According to a Daily Thanthi report, the incident occurred in the Urudayan Kudiyiruppu area on Sivasakthi Road between Tirunelveli Junction Sripuram and Thachanallur, where two communities reside.

A petrol bomb was allegedly thrown near the memorial stone of Muthuramalinga Thevar by two unidentified persons, who fled the spot.

How did police trace the accused involved in the petrol bomb attack?

Police led by Thachanallur Inspector Vimalan inspected the spot and found fragments of a glass bottle and a wick. The investigation found that a liquor bottle had allegedly been filled with petrol, fitted with a wick, set on fire and thrown at the memorial pedestal.

Who are the two people arrested in the petrol bomb case?

Police then examined CCTV footage from the area and identified the accused as Akashramadurai (22), son of Srinivasarajah, and Chandanakumar (21), both residents of the area.

Why was the petrol bomb allegedly thrown?

Police said the two accused were being monitored after being included in the rowdy list.

The investigation also revealed a dispute over government-owned land located between the houses of the two communities. While the land can be used by both communities, individuals do not have ownership rights over it.

One group had taken steps to construct a roof at the site, while another group objected and lodged a complaint with Thachanallur police. Following the complaint, the work was temporarily stopped.

Police said the petrol bomb incident may have occurred following anger among members of the community over the dispute.

Under the new system, liquor shop supervisors will submit stock indents using dedicated handheld devices, fully replacing manual submissions.

Accordingly, consumers will get their preferred brand based on sales in that particular area, and now consumers will get their choice of liquor, a senior official said on Friday.

The initiative stems from an official directive issued by Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) Managing Director K Nanthakumar following executive decisions made at the corporate office.

In an order, he said, building on the complete end-to-end computerisation achieved across all 38 districts and depots in mid-2025, this tech-driven procedure aims to streamline stock distribution, eliminate paperwork, and prevent supply bottlenecks.

"Under the new digital mechanism, eligibility quantities for each shop will automatically populate on the handheld device, organised by specific brands and pack sizes", he said, adding, "while supervisors cannot reduce the system-generated base figures, they are allowed to increase stock orders by up to 20 per cent based on local demand.

He also said that supervisors retain the flexibility to add registered brands not featured on their automated list to cater to localised customer preferences.

"To ensure high accountability, physical submissions at District Manager (DM) offices will be completely phased out, and the final indent submissions will require mandatory One-Time Password (OTP) authentication sent to the registered mobile number of the designated shop supervisor".

Quantities confirmed via the system will be treated as final and forwarded directly to local depots for stock dispatch, placing sole verification responsibility on the shop supervisors.

The order further said that ahead of September 1, TASMAC is conducting a pilot phase where printed copies signed by district managers are being processed to monitor system performance.

Giving a break-up on the pilgrims, Rajmohan said 11 people from Cuddalore, 5 from Krishnagiri, 16 from Thanjavur, 1 each from Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai and Namakkal, 4 from Tiruchirappalli,

2 from Tiruvarur, 7 from Mayiladuthurai, and 6 from Chennai - accounting from 10 districts, and 3 from Puducherry, totally 57, went to the Kailash yatra travelling in three vehicles.

“The second vehicle was stuck due to the sudden flooding. About 20 Tamils were quickly rescued and evacuated to safety,” he said.

The minister emphasised that this disaster served as a “wake-up call” regarding climate change and the need for stricter adherence to sustainable development goals.

Social Justice Minister Vanni Arasu announced the demands for grants for the Social Justice Department in the Assembly. The scheme was among 67 major announcements made by the minister.

Under the 'Agam' scheme, the government will provide safe and permanent housing for sanitation workers, who play a crucial role in maintaining cleanliness and public health in residential areas and urban centres.

The initiative aims to improve workers' living standards and ensure a safe, dignified living environment for their families.

In another announcement, the government said a Tribal Cultural Centre would be established at Nandanam in Chennai.

The centre will expand the activities of the Tribal Research Centre, currently operating in Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris district, to the State capital.

The proposed centre will work to preserve and promote the diverse cultures, traditions, and art forms of tribal communities.

It will also create greater public awareness about the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu's tribal population.

The statue is being constructed through a trust, with work having commenced about two years ago. Construction from the feet to the head using reinforced concrete has been completed, along with the cement coating.

Workers from North India have been engaged for more than a month in shaping the statue's face, with scaffolding erected around it. Special cement coatings mixed with chemicals and protective paints are also being used to prevent damage from the salty sea air.

The statue is being constructed facing towards Sri Lanka, according to those associated with the project.

There are reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Rameswaram and inaugurate the statue. However, details of the proposed visit and inauguration have not been confirmed in the copy.

The statue is expected to attract more devotees to Rameswaram once it is completed and opened to the public.

Hanuman has an important place in the history associated with the Rameswaram Ramanathaswamy temple, according to local accounts.

Similar 108-foot Hanuman statues have already been constructed and opened to the public in Gujarat and Shimla, the report said.

His remarks came amid growing calls from ruling TVK ministers, legislators and sections of the public to project Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a possible prime ministerial candidate, as a wider debate continues over other potential national leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal.

"As Congress leaders, we are very clear. Our beloved leader and Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is the INDIA bloc's prime ministerial candidate for 2029," Viswanathan said.

Providing details of Tamil Nadu's efforts to ensure the safety of tourists from the state stranded in Nepal, Viswanathan said a four-member ministerial committee was urgently dispatched to the neighbouring country on Thursday night to oversee relief measures.

The death toll from flash floods rose to 469 earlier on Friday, as search-and-rescue operations continued for a third day, with nearly 1,000 people still missing in the Himalayan nation.

"To monitor the situation 24/7, the Tamil Nadu government has opened dedicated control rooms in both Chennai and New Delhi," the senior Congress leader added.

Responding to opposition criticism that several hours of Assembly proceedings were being taken up by "unwanted conversations", the minister for Higher Education strongly defended the legislative process.

He said the Assembly was the appropriate forum for debate, where all elected representatives had an opportunity to express their views.

The move to redraw the districts comes ahead of the party's organisational polls.

The party had favoured sweeping structural overhaul, and inducting young blood during the party's executive committee meeting held at Anna Arivalayam, the DMK state headquarters here on August 22.

The principal opposition DMK which unveiled a structural overhaul in its organisation, fixed strict age caps and limited term for party posts following its electoral setback in the April 2026 Assembly election.

Under the new delineation strategy recommended by the party reorganisation committee, constituency boundaries have been redistributed to create the 110 updated party districts. Notably, owing to its vast population density, the Sholinganallur assembly constituency has been carved out as an independent party district.

In a statement here Stalin emphasised that the DMK's foundational pillars - ideology, organisation, activities, and fraternal bodies - required periodic renewal to adapt to changing political landscapes.

