Date:12/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/12/stories/2006051212570400.htm

Secretariat staff hail poll results

CHENNAI: It was celebration time for a section of the State Government employees at the Secretariat.

The Assembly poll results, removing the All India Anna Dravida Munnnetra Kazhagam from power, were seen as an effective answer to the hardship the employees had undergone at the hands of the outgoing regime. To mark the occasion, the employees burst crackers inside the campus of the Fort St. George, housing the Secretariat.

Remembering the days of their strike in July 2003, the employees raised slogans, hailing the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi.

K. Pandurangan, president of the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association, addressed the gathering and said members of his association did not have affiliation to any political party. He said the employees, by remaining united, had sent a message. He demanded restoration of concessions withdrawn a couple of years ago. — Special Correspondent

Congress loses citadel

Thanjavur: Papanasam constituency, a stronghold of the Congress from 1957, has gone to the AIADMK this time.

In 11 elections, Congress has won the seat 10 times and the DMK once.

In 1957, Venkatachala Nadar of Congress won the seat. In 1962, it was R. Subramaniam, in 1967, R. Soundaraja Moopanar, but in 1971 Ganapathy of DMK, who was a former Deputy speaker, won the seat. Again in 1977, Congress candidate R.V. Soundarajan won the seat, in 1980 and 1984, Rajaram got elected from the seat, in 1989, G. Karupaiah Moopanar won the seat, in 1991 again Rajaram won the seat, in 1996, Karuppanna Wodayar won the seat and in 2001, M. Ramkumar of the party got elected.

— Special Correspondent

All India trek

begins today

Udhagamandalam: The All India NCC Girls `Nilgiris Trek 2006' organised by the NCC Group headquarters, Coimbatore, under the aegis of the NCC Directorate of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and the Andaman and Nicobar will begin here on May 12. According to a press note issued here on Thursday by the Group Commander, Gregory Joseph, the senior and junior wing girl cadets from various States will participate.

The trekkers in batches of 125 to 150 will cover approximately 136 km. While the base camp will be at the Cordite Factory Higher Secondary School, Aruvankadu, the staging camps will be at the Government Higher Secondary Schools in Chamraj, Yedakkadu and Nanjanad and the Saint Josephs Higher Secondary School here.

- Special Correspondent

Training

Coimbatore: Gnanalaya Vallalar Kottam will organise an introductory training session on "Olimayamana Vazhkai" on May 13 at Annamalai Hall, according to a release. - Staff Reporter