The Performance Audit on Power Generation Activities of Tangedco, tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday, flagged deficiencies in thermal power generation, coal procurement and handling, and delays in commissioning power projects.

Poor performance and failure of the ash handling system at NCTPS-II caused generation loss and additional expenditure of more than Rs 130 crore, the audit said.

Coal shortages and purchase of coal at higher prices resulted in additional expenditure of more than Rs 3,900 crore. Tangedco’s failure to adopt the variable-price method for imported coal, instead of the firm-price method, cost another Rs 1,200 crore.

Listing out the lapses, it said despite contractual provisions to claim compensation for coal shortages, Tangedco neither calculated shortages nor claimed compensation from contractors for 2001-24. Also, testing was not done or results were unavailable for 17.55 lakh tonnes of coal.

The audit said acceptance of lower-grade coal forced Tangedco to use additional quantities, causing avoidable expenditure of around Rs 1,500 crore. It also incurred around Rs 250 crore due to pre-berth delays in time charters and made excess idle-freight payments because of deficiencies in the Fuel Supply Agreement.

The CAG noted that a previous audit covering coal management for the five years ending 2018-19 had highlighted similar deficiencies, but most issues continued to persist.

Projects delayed

Thermal projects scheduled for completion before March 2023 remained incomplete, with progress ranging from 18% to 94%, and the utility exceeded the 50-month completion norm prescribed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission by 13 to 56 months, it said.

The resultant increase in Interest During Construction, estimated at around Rs 3,600 crore for three projects, is likely to be disallowed by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission while finalising project capital costs, the auditor cautioned.

The audit also highlighted the failure of the Ujwal Discoms Assurance Yojana (UDAY) to improve Tangedco’s financial position. Tamil Nadu was required to take over 75%, or Rs 56,317 crore, of Tangedco’s debt but took over only Rs 22,815 crore, or 34.38%, citing financial constraints.

The gap between Average Cost of Supply and Average Revenue Realised widened from (-) Rs 0.60 per unit in 2015-16 to (-) Rs 1.07 in 2019-20, while outstanding debt rose from Rs 81,312 crore to Rs 1.23 lakh crore by March 2020, it noted.

The CAG also said the Rs 28,731.74-crore Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme remained at an initial stage, with smart metering yet to take off. State government subsidy and grant support to the utility rose 314%, from Rs 5,947.09 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 24,636.98 crore in 2024-25.

The amendment Bill seeks to reduce the minimum land requirement to set up private universities to 12 acres within the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) limits, 18 acres in other municipal corporations and municipal councils, and 25 acres in other areas. It also proposes reducing the permanent endowment fund requirement from Rs 50 crore to Rs 25 crore.

The amendment follows recommendations of a Task Force on Compliance Reduction and Deregulation constituted by the Union government, which was led by the Cabinet Secretary. The task force had recommended removing the minimum land and endowment fund requirements for establishing higher educational institutions.

The proposal, however, faced stiff opposition in the Assembly from both allies and rivals of the ruling TVK.

CPI MLA K Marimuthu opposed the Bill, arguing that reducing the requirements could lead to the commercialisation of education and affect the principle of social justice.

PMK MLA A Ganeshkumar also opposed the amendment, stating that reducing the land requirement could result in universities lacking adequate infrastructure and facilities. He also criticised the proposal to reduce the endowment fund from Rs 50 crore to Rs 25 crore.

However, Higher Education Minister Viswanathan defended the Bill, saying the amendments were aimed at facilitating the establishment of world class private universities in Tamil Nadu.

The proposal had earlier been introduced by the previous DMK regime. However, following strong opposition from political parties and other stakeholders, the government withdrew the Private Universities Bill in February 2026.

The TVK - led government has now revived the proposal in an amended form and secured its passage in the Assembly despite opposition from its supporting parties.

Minister for Backward Classes Welfare V Sampathkumar moved the resolution, stating that caste-wise details of Other Backward Classes had not been collected in the Census conducted after Independence.

The resolution said accurate details of BCs, MBCs and DNCs were essential to ensure social justice for all sections of society. It urged the Union government to collect caste details during the second phase of the Census in the same manner as those for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

It further urged the Centre to pre-load the lists of BCs, MBCs and DNCs notified by the State and Union governments into the Census enumeration portal/application. The resolution said that the details should be collected solely from the names contained in these notified lists.

The Assembly also urged the Union government to dispense with the "open-column method" for enumerating BCs, MBCs and DNCs, describing the method as ambiguous.

The resolution was adopted unanimously by the House with the support of all parties, including the VCK, IUML, Congress, AIADMK, PMK, Left parties and BJP. Due to their eviction from the House, DMK members were unable to participate in the debate on the resolution.

While Kannan, a resident from Elangadu village near Boothalur in Thanjavur was digging a land near his house, he found a metal coin and soon, he passed on the information to the Vishnampettai temple Executive officer Gopi, who contacted Mani Maran, a Tamil Pandit and archaeological researcher of Saraswathi Mahal Library in Thanjavur.

Soon, a team headed by Mani Maran rushed to the spot and found that there was a Siva Lingam dating back to the Pallava era. Mani Maran said that the Elangadu village is known for the rich heritage of Chola, Pallava, Mutharaiyar, Pandia, Naikar and Maratha kings.

