Cyclone Gaja: Trees uprooted, houses damaged in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam, heavy rains lashed in several areas

Electricity supply was disconnected here and in several other coastal regions in view of the cyclone's landfall

Breaking News: Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district on Friday woke up to the sight of uprooted trees and damaged houses due to the overnight rainfall and strong winds caused due to cyclone Gaja.

The cyclonic storm crossed Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam on Thursday evening and unleashed mayhem in Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts as well.

In the wake of the situation, a red alert was issued for the administration in parts of Tamil Nadu to keep the government authorities ready to mobilise resources to meet any eventuality.

Cyclone Gaja Updates

The government undertook several preventive measures, which included deploying National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force (TNDRF), evacuating around 20,000 people living along the coastal line and moving them to relief camps. The Indian Navy has also been put on alert for relief efforts.

Apart from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh was also impacted by the cyclonic storm which is likely to bring heavy downpour and strong winds to several parts of the region for the next couple of days.

Get full updates → Cyclone Gaja

Sterlite Shut Down: Vedanta to challenge order once protests cool down?

Sources said that with local tensions running high over the deaths of the protesters, the resources company was holding off for now from filing a legal challenge.

 

Latest News India : Vedanta Resources is working on a legal challenge to the Tamil Nadu government’s closure of one of its copper smelters, but it will not proceed until tensions over the deaths of 13 people during protests last week have eased, two sources told Reuters.

The Tamil Nadu government ordered the permanent closure of the smelter on Monday after police fired on protesters demanding its closure on environmental grounds.

London-listed Vedanta, majority owned by billionaire Anil Agarwal, considers it is now left with no other option than to file a writ petition challenging the Tamil Nadu government’s decision in the Madras High Court or the Supreme Court in New Delhi, the two sources close to the company said.

“They have not presented a single (piece of) evidence against the company,” said one of the sources, both of whom declined to be named. “Vedanta is confident that it has a strong case legally. It has not violated any law.”

However, the sources said that with local tensions running high over the deaths of the protesters, the resources company was holding off for now from filing the legal challenge.

A Vedanta spokesman did not respond to requests seeking comment. The company earlier said it had broken no rules, and hoped soon to reopen the plant and double its capacity to 800,000 tonnes a year at a cost of more than $700 million.

The chief of Vedanta’s India copper business, P Ramnath, told Reuters on Friday the company would legally fight any attempt to close the plant.

D. Jayakumar, a senior Tamil Nadu minister, said the smelter was closed mainly in response to the demands of residents of the coastal city of Thoothukudi, and that the state government would defend itself in court.

“We’ve closed the plant based on various violations raised by the pollution control board. They will of course say that they have not violated any rule,” Jayakumar, who speaks for the state government, told Reuters.

“People are totally against the plant. We’re with the people only. We go by their demand and the law.”

He declined to give details of the violations.

Read More → Sterlite Shut Down

Anti Sterlite Row: 13 dead, public property worth Rs 10.2 million damaged

Delhi High Court today will likely hear a Tamil Nadu-based advocate’s petition pleading NHRC to visit Thoothukudi district and conduct an inquiry into the anti-Sterlite protest on its own.

 

Sterlite Protest : At least 13 people had died and 102 others were reported injured by Thursday in the anti-Sterlite protests in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi as the death toll kept increasing. Further, vehicles worth Rs 10.27 million were damaged and burnt down during the protests.

“A total of 13 people have died, including 11 men and 2 women. 102 people have been injured out of which 19 are severe cases. Vehicles worth Rs 1 crore 27 lakh have been burnt down,” said Shailesh Kumar, IG (South Range), while talking to news agencies.

At least 67 people have been arrested until now for indulging in violence and damage to public property.

Meanwhile, Vedanta Resources’ chairman on Thursday expressed sorrow over the deaths during the protests and said that the company wants to continue with the business and is committed to the community and people of Thoothukudi.

Here are the top developments around the Thoothukudi protests over the Sterlite expansion issue:

In pain over anti-Sterlite protest, says Vedanta chairman:

• Vedanta Resources Plc Chairman Anil Agarwal has expressed his sorrow over the anti-Sterlite protests in which 13 people have died. He said that he was in pain over the ongoing protest in Thoothukudi.
• “I am very sad to hear the incident. This was absolutely unfortunate, my full sympathy with the family. The plant is closed because of an annual shutdown and we are waiting for clearance from the court and the government to re-start the plant,” Agarwal said.

Will take legal steps to close factory, says Tamil Nadu CM:

• The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday said it was taking steps to close down the Sterlite factory at Thoothukudi after 13 people died when the police opened fire on protesters who were demanding the factory’s closure.
• “Amma’s (former CM J Jayalalithaa) government is taking the legal route to ensure that Sterlite is shut down,” said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.

