Power bills may stay high as Aug consumption surges 15%

Power bills may stay high as Aug consumption surges 15% 

Venkadesan.S @timesofindia.com 07.09.2026

Chennai: Electricity bills are bound to be on the higher side this month for all consumers, with TNPDCL recording a 15% jump in electricity consumption in Aug, compared to the same period last year. The year-on-year growth was two percentage points higher than in July, when consumption increased 13% compared to July 2025. 

TNPDCL officials said power consumption has grown at 6% every year in the past, but this year has seen an unprecedented surge in electricity demand, crossing 10% during the peak of summer. “As the weather continues to be hot and sultry, power consumption continues to be high,” said an official. About 1.3 crore domestic consumers who fall in the July-Aug billing cycle may end up shelling out the same amount they paid in peak summer. TNPDCL has made arrangements to prevent inflated charges due to misreading of electricity meters. “Users of domestic services who have consumed more than 500 units in July and Aug have been separately categorised. If their bill for Sept or Oct is 20% higher than previous bills, the software will flag them for re-verification. If the reading was wrong, it will be corrected. If the charges were correct, they will be uploaded to generate a bill,” said officials.

Residents, however, said the problem lies in delayed meter reading. “For the past few billing cycles, assessors haven’t visited houses to read the meters, as the post remains vacant. We inform the assessor about our consumption on call,” said Niranjankumar, of Aminjikarai. President of TNPDCL Assessors Union, Kannan, said the number of assessors has dwindled to 1,500 against the sanctioned strength. “Re-inspection is an extra burden,” he said, blaming outsourced workers and non-cooperative consumers for inflated bills. C Selvaraj, a retired engineer from TNEB, said it does not make sense to compare consumption patterns of subsequent months. “They should compare consumption in corresponding months of previous years,” he said.

New secretariat to come up at Foreshore Estate TNHB, GCC Grant NOC For 25 Acres

New secretariat to come up at Foreshore Estate TNHB, GCC Grant NOC For 25 Acres 

Julie.Mariappan@timesofindia.com 07.09.2026

Chennai: The new assembly-secretariat complex will come up at Foreshore Estate, govt sources confirmed to TOI. Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Saturday gave the ‘enter upon permission’ nod for the complex to be built on 25.16 acres. The govt is likely to issue an order shortly granting in-principle administrative sanction for the project. The main building would be a 15-storey structure of 20 lakh sqft built-up space. The TNHB land, which has access from Santhome main road, carries a guideline value of 22,000 per sqft, taking its estimated value to 2,047 crore. Chief minister C Joseph Vijay last week said it would be built at 1,200 crore. The govt had shortlisted three locations — Foreshore Estate, Highways Research Station in Guindy and a site opposite Fintech City in Nandambakkam. “The availability of 25 acres at Foreshore Estate makes it an ideal location,” said an official. 

Following a formal request from the govt, TNHB on Saturday granted ‘enter upon permission’ to the public department to use 21.37 acres of its land in Mylapore. The land comprises three survey numbers — 4593/1 (0.55 acre), 4593/29 (0.15 acre) and 4593/33 (20.67 acres). The parcels were acquired in 1958 for housing projects. Between 1963 and 1968, 1,112 govt employees’ quarters and 96 TNHB quarters were built there. Another 60 quarters were built in 1986 and 112 in 1998, taking the total to 1,380. Of these, 1,284 quarters had become dilapidated. Since the demolition of the structures, the site has remained vacant. TNHB has initiated steps to demolish its own 96 residential quarters. “TNHB has said the value of the land should be assessed and paid to it in accordance with govt rules. It has also requested govt to consider providing alternative land to compensate for the transfer, if such land is available,” said the official. 

In a letter to Chennai collector, TNHB said it had no objection to the use of the land covered under Survey No.s 7588/2 and 4592/79. In 1997, govt had transferred 1.13 acres in Survey No. 7588/2 in Mylapore village for the construction of govt rental housing. Regarding the 1.73 acres covered under Survey No. 4592/79, the board said acquisition files and other records were unavailable. Revenue records, however, appeared to classify the parcel as govt poramboke land. GCC has also given permission to public dept to use 0.93 acres. According to a letter issued by GCC commissioner G S Sameeran on Sept 5, the land, covered under Survey No. 4593/2, is classified for road use. “The land parcels add up to 25 acres, and with some more land under revenue dept, the site will cover 26.5 acres,” said a govt source.

