Governance

In view of rising COVID cases, on April 2, the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) issued an order imposing restrictions in public spaces. The situation of COVID in Karnataka has been reviewed and it has been observed that there has been a persistent rise in the number of COVID cases in the State during the last month, the order said. Further, a large number of social, religious and public gatherings like marriages, political rallies are being witnessed in which COVID appropriate behaviour is not being followed which may cause a setback in the appreciable gains made in the suppression…

Sitting AIADMK MLA Dr R Nataraj is all set to contest again from the Mylapore constituency. A retired Indian Police Service officer, Nataraj had served as chairman of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) and is best known for bringing transparency in the conduct of government examinations. He joined AIADMK in 2014 and first won the Mylapore assembly seat in 2016. How has his experience as a bureaucrat helped him? What plans does he have for the constituency? We catch up with the 70-year-old legislator. Excerpts from the interview: What is your vision for Mylapore constituency? My vision is…

R Murthy, popularly known as Idream R Murthy is contesting his first election from Royapuram constituency. The proprietor of Idream cinemas in Royapuram, Murthy has been associated with the DMK for many decades now.  Projecting himself as a change-maker, Murthy has charted plans for Royapuram, the constituency that has historically been an AIADMK stronghold, voting D Jayakumar to power five times. A successful businessman, Murthy is optimistic of winning the seat, as he says, “People in Royapuram deserve the best. They want to see the change.”  R Murthy has been campaigning for more than 10 hours a day, reaching out…

Kolathur definitely makes headlines whenever in the news, and the reason behind this is not entirely unknown. A high profile constituency represented by the DMK’s current chief ministerial candidate M K Stalin, Kolathur always draws special attention and finds mention in news discussions. Located in the north-western part of Chennai, Kolathur is equidistant from both Koyambedu bus station and Chennai Central railway station, and is well-connected by road with all major localities of the city. Close by are the highly developed residential, commercial and industrial centres — Anna Nagar, Purasawalkam and ICF respectively. Since its inclusion within city limits, Kolathur…

Saidapet constituency has many areas that promise low cost of living, despite being located at the centre of the city. It is a small constituency consisting of lesser known localities, but bordered by prominent neighbourhoods on all sides. It is connected to all corners of Chennai by multiple modes of transport. The nearest railway station is Saidapet, and falls on Tambaram - Beach line. Noteworthy landmarks of the city such as the Central railway station, CMBT, Marina beach are all within a radius of 10 kms. Shopping hub T Nagar, industrial hub Guindy and one of the state’s premier educational…

Elections are due in under a week in the state. Chennai, being the seat of power, becomes the locus of political campaigning by various parties and the release of manifestos. This year is no different, with election season eliciting promises from all quarters, ranging from the realistic to the seemingly improbable. While candidates in the city have come up with their own promises and shared their vision for their respective constituencies, the broad party manifestos too have laid out a roadmap for Chennai for the coming years. The Global Shapers Chennai hub, a non-profit volunteer-driven organization has released a web…

Translated by Sandhya Raju இன்னும் சில நாட்களில் நம் தமிழக சட்டமன்ற உறுப்பினர்களை நாம் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கவுள்ளோம். அண்டை மாநிலம் கர்நாடகாவில் உள்ளது போல் இரு சட்டமன்றம்- அதாவது ஒரு சட்டமன்றம் மற்றும் ஒரு சபை என்றில்லாமல், தமிழகம் கீழ் சபையை மட்டுமே கொண்டுள்ள ஒற்றை சட்டமன்றம் ஆகும். தமிழக சட்டசபையில் மொத்தம் 234 உறுப்பினர்கள் உள்ளனர், எம்.எல்.ஏ.க்கள் என அழைக்கப்படும் இவர்கள் சட்டமன்றத்தை உருவாக்குகிறார்கள். மக்களால் ஜனநாயக முறைப்படி இவர்கள் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்படுகிறார்கள். சட்டங்களை உருவாக்குதல், மாநில அரசை பொறுப்புக்கூற வைத்தல் மற்றும் பொதுச் செலவுகளுக்கு ஒப்புதல் அளித்தல் ஆகிய பொறுப்புகள் எம்.எல்.ஏ.க்களுக்கு உள்ளன. வரும் ஏப்ரல் மாதம் 6-ம் தேதி, சென்னையில் உள்ள 25 தொகுதிகளுக்கு சட்டமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்படுவார்கள். தனது தொகுதிக்கு சிறப்பான பிரதிநிதித்துவம் தரக்கூடிய சிறந்த வேட்பாளரை தேர்ந்தெடுக்கும் முன், ஒரு எம்.எல்.ஏ வின் பொறுப்புகள் என்ன என்பதை நாம் அறிந்து கொள்வது அவசியம். தன்னுடைய தொகுதிக்கும்…

DMK's promise: A one-time financial assistance of Rs 4000 for all ration card holdersAIADMK's offer: Free washing machines to all citizens of Tamil Nadu.  This at a time when the state's debt is 4.85 lakh crore, according to deputy chief minister O Pannerselvam’s budget speech. No details are available on where the money for these giveaways will come from. Welfare measures or freebies? The debate over how to distinguish welfare policies from freebies is an old one. Especially in Tamil Nadu, where the Dravidian parties pioneered many popular schemes over the decades that they have been in power. Among the…

Mylapore, commonly regarded as the cultural hub of Tamil Nadu, is one of the few constituencies which is a stronghold of the AIADMK+. While one part of the constituency is dominated by upper caste voters, fishing hamlets such as Nochikuppam and Santhome are also part of the constituency.  Some of the areas that fall under Mylapore constituency are  Alwarpet, Raja Annamalaipuram, Mylapore, Foreshore Estate and Santhome. Upper caste Hindus form a huge part of the voter base and their issues take centre stage here. Retired DGP and former Chairman of the Tamil Nadu Public Services Commission (TNPSC) R Nataraj (AIADMK),…

Doctor-turned-IAS Santhosh Babu has always been an active bureaucrat and is known for his technical innovations. He held seven positions at one point of time when he was in office. In 2020, he took voluntary retirement from administrative service and shortly after, forayed into politics. He joined Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) late last year as General Secretary (Headquarters), also in charge of IT, data, policy, manifesto, special projects etc.  Contesting from Velachery constituency, Santhosh will be fighting AIADMK’s M K Ashok and Tamil Nadu Youth Congress president JMH Hassan. A few days ago, he tested positive for Coronavirus and was…