PIL in SC seeking CBI probe into Tuticorin violence:

• Advocate G S Mani on Thursday filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the deaths of protesters during the anti-Sterlite rally at Thoothukudi. The petition also sought a registration of an FIR against Thoothukudi collector, superintendent of police and other police officials.

Read Full Updates on  → Anti Sterlite Row

Thoothukudi Protest: How NDA govt decisions helped Vedanta bypass norms

NDA government’s decisions helped Vedanta bypass public consultations for the Copper smelter expansion in Thoothukudi.

Sterlite Protest : The controversial expansion of Vedanta’s 1,200 tonnes per day copper smelter in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu has been stayed by the High Court on May 23 after at least 11 people protesting against the plant were shot dead by state police. The court has ordered that the company consult people before building the plant – something the company claimed it was legally not required to do.

Vedanta claims it had legally got an environmental clearance from the Union government to expand the smelter to double the capacity without consulting people. A perusal of Union environment ministry’s and several court records show the NDA government made an interpretation to green regulations in December 2014, which helped particularly plants such as that of Vedanta’s at Thoothukudi to be built without consulting people of the project-affected area.

This exception in the environmental safety regulations was made on the request of various industries, show court and government documents reviewed by Business Standard. The exception to the rules was carved out through orders of the then environment minister and called a ‘clarification’. This clarification would in months ahead allow Vedanta and several others to start constructing their plants, such as the one in Thoothukudi, without public consultations. This interpretation by the NDA government was fortuitous for companies because the environment ministry under UPA government had insisted in May 2014 that projects such as Vedanta’s in Thoothukudi were required by law to first go through public consultations.

In 2016 the National Green Tribunal found, the December orders of the NDA government, which favored Vedanta, to be illegal. It had to go to the point of threatening bailable orders against the environment ministry officials in the case to divulge information on the matter. Ministry officials said rescinding the government’s December 2014 orders would adversely impact many projects.

Eventually, the NGT quashed the December 2014 orders. On the NGT’s instructions, the ministry had to pass fresh orders clearly stating that projects in industrial parks without environmental clearances needed to conduct public hearings. But, by then Vedanta had secured an extension of the green clearance to its expansion project in Thoothukudi without the need for a public hearing.

It is citing this 2016 ruling of the National Green Tribunal and other facts that came to light during the case, that the High Court on Wednesday has ordered Vedanta to stop its expansion plans in track and go back to first consult the people.

Read Full Updates on → Thoothukudi Protest

Sterlite Protests: 9 dead, 20 injured amid violent clashes in Tamil Nadu (Thoothukudi‬)

The protests had been going on for 100 days since Sterlite Copper announced its plans to invest Rs 25 billion in doubling the capacity of its existing facility to 800,000 tonnes per year.

Latest News India : As many as 9 people were killed on Tuesday and 20 others injured in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin, as a protest against Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper unit, going on for 100 days since the company announced its plans to invest Rs 25 billion in doubling the capacity of its existing facility to 800,000 tonnes per annum, turned violent. The protesters claim that the plant is causing harm to its employees and increasing the capacity of the plant would aggravate the problems.

Following a gas leak in March 2013, the then chief minister late J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure, following which the company moved the National Green Tribunal. With the tribunal overturning the government order, the state moved the Supreme Court against it, and the petition has been pending since.

Meanwhile, Opposition leaders have condemned the deaths during the protest and blamed the government for being unable to control the situation.

Here are the Latest developments in the Tamil Nadu Protests:

In a government statement, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswamy confirmed that the death toll had touched nine. He announced Rs 1 million for those who lost family members, Rs 300,000 for people who were injured severely, and Rs 100,000 for those with minor injuries.

In an official statement, Sterlite Copper late on Tuesday expressed regret and sorrow over the deaths that took place during protests against it in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin. The company said it had appealed to the government to ensure safety of the employees of the plant, as well as the surrounding communities. “It’s with great sorrow and regret that we witnessed today’s incidents around the protest today at Tuticorin. The company has appealed to government and authorities to ensure the safety of our employees, facilities and surrounding communities. Sterlite Copper plant is non-operational as we await approval for the consent to operate,” the statement read.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi called the deaths during the protest “a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism”. “The gunning down by the police of nine people in the #SterliteProtest in Tamil Nadu is a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism. These citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these martyrs and the injured,” he tweeted on Tuesday.

Read More on → Sterlite Protests Full Updates

Tamil Nadu Budget 2018: Package for STUs, all old buses to be replaced

Rs 27 bn allocated to transport department, including Rs 7.99 bn as subsidy for free bus passes to students, senior citizens.