The Lingam was believed to be buried in due course of time. The texture and the size of the lingam depict that it belonged to the Pallava period. “Further excavation might bring out several idols from the spot, and it has reference in ancient manuscripts,” Mani Maran said.

Upon inspection of the coin unearthed, the research team along with the numismatic Seetharaman, said the coin which was weighing around 3.30 grams belonged to Sadaya Sundara Pandian I ruled the region between 1,250 and 1284.

The coin has the symbol of fish depicting the Pandian era, a kuthuvilakku and a human face. There is a Tamil word ‘Ellanthalaiyanan’ around the coin, which confirms that it was released during Sundara Pandian's rule.

According to manuscripts, Sundara Pandian established Vikkrama Pandia Sathurvedi Mangalam near Chidambaram in veneration of his elder brother Vikkrama Pandian.

He also built the Vikkrama Pandia Eswaran temple in the locality and performed special pujas before wars and won every single war, and so he has been acclaimed as Ellanthalaiyanan, said Mani Maran.

He also urged the government to begin excavation in the Elangadu village, which would become a treasure trove.

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Addressing the media at a press conference here on Tuesday, principal accountant general (Audit-I), Tamil Nadu, R Thiruppathi Venkatasamy provided key insights into the findings of seven CAG reports presented in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

The reports cover the State's finances for 2024-25; State revenues for the period ended March 2024; educational scholarship schemes for SC/ST/SCC students; power generation activities of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited; state public sector enterprises (SPSEs); Jal Jeevan Mission; and implementation of the Smart City Mission.

The State Finances Audit Report for 2024-25 noted that Tamil Nadu recorded robust GSDP growth of 15.98%, but continued to face fiscal pressures. The State reported a revenue deficit of Rs 45,840 crore, while revenue receipts grew by only 6.89%. Revenue expenditure accounted for 84.70% of total expenditure, committed expenditure for 53.75% of revenue expenditure and subsidies for 16%. The CAG also observed that a significant portion of borrowings was used for revenue expenditure and debt servicing rather than asset creation.

The report further found that revenue arrears stood at Rs 58,110.16 crore as of March 31, 2025, of which Rs 28,726.53 crore had remained outstanding for more than five years. The arrears accounted for 27.18% of the State's own revenue.

Thiruppathi said the seven reports highlighted the need for tighter monitoring, improved revenue realisation and greater accountability.

Dindigul was the 12th but was not selected, as its first Smart City Proposal (SCP) did not contain the prescribed sector-wise list of projects for the Area Based Development (ABD) area along with the Pan-city coverage.

Though a revised proposal was forwarded in November 2017, the Centre did not consider. The audited cities had initially proposed 243 projects worth Rs 10,035.58 crore. But 52 of these projects, accounting for Rs.1,602.20 crore, were not implemented.

At the same time, 44 projects worth Rs 623.86 crore that were not part of their original proposals were implemented. Five of these were routine works that should have been undertaken by the respective corporations from their own funds, while 21 were implemented outside the ABD area.

Another significant planning gap was the complete absence of Greenfield development in all 7 audited cities. As many as 70 projects involving Rs 655.43 crore were implemented outside the approved ABD areas.

The 7 cities remained largely dependent on government grants, with little mobilisation through public-private partnerships, borrowings or other sources envisaged under the mission. Against Rs 1,630.03 crore of projects planned through PPP, only 4 worth Rs.16.57 crore were executed in Chennai and Coimbatore.

Dindigul was the 12th city but was not selected, as its first Smart City Proposal did not contain the prescribed sector-wise list of projects for the Area Based Development

The CAG also found that Rs 1,127 crore of the Centre’s share was diverted to Personal Deposit accounts in 2021, contrary to maintaining it in a Single Nodal Account. Delays in transferring funds from the State government to TUFIDCO and subsequently to the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) were also observed.

Municipal corporations continued to retain significant control over project selection and implementation, limiting the role of these agencies. Revenue of Rs 57.72 crore collected by the corporations from deposits, lease rentals, parking and user charges was also not transferred to them.

Around 93 projects requiring statutory approvals had been commenced without obtaining the necessary clearances. Of these, 81 projects worth Rs 1,430.83 crore were awaiting clearances from planning and other authorities, while 12 projects worth Rs 175.27 crore were awaiting approvals from the TN Pollution Control Board.

The CAG also found that 12 projects worth Rs 590.58 crore and another 60 projects worth Rs 625.73 crore had not been placed before the High-Powered Project Sanctioning Committee after being split into smaller packages. According to the audit, this denied the projects the intended expert scrutiny and the possibility of cost savings.

KEY NUMBERS

• Originally proposed projects: 243

• Original project value: Rs 10,035.58 crore

• Projects eventually taken up: 414

As of March 2024...

• Completed: 387

• Ongoing: 27

• Expenditure: Rs 6,341.81 crore

Projects and their value

• Planned projects not implemented: 52

• Valued at Rs 1,602.20 crore

• Unplanned projects implemented: 44

• Valued at Rs 623.86 crore

• Centre’s share diverted to PD accounts: Rs 1,127 crore

• Revenue not transferred to SPVs: Rs 57.72 crore

• Projects sans clearances: 93

The draft rules, framed under Section 93 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, are based on the 2025 guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The aggregator licence is aimed at regulating app-based transport services and ensuring transparent and efficient services for passengers.

The minister, who was speaking during a debate on demands for grants, also said autorickshaw fares would be revised soon and fare meters will be installed in all autorickshaws.