Existing district committee secretaries have been instructed to convene their respective executive meetings within 15 days in the presence of headquarters-appointed observers. They have been tasked with submitting recommendations to realign party structures down to the city, union, area, town, circle, and branch levels according to the revised district boundaries.

Reflecting on his tenure on social media, Stalin recalled taking charge of the party on the same day in 2018, reiterating his commitment to continuous evolution.

"No race or entity that fails to adapt to time survives on this earth. On the day I enter my ninth year as party president, I have announced this structural revamp for the welfare of the organisation," he stated, expressing confidence that the cadre's unified support will lead the DMK to further electoral victories.

He released the rank list for admission to undergraduate AYUSH courses-BSMS (Siddha), BAMS (Ayurveda), BUMS (Unani) and BHMS (Homoeopathy) - and BNYS (Yoga and Naturopathy) for the 2026-27 academic year.

According to the Health and Family Welfare minister, counselling for admissions is scheduled to begin on September 3 and will be held in three regular rounds, followed by a stray vacancy round.

He said 10,849 of the 11,850 applications received were found eligible. Of the 1,077 applications received under the 7.5 per cent preferential quota for students who studied in government schools, 906 were found eligible.

Under the 7.5 per cent government school quota, Pa Thamilaruvi of Nagapattinam district, who scored 516 in NEET, secured the first rank, followed by Su Brindha Sri of Tirunelveli district.

In the government quota, P Kranthik of Namakkal district secured the first rank, while K Thiyagaraj of Tiruvallur district stood second.

In the management and all-India quota, K Thiyagaraj and V Hemavathi, both from Tiruvallur district, and Dharani Kannan of Madurai district were among the top rank holders.

The minister said the state government was formulating a 'positive health policy' focused on primordial and primary prevention of diseases through traditional lifestyles, yoga, naturopathy and balanced nutrition.

Separately, a 16-therapy Indian Medicine Holistic Wellness Centre was launched at the Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy's Anna Nagar campus. The centre offers rejuvenation, pain management and circulation therapies at nominal rates, besides free general services.

The state has operationalised a 28-bed residential rejuvenation therapy facility at the International Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy and Medical Sciences in Chengalpattu.

Plans are underway to collaborate with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation to promote wellness and medical tourism in hill stations, the minister added.

Justice K Govindarajan Thilakavadi also ordered notice to DMK Information Technology wing and posted to September 15, further hearing of the application arising out of a suit filed by Arjuna, which also sought to restrain Stalin and DMK IT wing from publishing any similar false and defamatory statements concerning him.

In his application, the TVK leader submitted that the present suit was filed against Stalin and the DMK IT wing for publishing a false, malicious and defamatory imputation against him through the official social media account of the DMK Information Technology Wing on the social media platform 'X' , bearing the handle @DMKITwing, on June 8, 2026. The said publication has caused incalculable and grievous injury to the reputation, dignity, credibility and the public standing of the plaintiff.

Arjuna submitted that the impugned publication was not an isolated or unauthorised act of a mere social media functionary but was published pursuant to the plan, directions, instructions and approval of Stalin, who exercises control, supervision and overarching authority over the affairs of the party, including its IT wing.

Stalin was therefore responsible for, and accountable in respect of, the publication and dissemination of the impugned post, and the DMK IT wing was directly responsible as the official operator and manager of the said X account through which the impugned post was published, he added.

He submitted that impugned statement was wholly false, fabricated, malicious and devoid of any factual basis whatsoever. An individual referred to in the Enforcement Directorate proceedings was not a relative, much less a close relative, of the plaintiff. The allegation has been published without any verification, without any supporting material, and in complete disregard of the truth, he added.

He said a person has lodged a formal complaint before the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, specifically stating that he was not the one being referred to in the context of the ED. Consequently, any attempt to portray the said individual as a relative of the Plaintiff (Arujna), without undertaking even the most elementary verification, was manifestly reckless, grossly irresponsible and mala fide. Stalin and DMK IT wing conduct in publishing the impugned statement as a verified and "shocking truth" in complete ignorance of or willful disregard for the said complaint evidences a deliberate and calculated intention to defame him, he added.

In a statement issued on Friday, the producer associations said that they had chosen to indefinitely postpone the strike call given in the wake of Tamil Nadu Minister for Information and Publicity Rajmohan's assurance to them that the attention of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay would be drawn to their concerns and that tripartite talks under the guidance of the Chief Minister would be facilitated to find a permanent solution to the problem.

The producers said that they had met Tamil Nadu Minister for Information and Publicity Rajmohan on August 26 and explained the problems plaguing the film industry to him. They said that they had also submitted their requests as a petition to the minister on the occasion.

Stating that after perusing their petition, the Minister had asked the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors Federation and the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association to continue following the process that was in place for releasing films now, the producers pointed out that the minister had told them that the Tamil Nadu government would initiate steps to hold talks between the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors Federation, the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association and the Tamil Film Producers associations after the ongoing Assembly session and find a solution to the problem.

For the unaware, the producers associations had on August 22 announced that no new Tamil films would be released from September 1. They had also said that all film shootings and post production work being carried out on films would come to a standstill from September 1.

The producers said the decision to stop the release of all new Tamil films from September 1 had been taken in response to the unilateral announcement made by the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association and the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors Federation with regard to the release of new films on OTTs.

The distributors and the theatre owners associations had said that they would only be able to screen those films whose producers gave them an assurance that they would release their films on OTT platforms only eight weeks after their theatrical release.

In a joint statement on August 22, the producers had said, "The distributors federation and the theatre owners association, of their own accord and without holding consultations with others, have decided that they can permit the theatrical screenings of only those films, whose producers give letters stating that they will release their films on OTT platforms only after eight weeks after their films' theatrical release."

Pointing out that no such practice was in place in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka or Kerala, the producers associations had said that this move, which was being deliberately introduced in Tamil Nadu alone, was one that needed to be condemned.

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies P Venkataramanan said the government would announce fresh measures to control the price rise within three days.

During Zero Hour, the Leader of the Opposition Udhayanithi raised the issue, saying prices of essential commodities had increased over the past three months since the new government assumed office in the State.

"Owing to this hike, people are suffering and are reducing their visits to grocery shops. The government should take necessary steps to control the price rise of essential commodities," he appealed to the Tamil Nadu government.

AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K Palaniswami said that during his party's regime, the government had created a Price Stability Fund with an allocation of Rs 100 crore. He added that the incumbent government should take similar measures.

Opposition parties, including the PMK, CPI and CPI(M), also raised the issue.

Following the arguments raised by the members, Minister Venkataramanan said the increase in prices of essential commodities was not limited to Tamil Nadu.

"The increase in petrol and diesel prices has had an impact on the prices of essential commodities. The government is monitoring the prices of 41 essential commodities on a daily basis. To control the price rise, the government will follow the schemes implemented by previous governments," he assured.