Business News : Looking to revive its debt-ridden public transport system, the Tamil Nadu government is in the process of converting the existing debt of Rs 30.01 billion into share capital assistance and replacing all old buses in use for more than 10 years with new ones. The state government, however, has not mentioned alternative fuels or hybrid buses in its Budget proposals for the year 2018-19.

In 2018-19, the state government shall infuse a share capital of Rs 6 billion into the State Transport Undertakings (STUs) for purchasing and inducting 3,000 new buses. This, along with the 2,000 new buses sanctioned during 2017-18, will lead to the replacement of all 4,593 old buses in use for over a decade.

The general price hike and increase in salary costs have adversely affected operations of the STUs. In 2017-18, the state government released Rs 25.19 billion as ‘special ways and means advance’ to STUs to tide over their severe financial stress, settle retirement benefits of pensioners, give pending dues to existing employees and compensation dues to victims of road accidents.

This was in addition to Rs 13.64 billion released as diesel subsidy, senior citizen subsidy, student concession subsidy and share capital assistance provided in the Budget Estimates 2017-2018.

As a one-time measure, the government is providing a ‘ways and means advance’ of Rs 9 billion in the current Budget to the STUs. An amount of Rs 27.17 billion has been allocated for the transport department, which includes Rs 7.99 billion as subsidy for free bus passes to students and senior citizens, said the government.

→ Tamil Nadu Budget 2018  ←

Kamal Haasan political party Makkal Needhi Maiam launched

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal declared that Kamal Haasan’s newly launched political party would break the record of AAP in winning the majority of seats in Tamil Nadu.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday made his plunge into politics formal, with the launch of his political party ‘Makkal Needhi Maiam‘ (People Justice Centre), which, Haasan claims, will seek to provide governance free of corruption, stop playing games on the basis of religion and castes, and adopt a centrist approach without swaying Left or Right too much. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who endorsed Haasan’s party, was present at the floating of the new party in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Haasan also declared that he would not indulge in the politics of “freebies”, a practice the Dravidian parties have made famous in Tamil Nadu. “I am not your leader, I am your tool… this gathering is full of leaders,” Haasan said moments before announcing the party’s name.

In a 45-minute speech, Kamal Haasan said his party would be the army for Tamilisai Soundararajan‘ war for justice. “Kejriwal has started my campaign today itself. As a courtesy, I wanted to avoid saying certain things, but Kejriwal has launched my political campaign because he knows time is short for me.”

Replying to questions from his fans, Haasan said he would serve the people of Tamil Nadu till his last and would like to leave a party for the next three or four generations. “There will be no permanent chief ministers if my party is voted to power,” he said.
Haasan said his outfit was committed to politics free from “games of caste and religion” and would focus on good governance.

Referring to the cash-for-vote practice apparently prevalent in the state, Haasan said he would not do any of that. “You have undersold your vote. If you had voted for a good party, you would have got Rs 600,000 per year as income and not just Rs 6,000 per vote,” he said.

Cyclone Ockhi: 19 dead, 690 people rescued, Navy continues rescue ops

At least 690 people were rescued, while 96 were still missing

 

Business News Today : The Tamil Nadu revenue control room on Sunday stated that the total number of deaths caused due to cyclone Ockhi has reached 19.

The state department also said that at least 690 people were rescued, while 96 were still missing.

It further stated that 63 people were hospitalized, while 74 houses were fully damaged and 1,122 houses were partially damaged.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy continued the search and rescue operations over Southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep and Minicoy (L&M) Islands in the aftermath of cyclonic storm Ockhi.

Ten naval ships, including capital ships like Chennai and Kolkata, were deployed over Southeast Arabian Sea and L&M islands.

In addition, eight aircrafts including long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8I were deployed throughout the day.

Amid a political slugfest over Cyclone Ockhi, Union Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan said the IMD issued its first alert to Kerala about heavy rain on November 28 and a warning about the cylcone a day later.

In a statement, Vardhan said on the afternoon of November 29, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued the first bulletin of the cyclone warning and it was conveyed to all district officials in Kerala, the state disaster management authority and the chief secretary.

“In the first bulletin, the information was clearly provided on the possibility of further intensification of the system into a cyclonic storm and associated adverse weather.

Click to Read → Cyclone Ockhi

Sasikala convicted in DA case: How a Poes Garden raid did her in

Subramanian Swamy's complaint named only Jayalalithaa and not Sasikala

 

Breaking News - Over the past week or so, one of the staunch supporters of VK Sasikala's claim to form a government in Tamil Nadu was BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. He was seen openly supporting her in TV channels and even met the governor at Chennai. Ironically then, the final blow that dashed Sasikala's hopes of occupying the chief minister's chair came from a bullet fired by Swamy two decades ago.