The preliminary report of the special committee on fare revision had been submitted and was under review, he revealed.

“Autorickshaw fares were revised in Chennai in 2013 and in other districts in 2014. Revision of fares in line with rising fuel and maintenance costs has been a long-pending demand of autorickshaw owners,” he noted.

Parthiban said a fare revision committee formed on August 5 submitted its revised fare recommendation on August 21.

To streamline relief operations across all Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) zones, senior IAS officers have been deployed under the leadership of ministers. Ministerial teams and senior officials have been instructed to conduct field inspections at least twice a week in flood-prone areas and ongoing project sites to address operational gaps immediately.

A joint framework has been established involving the GCC, CMWSSB, police, fire services, health, fisheries, TNPDCL, and CMRL to expedite the works. The departments concerned have been directed to clear water hyacinth from waterbodies, desilt canals, and expedite pending road, drinking water, and sewage pipeline repairs to prevent urban flooding. TNPDCL has been specifically ordered to replace snapping-hazard power cables and reinforce weak electricity poles to eliminate electrocution risks during heavy rains.

Emergency equipment, including high-capacity dewatering pumps, chainsaws, heavy machinery, and rescue boats, is being pre-positioned in vulnerable zones for immediate deployment. Also, schools and community halls are being readied as relief centres, backed by community kitchens equipped to provide hot meals and safe drinking water.

The meeting was attended by ministers N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, KG Arunraj, and KA Sengottaiyan, along with Chief Secretary M Saikumar, State police chief Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal and department secretaries, while district Collectors joined the proceedings via video conference.

The decision followed a meeting between senior AIADMK leaders Agri SS Krishnamurthy, OS Manian and R Kamaraj and BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, during which the AIADMK leaders sought the saffron party's support. This assumes significance after EPS said that new parties joining the AIADMK-led front would be welcomed. Asked whether the DMK would be accepted, he smiled and replied: “Will the DMK come?” The talk has brought to the fore the principal opposition's stance in the bypolls: whether to field candidates that will split the opposition vote or abstain to indirectly help the AIADMK candidates.

The BJP's backing comes amid the AIADMK's preparations to reclaim the two seats it won in the 2026 Assembly elections. The BJP's decision to support the AIADMK assumes significance as the bypolls will be the first electoral contest between the principal political formations since the TVK government assumed office. The two seats are also politically significant for the AIADMK as the vacancies resulted from the defection of its legislators to the ruling party.

Polling is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9. Nominations can be filed from September 9 to 16, scrutiny will take place on September 17, and the last date for withdrawal is September 19. The Model Code of Conduct has already come into force in the two constituencies.

“This case stands as a classic textbook illustration of how draconian statutory provisions can be weaponised, holding an innocent person beneath the suspended sword of a death sentence,” observed a Division Bench of Justices N Anand Venkatesh and KK Ramakrishnan.

The Bench set aside the conviction and death sentence imposed by the Principal Sessions Court (Pocso Act Cases), Sivaganga, on April 20, 2026, and directed that Chandran be released forthwith unless his custody was required in any other case.

“The Pocso Act is intentionally stringent, designed as a shield to protect children from exploitation. Yet, it is deeply painful to witness instances where vulnerable children are used as pawns by adults to settle private scores, rendering the child a victim twice over,” the judges observed.

The High Court found material contradictions in the prosecution witnesses' accounts, particularly regarding how the children had assembled at the accused's house. It also questioned the absence of any natural reaction from neighbours at the alleged place of occurrence.

The court further noted the unexplained delay in lodging the complaint and the failure to recover the mobile phone allegedly used by the children before the incident. It held that the absence of this objective evidence added to the reasonable doubt.

The Bench also held that the trial court had erred in convicting Chandran under Section 4 of the Pocso Act when no specific charge had been framed under that provision.

The government in the Assembly, during the debate on demands for grants for the Public Department, also announced a package of measures covering welfare assistance for Sri Lankan Tamils, overseas employment and ex-servicemen.

An AI chatbot and Interactive Voicebot will be introduced on the Mudhalvarin Mugavari—CM Helpline portal to help citizens register petitions, check their status, and learn about the action taken, particularly benefiting senior citizens and those facing difficulties with web portals. Rs 2.18 crore will be allocated annually.

Digital kiosks will be installed at all 38 district Collectorates and the Chief Minister's Special Cell in the Secretariat to facilitate access to helpline services. Rs 30 lakh has been earmarked.

Monthly assistance for Sri Lankan Tamils in camps will rise from Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800 for family heads, Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 for those aged 12 and above, and Rs 500 to Rs 600 for younger children, entailing an additional annual outlay of Rs 14.95 crore. Education assistance will rise from Rs 42,000 to Rs 48,000 per student, at an annual cost of Rs 2.72 crore.

A 'Vettri Thamizhar Award', carrying Rs 10 lakh, will honour overseas Tamils providing legal, medical, passport and other public assistance.

An AI-based Instant Global Match (IGM) platform will connect Tamil Nadu youth with verified overseas jobs based on qualifications, skills, experience and language proficiency, with Rs 50 lakh allocated in the first year. Free German training from A1 to B2 will be provided to eligible jobseekers.