Vijay stated this in his counter-affidavit filed in response to the Public Interest Litigation filed by advocate K Venkatachalapathy.

The constituencies included Tiruchirappalli (East) Assembly segment, one of the two seats from where Vijay won in the April 2026 elections and resigned later.

The First Bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan had on July 10 passed the interim order and directed Vijay, besides former AIADMK MLAs MR Vijayabaskar (Karur), C Vijayabaskar (Viralimalai), S Jayakumar (Perundurai), and Esaki Subbaiya from Ambasamudram to file their comprehensive counter-affidavits traversing all factual and legal assertions. They all had resigned as MLAs.

In his counter affidavit, Vijay sought to dismiss with exemplary cost, the PIL, which sought to declare that the vacancies arising out of the resignations of various returned candidates in the Assembly pols do not constitute "clear vacancies" or available vacancies for the purpose of holding bye-elections under Section 151-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RPA).

Vijay submitted that the petitioner has no locus standi to file the petition, since he was not qualified to file an election petition. He cannot wage a war placing reliance on the election petitions filed by strangers/third party to the petitioner.

Even assuming without admitting that, if at all anyone may have the right to seek a relief postponing the bye election to the vacant constituencies, it will be the election petitioners due to the alleged possibility of two elected/returned candidates to one seat, if the election petitioner was successful in getting further relief. However, no application seems to have been filed by the election petitioner in respect of Tiruchirappalli (East) Assembly Constituency. Hence, the petitioner was waging a "proxy war" and it was liable to be dismissed in-limine, he added.

Vijay submitted that the petitioner was in no way aggrieved, so also any of the electors of the said constituency, since no one has raised an issue in this regard. Hence there was no public interest involved in the petition. Therefore, the petitioner seems to have filed the petition with ulterior motives. The petitioner lacks bonafides, he added.

The petitioner was only seeking to protect the interest of the election petitioners. But, the stoppage of bye election will deprive several lakhs of people in these constituencies from having democratically elected MLAs, to represent their interest, cause and grievance that too for an indefinite period of time.

Hence, prima facie, the petition was against the larger public interest; it was liable to be dismissed in-limine, he contended.

Extending his "heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the young Grandmaster from Tamil Nadu," the CM said Praggnanandhaa has created history by becoming the first Indian to win the champion's title at the GCT 2026 held in St. Louis, USA.

"Competing against the world's top players with remarkable mental fortitude and strategic brilliance, his victory in securing the champion's title is a fitting recognition of his extraordinary talent and unwavering perseverance," Vijay said in a post on "X".

This magnificent triumph not only instilled new hope and inspiration in the younger generation but also brought immense pride to Tamil Nadu and India.

"I wholeheartedly wish Praggnanandhaa continued success in achieving many more milestones on the global stage," the chief minister said.

The grand finale of the prestigious event in world chess concluded on August 27.

The 21-year-old Chennai prodigy defeated the defending champion and world number 2 Fabiano Caruana of the United States, scoring 15-13.

"During the DMK regime, following the then Chief Minister's demand, a team from the Union government came, but it did not take any decision," he said.

Urging the TVK-led government to consider the issue, Chezhian said the new government should procure paddy with a moisture content of up to 17 per cent.

Replying to him, Minister Venkataramanan said that if the government procured paddy with more than 17 per cent moisture content, the rice recovery would be only 60 to 62 kg for every 100 kg of paddy.

"However, if paddy with below 17 per cent moisture content is procured, the rice recovery would be above 68 kg for every 100 kg of paddy. The government procures paddy with a moisture content of up to 17 per cent to avoid this loss," the Minister said.

He also said that around 13,161 metric tonnes of paddy were available in Civil Supplies godowns and that 361 Direct Procurement Centres were functioning across 10 Delta districts.

Participating in the Assembly proceedings, Sindu said the Tamil word "thani" generally refers to something separate or isolated and could convey a sense of separation or discrimination. She argued that it was therefore not an appropriate translation for a reserved constituency.

Referring to Articles 330 and 332 of the Indian Constitution, she said the Constitution provides special rights and political representation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, under which reserved constituencies were created. She said the term should reflect the special rights and representation guaranteed to these communities rather than suggesting separation.

Sindu requested the Speaker to consider renaming "rhani thoguthi" as either "sirappu thoguthi", meaning special constituency, or "urimai thoguthi", meaning rights constituency.

Responding to her request, the Speaker said it was a valid and good suggestion. He said the matter would be discussed with the Chief Minister and an appropriate decision would be taken.

She clarified through a suo motu statement under Rule 111 in the Assembly that there was no connection between Suzlon's groundbreaking ceremony in Andhra Pradesh and its proposed investment in Tamil Nadu.

"Social media platforms have spread wrong information regarding Suzlon's investment, claiming that the company had dropped its investment in Tamil Nadu and invested in Andhra Pradesh. There is no connection between Suzlon's proposed investment in the State and the groundbreaking event in Andhra Pradesh. Both are separate, she clarified.

Suzlon had signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government during a recent event in Chennai, proposing an investment of Rs 500 crore and the creation of around 500 jobs in Coimbatore and Thoothukudi.

Suzlon has had a long business association with Tamil Nadu. The company commenced production in the State in 2006 and stopped operations in 2011. Meanwhile, it continued to support its sister concern, SE Forge.

The company has now decided to resume direct investment in Tamil Nadu, the Minister said.

The announcement followed a demand raised by AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K Palaniswami during Thursday’s Question Hour. He asked the minister whether the government would implement the elevated corridor project, which had been proposed during the AIADMK regime.

Replying to him, the minister said the government had already announced an eight-lane road from Chennai to Kanniyakumari.

Explaining the traffic congestion in suburban areas surrounding Chennai, Aadhav said the travel time from Chengalpattu to Chennai airport had increased to nearly three hours due to heavy traffic.

"The same situation is witnessed while travelling from Tiruvallur through Poonamallee. The elevated corridor between Tambaram and Chengalpattu will be implemented after detailed discussions with the Union government. A meeting with the Union government is scheduled for next month," he assured.

Intervening in the proceedings, Premallatha urged members to avoid unnecessary confrontations and devote more time to issues concerning the people.

"The Assembly is meant to discuss people's problems. But for the past three or four days, there have been continuous arguments. Members keep making allegations against one another, consuming valuable time. What benefit does this bring to the people of Tamil Nadu?" she asked.

She said members appeared to be spending more time preparing for arguments than discussing public issues. Though the House was convened to debate demands for grants, only about an hour was being spent on people's issues, while much of the remaining time was consumed by arguments, she said.

"Everyone should be given an opportunity to speak in the House. This is an Assembly, not a fighting forum," Premallatha said, urging the Speaker to ensure that proceedings remained focused on public concerns.

