 mm and Meenambakkam (Chennai) with 5.3 mm.

Pongal gift: Raw rice, sugar, cane

Pongal gift: Raw rice, sugar, cane

• Medium
• Large

Chennai: The state government will give 1kg each of raw rice and sugar and one sugarcane to ration card holders eligible for rice and Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in rehabilitation camps. The state government allotted 238crore to procure these items and distribute it through the ration shops.

According to the government order, the raw rice would be procured at the cost of 35.2, while the sugar will be procured at the rate of 40.6 and the sugarcane will be procured at the rate of 33 for one sugarcane. Last year, the state government gave 1,000 as Pongal cash prize. This year, it distributes only the three items ahead of Pongal.tnn

Soon, no ground floor houses at Tambaram

Soon, no ground floor houses at Tambaram

Preetika P /

Chennai: Having learned a lesson from the floods, the Tambaram Corporation may reject building plans that include construction on the ground floors to safeguard homes.

Officials from the town planning department, who inspected flood-affected homes in December concluded that houses on the ground floor in Perungalathur, CTO Colony, Irumbuliyur, Varadharajapuram, Keelkatalai, Pammal, and Thiruneermalai were mostly inundated. “Homes here were not only built in low-lying areas but were also close to large water bodies such as Perangalthur, Irumbuliyur, Keelkatalai, and Thiruneermalai. They are vulnerable to flooding, as surface and groundwater naturally drain into these areas,” said a town planning officer of the civic body.

To make it worse, the works on the construction of rain water drains in these areas are incomplete.

Last week, the Tambaram Corporation prepared a report to prevent inundation and improve town planning. “We will be presenting this report to the state. If they approve the plans, we will be able to stop construction on the ground floors in all new residential buildings within Corporation limit. If construction on the ground floor is unavoidable, we will ask residents to increase the height of the construction plot. It must be at least 3 feet above the road level,” said Tambaram Corporation commissioner, R Alagumeena. “No house must be constructed below the road level. If the house is not on the ground floor, then the pavement can be leveled to the road. Or, slopes must decline towards the road,” she said.

Besides preventing the inundation of homes, the new proposals will also ensure a continuous supply of clean water.

Officials from the town planning teams found dirty water in the water sumps of several houses. “We could not use the water for several days. It had a weird smell, and we spent a lot of money on getting the sump and overhead tank cleaned and disinfected,” said Venkat Rao, a resident living in Keelkattalai. The report has also proposed to ask residents to increase the height of the sump wall to prevent contamination of drinking water.

Meanwhile, residents living in low-lying houses are already making temporary fixes. Some residents of Thiruneermalai have built a makeshift slope with gravel so that the chances of water accumulating around their homes are reduced.

CM to inaugurate 47th edition of Chennai book fair

CM to inaugurate 47th edition of Chennai book fair

Chennai: The 47th Chennai book fair — the annual event every book lover in the city looks forward to — will be inaugurated by chief minister M K Stalin at YMCA, Nandanam, on Wednesday

As many as 915 stalls will display books, both fiction and non-fiction, predominantly in Tamil as well as English till January 21.

Apart from the regular publishers, 27 new members of booksellers and publishers association of South India (Bapasi), have also been allocated stalls this year, while non-members who approached Bapasi have also been accommodated.

Much like the previous year, the prison department will have a stall where people can donate books to the library in Puzhal central prison.

Bapasi anticipates demand for Sahitya Akademi award winning books as is the usual trend, apart from historical novels.

Devibharathi's ‘Neervazhi Paduum’ won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2023. “Since it is the Kalaignar centenary year, we expect high sales of his books,” said M Palani, who was part of the Bapasi committee last year.

Chief minister M K Stalin will honour writers and publishers with Muthamizharignar M Karunanidhi Porkizhi awards, while school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi will also be present at the inauguration.

Literary events have been planned on all days of the festival.

Meanwhile, the Chennai International Book Fair, which was held along with the annual book fair last year, has been shifted to Nandambakkam this year and will be held on January 16 to 18 at the Trade Centre.