Assistance to poor ex-servicemen and widows will rise from Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000, benefiting 250 veterans and 600 widows, at an additional annual cost of Rs 2.04 crore. A Rs 38-lakh web application will cover attendance, transfers, e-signatures, and office procedures for 8,887 personnel of the Tamil Nadu Ex-Servicemen's Corporation.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for the Finance, Planning, Development, Pension and Other Retirement Benefits departments in the Assembly, Marie Wilson spoke about the ups and downs he had faced in life and recalled that he had once even considered bequeathing his property to the church.

He appealed to young people to remove thoughts of suicide from their minds. "There have been leaders such as Kalaignar, MGR and Jayalalithaa. No leader has committed suicide. Similarly, there should be no place for suicidal thoughts in our minds," he said.

Wilson said he had been undertaking a 27-year-long pilgrimage on foot to the Velankanni shrine and that he had never received a reception comparable to the one he received this year.

He also flagged the poor water quality in Devanur village near Tharangambadi in Mayiladuthurai district and urged the Rural Development and Water Resources Minister, N Anand, to take immediate steps to rectify the problem.

Meanwhile, he claimed that he hailed from a family that has been deeply involved in politics. "The right person should be in the right place. In that sense, Tamil Nadu has got CM Joseph Vijay," he said, hailing the TVK chief.

The decision will be implemented through an amendment to the TNPSC Act. The Bill was tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday by Minister for Human Resources Management D Sarathkumar, on behalf of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who holds the municipal administration portfolio. The Bill seeks to ensure a more efficient, professional and transparent recruitment process for appointments in urban local bodies.

"The youth in rural and remote areas of the State can apply for such posts and get recruited in a transparent manner," the minister said as the bill was passed by voice vote.

The jobs scam erupted in the Municipal Administration Department during the DMK regime. The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) registered an FIR after the High Court directed it to probe allegations involving the Municipal Administration Department, which was headed by KN Nehru during the DMK regime.

It is said that Gopalakrishnan (29), resident from Mela Kattur near Thiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur inaugurated a biryani stall at Tirupananthal on Monday (September 7) and offered one plus one offer on the inaugural day and so the residents in large number bought biryani with special inaugural offer.

Meanwhile, on Monday late hours, as many as 12 persons including Suseela (60), Mahalakshmi (23), Nithish (16), Bhavadarini (19), Shivani (9), Magizhan (60), Atheesh (10) and Atheen (11) who ate the biryani complained of vomiting and diarrhea and even a few fainted.

Subsequently, they were rushed to Kumbakonam GH where they have been undergoing treatment.

On Tuesday, the Food safety officials Karthi, Balamurugan and Madhan went to the eatery and collected samples of the food and sent them to the lab for analysis.

The officials also conducted an inquiry with the people who fell ill and the eatery owner. The officials also found that the meat was stored a few days back and was used for the biryani.

Subsequently the officials imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 to the owner. Meanwhile Tirupananthal police registered a case and are investigating.

The works largely involved conventional infrastructure without any smart solution or IT component. The finding is part of CAG’s Performance Audit covering 7 sampled cities: Chennai, Coimbatore, Erode, Madurai, Salem, Tirunelveli and Tirupur.

Pan-city development was meant to apply smart solutions such as intelligent traffic management, wastewater recycling and smart water meters to existing city-wide infrastructure using technology.

The seven cities had initially proposed 37 projects costing Rs 1,488.59 crore, but 69 projects worth Rs 780.77 crore were eventually executed.

On scrutiny, CAG found only 22 projects costing Rs 209.24 crore actually qualified. The remaining 47 ineligible projects (Rs 571.53 crore) were spread across 5 cities: Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Tirunelveli and Tirupur.

They implemented projects such as Micro Composting Centres, incineration plants, solid-waste vehicles, solar power plants and underground sewerage works which are normally expected from urban local bodies to build.

City-wise, Coimbatore had 7 ineligible projects, including LED street lighting (Rs 73.51 crore), UGSS internal plumbing and tank construction (Rs 26.21 crore), and Micro Compost Centres at 36 locations (Rs 21.22 crore).

Erode had 16 ineligible projects, among them a Rs 145.33 crore water supply distribution system and a STEM park with a digital planetarium. Salem had 16, Tirunelveli two, and Tirupur six.

Meanwhile, several genuinely tech-oriented projects from the original proposals were dropped altogether.

Chennai’s Street Light Monitoring System (Rs 248 crore) and Intelligent Traffic Management System (Rs 100 crore); Coimbatore’s CCTV camera and server network (Rs 80 crore); Erode’s e-Health project (Rs 250 crore); and Tirunelveli’s Intelligent Traffic Management System (Rs 74.90 crore).

The audit also noted deficiencies in SCADA-based water projects in Tirunelveli and Salem. SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) is a technology used to monitor, control, and automate water treatment and distribution.

In Tirunelveli, an unplanned SCADA system estimated at Rs 46.67 crore had an energy meter that had remained non-functional since December 2023, while remote terminal units and control points for collecting and monitoring water-flow data had not been provided.

In Salem, a Rs 74.88 crore SCADA-based 24x7 water-supply project was still incomplete two years after its projected completion date.

According to the audit, data from the Educational Management Information System (EMIS) was compared with scholarship data maintained by the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare (AD-amp;TW) Department across eight sampled districts. It found that an average of 46 per cent of schools did not avail the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC/ST students during 2019-22.

During 2019-23, the non-coverage of potentially eligible students under the Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC students ranged between 21 and 52 per cent.

