The two men were mauled in separate incidents in the O Valley area on August 8 and 21. Many protests have since taken place demanding the capture of the tiger.

The AIADMK held the protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Gudalur, urging the government to take concrete steps to prevent further human-wildlife conflicts and provide Rs 50 lakh compensation to the bereaved families.

Meanwhile, the Forest personnel have deployed drones and set up 11 cages at strategic locations for the capture.

The Mahamaham festival at Kumbakonam, which is held once in 12 years, has been scheduled on March 9, 2028. The 10-day event is expected to attract lakhs of devotees from across the country. As Kumbakonam railway station is located close to the Mahamaham tank, devotees are likely to prefer commuting by trains.

Taking note of this, the Railway administration has commenced works to facilitate devotee movement and regulate it along with the district administration.

On Tuesday, DRM Balak Ram Negi and Collector R Revathi visited the Kumbakonam station and inspected the renovation works at the station and the Mahamaham tank.

Collector Revathi said the works to ensure basic amenities are under way and assured that the district administration and Railways would provide required facilities at the Kumbakonam railway station.

DRM Negi said besides the ongoing renovation works, an additional platform would be established at the railway station. Also, the goods shed functioning in the station has been shifted to Thirunageswaram to facilitate the devotees’ movement, Negi added.

The Forest Department frontline staff on routine patrol noticed the ailing elephant calf at Thekkampatti Odai Pallam on Monday. They immediately alerted senior officials, following which a team led by Mettupalayam Forest Range Officer SM Sasikumar and Forest Veterinary Officer S Vennila reached the spot and began treatment.

“The elephant was administered medicines and glucose in an attempt to revive it. However, it failed to respond to treatment and its condition deteriorated. Despite prolonged efforts, the elephant died later that night,” a Forest Department official said.

As it was already late, the post-mortem examination was conducted only on Tuesday. Preliminary findings indicated that the elephant had apparently swallowed a palmyra fruit without properly chewing it.

“The whole fruit appears to have become lodged between the respiratory tract and the food passage, causing severe breathing difficulty. The findings suggest that the elephant choked on the fruit, resulting in its sudden death,” the official said.

Forest officials said a detailed post-mortem report would help establish the exact cause of the elephant’s death. It comes close on the heels of three wild elephants losing their lives this month in the Masinagudi Forest Division in the Nilgiris.

The deceased was identified as Marimuthu of Chittatoor near Vengal. He worked as a driver.

Police have secured three persons in connection with the murder and have launched a search for other suspects.

According to the police, Marimuthu was an accused in a case for threatening an electricity board employee with a knife. As part of the bail condition, he was supposed to sign everyday at Vengal Police Station.

On Tuesday (August 25), he was riding his two-wheeler towards the police station when a car rammed into his bike. Marimuthu who fell off the bike, was rounded up by a gang wielding weapons. Before Marimuthu could escape, the gang rained blows on him and fled in the car.

As the car was being driven at high speed after the murder, the driver lost control and crashed into the compound wall of a house and stopped. Hearing the commotion, residents rushed to the spot. On seeing knives and weapons inside the car, the public caught three members of the gang and alerted police.

Upon information, police rushed to the scene on information and moved the grievously injured Marimuthu to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. The arrested persons were identified as Kalanidhi (24), Dheena (25) and Naresh (21). Police recovered knives from the car and are searching for two others who escaped.

Probe revealed that Marimuthu was allegedly in a relationship with Dheena’s sister. She had reportedly been living separately from her husband and later died by suicide last year.

Police said that Dheeena held Marimuthu responsible for her failed marriage and death and assembled a gang to kill him. Further investigations are underway.

Inaugurating the domestic cargo movement, Airport Director G Gopalakrishnan said that the first consignment weighing 1,192 kg was sent on Indigo flight (no 6E 2171) at 6.20 am on Tuesday. By the end of the day, a total of 2.46 MT goods were handled through the terminal, reflecting strong uptake from shippers and airlines.

Gopalakrishnan said the domestic cargo facility was a long-sought after one by the trade and business community from the region. Despite having international cargo operations, the airport lacked a dedicated domestic cargo handling. Based on a request for permit, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) recently conducted a scrutiny at the new terminal and gave the approval, Gopalakrishnan said.

Sounding optimistic about the new facility, which fulfills the demands of the trade community, the airport director said the volume of goods handling would grow steadily in the coming days.

