TN This Week: Rahul Gandhi Begins Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes to his late father and former Prime Minister (PM) Rajiv Gandhi at his memorial in Sriperumbudur on September 7 ahead of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The former PM was assassinated in a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur on May 21, 1991.

Tamil Nadu’s new electricity tariff came into effect on September 10 after the state Electricity Regulatory Commission approved the revision proposed by  generation and distribution corporation Tangedco.

The electricity charges per unit has been fixed at Rs 4.50 up to 400 units for two months for domestic consumers. The existing tariff is Rs 3 per unit up to 500 units. 

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) said that the state received 90% excess rainfall during the southwest monsoon this year. 

Tamil Nadu has the highest number of students lacking the most basic numeracy skills, according to a recent NCERT study titled ‘Oral reading fluency with reading comprehension and numeracy 2022’.

Within hours after the midnight announcement of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) result, a 19-year-old girl committed suicide in Chennai. This year, 10,572 more students in the state have qualified in the NEET.

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

RAHUL AT RAJIV’S ASSASSINATION SITE

Wayanad MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi paid floral tributes to his father and former PM Rajiv Gandhi at his  memorial in Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, ahead of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Rahul, who had arrived on September 6, began the day by offering floral tributes and  a silent prayer. 

Gandhi shared a picture of him paying tribute to his father and wrote that he lost him “to the politics of hate and division” and “I will not lose my beloved country to it too”. He embarked on the road journey from Kanyakumari on September 8 to reach out to people, rejuvenate the Congress, “connect with people” and “undo the damage caused by the BJP and RSS”.

KEJRIWAL LAUNCHES DELHI MODEL SCHOOL

Delhi chief minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal launched government schools along the lines of Delhi’s model schools in Tamil Nadu on September 5. Under the  Schools of Excellence and Model Schools Scheme,  the institutes will have upgraded infrastructure and improved learning opportunities.

CM MK Stalin launched the Pudhumai Penn (modern woman) scheme, which will provide Rs 1,000 for every girl student who had studied in a government school and opted for higher education. Kejriwal attended the event as a special invitee at Bharathi’s Women College, Chennai.

EPS TAKES CHARGE AT AIADMK HQ 

Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) visited the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) headquarters in Chennai on September 8 for the first time since being appointed interim general secretary of the party on July 11. 

EPS told the media that the party will not forgive deposed coordinator O Panneerselvam (OPS) for being selfish. OPS had approached the Supreme Court (SC) against the Madras High Court’s (HC verdict that had restored former CM OPS as the party’s single leader.

SC RESTORES CHARGES ON DMK MINISTER

Noting that corruption by public servants is an offence against the state and society at large, the SC ordered criminal charges to be restored against Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and state electricity minister Senthil Balaji on September 8 in a cash-for-job case during his tenure as state transport minister between 2011 and 2015.

Setting aside the HC order delivered on July 30, 2021, that quashed an FIR against Balaji following a compromise reached between the complainants (bribe givers) and Balaji, the top court directed the state police to proceed with the case investigation.

NEW AIRPORT: DMK REACHES OUT TO VILLAGERS

Faced with the growing resistance from villagers to the proposed airport at Parandur, DMK MLAs and MPs held a discussion with them at the site in Kanchipuram on September 7. People from Parandur and neighbouring villages rejected the compensation offered by the Tamil Nadu government in exchange for the land that needs to be acquired for the project. Watch here

‘REGULARISE OUR WORK’- HEALTH VOLUNTEERS

Members of the Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam Workers Association held demonstrations and submitted petitions to district collectors demanding regularisation of jobs and hike in wages, among other things on September 5.

State health volunteers protest in Tirupur. Image courtesy: CITU, Tamil Nadu.

ROAD EMPLOYEES PROTEST

Employees of the highways department held protests across the state on September 7. The day was observed as black day since after more than 9,800 workers were terminated overnight. Read more