She further said the House remained peaceful until Aadhav began speaking and suggested that he should not be allowed to intervene if his participation repeatedly led to disruptions.

Responding to her remarks, Aadhav said he respected Premallatha and knew how late DMDK founder Vijayakant had conducted himself as Leader of the Opposition.

"When opposition members make false statements and allegations, I am compelled to respond and clarify them. I also request Anniyar to tell the same thing to the DMK members about how they should speak in the House," he said.

The group comprised 22 men and 27 women, hailing from various parts of the city and State, including Chromepet, Perambur, Alwarpet, Singaperumal Koil, Kancheepuram, Tiruvannamalai, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Theni, Namakkal, Erode, Karur, Tiruchy, Salem, and Coimbatore.

They left by flight from Chennai on August 14 through Mahadev Kailash Yatra, a spiritual tourism company located in Radha Nagar in Chromepet, and were scheduled to return on Thursday (August 27).

However, while they were undergoing immigration procedures near the Nepal-China border after completing the pilgrimage, the flash flood struck the area and swept away the immigration office building.

Since then, there has been no information about the 49-member group, leaving their families deeply worried.

The group was led by Sathya Narayanan, the son of the travel company's owner.

Besides him, Vikraman, Manjula, Velavendhan, Rajalakshmi, Amudha, and Kishore are from Chromepet, while Meenakshi, Latha Bhanumathi, Saraswathi, Chandran, Gopal, and Arunachalam are from Kancheepuram.

Around 6 am on Wednesday, Meenakshi and Chandran informed their families that they were travelling towards Nepal. That was the last the kin heard from them.

Fearing for their safety, relatives have appealed to the central and Tamil Nadu governments to take immediate steps to trace and rescue the pilgrims.

Meanwhile, the families of the six Kancheepuram residents submitted petitions at the Kancheepuram Collector's Office, seeking urgent action to locate the missing pilgrims.

The experts said this was why talks between the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka would not resolve the Cauvery water-sharing dispute and could instead work against Tamil Nadu's interests.

Retired senior Public Works Department engineer A Veerappan, hydrology expert S Janakarajan, State Platform for Common School System general secretary Prince Gajendrababu, advocate Vetriselvan of Poovulagin Nanbargal and Electricity Department Engineers' Association coordinator S Gandhi made the remarks at a press conference.

The federation said Karnataka's proposal to construct the Mekedatu dam, along with plans for a new dam at Rasimanal and to raise the height of the Mettur reservoir by 10 feet, were among the key issues concerning Tamil Nadu.

It said Karnataka was also spreading incorrect information that Tamil Nadu's consent was not required for the Mekedatu project. According to the experts, a Supreme Court judgment requires the consent of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, among the Cauvery basin states, for constructing a new dam across the Cauvery.

They said Karnataka's detailed project report for the Mekedatu dam had been returned as it did not fulfil the required conditions.

The federation said more than 50 rounds of talks held between the two states in the 1990s had failed to resolve the Cauvery dispute.

"The Mekedatu dam cannot be constructed based on the Supreme Court judgment and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award, and we will not allow it to be constructed," the experts said.

They also said constructing dams at Rasimanal and Hogenakkal to store additional Cauvery water was not immediately feasible. Any new dam across the Cauvery would require approval from the Central Water Commission and Karnataka, which they said was unlikely in the present circumstances.

A new dam with a storage capacity of 10-15 TMC could take three years to construct and cost between Rs 1,500 crore and Rs 3,000 crore, they said.

As an alternative, the experts suggested filling more than 200 lakes and irrigation tanks in drought-prone areas on either side of the Cauvery basin through water-lifting projects.

They also said the proposed Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project was not feasible and urged the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw its decision to seek the constitution of a new tribunal, saying the move was unprecedented and would not benefit the state.

Among those whose whereabouts remain unknown are 67-year-old Natarajan of Vellode in Erode, who runs a mess, and his wife Krishnaveni (56). The couple had embarked on the pilgrimage with eight relatives through a Chennai-based travel operator and were scheduled to return to Chennai on Thursday.

The sudden loss of communication has left their families deeply worried, with no clarity on whether the pilgrims were caught in the floods or stranded in areas where telephone connectivity has been disrupted.

In a desperate attempt to locate his parents, their son Kavinraj left Erode on Thursday morning, travelled to Bengaluru and flew from there to Kathmandu. Meanwhile, relatives gathered at the couple's home in Kanagapuram, anxiously awaiting information.

Family members said the couple had closed their mess for 15 days to undertake the pilgrimage and had remained in regular contact with relatives throughout their journey.

“Natarajan spoke to the family last on Wednesday evening. He said they were waiting at an immigration office. After that, we could not reach them,” family members said.

A similar sense of anguish has gripped families in Coimbatore, where another group of pilgrims has also become unreachable. Punitha Chandrasekaran, a retired private-school principal, and her husband Chandrasekaran, a retired professor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, both residents of Vadavalli, had travelled to Kailash along with a 45-year-old woman and her son.

Their relatives have also been unable to establish contact with them following the floods. Their neighbour Ramesh Kumar said Chandrasekaran had managed to tell his son that he was in Tibet. Communication was subsequently lost, however, leaving the family uncertain about the group's current location and safety.

Despite opposition from the DMK and AIADMK, Speaker JCD Prabhakar did not change his stand on the issue. Under the new protocol, Ministers presenting grant requests for their respective departments will make departmental announcements during the introductory stage. Normally, such announcements are made only after the debate and the Minister's reply.

The Speaker announced that the new procedure would be followed from Thursday. Opposition parties, including the DMK and AIADMK, opposed the move.

Describing it as a "cinema climax," DMK MLA Thangam Thennarasu said the audience should know the climax only at the end of a film, not at the beginning.

Replying to him, Minister for Social Justice Vanni Arasu said some films had two climaxes — one at the beginning and another at the end.

Speaker Prabhakar rejected the Opposition's demand that the announcements be made at the end of the Minister's speech. He directed Ministers Vanni Arasu, V Sampath Kumar and AM Shahjahan to read out their departmental announcements while moving the demands for grants at the introductory stage. Following the Speaker's direction, the Ministers read out their respective departmental announcements.

In another incident, the Speaker heard the Opposition's concerns during Zero Hour. Minister Rajmohan attempted to read out a statement on the Nepal issue before the Opposition raised the matter.

The DMK and AIADMK members raised their voices in protest. Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin said the Minister should read out the statement only after the Opposition was allowed to raise the issue of the Nepal disaster.

Recalling the debate on the Karur incident, in which 41 people died at a TVK public meeting, Speaker Prabhakar said that during the discussion on the incident, then Chief Minister MK Stalin had read out the statement first, followed by the Opposition raising the issue.