Officials said that the new facility would help the trade community to move textiles and allied materials, and small machines and components to destinations within the country.

The Airport Authority of Indian (AAI) and AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services (AAICLAS) would continue working with all the stakeholders to scale up operations and facilitate trade in the upcoming days, officials added.

"Even after repeated demands from people like us, why was the report of the expert committee kept under wraps?" he asked. Shanmugam alleged that the DMK government had not maintained transparency on the issue. "Is the DMK ready to explain why it was necessary to hide the report?" he asked.

The DMK government had constituted the Machendranathan committee in February 2023 to examine various aspects of the proposed airport, including environmental, hydrogeological and rehabilitation issues. The report was not made public.

Meanwhile, CPM-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam state general secretary Sami Natarajan urged the state government to return the agricultural lands acquired for the Parandur airport project to the respective farmers.

Citing the 2013 land acquisition law, Natarajan said that land acquired for a specific purpose should be returned to the original landowners if it was not used for that purpose.

"Since the Parandur airport project has been dropped, the agricultural lands acquired for it should be handed back to the respective farmers. The TVK government should return the lands to the farmers in accordance with the 2013 land acquisition law," he said.

Separately, CPI-affiliated Tamil Nadu Farmers' Association welcomed Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's announcement in the Assembly on Monday that the proposed greenfield airport at Parandur in Kancheepuram district would be scrapped. It urged the state government to withdraw all police cases registered against farmers and residents who had protested against the project.

The association's general secretary BS Masilamani also welcomed the Chief Minister's announcement that a new site would be identified for the state's second airport. He urged the government not to select another location dominated by agricultural land and residential areas, thereby subjecting farmers to similar hardship.

This poses a severe health hazard to thousands of people living in the vicinity.

K Baskar, joint secretary of the Manavalanagar Residents Welfare Association, pointed out that the Tiruvallur railway station was a major suburban terminus on the western line, serving nearly 1.5 lakh passengers daily who commute to Chennai.

“Around 26 express trains and 180 suburban trains stop here. Diverting untreated wastewater through the Road 1 culvert near platform 6 is highly condemnable,” he added. “Previously, this sewage mixed into Putlur Lake near Putlur station.”

Echoing similar concerns, Anthan Krishnan, a resident of Manavalanagar, urged urgent intervention, saying, “To avert a health crisis, the railway administration must immediately liaise with municipal officials to restore a clean and healthy atmosphere around the station.”

Refuting the allegations, Tiruvallur Municipality Chairman P Udhayamalar Pandian stated, “The claims regarding untreated sewage discharge are false. Treated water is not being diverted near the railway tracks. It’s routed to the Putlur Check Dam 3 km away, from where it reaches the Cooum River. Any water near the tracks is merely natural run-off caused by the terrain.”

A senior municipal official stated that the construction of a new STP was underway adjacent to the existing facility.

"Nearly 80% of the work is complete, and the remaining works will be finished within a month. Once it becomes operational, fully treated water will be discharged directly into the Putlur check dam and into the Cooum,” he stated. “Previously, treated water was released into the Cooum River via the Putlur check dam. However, following public opposition, it was redirected to Putlur lake.”

The decision was taken at the 56th meeting of the CWMA held in Delhi under the chairmanship of S K Haldar. Officials from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala participated in the meeting.

Prashant M Wadnere, Secretary, Water Resources Department, Tamil Nadu, along with Thiru Subramanian, Chairman of the Cauvery Technical Cell, attended the meeting.

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

"According to the CWRC, 11.6 TMC of water has to be released over 15 days. We requested them to reduce it to 6,000 cusecs.

"Tamil Nadu argued for increasing the release to 28 TMC. After all discussions in the meeting, the CWMA reiterated the recommendation of the CWRC," Karnataka officer Gaurav Gupta said.

At its 141st meeting on Monday, 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 has to be maintained continuously for 15 days, during which Tamil Nadu is 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 child, Pugazh, was born to Ajith and Ilavarasi. He was admitted to the hospital with hydrocephalus and underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt procedure. He subsequently received six days of critical medical care and was declared brain dead on Sunday.

After his parents consented to donate his organs, Pugazh’s heart was donated to a one-year-old child in Coimbatore. His liver was donated to a child undergoing treatment at a hospital in Chennai. His kidneys were also donated to a child at a Chennai hospital, as reported by Thanthi TV.