The audit also noted that no special campaigns were launched to identify the poorest households for enrolment under the scheme. Further, adequate steps were not taken by the Department or educational institutions to encourage students who had dropped out to return to school, undermining the objective of the scholarship programme.

Another major concern was the delay in opening the online scholarship portal, which subsequently resulted in delays in the sanction and disbursement of scholarships.

Scrutiny of applications in sampled institutions showed that income and community certificates were missing from 30 per cent of applications. More seriously, scholarships amounting to Rs 1.45 crore were sanctioned and disbursed to 6,861 beneficiaries whose annual parental income exceeded the prescribed ceiling of Rs 2.50 lakh.

The audit further found that Rs 19.59 crore meant for 81,586 beneficiaries was not credited to their bank accounts due to various reasons.

The fishermen, including boat owner Nattar alias Michael Raj, had sailed from Kochi on September 4.

They were taken to Kavaratti Island for questioning.

These fishermen from Thoothukudi district had ventured into the Arabian Sea for fishing in a mechanised boat.

In the eight sampled districts, an average of 39 per cent of schools did not avail the PMS scheme during 2019-22. The non-coverage of potentially eligible students ranged between 20 and 29 per cent during the period. The audit noted that no special efforts or campaigns were undertaken to identify students from the poorest households for enrolment.

The audit also pointed out that the TN government is yet to begin issuing 'Freeship Cards' to eligible students. Adequate measures were not taken by the Department or educational institutions to encourage students who had dropped out to re-join.

Financial management also came under scrutiny. Contrary to existing guidelines, the Directorate of Adi Dravidar Welfare deposited Rs 55.50 crore by splitting the amount into 35 fixed deposits.

Scrutiny of applications in sampled institutions revealed that income and community certificates were missing in 27 per cent of applications. Further, Rs 41.95 crore was sanctioned and disbursed to 20,509 students whose parental income exceeded the prescribed threshold.

Comparison of scholarship payments between 2021-22 and 2022-23 showed that 30,424 students received excess scholarships amounting to Rs 17.90 crore. Among them, 160 students received the 40 per cent State share twice, resulting in an excess payment of Rs 13.50 lakh.

The audit also detected instances of students receiving dual scholarships, including PMS-SC along with the PMS scholarship for minorities, and PMS-SC along with the first generation graduate tuition fee concession.

It is said that Krishnasamy (23), a final year law student from Veeramancheri near Thanjavur and his brother Bogarsami (19) were proceeding to Ayyampettai by a two wheeler.

When they were nearing the Guruvadi highway, they attempted to overtake a van that was proceeding ahead. However, they did not notice that a private bus was coming from the opposite direction. The bus hit their bike in which Krishnasamy died on the spot while his brother Bogarsami sustained severe injuries.

On receiving information, the Taluk police rushed to the spot, retrieved the body and sent it to the Ayyampettai GH. The injured is undergoing treatment.

A case was registered and investigations are on.

On a tip-off that a huge quantity of drugs is being peddled in the Pattukottai area, Thanjavur SP E Sundaravathanam held surprise raids.

Anti-Narcotic Task Force which rushed to Pattukkottai and conducted vehicle inspection at Soorapallam bypass and found a huge quantity of sedative pills in car.

The force conducted further inquiry, in which the police found that the drugs were being smuggled for selling to the youth in and around Pattukkottai.

Subsequently, the team seized as many as 5,600 pills and the car. The police also arrested two smugglers who were identified as Shoban Harish from Pattukkottai and Mohammed Lukmann from Muthupettai.

The police said that the drug peddlers get their stock through online purchases from a unit in Nagpur, and they target school and college students and sell them.

The police also said that they would continue to prevent the circulation of drugs.

It may be noted that around 7,000 pills were seized in a similar vehicle inspection in Thanjavur on August 30 and September 4.

Making a suo motu statement, Minister Aadhav said that funds were allocated for 80 works without the Assembly's nod. "The financial allocation did not get the approval of the Assembly, which was against the rules. They had taken the amount through the ensuing budget, owing to the fact that they might have thought they would come to power again," Minister Aadhav said.

The minister alleged that this would affect the Assembly's financial authority and dignity and appealed to the Speaker to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee.

He also said it was considered a serious allegation because the Assembly did not approve it.

Replying to him, Speaker JCD Prabhakar said that after considering the matter, he would decide whether it fell within the purview of privilege or whether any other action should be n taken on the issue.

The petition was filed by Sundaravimal Nathan of Swami Malai in Thanjavur district.

He sought inclusion of questions on the number of persons with disabilities in a family, disability identity cards, availability of assistive devices and the need for personal assistance.

The Budget session concluded on Tuesday. According to figures cited by the Speaker, the Assembly received 22,651 visitors in 2021, 20,137 in 2023, 10,754 in 2024 and 20,123 in 2025. The 2026 figure of 32,055 was recorded in just 28 sitting days.

Prabhakar said the growing participation of students was particularly significant.

While an average of about 20 schools had sent students to observe proceedings earlier, students from 76 schools and colleges visited the Assembly during the current session.

"Many students studying in Classes 11 and 12, as well as working people, have taken leave to come and watch the Assembly proceedings. This shows the growing interest among the next generation in participating in public life," he said.

He added that interest among Gen Z in watching Assembly proceedings was increasing by the day.

Prabhakar also lauded the ruling TVK government for what he described as transparency in administration.