Foreigner cannot claim electoral rights reserved for citizens, says HC

Foreigner cannot claim electoral rights reserved for citizens, says HC

Citizenship is not merely a formal entry in a document; It forms the legal bond from which political rights and civic obligations arose, says Madurai Bench of Madras High Court

B.Tilak Chandar

MADURAI. 07.09.2026

A foreign national cannot claim electoral rights reserved by law for citizens merely because his/her name has erroneously or otherwise continued to remain in an electoral roll, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has said. The court was hearing a petition filed by Jeya Ananthan, who was born in Kuttam in Tirunelveli district in 1986.

He was an Indian citizen by birth. His father was doing business in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 2003, his father fell ill and was unable to manage the business by himself.

The petitioner proceeded to Colombo to assist him. In 2005, the petitioner’s father entrusted the business to the petitioner and returned to India, and died in 2014. The petitioner participated in his father’s final rites. He got married in 2018 and now resides in Colombo with his wife and son, and has acquired Sri Lankan citizenship.

In April 2026, the petitioner came to India along with his wife and son to attend to his mother who underwent a surgical procedure. Then, he found that his name continued to be in the electoral roll. He cast his vote in the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. A criminal case was registered against him. During the course of investigation, his passport, Overseas Citizen of India card and mobile phone were seized. The articles were subsequently returned to him, subject to the condition that he should appear before the competent authority as and when required. The petitioner filed the petition seeking a direction to the authorities to permit him to travel to Colombo.

Justice L. Victoria Gowri said a person claiming Sri Lankan citizenship exercised his voting right in an election here and thereafter sought a direction permitting him to leave India.

The freedom to travel abroad was an important facet of personal liberty. Nevertheless, such freedom was not absolute and might be regulated by a procedure established by law, particularly when the person concerned was facing a criminal investigation, the court said.

Elections constitute the institutional expression of the sovereignty of the people. The sanctity of an electoral roll and the lawful exercise of the franchise are indispensable to the legitimacy of representative government. A foreign national could not claim electoral rights reserved for citizens merely because his/her name continued to remain in the electoral roll, the court said.

Citizenship was not merely a formal entry in a document. It formed the legal bond from which political rights and civic obligations arose. Franchise was among the most solemn of those political rights. Its exercise by a person not qualified under law warranted a fair and effective investigation. At the same time, the investigation must proceed within the bounds of law, respecting the petitioner’s presumption of innocence and personal liberty, the court said and dismissed the petition.

NEWS TODAY 06.09.2026

‘Tr’ for teachers: Window dressing or mark of honour?

‘Tr’ for teachers: Window dressing or mark of honour?

SruthySusan.Ullas@timesofindia.com 06.09.2026

Bengaluru: Chief minister DK Shivakumar’s announcement allowing teachers to use ‘Tr’ as a prefix before their names has drawn a mixed response, with teachers’ associations welcoming the move, while education experts called for greater attention to the profession’s status and teachers’ working conditions. Ramya Venkataraman, founder and CEO of the Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA), said, “It is recognition for the profession and contributes towards making teaching aspirational, which all of us want. 

At the same time, the devil lies in the detail,” she said. She added that the prefix should ideally be linked to certification of competencies rather than simply to a person’s role as a teacher. “Since NEP 2020 has opened up multiple pathways into the teaching profession, including allowing subject experts to enter through lateral routes, it is important that the prefix is open to these pathways as well, rather than being limited to the traditional route,” she said. Maya Menon, founder-director of Teacher Foundation, viewed it as a positive step towards giving the profession a makeover. “This has been an old tradition in Kerala, where teachers were always addressed by their names along with a suffix. Overall, I think it’s a good idea. The profession needs a deep-clean makeover, and the title is possibly a first step,” she said. However, AS Seetharamu, former faculty member at the Institute for Social and Economic Change, described the move as “lip service and window dressing” for teachers. He said the govt should instead prioritise improving teachers’subject knowledge, digital competence and confidence through greater investment in training. 