Before his body was handed over to his parents for last rites, the child was given a State-sponsored ceremonial guard of honour.

Prior to this, a 20-month-old child had been the youngest organ donor in Tamil Nadu.

During the debate on the demands for grants for the Industries Department in the Assembly on Tuesday (August 25) , DMK member Austin said Minority Commission Chairman Felix Gerald was participating in television debates on political issues.

"The Chairman's post is a statutory post. As per the Minority Commission Act, a person holding the Chairman's post should not make abusive remarks against others. Therefore, the incumbent Chairman should be barred from participating in debate shows," Austin said.

Replying to him, Minister for Law and Energy R Nirmalkumar said participating in television debates was a matter of personal choice.

He pointed out that during the DMK regime, Textbook Corporation Chairman I Leoni had continuously criticised Opposition parties.

Intervening in the issue, Speaker Prabhakar told the Minister that there was a difference between a statutory post and a board chairman's post.

He said the government could consider the point raised by the DMK member and take a decision on the issue.

The largest parcel identified is 2,570.27 acres at Mudivaithanendal in Thoothukudi, followed by 1,293.87 acres at Sillanatham Phase-II and 1,058.74 acres at Umarikottai, both also in Thoothukudi. Nallur in Chengalpattu accounts for another 1,004.07 acres.

The lands have been identified across Chengalpattu, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Kallakurichi, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Tiruvarur, Chennai, Thoothukudi, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Namakkal, Tirupattur, Tiruchy and Sivaganga, according to the Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department’s 2026-27 Policy Note.

Other major parcels include Pallathur in Sivaganga (813.89 acres), Tirupulivanam in Kancheepuram (800.16 acres), Thuvakudi-Navalpattu in Tiruchy (696.17 acres), Cheppakkam in Cuddalore (599.09 acres) and Paiyanur in Chengalpattu (544.68 acres).

In addition, another 33,647.82 acres for which land acquisition is underway for 44 upcoming industrial parks across the State. SIPCOT has 54 industrial parks, including eight SEZs, across 27 districts, covering 50,059.75 acres. These parks house 3,596 industrial units, have attracted investments of Rs 2.47 lakh crore and generated 9.60 lakh jobs, according to the policy note.

Two electronics manufacturing clusters are being established at Manallur (474 acres) and Pillaipakkam (379 acres) at project costs of Rs 587.47 crore and Rs 440 crore. The clusters will have facilities including electronics testing and certification laboratories, a PCB design and rapid prototyping centre, and a testing laboratory for batteries and chargers.

SIPCOT is also moving towards plug-and-play industrial spaces, where basic infrastructure and factory facilities are provided in advance to enable companies to begin operations faster.

Such facilities are being developed under the PPP model at Vallam-Vadagal, Oragadam Medical Devices Park, Panapakkam, Gangaikondan, Shoolagiri and Manallur, at an estimated combined cost of Rs 1,657.46 crore.

LAND PARCELS IDENTIFIED

Chengalpattu, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Kallakurichi, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Tiruvarur, Chennai, Thoothukudi, Villupuram, Ramanathapuram, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Namakkal, Tirupattur, Tiruchy and Sivaganga

2,570.27 acres at Mudivaithanendal, Thoothukudi

1,293.87 acres at Sillanatham Phase-II, Thoothukudi

1,058.74 acres at Umarikottai, Thoothukudi

1,004.07 acres at Nallur, Chengalpattu

813.89 acres at Pallathur, Sivaganga

800.16 acres at Tirupulivanam, Kancheepuram

696.17 acres at Thuvakudi-Navalpattu, Tiruchy

599.09 acres at Cheppakkam, Cuddalore

544.68 acres at Paiyanur, Chengalpattu

WHAT SIPCOT GETS

33,647.82 acres for 44 industrial parks

SIPCOT already has 54 industrial parks, including eight SEZs in 27 districts, covering 50,059.75 acres

3,596 industrial units with investments of Rs 2.47 lakh crore

9.60 lakh jobs

ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CLUSTERS

Manallur – 474 acres for Rs 587.47 crore

Pillaipakkam – 379 acres for Rs 440 crore

Facilities expected

Electronics testing and certification labs, PCB design and rapid prototyping centre, and testing lab for batteries and chargers

The DMK sought to know the steps the Tamil Nadu government has taken to ensure justice for the affected families. Raising the issue in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin claimed that the post-mortem report of the deceased — Anthony Samy, John Rose Peter, and Kumar — indicated that they were "tortured and shot at very close range".

