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VOL: 2 ISSUE 55March 12, 2009
Chennai, March 12:
ElectionCommission on Thursdayexpressed confidence onorganising "free, fair andtransparent" Lok Sabhaelections, which isscheduled between April16 and May 13."We aim for free,fair and transparentelections in the country, letalone a state, there is nodoubt about it," ChiefElection Commissionerdesignate Navin Chawla,who is here to hold reviewmeeting with the state'sChief Electoral Officer, toldreporters.He wasanswering a query onreported comments ofAndhra Pradesh DGPpraising the rulingCongress in that state, andwhether free and fairelections were possiblethere under suchcircumstances.Chawla assuredthat the EC was taking allsteps to ensure free andfair elections such as videorecording of requiredproceedings and deployingofficials to monitor them."In the recent sixstate Assembly elections,we found surrogatecandidates contesting asindependents, using all thefacilities given by the EC ingood faith," he said, addingthat strict action would betaken against suchpersons in the upcomingelections.With a view topreventing excess use ofmoney, Chawla saidofficials from the IncomeTax will be posted on pollduty who will report to theEC.Highlighting theEC's efforts in thisregard, Chawla recalledthe recovery of Rs 40crore in cash and other'freebies' duringKarnataka Assemblyelections, which wereallegedly meant forvoters.On the issue ofAndhra Pradesh DGPallegedly praising theruling Congress, Chawlasaid he would look intothe matter during hisreview meeting inHyderabad scheduledlater in the day.Responding toa query, he said themodel code of conductwas in place and the EChad circulated a list of"Dos and Donts" to therespective stategovernments.Quoting hismeeting with the ChiefElectoral officer (CEO)ofthe state, Chawla saidissuing of 97 per cent ofElectoral Photo IdentityCards (EPIC) was over inTamil Nadu anddescribed it as "highestpercentage in India by allstandards."The rest wouldbe issued in the nextcouple of weeks, headded. Chawla is said tohave instructed the CEOto give priority to the"landless poor" as wellas the "urban poor" inthis regard, "since theymay not have otherforms of identity" (proof)."Multiple formsof identification," couldbe furnished by voterswho did not get theirEPIC, Chawla said. Pollofficers and poll staffhave been instructed tostrictly register all forms ofidentity proof.He warnedagainst "defacement ofpublic property" in the formof posters or graffiti.
Confident of organising free andfair polls: CEC Navin Chawla
 
Times Chennai E-PaperMarch 12, 2009Page 2
Chennai, March 12:
 Rejecting pleasby agitating advocates toimmediately hear theirpetition regardingalleged police excessesin the court premises onFebruary 19, the MadrasHigh Court has askedthem to return to work.When seniorlawyers T V Ramanujumand R Krishnamurthyyesterday pleadedbefore a Benchcomprising Chief JusticeH L Gokhale and JusticeF M Ibrahim Kallifulla thatthe matter be taken upimmediately, they weretold their petition wasbeing heard by a three- judge Bench headed byJustice S JMukhopadhaya."When a Bench isseized of the matter it is notproper for it to bewithdrawn from thatBench," Justice Gokhalesaid.The advocatesthen argued that JusticeMukhopadhaya wasindisposed. The chief justice replied that JusticeMukhopadhaya couldcome to the court any day,adding it was not the firsttime that a judge wasunwell and the mattercould wait.Advocates havebeen boycotting work eversince February 19 whenthey clashed with policewithin the high courtpremises after 13 lawyerswere arrested inconnection with the attackon Janata Party chiefSubramanian Swamy inthe court on February 17.
-Agencies
Chennai lawyers clash: High Courtrejects striking lawyers plea
Chennai, Mar 12
 AIADMK GeneralSecretary J Jayalalithaatoday said she wouldensure that the fundsraised during her fast onMarch 9 reached thesuffering Tamils in SriLankan through theInternational Red Cross''overcoming all obstaclesput in the way'' by TamilNadu Chief Minister andDMK President MKarunanidhi.Reacting to MrKarunanidhi's statementyesterday in which heridiculed the former ChiefMinister's claim that Indiarushed medicines andmedical equipment toColombo only afer sheobserved a fast in supportof them, Ms Jayalalithaasaid his statement onlyshowed that he wanted tostop the funds raisedfrom reaching thesuffering Lankan Tamils.In a statementhere this morning, theformer Chief Ministersaid though sheobserved the fast onMarch 9, she hadannounced the agitationon March 5, givingenough time for theCentre to makearrangements to sendthe medical relief toColombo.Assailing theChief Minister forremaining silent whenNew Delhi was sendingarms and modernDefence equipment to SriLanka to fight the rebelsand giving training to theisland nation's Defenceforces, Ms Jayalalithaasaid he had no right totake up the issue of SriLankan Tamils.Ms Jayalalithaaalso said the people ofTamil Nadu were bracingto teach Mr Karunanidhia befitting lesson for hisalleged cooperation indestroying LankanTamils.Her reactioncame as Mr Karunanidhiwondered if it waspossible to send 25tonnes of medicines andmedical equipment in aday after the AIADMKleader observed a fast insupport of the Sri LankanTamils.
-Agencies
Jaya flays CM on Lanka fast comments
Chennai, March 12
 A two dayseminar on role oflanguage in highereducation got underway atthe SRM University onThursday. The seminarwas inaugurated byTomonori MINOWAConsul, ConsulateGeneral of Japan atChennai.Speaking on theoccasion, Dr. T P GanesanPro Vice Chancellor, said,“In all the magnificentimprovements and gradualdevelopments of mankind,communication plays themost significant role. Fromthe primitive age to themodern era, this universehas been relying ondifferent modes ofcommunication.Today, any progressivenation needs to maintaininternational co-operationand understanding.English stands as anunmatchable language tomeet this demand.”“The modernEnglish teacher assumesmore significant roleunlike the previousgenerations, they have toprepare the students indeveloping theircommunication skills toget them ready to facethe challenges ahead ofthem when they are outof the college in the jobmarket. Theirpotentialities andcapabilities are judgedby their communicationabilities. Hence the taskof the language teacheris becoming more andmore important, difficultand complicated,” headded.Mr. Minowastressed the importanceof learning a foreignlanguage especiallyEnglish which haschanged his lifestyle andopened up moreopportunities.Mr. PManiDirector RegionalInstitute of English,South India emphasizedthe need for a curriculumimpartingcommunication skills andimprove vocabulary thangrammatical instructionsin higher education.The presentconference will focus onidentifying new methodsin the realm of languageteaching and learningand thereby improvingthe language skills of thestudents to cater to thepresent would whereknowledge explosionand tremendouschanges arecontinuously takingplace in anunprecedented level inall the fields such aseducation, industry,commerce,communication and theentire gamut of othersocial and environmentscenario.EarlierUniversity Registrar Prof.Sethuraman welcomedthe gathering.
Redefining the role of languageseminar gets underway
Chennai, Mar 12:
 Prime MinisterManmohan Singh todaytelephoned Tamil NaduChief Minister MKarunanidhi andenquired about his healthand wished him speedyrecovery.Dr Singh calledMr Karunanidhi, who wastaking rest at hisresidence after spinalsurgery on February 11and wished him completerecovery and return tooffice soon, an officialrelease here said.Thanking DrSingh, the Chief Ministeralso enquired about thePrime Minister's healthfollowing a recent heartsurgery.The PrimeMinister told MrKarunanidhi he waskeeping good health andresumed official work, therelease said.
PM calls CM, wishes speedy recovery
 
Times Chennai E-PaperMarch 12, 2009Page 3
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