"People are lauding the current government because it is functioning transparently and with no hidden agenda. Since this government assumed office, no files have been stalled or kept pending, and every file is moving without delay and transparently. Even the media in North India is praising the government for its transparency," he added.

Even as the AIADMK asked members interested in contesting the by-elections to collect the application forms from the party headquarters from Tuesday until September 10, Palaniswami accused the government and the principal Opposition DMK of repeatedly trading charges and wasting valuable House time instead of discussing people’s issues.

He said the Assembly might function for 10 hours a day, but only about three hours were devoted to public issues. He also alleged that ministers failed to provide department-specific replies, with only about three ministers answering most questions.

“If ministers concerned answer questions relating to their departments, only then can solutions be found,” he said.

Palaniswami said questions raised during the police demands for grants, including those concerning an alleged online investment fraud in which he claimed about Rs 1,000 crore had been lost, promotions and pay for police personnel and fraudulent chit schemes, had not received proper replies.

Calling the TVK government ineffective, he criticised it over law and order, corruption, inflation, and farmers’ problems. He alleged that murders, robberies, thefts and sexual-harassment incidents had increased and said preventing crime was the government’s responsibility.

The former CM alleged that paddy procured from farmers in the Cauvery Delta had been left in the open and damaged by rain, particularly in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai. He also demanded adequate water from the Mettur reservoir for samba cultivation, saying 40-45 days of supply would be insufficient for the crop’s 120-day cycle.

Palaniswami questioned the need to shift the Chief Minister’s office, saying successive Chief Ministers had used the same room since CN Annadurai. He described the government as a reels government and accused it of relying on borrowing to fund new schemes.

He said new parties joining the AIADMK-led front would be welcomed. Asked whether the DMK would be accepted, he smiled and replied: “Will the DMK come?”

The state committee meeting of the Sangam was held in Tiruchy chaired by the State president S Gunasekaran and the General Secretary Masilamani who spoke among the members, said, the farmers have lost their entire income of kuruvai as the crop failed due to water scarcity and it is essential for the state government to ensure at least single samba crop cultivation and so, the government should announce a special scheme for the samba cultivation which should assure medium and short term paddy seed varieties at 50 per cent subsidy.

He said that the delta farmers should initiate steps for the ensuing samba and thaladi in an area of 16 lakh acre for which adequate storage of water in Mettur is very essential, and so the state government should initiate legal fights to get the due share of water from Karnataka .

“Since it is predicted that the monsoon would create a challenge in cultivation, the farmers can not quit samba also, and so the special scheme should be drafted in such a way to help out the delta farmers”, he said.

He also appealed that the state government should release at least 16,000 cusecs from Mettur after November 15, which would support the turn system irrigation so that the water would reach until the tail-end region, and so the government should also appoint a monitoring committee in each district to ensure proper water flow, Masilamani said.

He also appealed not to entertain the private sector in samba insurance. Later, resolutions were passed on these demands during the meeting.

“As part of the intensified operation, drones were deployed through the night on Monday to scan forest areas in Gudalur for signs of the tiger. Forest personnel also conducted night patrols in locations where the animal was suspected to be moving,” said an official of the forest department.

On Tuesday, officials inspected 171 camera traps installed across the Gudalur forest division and adjoining areas, including the Naduvattam and Pykara forest ranges under the Ooty forest division.

To strengthen surveillance, another 18 camera traps were installed at strategic locations, taking the total number of cameras monitoring the tiger's movements to 189.

Despite the deployment of 13 trap cages at various locations, the tiger has continued to evade the capture teams.

Search teams, meanwhile, intensified combing operations along the boundaries of the Gudalur forest division, particularly around Northern Hay and the Singara border areas, in an effort to locate the animal.

The prolonged search comes amid fresh concern over tiger intrusion at Kuruthukuli near Ooty. Four cows taken for grazing close to forest areas were killed in suspected tiger attacks over the past two days.

The repeated livestock attacks have heightened anxiety among villagers, who have urged the forest department to intensify patrolling and surveillance.

However, forest department officials said an assessment was under way to determine whether a tiger was responsible for the attacks on the cattle.

The police seized 26 bank passbooks, 18 mobile phones, 77 ATM cards, 18 cheque books and 60 SIM cards from them.

According to the police, the main accused, J Faraskhan (23) of Ramanathapuram, a Visual Communication graduate, acted as a second-level agent who converted the money into US dollars before it was sent abroad as part of an “ID running” operation.

Madurai Superintendent of Police N Devanathan said, “This online fraud operates in multiple layers involving many people, but criminals involved in different layers have bare-minimum communication.”

The modus operandi is as follows: Cyber criminals who cheat people through various online frauds immediately transfer the money to different bank accounts through agents.

These agents immediately withdraw the money from these accounts, convert it into dollars through another network and send it back to the cyber scammers, Devanathan said.

The syndicate operates in such a way that, before victims can seek police help, the money is transferred through various bank accounts, making the investigation difficult, he added.

In this case, Faraskhan used his bank account and the bank accounts of several other persons to receive the money with the intention of earning money through illegal means.

“For every Rs 1 lakh he received from cyber criminals in various bank accounts, converted into US dollars and sent to cyber scammers, he received a commission of Rs 6,300,” said an investigating officer.

Through this illegal activity, he had received commissions amounting to around Rs 10 lakh during the past year, the officer added.

The two other accused, F Hafeeb Mohammed (21) of Pudukottai and M Mohamed Mubarrak (23) of Ramanathapuram, allegedly helped him carry out the operation.