"The three had severe injuries, including broken bones. This was a brutal killing. I would like to know what action this government has taken to condemn this. At least, has the government sought an explanation from the Karnataka government?" Udhayanidhi asked.

He sought to know if Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay raised the issue at the Southern Zonal Council meeting or whether Tamil Nadu's condemnation was personally conveyed to his Karnataka counterpart DK Shivakumar.

Also, he called for measures to provide the necessary legal assistance to the three affected families and demanded a high-level enquiry into the incident.

Speaker JCD Prabhakar said that a State minister had already responded when the issue was raised by the Opposition parties in the Assembly on August 18. Nevertheless, a detailed reply would be provided by the Law Minister soon.

This was the second time the killing of three Tamils by the Karnataka Forest Department echoed in the Assembly in a week.

The plan proposed under the department’s 2026-27 Policy Note will seek to expand the global market for products made in Tamil Nadu by using MoUs with multinational companies and 14 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

The plan is building up of Tamil Nadu Export Promotion Strategy 2021 launched by the erstwhile DMK government. While textiles, leather and auto components were already part of the 2021 export strategy's priority sectors, fireworks and jewellery are new additions. At the same time, food processing, electronics and machinery, which were among the six sectors identified in 2021, does not have a place in the five sectors named for Enterprise TN.

The State ranks first or second nationally in eight major manufacturing categories, with a 33.64% share of India’s wearing-apparel output and 25.18% share of leather and related products, ranking first in both. It ranks second in textiles, with a 19% share, and computer, electronic and optical products, with a 28.84% share.

This is part of the State’s wider push to increase its global economic footprint as it works towards its USD 1.5 trillion economy target by 2036. The policy note says the State would focus on emerging sectors while also expanding global outreach through investor summits, roadshows and targeted sectoral engagement.

LED screen to watch the CM

Madurai North MLA Kallanai Vijay Anban, who has been a prominent functionary in Vijay’s fan club for several years and is said to be close to party general secretary N Anand, made an unusual request in the Assembly.

Speaking in the House, he said, “Our Chief Minister laughs heartily even when Opposition members crack jokes. But we cannot see his laughter from here. So, I request that an LED screen be installed so that we can see the Chief Minister’s reactions.”

Water bottles instead of glasses

DMDK leader Premalatha Vijayakanth had, during the previous Assembly session, expressed concern over Assembly staff having to repeatedly bend down and walk over to members to serve water in glasses.

She had requested that water be served in glass bottles instead.

At the time, former Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had also joked that if bottles were kept on the tables, members might get angry and throw them, bringing the idea to an end.

Premalatha has once again raised the demand for glass water bottles during the ongoing session. However, her request is yet to be implemented.

Split-screen telecast in Assembly

Minister A Rajmohan reportedly asked the camera operators in the Assembly to use a split-screen whenever TVK ministers were speaking and DMK MLAs stood up shouting, so that both sides could be shown in the same frame.

Rajmohan is in charge not only of the School Education Department but also of Information and Publicity

‘One-day doctor’

Tiruvallur MLA Arun Kumar, who is a doctor, had a different request.

After speaking about his constituency’s issues and praising Chief Minister Vijay, he made a request to the government, he wanted permission to work as a doctor, or take up some other service, at the Thiruvallur Government Hospital for one day every month.

The request comes at a time when ministers and MLAs have reportedly been advised against making surprise visits to schools and hospitals and turning them into social media reels.

The car controversy

VCK MLA Jothimani had requested that cars be provided to MLAs, saying that many legislators were financially disadvantaged.

Chief Minister Vijay immediately announced under Rule 110 that cars would be provided to MLAs.

The announcement, however, drew considerable criticism on social media. Details showing that Jothimani already had a car were widely shared, while information from the affidavits of legislators was also circulated online. One such claim pointed out that former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami did not have a car, while Kavundampalayam MLA Kanimozhi had 26 cars.

Minister Aadhav Arjuna later clarified that TVK MLAs who already owned cars would not take government vehicles.

The resolution was moved by Minister for School Education and Tamil Development A Rajmohan, who said that insisting that teachers write the TET examination would affect their livelihood. The resolution, which was adopted by voice vote, said that, to exempt teachers from the TET examination, the Union government should make the necessary amendment to the Right to Education Act, 2009.