However, the Opposition stood by its demand. Following the intervention of House Leader KA Sengottaiyan and Minister Rajmohan, the Speaker allowed the Opposition to raise the Nepal issue.

The State government constituted the committee on October 6, 2025, following orders of the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court. Its mandate is to identify temples under the HR&CE Department's control that were constructed in accordance with Agama traditions.

Details concerning the Agama practices of the temples were submitted to the committee by the respective regional Joint Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners of the department. The committee subsequently examined the reports.

The department said the public could point out any omissions in the details or submit comments for the committee's consideration.

Details of all 34,971 temples examined by the panel have been published on the HR&CE Department's website.

Members of the public may submit representations by post to the Commissioner's Office, HR&CE Department, 119, Uthamar Gandhi Salai, Nungambakkam, Chennai-34, or through the department's website.

The representations should be submitted within 30 days from the date of publication of the notice, the department noted.

“The concept of fixing a duration for 45 days itself is wrong. No government has followed this so far. Samba crop could take between 105 and 125 days, and needs discharge of at least 10,000 cusecs per day. It will be possible only when Mettur level reaches 100 feet and the inflow is between 8,000 and 12,000 cusecs,” said Sami Natarajan, general secretary of the CPM-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam.

According to him, no farmer would demand discharge for just 45 days when the Mettur level is merely 89 feet. “The water released would not reach the tail-end areas. Also, after 45 days, the dam may go empty and the farmers who commenced samba cultivation wouldn’t get water. The nurseries they planted may wither away,” Natarajan cautioned.

Opening the shutters after the dam reached 100 feet and following the turn system of irrigation would help realise at least a single crop samba, he opined. “The officials should take the reading of water availability every day and act accordingly. Otherwise, the release of water from September 1 for 45 days would be useless," he said.

Echoing him, P Viswanathan, president of Tamil Nadu River and Ayagutdars Association, said releasing water when the level in Mettur dam is below 100 feet could prove dangerous for farmers. As the dam could not be opened on the customary date of June 12, all waterbodies across the region has dried up and the groundwater level has also depleted.

“It would take at least 30 days for the water from Mettur to reach the main canals. The shutters should remain open for at least 90 days for the water to reach the tail-end areas. If that does not happen, cultivating samba could end in a disaster for farmers,” he said.

Viswanathan said the State government should get at least 60 TMC of water from Karnataka to realise samba cultivation in the Delta region. “We cannot trust the monsoon rains. Like how the Southwest monsoon failed, the Northeast monsoon, too, may fail,” he said. If his fears come true, venturing into samba cultivation would result in a huge loss, he said, advising that the farmers should wait until the outflow reaches a minimum of 30,000 cusecs per day.

AS THINGS STAND

• Level: 89.24 feet (full level : 120 feet)

• Inflow: 7,454 cusecs

• Outflow: 2,003 cusecs

• Capacity: 51.787 TMC (full capacity: 93.470 TMC)

(Data on August 27)

The biological mother, Pavithra (23), a daily wage labourer from Ezhil Nagar, is married to Ganesan (25), who is unemployed and faces several criminal cases, police said.

Pavithra became pregnant with her second child in December last year and sought financial help from a neighbour, Dhanam. Dhanam suggested handing over the baby to a childless couple for money and introduced her to a private hospital nurse, Aandal.

Knowing that an Andhra Pradesh-based couple, Selvarasi and Gnanasekaran, were looking for a surrogate, Aandal proposed that they adopt Pavithra's child instead. The couple and Pavithra reached an oral agreement, under which the couple agreed to cover all pregnancy-related expenses and pay Pavithra Rs 4 lakh.

Last week, Pavithra was admitted to a private hospital in Villivakkam, where she delivered a baby girl on Tuesday. Following the delivery, hospital administrator Visalakshmi allegedly altered the medical records, replacing Pavithra's name with Selvarasi's to present the latter as the biological mother. Police sources said the hospital's doctor, Rajasekaran (45), was also involved in the fraud.

The illegal transaction came to light when neighbours noticed Pavithra returning home without her infant and alerted the police.

Following a probe, police arrested Pavithra (23); the buyer couple, Selvarasi (30) and Gnanasekaran (35); mediators Dhanam (50), Visalakshmi (45), and Aandal (45); and doctor Rajasekaran (40).

The child has been rescued and placed in a government home, police added.

He also denied the allegation that G Square owned land around Parandur and Pannur. The company has claimed it had sent a notice to the Assembly Speaker, seeking evidence for allegations made against it in the House.

"We started off as a private land aggregator and have facilitated close to 5,000 acres of land deals between 2011 and 2021 for various large corporates smoothly," he said, adding that the company shifted to a B2C model after COVID, which helped it grow rapidly as demand for plotted developments picked up during the pandemic.

Ramajeyam alleged that competitors resorted to creating a negative narrative around G Square. "They set a narrative," he said.

This comes two days after a heated exchange in the Assembly over the Parandur airport project, during which Minister R Nirmalkumar referred to "G Square maapillai", a reference to DMK president MK Stalin's son-in-law V Sabareesan.

The minister also alleged that people who had invested money in land around Parandur stood to benefit from the earlier airport proposal.

Ramajeyam denied any business connection between G Square and Sabareesan. "There is no connection between the 'son-in-law', any Minister in the DMK, its family and G Square," he said.

Organised jointly by the Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), iTNT Hub, and the German Indian Business Alliance (GIBA), the ninth edition of the conclave — 'AI Tamil Nadu 2030: Positioning Tamil Nadu as India's AI Capital' — brought together practitioners from India, Germany, and the US to map out the State's strategy in the global AI landscape.

While India may lag behind the US and China in developing fundamental models, it has not missed the broader opportunity, said B Ravindran, professor at IIT-Madras and head of its Centre for Responsible AI. "In terms of actually figuring out how to get the best value out of AI, there's still a lot of work that needs to be done," he said, noting that the technology's impact on MSMEs remains largely untapped.

Elaborating on practical application, iTNT Hub CEO Vanitha Venugopal said: "For an MSME, that could mean using AI for inventory forecasting, quality control or export documentation."

However, businesses must avoid adopting technology purely out of trend, cautioned Ann Grace, head of AI engineering, AI platform, and automation at US-based Guardian Life. She advised companies to evaluate whether a problem genuinely requires AI, assess their data, and determine expected business returns before investing.

SICCI executive committee member Gopi Koteeswaran observed that enterprise AI remains an evolving space requiring significant investment in expertise, time, and resources. He highlighted MSMEs, automotive, healthcare, and drug discovery as key areas where Tamil Nadu could take the lead.

Selvakumar, who led the German delegation, noted that Europe and Germany are focused on AI applications in manufacturing and precision engineering. He called for deeper collaboration with Tamil Nadu on AI infrastructure and Sovereign AI.