Blue Dart, India Post offer parcel lockers at post offices

Blue Dart, India Post offer parcel lockers at post offices

INBRIEF

Express logistics provider Blue Dart on Monday said it had set up digital parcel locker service at post offices under a partnership with India Post. The service allows consignees to retrieve their shipments from digital parcel lockers, doing away with the need for personal receipts or signing for a package, Blue Dart said in a statement. When the recipient needs to retrieve a package from the locker, they can simply enter the assigned code and open the locker, the company said. pti

Ravi gives sanction to prosecute 2 ex-Ministers

Ravi gives sanction to prosecute 2 ex-Ministers

FROM PAGE ONE

“All that is there are a number of unauthenticated loose sheets,” the Raj Bhavan replied, but the file was received back again on November 18.

According to the note, ‘Factual position regarding Bills, files and other cases pending with the office of the Governor, Tamil Nadu’, submitted by the Attorney-General of India in the Supreme Court, the file received on May 15 seeking sanction to prosecute former AIADMK Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar was “under consideration”.

Curiously, on July 6, a day after Law Minister S. Regupathy wrote to the Governor seeking action on the case related to Mr. Vijayabhaskar, the Raj Bhavan said it had “not received any reference or request in respect of M.R. Vijaya Bhaskar.”

The Governor has also accorded permission to prosecute former Tamil University Vice-Chancellor G. Baskaran.

As for the government’s recommendation for premature release of life convicts, the total number of proposals received since September 2021 was 580. Approval was granted for the premature release of 362 convicts, while the proposal with regard to 165 cases was rejected.

With regard to the proposal for appointment of members of the TNPSC, the Governor had observed that there was no transparency in the selection process. “As the concerns of the Governor over the manner of selection were not addressed by the Government, the proposal had been returned on October 26, 2023,” the note said.

In his reply over the issue of notification by the Governor regarding the search committee for selection of Vice-Chancellors of three State universities, written communications were sent to the Tamil Nadu government to reconstitute the search-cum-selection committee in accordance with the Supreme Court judgment in Professor (Dr.) Sreejith P.S. vs Dr. Rahasree & Others as well as the UGC Regulations, 2018. “Since [the] Government did not reconstitute the Committee as per the UGC Regulations, despite repeated reminders, the Governor-Chancellor had no option but to add the nominee of the UGC Chairman and reconstitute the search-cum-selection committee and notify the same. In the case of the University of Madras, the Governor-Chancellor has added the UGC Chairman’s nominee and constituted the search-cum-selection committee,” the note said.

TAMIL NADU POLITICS

CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE

SUB WAY

ROAD TENDER

 

GETS BACK LOST IN FRAUD

 

tamil nadu

 

Tamil Nadu man crashes lover’s wedding and tries to tie thali

Tamil Nadu man crashes lover’s wedding and tries to tie thali

Unwilling to stay put and watch his lover get married to another man, a 24-year-old snatched the ‘thaali’ from the priest and tried to tie it around the woman’s neck.

Published: 10th September 2022 03:31 AM 

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Unwilling to stay put and watch his lover get married to another man, a 24-year-old snatched the ‘thaali’ from the priest and tried to tie it around the woman’s neck. He was stopped and beaten up by the crowd at the venue, but now has a chance to fulfil his dream.

It was all part of a plan, a police investigation revealed. For, shortly before the wedding, the woman had sent a text to the man, asking him to “come and get” her.

The dramatic incident unfolded around 7 am at a wedding hall at Netaji Nagar in Tondiarpet, Chennai, on Friday.

“Just as the priest picked up the ‘thaali’ to hand it to the groom, a man on the stage snatched it and attempted to tie it around the bride,” said the police, adding that before he could tie the knot, a group of men dragged him away and beat him up.

The police arrived, and came to know that the intruder and the 20-year-old bride were colleagues and in a relationship. No case was registered, and the cops informed the intruder’s family about the incident.

Meanwhile, as the families of the bride and the groom engaged in a quarrel, the police intervened and the wedding was postponed. The families of the intruder and the bride are now in talks to get them married, police said. Both of them work at a luxury hotel.

CHENNAI ROAD

 

NO COUNTRY FOR THE OLD

 

SCHEME LAUNCHED

 

STALIN AND KEJRIWAL