TET exemption for pre-2010 teachers sought

"The Tamil Nadu government stresses that the Union government should take necessary legal steps and issue a clear circular or official notification through the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE). The Tamil Nadu government also insists that, through these measures, teachers could continue their jobs without any hindrance, and also retain their job security and eligibility for promotions," the resolution said.

The TET examination is compulsory for secondary grade and graduate teachers who were appointed before August 23, 2010. During the review litigation process in the Supreme Court, it upheld the NCTE's decision making the TET examination compulsory for teachers appointed before that date.

DMK, AIADMK, PMK, CPI and Congress support TET resolution

The special resolution received support from various political parties in the Assembly. Members of the DMK, AIADMK, PMK, CPI, CPI(M) and Congress extended their support to the resolution moved by the School Education Minister.

There was no opposition to the resolution during the discussion in the House. The members supporting the resolution highlighted the need to address the concerns of teachers affected by the TET requirement and backed the State government's demand for an exemption for those appointed before August 23, 2010.

(With Online Desk inputs)

In his petition, Stalin submitted that after the election was over and results were declared, he had duly nominated senior advocate NR Elango as his authorised representative for checking and verification of the burnt memory/microcontroller in the Control Unit, Ballot Unit and VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) for 14 selected EVM sets pertaining to Kolathur constituency.

During checking and verification by Elango, grave and alarming irregularities came to light. Elango immediately wrote to the DEO informing him of these grave lapses. He said the impugned order has been passed mechanically without responding to any of the clarifications sought.

He also sought a direction to the authorities to conduct 100 per cent counting of VVPAT slips relating to Kolathur constituency and the checking and verification of all 286 machines.

The farmers pointed out that the failure in the release of water from Mettur on its customary date resulted in the shrinking of kuruvai cultivation acreage to less than 2 lakh acres, and around 5 lakh MT paddy production would be less this time, as per analysis.

Since Kuruvai failed due to drought conditions due to failure of water release from Mettur and the impact of El Niño, the state government should immediately declare the delta as a drought-hit region and provide proper compensation.

Meanwhile, the samba season has already commenced with the support of groundwater for irrigation; the state government should immediately announce a special samba package and release the funds immediately.

“The farmers are receiving just Rs 4,000 per acre under both kuruvai and samba special packages since 2016 and this amount is inadequate due to the soaring prices of inputs and other fertilisers, and so, the state government should revise the amount to Rs 8,000 per acre, which would compensate the production cost,” said Swamimalai Sundara Vimalnathan, Secretary, Tamil Nadu Cauvery Farmers Protection Association.

He also sent a representation to the Chief Minister, C Joseph Vijay, appealing to announce the special samba package during the current assembly session under 110 rule.

During Zero Hour on Monday, DMK MLAs once again raised the issue. In reply, the Speaker said that Question Hour would be taken up from Thursday.

In the Assembly, the first hour is allotted for Question Hour. During this period, members raise queries on issues concerning their constituencies.

Since the 17th Assembly was constituted, no Question Hour has been conducted due to reported delays in receiving replies from the respective departments.

Addressing a gathering in Coimbatore, organised recently to highlight the TVK’s 100 days of public service, Kanimozhi Santhosh, who practised astrology before entering politics, said, “I received a call from DMK offering a Rs 15 lakh package last November. I was asked to predict through astrology that DMK would win the assembly elections and post it on YouTube. But I made it clear that DMK would not come to power, even though I was then not a member of TVK,” she said.

She also claimed to have an audio recording related to the conversation as evidence. “Political victories cannot be achieved with money,” she said, adding that she was making the allegation public so that people could know what takes place behind the scenes in politics.

Kanimozhi Santhosh also rejected criticisms that she had been advised to remain silent in the assembly when opposition members raised issues. “We have been elected to the assembly to speak about people’s problems. There will be differences of opinion within a party, but we should not allow outsiders to undermine our unity,” she said.

During the debate on the demands for grants for the Education and Municipal Administration Departments, Usilampatti MLA M Vijay alleged that the DMK regime was responsible for the water crisis in his constituency.

When DMK members tried to intervene, the Treasury Benches said that it was the member's 'kanni pechu' (maiden speech) and asked them to allow him to speak.