“The trio hired a room on the outskirts of Madurai to carry out the operation,” said the officer.

“Many innocent people were cheated in this crime. These agents approach people in rural areas and open bank accounts in their names. They pay them between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000 and collect their bank passbooks, which they use to receive money from cyber criminals,” the SP said.

Moreover, the agents also collect mobile SIM cards from another group and use them while opening the bank accounts.

They carry out all the online transactions using these numbers, while the original account holders remain unaware of the transactions, he added.

In some cases, people knowingly give their bank accounts to agents for a commission, the officer said, adding that the agents who help convert the money into dollars also earn substantial commissions.

The police have appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant against cyber fraud.

The bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan said this when former Perundurai MLA S Jayakumar's counsel informed the court that the election petition challenging his victory had already been dismissed and sought vacation of the stay on the proposed bye-election.

K Venkatachalapathy from Tirunelveli had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before the High Court seeking to restrain the Election Commission of India from notifying and conducting bypolls in Tiruchy (East), Perundurai, Viralimalai, Karur, and Ambasamudram Assembly constituencies.

The petitioner contended that conducting bye-elections before the disposal of the pending election petitions would render the proceedings infructuous, defeat the statutory rights of the election petitioners under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and frustrate the purpose of adjudicating election disputes.

After hearing the parties, the bench had observed on July 10 that until an election petition is decided, the Election Commission's obligation to conduct a bye-election remains suspended.

The court held that conducting premature bye-elections would burden the public exchequer and could lead to a constitutional anomaly by resulting in two validly elected representatives for the same constituency. The bench, therefore, restrained the Election Commission from issuing notifications for bye-elections in these five constituencies.

When the PIL was again listed before the bench, the senior counsel appearing for Jayakumar submitted that the election petition challenging his victory had already been dismissed and added that the stay on the bye-election should therefore be vacated.

After hearing the submissions, the judges said they would wait for a copy of the order passed by Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy on Tuesday before deciding whether to lift the stay on announcing the bye-election in the constituency. The bench then extended the interim stay on announcing the bypoll and said the final hearing of the case would be held on September 28.

Talking to reporters at the Secretariat on the concluding day of the Assembly’s Budget session, Palaniswami accused the government and the principal Opposition DMK of repeatedly trading charges and wasting valuable House time instead of discussing people’s issues.

He said the Assembly might function for 10 hours a day, but only about three hours were devoted to public issues. He also alleged that ministers failed to provide department-specific replies, with only about three ministers answering most questions.

“If ministers concerned answer questions relating to their departments, only then can solutions be found,” he said.

Palaniswami said questions raised during the police demands for grants, including those concerning an alleged online investment fraud in which he claimed about Rs 1,000 crore had been lost, promotions and pay for police personnel and fraudulent chit schemes, had not received proper replies.

Calling the TVK government an ineffective government, he criticised it over law and order, corruption, inflation and farmers’ problems. He alleged that murders, robberies, thefts and sexual-harassment incidents had increased and said preventing crime was the government’s responsibility.

The former CM alleged that paddy procured from farmers in the Cauvery delta had been left in the open and damaged by rain, particularly in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Mayiladuthurai. He also demanded adequate water from the Mettur reservoir for samba cultivation, saying 40-45 days of supply would be insufficient for the crop’s 120-day cycle.

Palaniswami questioned the need to shift the Chief Minister’s office, saying successive Chief Ministers had used the same room since C N Annadurai. He described the government as a reels government and accused it of relying on borrowing to fund new schemes.

He said new parties joining the AIADMK-led front would be welcomed. Asked whether the DMK would be accepted, he smiled and replied: “Will the DMK come?”

He said many students and children had visited the Assembly, and that several people with hearing impairments had also watched the proceedings.

Some had been able to follow them when sign-language interpretation was provided on television channels.

He urged the Speaker to arrange a sign-language window on the screen during the next session, including while the Chief Minister was speaking.

Meanwhile, CPM member T Latha said the Assembly should meet for 100 days a year to provide members greater opportunity to raise issues concerning the people.

She welcomed the live telecast of the proceedings and urged the government to ease the difficulties faced by members of the public who visit the Secretariat to submit petitions.

Replying to her, Rajmohan said people could submit petitions whenever they wished, and the police would not prevent them. "The doors of the government are always open," he said.

If large numbers of people arrived at the same time, limited space could lead to congestion and pushing, he said, adding that the issue would be addressed in the future.

Rajmohan said the proceedings had been telecast live from the first day to the last day of the session for the first time in the Assembly's history. He said the Speaker deserved the title "Live Telecast Hero".

Referring to his expression in the State Assembly on September 7, when he targeted the main opposition DMK over alleged corruption based on official ED documents and the Sarkaria Commission report of the 1970s, Vijay in a statement said: "My body langauge was an involuntary expression. I would like to make it known that it was not in any way intentional."

Further, he said: "Therefore, I kindly request that it should not be interpreted as an act intended to hurt anyone's feelings on a personal level."

Vijay's posture of holding his jaw -- with one hand -- as if to lift it one way became the point of discussion on social media.

Some claimed that the chief minister was mocking DMK president MK Stalin as it was he who had suffered a jaw fracture during his incarceration during the infamous Emergency (1975-77).

However, whether or not the DMK chief suffered such an injury during his imprisonment is not known.