SICCI also released a report titled "The Way Forward: AI for Tamil Nadu" during the event.

The group of 57 devotees who were taken on the tour organised by a Kumbakonam-based agency travelled by three buses.

While one bus carrying 21 of them was not caught in the fury of the flood, the remaining members on the other two buses are missing, leaving their families in deep anguish.

According to sources, among the 21 pilgrims who were rescued, 11 were airlifted to Trishuli army camp while 10 were taken to Ghunsa army base by private helicopters.

Later, all of them were brought from the army camps to Kathmandu, from where they would be sent back to India, sources said.

Karpagam from Tiruchy, one of the rescued pilgrims, contacted her family members via voice message and informed that the group of 21 persons from their vehicle were safe at Trishuli army camp.

Meanwhile, the anxious relatives of pilgrims who went from Thanjavur are trying to get information about the family members.

Revenue officials from the district visited Super Yatra Agency in Kumbakonam for the second consecutive day and commenced inquiry about the missing pilgrims and the status of the rescued persons.

The family members of the pilgrims whose information is yet to be received expressed anguish and are trying to know any information about their situation.

“My mother sent a photo after reaching Nepal around 6 am on Wednesday. But there is no information from her after that. We have been trying to contact her but she is out of reach,” said Raja from Thanjavur, whose mother Chithra is among those missing.

Murali, whose mother Ilavarasi, was part of the group, is banking on the belief that his mother is somewhere safe and would return soon.

The family of Vimala from Srirangam, who went for the pilgrimage organised by a Chromepet-based travel agency, said she was not reachable from Wednesday. They had last heard from her around 8 am on Wednesday.

"We have been trying to get information about her but in vain. We appeal to the government to trace the missing pilgrims at the earliest and bring them back safely,” said her brother Satheesh.

“The government has an objective to eradicate corruption, and a guideline framed in this regard may strengthen its objective,” observed Justice B Pugalendhi.

Observing that almost every payment can now be made digitally, the judge said the government should consider fixing an appropriate threshold for the amount of cash that government employees can carry to their office.

The court was hearing a writ petition filed by a sub-registrar, challenging the proceedings before the Tribunal for Disciplinary Proceedings, Tirunelveli, after she was found in possession of Rs 45,000 while on duty at Mukkodal in Tirunelveli on January 8, 2021.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that the sub-registrar had been harassed for possessing the money, which she was carrying for her wedding expenses.

The court said the case was registered after a surprise inspection by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.

However, the court noted that there appeared to be no common guideline prescribing the maximum amount of cash a government servant could possess while on duty.

It also noted there have been cases when prosecutions had been initiated for possessing as low as Rs 1,500 in cash.

The additional advocate general produced a circular issued by the Inspector General of Registration, Chennai, dated February 23, 2009, prescribing certain guidelines on the possession of money by the Registration Department staff.

The court, however, said there appeared to be no common guideline or government order, covering all government employees in the State.

The matter has been posted for September 3, 2026.

Participating in the debate on the demands for grants for the Social Justice, Backward Classes, Most Backwards Classes and Minorities Welfare departments in the Assembly, Shanmugam said a major effort was under way against reservation and questioned the manner in which the proposed census would collect caste details.

"The Centre has said that around 40 questions will be asked in the caste census and that people themselves should state their caste. This could multiply the number of castes several times. This is a planned conspiracy," he alleged.

Shanmugam said the Centre and State governments already possessed caste lists and argued that the census should be conducted based on those lists.

"If a caste census is conducted using the existing lists, there will be no problem. Therefore, this cannot be considered a genuine caste census," he said, urging the State government to conduct its own exercise instead of waiting for the Centre.

Referring to caste surveys conducted in Bihar and Telangana, Shanmugam said states had the authority to provide internal reservations and urged Tamil Nadu to follow their example.

He also alleged that governments were pursuing policies that could weaken reservation without formally abolishing it through a constitutional amendment.

Participating in the debate on the demands for grants of the Social Justice, Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare departments, DMK members E Raja, Govi Chezhiaan, PK Sekarbabu, EV Velu, KN Nehru highlighted the party's contribution to social justice, including the creation of the Backward Classes Welfare Department and various welfare measures for Scheduled Castes.

Responding, Aadhav Arjuna acknowledged that the DMK had introduced the Anaithu Sathiyinarum Archakar Agalam scheme and described it as a good initiative.

However, he alleged that the scheme had not been fully implemented for five years and demanded data on the number of persons appointed as priests under it.

Former Minister PK Sekarbabu countered that the then Chief Minister, MK Stalin, had implemented the scheme. "MK Stalin removed the thorn that Periyar had felt in his heart," he said.

Aadhav hit back, saying DMK members were well aware of who had challenged the scheme in court. The government would win the case and certainly implement the scheme, he said. He also questioned Sekarbabu's right to invoke Periyar's name.

The exchange escalated when Aadhav responded to DMK MLA Raja, citing the DMK's past association with the BJP.

He questioned why the party had remained in the BJP-led Union government, referred to its 1999-2003 alliance with the BJP and asked what stand it had taken during the Godhra riots.

He also questioned the DMK's record on Dalit welfare, claiming that 28% of Dalits continued to live in huts. He questioned whether merely changing the name of 'colonies' had addressed caste inequalities.

In a pointed personal reference, Aadhav said he had worked in the DMK between 2015 and 2021.

"I did not betray anyone where I worked. Stalin knows that," he said, warning that revealing what happened during those six years would not be in the DMK's interest.

Sparks fly over Armstrong murder debate

Meanwhile, a heated exchange broke out over the murder of BSP State president K Armstrong and the subsequent transfer of the case to the CBI.

Speaking during the debate, Aadav Arjuna referred to the Vengaivayal issue and the murder of Armstrong, and said the slain BSP leader's wife, Porkodi, had sought a CBI probe during the previous DMK regime.

He said she had allegedly raised questions over the possible involvement of a former DMK minister in the case, but the then government had not transferred the investigation to the central agency.

Aadav Arjuna said the case was shifted to the CBI only after the TVK government came to power.

His remarks triggered protests from DMK members. Sekar Babu rose to respond, saying that he and Armstrong were born in the same constituency and that the DMK and its government had stood firmly with Armstrong's family following his murder.

He said the government had also extended support for the funeral arrangements.

Rejecting allegations of political violence, Sekar Babu said the DMK was not an organisation that resorted to violence to defeat its political opponents and added that they are ready to face the CBI investigation.

Aadav Arjuna then questioned why Sekar Babu was offering an explanation when he had not named anyone during his speech.

Sekar Babu subsequently sought the Speaker's permission to explain his remarks, but was not allowed to continue. DMK MLAs then shouted, demanding that the Speaker permit Sekar Babu to speak, leading to further commotion in the House.