Following this, PMK floor leader Sowmya Anbumani said that the term 'kanni pechu' should be avoided and that 'maiden speech' or 'introductory speech' would be appropriate. Supporting her, lone CPM woman MLA T Latha shook hands with Sowmya over the issue.

Intervening in the matter, Minister for Tamil Development and School Education Rajmohan also extended his support from the Treasury Benches and said the demand could be considered by the Speaker.

However, the Speaker did not give any ruling on the issue.

On receiving information that a leopard got entangled in a fence at a farm in Nanjanad forest area, a team led by Ooty forest department personnel rushed to the spot and took rescue efforts on Sunday (August 23).

The leopard was tranquilised, the entangled wire removed, and treatment provided.

Yet, the leopard succumbed.

Following this, the forest department registered a case under the Wildlife Crime Prevention Act and nabbed a farmer, who set up the snare to prevent wild boar from damaging his carrot farm.

Further inquiries are under way.

Under the scheme, project reports will be prepared for corporations, municipalities and town panchayats to improve safe drinking water supply, underground sewerage systems, solid waste management, roads and transport facilities. Measures to improve the environment and public health will also be included. The CMIUDM scheme will be implemented with an estimated allocation of Rs 25 crore.

On behalf of Chief Minister Vijay, Minister Rajmohan announced the new schemes during the demands for grants on the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department.

Meanwhile, Rs 254 crore has been allocated for the ongoing underground sewerage works in Tambaram, Chromepet and Thiruneermalai, as well as for new underground sewerage projects.

The legacy waste accumulated over several years in Avadi, Tambaram and Coimbatore Corporations will be removed using the biomining method.

The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) is currently operating 22 sewage treatment plants. The biogas generated from these plants will be upgraded into Compressed Biogas and commercialised. This is expected to generate additional revenue for the government.

V Palanivelu, a retired Assistant Commissioner of the Madurai Corporation, submitted a petition to the Madurai District Collector on Monday stating that his wife, Maniyamma, who had retired as a District Child Development Project Officer in Madurai district, had long wished to donate her body for the education of medical students.

Maniyamma died at a private hospital on August 15. To fulfil her wish, the family informed the administration of the Government Rajaji Medical College Hospital on the same day about their decision to donate her body, he told reporters.

However, when Palanivelu contacted the hospital administration on August 16 to ask them to receive her body, he was allegedly informed that the medical college would not function on Sunday. “To our shock, they instructed us to hand over the body at the Government Rajaji Hospital mortuary instead of taking it directly to the Department of Anatomy,” he recalled.

To fulfil his wife's wish, Palanivelu, along with his family members, took the body to the mortuary. However, the staff there allegedly made them wait for nearly two hours as they suspected it to be an accident. “Only after we explained why we had brought her body to the mortuary did they accept it,” he said.

The ordeal did not end there. Palanivelu alleged that the hospital administration agreed to accept the body for donation only after he took up the issue with a former GRH Dean known to him. Following repeated efforts by the family, the body was taken from the mortuary to the Department of Anatomy at 11 am on August 17. A certificate acknowledging receipt of the donated body was issued at 12.30 pm, he said.

He urged the district administration to formulate clear protocols to ensure that donated bodies are received with dignity and due respect, in the presence of the medical college Dean, and requested that his appeal be brought to the attention of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

Participating in the debate on grant demands for the School Education Department, Minister Rajmohan said the curriculum would equip students with the skills needed to meet the demands of a rapidly changing future.

As part of the new initiatives, students will also have a ‘no-school-bag’ day once a month, during which they will not be required to carry books to school.

The government will pilot ‘TN PAL’, an AI-powered adaptive learning programme, in 500 government middle schools for students of Classes 6 to 8 at a cost of Rs 70 lakh. The initiative aims to provide personalised learning tailored to students’ needs and learning levels.

The minister also announced that sports jerseys would be provided to 23.40 lakh students in government and government-aided schools at a cost of Rs 81.89 crore.

Under the ‘PLAY’ initiative, every student will have a dedicated period each day for sports, arts, and co-curricular activities, providing them with opportunities to identify, develop, and showcase their talents.

Meanwhile, during the debate on the demands for grants for Higher Education, Minister P. Viswanathan announced that the monthly remuneration of guest lecturers working on a consolidated-pay basis in arts and science, engineering and polytechnic colleges would be increased from Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000.

He also announced that 6,000 assistant professors would be appointed in government arts and science, engineering and polytechnic colleges in three phases.

