Tamil Nadu news live: 1,225kg turmeric stored for smuggling to Sri Lanka seized from Ramanathapuram district

K T Rajenthra Balaji, Minister during the AIADMK regime, had last year taken away nearly 1.50 tonne sweets from the manufacturing unit of state-run milk producer, 'Aavin' here, Dairy Minister S M Nasar alleged here on Sunday.

<link>https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/tamil-nadu-govt-will-turn-the-fight-against-social-evil-practices-into-peoples-movement-minister-p-geetha-jeevan/articleshow/84136541.cms</link><linkText/>The Tamil Nadu government has envisaged turning the fight against the social evil practices such as child marriage and female infanticide into “people’s movement”. In an interview to Shanmugha Sundaram J and Aditi R, minister for social welfare and women empowerment P Geetha Jeevan spoke about the many efforts of the department from activating village vigilance committees to end child marriages and female infanticide, identifying and reaching to children who had lost their parents to Covid-19 with financial assistance and reviving welfare board for transgender persons to ensure their rights. READ MORE

Life in Tamil Nadu is almost normal after two months with Covid-19 lockdown restrictions relaxed to a large extent. The months of May and June saw a surge in coronavirus infections after the Assembly polls in April this year and the DMK government imposed the lockdown. Based on the infection numbers, the lockdown restrictions were gradually relaxed. Barring opening of movie theatres, bars, swimming pools, inter-state bus services, zoos, schools, colleges, social and political meetings, the restrictions on most of the other activities have been lifted. Intra and inter district bus services with 50 per cent seating capacity have been allowed and e-pass and e-registration requirements have been taken off. (IANS)

It was stored for smuggling to Sri Lanka, say Mandapam police

In the last month, state education helpline number 14417 has received more than one lakh phone calls from students across Tamil Nadu. This is the highest ever number of calls the helpline has received in a month since it was launched three years ago. This time the most common question from students, including second and final year college students, was about career prospects due to the pandemic.

Demand for Covid-19 vaccines continues to be high in the city and the suburbs with people thronging the hospitals and PHCs in and around Madurai to take the jab. However, many of them were told to take a token and try their luck in the next two days. As the priority is given to those above 45, people below 45 were turned away if they approached the centres early. “I have been trying for the past one week at the Corporation Elango Boy’s Higher Secondary School from as early as 6am, but I was unlucky,” said S Shanmugapriya, 32, a working woman. All the urban PHCs have started issuing tokens asking people visit to see whether slots are available, as they are distributing the vaccines equally among the PHCs to ensure that the entire city gets covered.

The opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu is planning massive campaigns against the government over foisting "false" cases against the party cadres. The IT cell of the party has already come up with several campaign strategies against the government which it says is unnecessarily targeting its cadres. (IANS)

Tamil Nadu water resources minister S Duraimurugan left for New Delhi to meet Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday. The meeting is to discuss about range of issues, including inter-state water disputes arising out of Karnataka's Mekedatu dam plan and also a dam built across Markandeya river, a tributary of Pennaiyar.

The fresh cases of Covid-19 have been plateauing in the district for the past couple of weeks, yet it topped the state in the daily count on Sunday, when 445 people were tested positive for the virus. With this, the case tally has gone up to 2,21,415, of which 2,16,495, including the 585 patients who were discharged from various treatment centres on the day, have recovered till date. The active Covid-19 cases in the district now stands at 2,851.

The pandemic may be far from over but people continue to throw caution to the winds and throng T Nagar and Marina beach in hundreds as lockdown restrictions have been relaxed. While the Marina is a breezy, open space, people who thronged the narrow Ranganathan street in T Nagar mostly for window shopping and for snacking did not bother that they are in unsafe environs. READ MORE

Amid Tamil Nadu's strong opposition against the construction of the Mekedatu project across River Cauvery, Karnataka home minister Basavaraj Bommai said MK Stalin-led government was attempting a new political adventure by unnecessary trying to obstruct the project as it will benefit both the states. (ANI)

Just 50% of standalone restaurants in and around Chennai are expected to open dine-in services on Monday, after the state government gave its nod. While standalone restaurants are likely to offer South Indian fare, eateries in star hotels are gearing up to offer a multi cuisine menu. Manpower shortage and uncertainty about business post the second wave of Covid-19 has left dine-in services in the balance in several establishments.

The Union territory of Puducherry reported 172 fresh Covid-19 cases on Sunday even as 272 patients recovered, bringing down active cases to 2,006. Of them, 1,701 patients are under home isolation and treatment. Puducherry headquarters reported most fresh cases with 137, followed by Karaikal (23), Mahe (7) and Yanam (5). A 60-year-old man without comorbidities died taking the death toll to 1,761. The infection’s fatality rate stood at 1.5%. The UT has so far reported 1.2 lakh cases with a recovery rate of 96.8%. Healthcare authorities have so far administered 5.25 lakh doses of vaccine against Covid-19.

A man who was sleeping on a cot outside his house was murdered by an unidentified gang at Semmemcherry on Sunday morning. The victim was identified as Velu , 48, of Tsunami Quarters. Police said Velu’s wife Priya heard his cries and rushed outside to find him dead. Semmencherry police sent his body for postmortem. READ MORE

After recording more than 4,000 new Covid-19 cases for six consecutive days, the number dipped on Sunday as the state recorded 3,867 fresh infections, taking the total number of positive cases recorded in the state so far to 24,96,287. The state recorded 72 deaths on Sunday, 33 less than Saturday. So far, 33,005 deaths due to Covid-19 have been recorded in the state. READ MORE