Making the announcements during the demand for grants for the Backward Classes and Most Backwards Classes Welfare Department in the Assembly, Minister for Backwards Classes, Most Backwards Classes V Sampath Kumar announced that the new MBC Welfare Board would be formed to promote the social, educational and economic advancement of people belonging to Most Backwards Classes.

The government has earmarked Rs 3 crore for the establishment of the board during the current financial year.

Eligible persons from MBC communities will be registered as members, enabling them to access welfare benefits similar to those offered by other labour welfare boards.

In another major announcement, the government increased the monthly food allowance for students staying in social justice hostels to ensure access to nutritious, high-quality food.

The allowance for school students will increase from Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,800 per month, while college students will receive Rs 2,000 per month, up from the existing Rs 1,500.

Alerting the Assembly about the situation during Zero Hour on Thursday (August 27), he said Chennai district recorded 33 dengue cases, the highest in the State since January 1, followed by Coimbatore.

Responding to queries raised by DMK member O Panneerselvam and AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K Palaniswami, the Minister said fever cases were being monitored daily at 5,805 government and private hospitals.

"The Health Department is monitoring dengue clusters and taking measures to eradicate the mosquito menace. I appeal to the public and to people's representatives to support efforts to eradicate mosquitoes, the primary cause of dengue fever. People need not worry about dengue, as the situation is under control," the Minister said.

According to a DVAC press release, the checks were conducted at various government offices in all 38 districts as part of efforts to detect corruption and irregularities. The total value of cash seized and suspicious digital transactions identified during the operation stood at Rs 1.18 crore.

In Chennai, the checks covered the Sub-Registrar Office at Pallavaram, where Rs 1.50 lakh was seized, the SRO at Royapuram, where Rs 9,500 was found, and the RTO check post at Poonamallee, where Rs 25,150 was seized. At the office of the Chief Electrical Inspector to Government in Guindy, suspicious GPay transactions amounting to Rs 31.52 lakh were detected.

Among other major findings, Rs 2.14 lakh was seized at the Town Panchayat Office in Thenkanikottai, Krishnagiri district, while Rs 1.92 lakh was seized at the Tiruppur City Municipal Corporation office. The Nilgiris Panchayat Union Office accounted for Rs 6.85 lakh in unaccounted cash.

Suspicious GPay transactions included Rs 6.69 lakh at the BDO Office in Vanapuram, Kallakurichi, Rs 5.45 lakh at the Town Panchayat Office in Sethiyathope, Cuddalore, and Rs 3.80 lakh at the BDO Office in Kadayanallur, Tenkasi.

The DVAC said further action would be taken based on the findings of the surprise checks.

VIL Aviation Private Limited started the ‘VIL Heli Station’, a South India Helicopter Operations Base, at Nagarathiram Angalammal Arts & Science College (NAAS) near Madurai.

The helicopter service will cater to travel, tourism, business visits, corporate needs and medical emergencies. “We will charge Rs 1.60 lakh per hour, with up to five passengers able to travel in the helicopter,” said Mohammed RS Hameed, director, VIL Aviation.

Bookings have already commenced. “A passenger needs to book 45 minutes in advance to avail of the service,” he said. “We are starting with one helicopter. If we receive more bookings, we will bring our other helicopters for the service,” said Hameed.

The flying time from Madurai to Tiruchendur is 20 minutes, Rameswaram 30 minutes, Coimbatore 30 minutes and Chennai 1.10 hours.

There will be no waiting charge for passengers. “Suppose a family books a trip to Kodaikanal, which is a 30-minute journey from Madurai. We will drop them at the destination and wait there. We will not charge for the waiting time,” he clarified.

Karumuttu Hari Thiagarajan, managing director of Thiagarajar Mills, Madurai; and N Jegatheesan, secretary and correspondent of NAAS College spoke during the launch ceremony.

Jegatheesan expressed confidence that the helicopter service would promote tourism in southern Tamil Nadu. “At a time when Madurai Airport has got international status, it is awaiting more flights to be operated from here. In this context, operating a helicopter service will help tourism,” he said.

“Already, a family has booked a trip to Kodaikanal. VIL Aviation will also soon introduce Madurai city tourism at an affordable price,” he added.

Hari Thiagarajan said a repair and maintenance centre would be opened at the operational base in Madurai, which would later provide employment opportunities for youngsters pursuing aviation courses.

NAAS College has entered into an MoU with the company, and steps will soon be initiated to provide a VIP lounge, passenger waiting area, cafeteria and other facilities at the heli station.

“At all 600 operational locations, we have identified helicopter landing base facilities either at existing helicopter bases, private schools, or through arrangements with private hotels or landowners,” said the Hameed, adding that the company has a Non-Scheduled Operator permit.

Madurai is the company’s third operational location in Tamil Nadu after Chennai and Coimbatore, he said.

The business community hailed the initiative as a significant step towards strengthening helicopter connectivity and regional aerial mobility in southern Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, further heightening tension in the region, residents of Athipali in Gudalur said they spotted a tiger in their neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon.

The shutdown was called by political parties and various organisations following the recent deaths of two farmers in separate tiger attacks in the ‘O’ Valley area and surrounding parts of Gudalur.

Tensions escalated when unidentified persons allegedly hurled stones at tourist vehicles near the Iron Bridge on the Gudalur–Kozhikode Road. A 12-year-old girl from Kerala sustained a minor head injury in the incident and was administered first aid at a government hospital before returning to her hometown with her family.

The stone-pelting incident left several tourists alarmed, with members of the protesting groups reportedly stationed at various locations and urging tourists to turn back. The police have intensified security arrangements across Gudalur to prevent further such incidents.

Shops and commercial establishments remained closed from Thursday morning across Gudalur, Srimadurai, Masinagudi, Devarshola, Nellakotta, Nadukani, Devala, Pandalur, Cherambadi, Erumad, Uppatti, Pattavayal, and Thaloor.

Several busy areas wore a deserted look as autos, jeeps, tourist vehicles and goods carriers remained off the roads.

The disruption caused considerable inconvenience to tourists travelling through Gudalur, a key route connecting Kerala with the Nilgiris, and Ooty. Interstate bus services connecting Tamil Nadu with Kerala and Karnataka, however, continued to operate normally.

After chairing a high-level meeting on Thursday to take stock of the situation, Chief Minister Vijay deputed ministers Aadhav Arjuna, A Rajmohan, K Thennarasu, and Agriculture Minister R Vinoth to lead the high-level team to the flood-hit country to coordinate rescue and relief operations and ensure the safe return of Tamils.

The ministers left from Chennai by flight on Thursday (August 27) night.

An official statement said a total of 103 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu had undertaken the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in two groups.

While one group comprised 57 people - 54 from various districts of Tamil Nadu and three from Puducherry - the other group comprised 49 people, all from Chennai.