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced the decision in the Assembly on Monday, saying the proposed airport would affect agricultural land and disrupt the livelihoods of farmers and residents.

At the same time, he made it clear that Chennai’s need for an additional airport remained and that an alternative location would be identified with minimal impact on agriculture and habitation.

Highly placed sources told DT Next that the government is not considering reversing the acquisition of the 1,700 acres for the compensation already paid to landowners. The parcels were acquired under the Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purposes Act and, according to the sources, could be put to other industrial uses.

“The acquired land need not necessarily be used only for an airport. Since it was acquired under the Industrial Purposes Act, it can be utilised for other industrial purposes. With the airport project shelved, options such as agriculture-linked and non-hazardous industries are being considered,” a senior official said.

The Industries department is expected to work out a detailed roadmap in consultation with the relevant departments. Sources said that the agro-processing and other agriculture-linked activities were among the options being examined, while the possibility of establishing a SIPCOT industrial estate was also under consideration.

“A clear roadmap will be prepared for the acquired land, and the government will announce it at the appropriate time,” the official added.

The Parandur airport proposal had envisaged a major greenfield facility to meet the city’s long-term aviation requirements, but the project faced sustained opposition from residents over agricultural land, water resources and the impact on established settlements. The government is now pursuing a parallel exercise to identify an alternative location.

Sources said that the Chief Minister had held several rounds of discussions on possible sites, but no location has been finalised. “Every possible location is being reviewed. Nothing has been finalised so far, and the government will soon arrive at a solution,” another source said.

Survey done in 2021, officially announced following year

The proposed airport was planned across nearly 5,300 acres covering 13 villages around Parandur. The Centre and the State government led by the DMK had decided to develop the second greenfield airport for Chennai, with survey work beginning in 2021. The project was officially announced in August 2022.

However, since the day the project was officially announced, the proposal has been facing strong opposition from villagers, who feared that the airport would severely affect agricultural lands and water bodies. Villagers also claimed that some settlements, particularly Eganapuram, could be completely destroyed if the project was implemented.

Residents of Eganapuram had conducted night-time protests for more than 1,100 days. They also protested by not sending their kids to the government schools. Village panchayats passed resolutions opposing the project on 16 occasions, while residents boycotted village sabha meetings seven times to register their opposition.

Despite the protests, the previous government had proceeded with land acquisition. Plans were also made to provide alternative housing for families that would lose their homes, and model houses were also constructed. The Union government was aiming to complete the construction of the airport by 2028.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, who was then the leader of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, openly supported the villagers. During his first public visit to Eganapuram in January 2025, he assured residents that the project would be cancelled if his party came to power.

Since the formation of the new government, work related to the project had stalled, while ministers indicated that the project would be cancelled and an alternative location would be considered.

With his announcement in the Assembly on Monday, it’s official: Parandur project dropped, alternative site to be identified for the proposed project and that the existing airport would be expanded.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat campus, Sowmiya welcomed Chief Minister Vijay's announcements made under Rule 110 to drop the Parandur airport project.

Responding to questions on the welfare schemes announced by the Chief Minister, she said the PMK would support freebies and welfare measures that are essential for the people, particularly those related to healthcare, education and agriculture.

She also welcomed the free bus travel scheme for women, stating that it would help empower women across the State by improving their access to education, employment and other opportunities.

On environmental issues, she urged the government to take steps to protect water bodies across the State.

She alleged that several water bodies were being polluted due to inadequate sewage management and said local bodies should strengthen their sewage and waste management systems.

The government must ensure that sewage is not discharged into water bodies and should closely monitor waste management systems, she said, stressing that protecting water resources was essential for ensuring a healthy environment for future generations.

After the meeting, Bharathi told reporters that the government had agreed to consider demands relating to maternity leave, wage revision, a union office, and food allowance.

Earlier in the day, more than 300 cleanliness workers, who marched towards the Secretariat seeking to meet Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, were detained by police near the Madras High Court. During the Assembly proceedings, Rajmohan said talks would be held with the union president.

The workers have been staging protests for the fifth consecutive day.

Speaking to DT Next after the meeting, Bharathi said the minister had agreed to consider extending one-year maternity leave for a third child to all women cleanliness workers and menstrual leave for local body and rural school workers.

He also said the government had agreed to consider revising the daily wage from Rs 751 to Rs 832.

