Title - The Hindu : Cities / Madurai : Pomp and gaiety mark Independence Day

Pomp, gaiety, honouring of freedom fighters and presenting awards to government servants for exemplary work marked the 66 Independence Day celebrations here on Wednesday.

District Collector Anshul Mishra, who took the salute and witnessed the parade at Armed Reserve Police Grounds, was accompanied by Superintendent of Police V. Balakrishnan.

After the Tricolour was unfurled shortly after 9.30 a.m., the Collector honoured freedom fighters by adorning shawls to them. He also handed aid worth Rs. 31.13 lakh to a total of 159 beneficiaries of various social welfare schemes of the State Government.

Apart from three tailoring machines worth Rs. 4,300 each to three differently-abled persons, free house title deeds were also given to 79 beneficiaries at a total cost of Rs. 29.30 lakh. Besides an assistance of Rs. 1,000 to a total 50 aged citizens, 19 sports persons were given assistance totalling Rs. 99,500. Under the Agriculture and Horticulture departments, eight persons were given assistance. A total of 242 freedom fighters and their heirs were honoured on the occasion.

Mr. Mishra also presented the District Collector’s Award to 45 Government employees and honorary certificates to traditional folk arts practitioners.

CULTURAL FESTS

Besides the parade by the police personnel and National Cadet Corps formations, the eye-catcher of the event was cultural events, folk art performances and gymnastics performances.

The Nehru Higher Secondary School at Post and Telegraph Nagar started off the festivities with 201 of their students performing a folk dance.

They were followed by 250 students of the Mangayarkarasi Higher Secondary School who showed off the benefits of utilising Physical Training classes by demonstrating various formations such as lotus flower and pyramid. It was followed by a rain dance by 360 students of Meenakshi Sundareswarar Higher Secondary School.

Then came a show stopper in the form of some exquisite gymnastics by some very young students of the Siddhu Matriculation Higher Secondary School who showed to what extent one can push their bodies provided they have the will power.

No Independence Day celebration these days is truly complete without performing to the Oscar winner A.R. Rahman’s rendition of Vande Mataram, to which 25 students of Lady Doak College presented a dance. Performances by students of Sourashtra Girls Higher Secondary School and O.C.P.M. Girls Higher Secondary School also followed. A total of 1,776 took part in the celebrations.

Rajesh Das, Inspector General of Police (South Zone), Sanjay Mathur, Commissioner of Police, Arun Sundar Dayalan, Additional Collector and Project Director of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) were present along with a host of other Government officials and police officers.

MADURAI CORPORATION

Madurai Corporation has re-laid 33 roads for 22.13 km at a cost of Rs. 4.05 crore under the Urban Infrastructure Development Fund.

Unfurling the National Flag at the Independence Day celebration here on Wednesday, the Mayor, V.V. Rajan Chellappa, said that office buildings for two zones would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 3.25 crore.

The Mayor said that 177 sintex tanks have been put up in the added areas of Madura city and drinking water was supplied through them with 13 tankers. Efforts were on to introduce 12 additional tankers on contract basis. Other works for improve drinking water supply would be taken up at a cost of Rs. 85 lakhs, he said.

The Corporation has sought State Government clearance for putting up 4,000 new street lights at a cost of Rs. 19 crore.

The Mayor, in the presence of the Corporation Commissioner, R. Nanthagopal, distributed prices to the top three rank holders in 10th and 12th public examinations from corporation schools.

He also honoured the heads of corporation schools that had secured 100 per cent pass percentage in 10th examination.

Students of Corporation schools presented variety cultural programmes.

Deputy Mayor, R. Gopalakrishnan, Deputy Commissioner, K. Sambhavi, zonal chairpersons, officials and councillors were present.

RAILWAY

Gauge conversion works on Dindigul-Palani and Virudhunagar-Manamadurai sections would be completed by this fiscal and would be open for traffic, Divisional Railway Manager, A.K. Rastogi, said.

After hoisting the Tricolour at the railway ground here on Wednesday, Mr. Rastogi said that the gauge conversion of Tirunelveli-Tenkasi section has been completed and it would be opened shortly. Electrification wok in Dindigul-Madurai section had been completed up to Koodal Nagar station. The work up to Madurai junction would be taken up after completion of the on-going yard re-modelling work, he said.

Stating that Rs. 11 crore had been spent on several passenger amenities in the division, he said that so far Rs. 5.68 crore had been spent for the same this year.

The DRM said that the division had achieved significant growth in passenger earnings (Rs. 100.44 crore) and freight earnings (Rs. 51.56 crore) up to July when compared to that of last year.

The division has planned to phase out unmanned level crossings with limited use sub-ways and manning of level crossings to enhance railway safety.

He urged passengers not to carry inflammable articles in trains that could endanger their journey.

Additional Divisional Railway Manager, V. Ajithkumar, Divisional Security Commissioner, S. Balasubramanian, were among the officials present.

Students of Railway Mixed Higher Secondary school presented cultural programmes. RPF commandoes presented stunts on motorbikes.

GRH

Independence Day was celebrated with patriotic fervour on Wednesday at two important institutions in Madurai- the Government Rajaji Hospital and in Madurai Kamaraj University.

While the GRH Dean N.Mohan had hoisted the Tricolour in hospital and also in Madurai Medical College, the university had national flag hoisting done by its Vice-Chancellor Kalyani Mathivanan who said that “working with conscience is the best national duty.”

Leading the 66th Independence Day celebrations, Dr.Mohan exhorted the entire staff of GRH to reach out to community with dedication and spirit of service.

“All our staff, be it the doctors, paramedical staff or any employee, must shed their ego and feel that the institution is important than individual.

That is the best public service we could do,” the Dean has said after unfurling the tricolour.

Retired professors and eminent doctors including Sam C.Bose, Muthukumarasamy, Vijayasankar and Sathyavan were honoured on the occasion to take inspiration from them, Dr.Mohan said. Also, appreciation certificates were presented to a few employees for their dedication to duty.

The Dean also participated in the flag hoisting ceremony at Madurai Medical College.

MKU

In MKU, the Vice-Chancellor has said at the Independence Day function that everyone must carry a motto of one doing good deed a day. “There should be some purpose in our life and country’s independence is an everyday event to rejoice. Let us all work with conscience and follow the principle of work is worship,” Prof.Kalyani Mathivanan said.

HIGH COURT

Justice P.P.S. Janarthana Raja of the Madras High Court unfurled the Tricolour flag in the High Court Bench here marking the 66th Independence Day celebrations on Wednesday and accepted the guard of honour from the Armed Reserve Police.

Earlier, he garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the court premises along with Justices K. Suguna, S. Palanivelu and C.S. Karnan. Justice K. Chandru too participated in the function but preferred to stay put in a temporary enclosure put up for the judges. Clad in a dhoti and khadi shirt, he was the cynosure in the function participated by subordinate judges, law officers, advocates, court staff and school children. The occasion was utilised to honour High Court employees’ children who excelled in the last public examinations.

AMERICAN COLLEGE

The 66th Independence Day was celebrated in a grand manner at American College here on Wednesday.

M.Davamani Christober hoisted the national flag and recalled the selfless sacrifices of great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru for securing country’s freedom.

He spoke on India’s achievements in many fields especially in information technology and space besides the recent medal haul at London Olympics.

According to a press release, a large number of students along with teaching and non-teaching staff had participated in the celebrations. The college students who participated in the Republic Day celebrations at New Delhi this year were honoured.