Date:16/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/16/stories/2004081611150300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Cultural events, mass feeding programmes mark I-Day

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, AUG. 15. Colourful cultural events, mass feeding programmes, distribution of awards for meritorious achievements and aid to the poor marked the celebrations of the nation's 58th Independence Day on Sunday.

The Deputy Mayor of Chennai Corporation, `Karate' R. Thiagarajan, hoisted the flag at Ripon buildings and took the salute at a parade by the National Cadet Corps students. He distributed prizes to students who participated in the cultural programmes.

At the Parthasarathy temple at Triplicane, Ministers C. Ponnaiyan and P.C. Ramasamy, took part in a community feast. At a similar feast organised at Kapaleeswarar temple, the PWD Minister, O. Paneerselvam and the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation Chairman, Adhi Rajaram participated.

The Local Administration Minister, K.P. Anbalagan, unfurled the flag on the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board's premises.

Unfurling the flag at its Manali refinery, S.V. Narasimhan, managing director of the Chennai Petroleum Corporation, said the company's board had recently approved setting up of a desalination plant to overcome the perennial water problem faced by the unit.

Blankets donated

Other organisations, which celebrated the Day, included the Tamil Nadu Wakf Board, St. John's Ambulance and the Mylapore Academy. The Chromepet New Colony Residents' Welfare Society donated 25 blankets to Government Hospital in their locality and clothes to students and destitute women.

Assistance distributed

Our Kancheepuram Staff

Reporter reports:

The Day was celebrated with gaiety and pomp in the district. The Collector, R. Venkatesan, hoisted the flag on the Police Parade Grounds in the Collectorate complex and distributed welfare assistance to 30 beneficiaries, gold medals to drivers of taluk offices at Madurantakam and Tambaram for accident-free record for the past two decades, silver medals with a certificate of appreciation from the Governor for achieving flag day collection of Rs.50000 and above to K. Rathna, Special Deputy Collector, District Collectorate, Tiruvallur, and 8 others and loans to 38 women self-help groups.

At Tiruvallur, the Collector, Kumar Jayant, called upon rural people to make the best use of the `swajaldhara' scheme.

Participating in the grama sabha held at Kachur in Poondi block, the Collector exhorted the villagers to mobilise 10 per cent of the Rs.10.75 lakh drinking water project to be taken up by the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board under the scheme. The Centre would finance the remaining 90 per cent of the project cost, he pointed out.