In fact, while Swamy's complaint named only Jayalalithaa, a raid of Poes garden and evidences gathered there and other locations in 1996-97, brought in Sasikala convicted, her nephew VN Sudhakaran and her sister in law J Elavarasi as accused no 2, 3 and 4 in what came to be known as the disproportionate assets (DA) case.

The trial court judgment by Justice John Michael Cunha in September 2014, records that the criminal law was set in motion against former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa by Subramanian Swamy, the then president of Janata Dal.

He lodged a complaint on June 14, 1996 alleging that, subsequent to the assumption of the public office of the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa acquired properties and earned income disproportionate to her known source of income. The complaint came a month after the AIADMK was condemned to its worst defeat till date in the Assembly elections. Jayalalithaa herself lost in Barugur. Her party was reduced to four seats from 164, five years earlier. (read more...)

From Amma's legacy to RBI monetary policy: 5 key developments

In other news, guidelines issued for cross-border electricity transactions

Business Standard brings to you a list of five key developments across the country.

Jayalalithaa’s legacy

Tamil Nadu’s 19th chief minister (she was also the 11th, 14th, 16th and 18th) J Jayalalithaa, who died on Monday, was known for gifting her 72 million people a record set of freebies, but she also leaves behind a state that ranks among India’s top five in many social, crime and industrial indicators.

ALSO READ: Amma's legacy: Social, industrial, crime rankings among India's best

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Minting money (Part– 1): Salboni

 

Business Standard reporters have attempted to piece together stories of how new currencies are being printed after demonetisation at the  four presses — Salboni  (West Bengal), Dewas (Madhya Pradesh), Nashik (Maharashtra) and Mysuru (Karnataka) — which make the notes.

ALSO READ: Minting Money: Printing notes on a war-footing to fill up cash-starved banks

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Tata vs Mistry

Alleging that individuals prone to “impulsive control” have exposed the Tata Group to perilous violation of regulatory requirements, ousted Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry on Tuesday said his fight is to protect the conglomerate from “capricious” decision-making by Interim Chairman Ratan Tata.

ALSO READ: Tata Group exposed to regulatory violations: Cyrus Mistry

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Cross-border trade of electricity

The power ministry late on Monday issued guidelines to facilitate cross-border trade of electricity. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission will frame appropriate regulations binding on all participating entities. According to the guidelines, a participating entity will be eligible for cross-border trading on Indian power exchanges, including Indian Energy Exchange and Power Exchange India, in term-ahead contracts, intra-day contracts and contingency contracts.

ALSO READ: Guidelines issued for cross-border electricity transactions 

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RBI Monetary Policy

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a temporary cash reserve ratio (CRR) over the weekend, on the incremental rise in bank deposits following the government’s demonetisation move. The measure, which will be reviewed on December 9 and was largely expected by analysts, aims to suck out excess liquidity in the system; though banks will not be able to earn any income on these deposits.

ALSO READ: Monetary Policy preview: Will the RBI cut interest rates tomorrow?

Read Source>>>

All you need to know about the Cauvery water dispute

Bengaluru came to a halt on Monday, the second time in a week, after protesters targeted property and vehicles of Tamil speaking people over the Cauvery river water dispute. One person was killed and another injured in police firing in the city.

The protests and violence began after the September 5 Supreme Court order to release 15,000 cusec of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu for a period of ten days.

Subsequently, the apex court on Monday modified its September 5 order, asking Karnataka to release a reduced amount of 12,000 cusecs of Cauvery River water per day to Tamil Nadu till September 20. The amount was reduced in response to an urgent plea by

When did the dispute start?

Why does the dispute continue?

Historical reasons, argues an article, are the reason that Karnataka lost out when the final verdict on the issue came out in read more..

Protests in Karnataka over SC order to release Kaveri water story for pol news (priority)

Hundreds of people, especially farmers on Monday staged protest demonstrations in the Mysuru region against the Supreme Court order to Karnataka for releasing 15,000 cusecs of water daily for 10 days to Tamil Nadu.

The protesters at Mandya, about 100 km from Bengaluru, blocked the vehicular traffic on the busy Bengaluru-Mysuru state highway by burning discarded tyres and effigies of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and placing barricades at many places enroute.

About 100 farmers stood knee-deep in the Kaveri river at Srirangapatna near Mysore, threatening to hold 'Jal Satyagraha' (agitation for water) to prevent the state government releasing water from the nearby Krishnaraja Sagar Reservoir (KRS), built across the river basin.

"We will not allow the state government to release water at any cost from the half-empty reservoirs as we don't have enough water for our fields and drinking water," said Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha leader Nanjungowda at Mandya.

Farmers, traders, students and political leaders have called for a shut down in Mandya district on Tuesday in protest against the apex court order, which will deplete the water level in the KRS further, affecting supply to  read more..