“Nearly 70% of schools are located in rural areas. Villagers may not understand the meaning, expansion or significance of ‘Tr’, which has an English/British flavour. They understand ‘Guruji’ and ‘Master’, for which there is no need for government publicity,” he said. Seetharamu also called for better remuneration for guest teachers and greater investment in teacher development including teacher training and improving their digital competence. Teacher associations, however, largely welcomed the decision. The Karnataka Government College Teachers’Association said the prefix could also be used by guest teachers. “Any teacher is a teacher,” said Prof Manjunatha TM, president, Karnataka Government College

Teachers’Association (R). 

He pointed out that professors already use ‘Prof’ before their names, while teachers with PhDs use ‘Dr’. The Karnataka Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools of Karnataka also welcomed the move. HK Manjunath, honorary president, Karnataka State High School Co-Teachers Association, said the decision would enhance the dignity of the profession. “Giving teachers a short form will not only increase the respect for the teaching profession but will also allow teachers to work more consciously,” he said.

Karnataka salutes teachers with prefix of their own, ‘Tr’

Karnataka salutes teachers with prefix of their own, ‘Tr’

Bengaluru/Vijayanagar: 06.09.2026

Move over, ‘Dr’ and ‘Prof’. Karnataka’s educators are soon going to get their own official upgrade. In a likely first for the country, state govt is all set to introduce ‘Tr’ as an exclusive title prefix, giving the teaching profession a distinct identity. Announcing the decision on Teachers’ Day while launching Prajaseva programme in Kudligi, Vijayanagar, Saturday, chief minister D K Shivakumar said: 

“A society that honours its teachers honours its future.” “To every teacher who has guided us, corrected us, encouraged our dreams and believed in us before we believed in ourselves, Karnataka salutes you.” The move puts teachers alongside professions that use prefixes such as ‘Dr’ for doctors and doctorate holders and ‘Prof’ for professors. Prefixes such as ‘Er’ or ‘Engr’ for engineers and ‘Ar’ for architects are also used, though less commonly. 

Explaining the decision’s significance, the CM said ‘Tr’ was society’s recognition of those who dedicate their lives to shaping others. In a post on X earlier in the day, he said a teacher helps build the individual who goes on to build the nation and therefore deserves an honorary prefix. He said India has over 1 crore teachers, including nearly 4.5 lakh in Karnataka. 

Highlighting influence teac-hers have across professions, he said: “Every doctor who heals, engineer who builds, farmer who feeds, officer who serves, entrepreneur who creates and leader who guides us has a teacher behind them — someone who first recognised their potential and showed them what was possible.” 

10 days after Nepal flash floods, DNA profiling of missing relatives begins in Thanjavur

10 days after Nepal flash floods, DNA profiling of missing relatives begins in Thanjavur 

Deepak.Karthik@timesofindia.com  06.09.2026

Trichy: Ten days after flash floods in Nepal left several Tamil Nadu tourists untraceable, DNA profiling of their first-degree relatives began at Thanjavur Medical College Hospital on Saturday. In the first phase, family members of 23 missing tourists gave blood samples for profiling. The autosomal STR DNA profiles of the relatives are expected to be shared online with Nepali authorities within 3-5 days for comparison with DNA profiles obtained from unidentified mortal remains of the flood victims. 

The profiling is being carried out through the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Pillayarpatti near Thanjavur. A dedicated team at Thanjavur Medical College Hospital is collecting blood samples from relatives between 10am and 4pm. “We have not set any deadlines for the camp. As long as the family members of the missing tourists show up, the camp shall continue,” Dr E Manimekala, dean, Thanjavur Medical College Hospital, told TOI. On the first day, 23 relatives of 23 tourists who have been missing since the August 26 Nepal flash floods gave their samples. The missing tourists hail from Karur, Trichy, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai districts. Officials said some relatives had enquired about giving samples in the next few days, while others who were unaware of the development were expected to visit the hospital on Sunday. 

“A few are reluctant to appear for the DNA profiling, which indirectly acknowledges that their family members could have been killed in the floods. Families still believe that the missing people shall be traced,” an official said. About 85 tourists from Tamil Nadu, who were part of different Kailash Mansarovar tour groups, remain untraceable. At least 16 of them are from Thanjavur district. Collector R Revathi said the Thanjavur district administration was in touch with the families and coordinating with authorities to plan further action.