Against this background, Vijay clarified that his expression was out-and-out unintentional.

The decision was taken at the 57th meeting of the CWMA held in Delhi under the chairmanship of S K Haldar. Officials from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka participated in the meeting. Earlier in the day, the CWRC had recommended that Karnataka release water to Tamil Nadu at a rate of 6,000 cusecs for the next 15 days.

This follows the CWMA's earlier order on August 25 when, upholding the CWRC's recommendation, it had directed Karnataka to ensure a flow of 9,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for 15 days.

The meeting was held following the Supreme Court's direction to the Tamil Nadu government a day earlier to raise before the CWMA its grievance over the release of its proportionate share of Cauvery water by Karnataka.

At its 141st meeting on August 24, the CWRC had directed Karnataka to release water from its reservoirs and ensure a flow of 9,000 cusecs at the Biligundulu border point.

The flow had to be maintained continuously for 15 days, during which Tamil Nadu was expected to receive approximately 11.66 TMC of water.

The release is expected to benefit Kuruvai cultivation and meet Tamil Nadu's drinking water requirements.

Earlier, the CWRC had directed Karnataka to release 12,000 cusecs of water daily to Tamil Nadu for 15 days from August 12. The CWMA had subsequently upheld that decision.

The performance audit on the implementation of JJM revealed a stark disconnect between the state's claimed success metrics and the actual ground reality.

While Tamil Nadu officially reported providing Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to nearly 84 per cent of its rural households, the report found that 50 per cent of the targeted households in selected districts are not receiving the mandated minimum supply of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd).

The audit further exposed a shocking deviation from the mission's core guidelines, discovering that a staggering 96 per cent of the tap connections provided were improperly installed outside the beneficiaries' homes.

According to the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India report, out of 2,69,645 FHTCs surveyed across the selected districts, 2,59,613 were placed in open spaces and streets rather than inside the houses. This direct contravention of JJM guidelines not only deprives citizens of the intended convenience but also leaves the infrastructure highly vulnerable to damage, theft, and poor maintenance. The government had cited a lack of space and beneficiary requests as reasons for outside installations, an excuse the CAG rejected as it compromises the safety and longevity of the created assets.

The water supply data painted an equally grim picture of the mission's primary output. The audit highlighted that even in districts like Coimbatore, which officially reported 100 per cent FHTC coverage, only 8.67 per cent of habitations received the prescribed 55 lpcd of water.

In Nagapattinam district, none of the surveyed habitations received the adequate quantity.

Beneficiary surveys and focus group discussions corroborated these findings, with hundreds of respondents complaining of erratic supply, sometimes receiving water only once in four to seven days, and expressing dissatisfaction over poor water quality.

The CAG report warned that the widespread failure to ensure adequate water quantity and the improper, vulnerable placement of taps fundamentally defeat the JJM’s vision of improving the living standards of rural communities.

It recommended immediate government intervention to rectify these execution deficiencies and ensure the sustainable, adequate delivery of potable water to rural households.

The report also highlighted that a severe lack of synchronisation between the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board and rural development departments has crippled key JJM projects, leaving newly built village water tanks completely dry while main pipelines remain unfinished.

During joint physical verifications in the Thiruvadanai Block in Ramanathapuram district, auditors found that out of 12 sumps and three overhead tanks constructed, seven sumps were not receiving any water, and water was not being pumped to the overhead tanks.

According to the report, 165 in-village component works, aimed at providing FHTCs, were sanctioned under the 2020-21 Annual Action Plan at an estimated cost of Rs 32.93 crore. These local infrastructure assets were completed by February 2023.

However, the crucial retrofitting of the existing combined water supply scheme (CWSS) -- the main source intended to feed these villages -- was only taken up under the 2022-23 plan at a cost of Rs 574.42 crore.

As of May 2025, the TWAD Board's retrofitting work remains under progress, rendering the completed in-village infrastructure largely unused for over two years.

Judge Suresh Kumar awarded the death penalty to Chinnakutty, 20 years’ imprisonment to Murugesh and 13 years’ imprisonment to Muneeswaran.

According to the prosecution, the victim, a 16-year-old girl from Tirunelveli, was studying in Class 12 at a school in the town in October 2022.

During this period, Muneeswaran of Vilathikulam, who had come to a church in the town for painting work, became acquainted with the girl.

He had concealed from the victim that he was already married and subsequently developed a phone conversation with her that lasted for nearly two weeks.

On the day of the incident, Muneeswaran told the girl that he would take her to his sister’s house, luring her with a false promise of marriage.

Believing him, the girl accompanied him on his motorcycle. He took her to an isolated area and sexually assaulted her, according to the police.

His friends, Chinnakutty (27) and Murugesan (27), both from the Kokkirakulam and Keezh Veeraraghavapuram areas, were also present at the spot and allegedly sexually assaulted the girl.

“The three had conspired to bring the girl to the isolated place and rape her,” said a police source, adding that Chinnakutty had repeatedly raped her.

Based on a complaint, the Palayamkottai All-Women Police registered a case and arrested all three accused. Chinnakutty was already facing murder cases, according to the police.

The trial was conducted before the Tirunelveli Special Pocso Court. Judge Suresh Kumar found Muneeswaran, Chinnakutty and Murugesan guilty.

Following the verdict, armed police personnel escorted the three convicts to the prisoners’ waiting room at the court complex, where they were kept under tight security.