Soon after learning about Tamils missing in the disaster, the chief minister ordered the opening of helplines, and also initiated measures through the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy in Nepal, and officials at the Tamil Nadu House in Delhi to provide assistance to those affected.

To expedite rescue and relief operations, Vijay deputed a high-level team headed by Ashish Kumar, Resident Commissioner of Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi, along with a team of officials, to Nepal. The team will coordinate with the Nepalese authorities on rescue and relief operations.

The team was instructed to take immediate steps for the safe repatriation of 20 Tamils rescued from the flash floods, identify the status of those who could not be contacted, expedite rescue operations, and provide medical assistance.

Besides them, Non-Resident Tamils Welfare and Rehabilitation Department Director R Satish will also camp at the Tamil Nadu House in Delhi.

The team of ministers and officials will monitor the rescue efforts, coordinate medical assistance and counselling through medical teams for Tamils rescued from Nepal and ensure their safe return to Tamil Nadu, the statement said.

After the DMK, AIADMK, CPM, CPI, Congress, and PMK raised the matter in the Assembly, Minister Rajmohan said the chief minister has already conducted a review meeting. “The State government has set up helpline numbers for needy people.

Within 24 hours of the helpline numbers being announced, 937 calls were received and assistance was provided," the minister said.

Later, speaking to reporters at Chennai airport while leaving, Raj Mohan said preliminary information indicated that around 103 people from Tamil Nadu could have travelled to Nepal. Of them, 26 had been rescued so far.

"Those who travelled in groups can be contacted easily. However, there are difficulties in reaching some who travelled in smaller groups or individually. Their families have also been contacting the government for information," he said.

The minister said the government had received information that those who could not be contacted were not facing any immediate threat to their lives.

More than 70 bridges and over 40 connecting roads have been damaged in the disaster-hit areas, making road rescue operations and transportation of rescued persons difficult. Rescue efforts have therefore been intensified through both road and air routes, he said.

The chief minister was being briefed on the situation every hour, Rajmohan said, adding that arrangements were being made to bring the stranded Tamils to Delhi and from there safely to Tamil Nadu.

The unions also urged the state government to ban bike taxis and develop a separate government app for auto services.

Auto meter fares have not been revised in the state for 13 years. The unions have held several protests seeking a fare revision.

In 2022, the Madras High Court directed the government to revise meter fares in line with rising prices and monitor them regularly, while ensuring that the revision did not affect the public or drivers.

As part of the latest move, a committee comprising two joint transport commissioners and two deputy transport commissioners held consultations with representatives of various auto drivers' unions at the Transport Commissioner's office in Guindy, Chennai, in two sessions on Thursday.

Representatives who attended included Tamil Nadu Auto Thozhilalar Sammelanam (CITU) state working president S Balasubramaniam, HMS Auto Workers' Union working president M Subramaniam Pillai and AIUTUC Auto Workers' Union state general secretary Mariappan.

Speaking after the meeting, Balasubramaniam said the unions had sought a fare of Rs 60 for the first 1.5 km and Rs 30 for every subsequent kilometre. They also sought a waiting charge of Re 1 per minute and a night-time fare of 1.5 times the normal rate.

"We have also urged the state government to develop a separate government app for auto services and ban bike taxis in Tamil Nadu. We have put forward these three demands and expect announcements on them to be included in the Transport Department's demands for grants," he said.

The Transport Department's demands for grants are scheduled to be taken up in the Assembly on Friday. However, the consultation was held only on Thursday and its report could take a day or two to be prepared.

It remains to be seen whether the auto unions' demands will be included in the demands for grants.

Normally, the chief minister occupies a separate and spacious chair close to the Speaker's Chair and the ministers are seated separately, next to him, as per their seniority, in the front row.

The facing row is occupied by the Leader of the Opposition and leaders of the Legislature parties based on their numerical strength in the 234-member House with their respective party members behind.

In the afternoon session, Vijay casually moved from his chair, located on the right side of Speaker JCD Prabhakar and sat between Ministers KA Sengottaiyan (also Leader of the House) and Aadhav Arjuna.

According to a source, in the past no chief minister sat on the seat meant for ministers.

Normally, the ministers or legislators change their positions for a brief while to speak with their colleagues. But this perhaps is the first time a chief minister has shifted from his official chair to have a word with his colleagues.

Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin pointed out that the department secretaries should be asked to be present in the House when important issues are raised in the House by the members.

"The Speaker mentioned that then chief minister spoke about the Karur (stampede) incident during the previous DMK regime. Then our leader and CM (MK Stalin) was present in the House and so were the chief secretary and department secretaries. Now, both the chief minister and department secretaries are not present in the House," Udhayanidhi said.

Responding, Aadhav Arjuna said the secretaries were present in the adjoining "war room" and taking notes from the members' speeches.

The Speaker concurred with Udhayanidhi and said the senior officials will be asked to be present in the House during Assembly sessions.

The CM had attended certain government events earlier in the day, and had turned up for the session later.

The experts said this was why talks between the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka would not resolve the Cauvery water-sharing dispute and could instead work against Tamil Nadu's interests.

Retired senior Public Works Department engineer A Veerappan, hydrology expert S Janakarajan, State Platform for Common School System general secretary Prince Gajendrababu, advocate Vetriselvan of Poovulagin Nanbargal and Electricity Department Engineers' Association coordinator S Gandhi made the remarks at a press conference.

The federation said Karnataka's proposal to construct the Mekedatu dam, along with plans for a new dam at Rasimanal and to raise the height of the Mettur reservoir by 10 feet, were among the key issues concerning Tamil Nadu.

It said Karnataka was also spreading incorrect information that Tamil Nadu's consent was not required for the Mekedatu project. According to the experts, a Supreme Court judgment requires the consent of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala, among the Cauvery basin states, for constructing a new dam across the Cauvery.

They said Karnataka's detailed project report for the Mekedatu dam had been returned as it did not fulfil the required conditions.

The federation said more than 50 rounds of talks held between the two states in the 1990s had failed to resolve the Cauvery dispute.

"The Mekedatu dam cannot be constructed based on the Supreme Court judgment and the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award, and we will not allow it to be constructed," the experts said.

They also said constructing dams at Rasimanal and Hogenakkal to store additional Cauvery water was not immediately feasible. Any new dam across the Cauvery would require approval from the Central Water Commission and Karnataka, which they said was unlikely in the present circumstances.

A new dam with a storage capacity of 10-15 TMC could take three years to construct and cost between Rs 1,500 crore and Rs 3,000 crore, they said.

As an alternative, the experts suggested filling more than 200 lakes and irrigation tanks in drought-prone areas on either side of the Cauvery basin through water-lifting projects.

They also said the proposed Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project was not feasible and urged the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw its decision to seek the constitution of a new tribunal, saying the move was unprecedented and would not benefit the state.