TN this Week: 'Don't Take Farm Land for Airport' Say, Parandur Villagers

The Tamil Nadu government announced Rs 1,000 cash plus one kg of raw rice and sugar as a Pongal gift to all family cardholders in the state. The gift distribution will be launched on January 2, 2023.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on December 22, directed officials to screen all passengers arriving in Tamil Nadu at the international airport in light of the increase in the spread of COVID-19 cases.

In a slight relief to the sanitary workers who are working under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM), a division bench of Madras High Court ordered the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to increase the daily wage paid to the workers from Rs.427 per day to Rs.500 per day.

Communist party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], Tamil Nadu on December 19 flagged the issue of IT employees' layoff in the state and urged the Central and the State governments to enact a special law to protect IT employees' rights.

An office-bearer of the communal outfit Hindu Makkal Katchi, who was arrested for allegedly putting up posters of BR Ambedkar in saffron clothing on his death anniversary on December 6, is booked under the Tamil Nadu Goondas Act. 

At the 13th Tamil Nadu State Conference of the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) in Salem district on December 18 and 19, several resolutions were passed opposing the anti-people policies of the Union government. Read more

NewsClick brings you a round-up of the happenings this week in Tamil Nadu.

‘DON’T TAKE FARM LAND’

A section of farmers from Annur Taluk, Coimbatore associated with the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam conducted a march from Akkarai Sengapalli to Vadakkalur on December 18 demanding to set up an industrial park without acquiring agricultural lands.

The state government has heeded the request of the farmers. Poovulagin Nanbargal has requested the government to make a similar announcement on the Parandur Airport issue too.

Hundreds of villagers of Parandur, Ekanapuram marched towards the Kancheepuram collectorate protesting against the proposed plan to build an airport in Parandur on December 19. Read more

SUGARCANE FARMERS DEMAND ARREARS

Tension prevailed at Thanjavur for a while on September 21 after police arrested 200 sugarcane farmers, who attempted to besiege the Collectorate demanding the district administration to order Thiru Arooran Sugar factory to release the arrears. Read more

Cane farmers have demanded the state government procure and distribute sugarcane through ration shops for the Pongal festival. 

SHARP RISE IN ROAD DEATHS

Tamil Nadu recorded the sharpest increase in road deaths in 2021 shows the road transport ministry report submitted to the Rajya Sabha

Tamil Nadu recorded 15,384 road fatalities in 2021 compared to 10,525 deaths in 2019.

INTERVENTION IN SCHOOLS

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin launched the "Namma School Foundation" on December 19 and appealed to philanthropists to contribute to the development of the schools. Read more

At least 70% of the 58,801 government, government-aided and private-unaided and other schools in Tamil Nadu lack toilets suitable for children with special needs.

The state government also launched the ‘Quality Component -- Safety and Security’ initiative in a bid to create confidence among students to continue their studies. It targets to reach about 20 lakh students in more than 31,000 government schools.

EPS SENDS LEGAL NOTICE TO OPS

Edappadi K Palanisamy (EPS), the interim General Secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), sent a legal notice to former party coordinator O Panneerselvam (OPS) on December 20.

The notice stated that OPS had shared a “fraudulent and illegal notice” issued under the AIADMK letterhead, which was circulated in the media and online. 

In continuation with last week’s protests, the AIADMK staged demonstrations in northern districts of the state against the price hike of essential commodities and the increase in electricity tariff.