Bharathi said the government had also agreed to immediately reinstate 13 workers among the 1,400 workers whom the Greater Chennai Corporation had earlier agreed to take back.

The demand for office space for the union would also be considered, he said.

However, the workers will continue their peaceful protest seeking fulfilment of the remaining demands, including regularisation of contract workers, a weekly off and quality housing facilities.

“We will stage a protest at Ripon Building in this regard,” Bharathi said.

The minister made new announcements during the demands for grants for the School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity departments.

As part of the initiative, a memorial hall with a bronze statue of director Bharathiraja will be established in Theni at an estimated cost of 2.5 crore.

The government will also provide an additional Rs 5.75 crore for establishing a Tamil chair at the University of Houston in the United States, the Minister said.

In another announcement, the government assistance provided for the Chennai Book Fair will be increased from 75 lakh to 1 crore.

The Minister further announced that an integrated memorial complex will be established in Chennai to honour several prominent personalities, including Velu Nachiyar, Periyar EV Ramasamy, BR Ambedkar, former Chief Minister K Kamaraj and freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal.

The incident occurred following a quarrel between caste Hindu youths and Dalit youths during a Vadamalai Jallikattu event organised by Dalit youths at Ettimangalam near Melur on Sunday.

The VCK members said the police had restricted the number of bulls that could participate in the event. As a result, the organisers could not allow a bull belonging to a caste Hindu to participate, which allegedly led to a quarrel between caste Hindu and Dalit youths at the venue. Elders intervened and pacified them.

Later, when Selvam, a Dalit youth from the same village, was standing in the Melavalavu area, caste Hindu persons who came on motorcycles allegedly attacked him with sickles before fleeing the spot. Selvam sustained a severe injury to his hand and was admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, where he is undergoing treatment.

The police arrested two persons, identified as Nithish Kumar and Prakash, in connection with the attack.

Reacting to the incident, VCK president Thirumavalavan, in a post on X, urged the Tamil Nadu government to arrest all those involved and provide treatment and compensation to the victims.

As the protest continued for over three hours, traffic on the Melur-Natham road was completely disrupted. A police team led by Melur Deputy Superintendent of Police Sivakumar held talks with the protesters.

More than 100 police personnel were deployed in Melavalavu and Melur amid tension following the incident.

According to DVAC, Abinesh bought land at Annai Nagar at Pradhamarma Puram village in Velankanni and planned to construct a lodge.

Since there was a canal flowing adjacent to his land, he wanted to construct an overbridge to connect the land and the main road. Subsequently, he applied for NOC with the Water Resources Management Department of PWD, Thiruvarur.

However, the AEE Manickavel and AE Vinoth demanded a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to process his application.

Unwilling to part with money, Abinesh lodged a complaint against the officials with the DVAC, Thiruvarur.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered, and on Monday (August 24), a team rushed to the office and caught both Manickavel and Vinoth red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 3 lakh.

Subsequently, they were arrested and later remanded under judicial custody.

The members belonging to the Aavin Milk Cooperative Society who converged in front of the Cooperative Society Aiylapettai near Koppu in Tiruchy demanded that the production expenses for milk have been increasing day by day and the procurement price should be revised annually, matching the production cost.

They referred to the private milk firms providing Rs 10 to 12 more than the Aavin price, and so the milk producers from across the state have started to approach the private players and this has reduced the milk procurement in Aavin from 34 lakh litres per day to 31 lakh litres, and this would decline in the coming days, the protesting members said.

They also stated that there are around 13 lakh milk producers across the state; among them, more than 10 lakh have joined the statewide protest. In Tiruchy, there are 230 milk-producing societies, and 2 lakh litres of milk have been distributed to Aavin each day.

“If the government fails to revise the procurement price based on the production cost, all the members would stop supplying milk to Aavin, which would result in a public crisis”, said, Ayilai Siva Sooriyan, State Executive Member of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam who led the protest.

He urged the government to expedite pending development projects and take immediate steps to tackle the increasing wild boar menace, which he said was causing hardship to farmers in the district.

Velumani criticised the previous DMK government and highlighted welfare and development initiatives implemented during the previous AIADMK regimes led by MG Ramachandran and Jayalalithaa.

He cited schemes such as Thalikku Thangam, educational assistance, rainwater harvesting, 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies, free rice and Amma Unavagams as measures aimed at benefiting poor and ordinary people.

Velumani claimed that the AIADMK government had brought development to Coimbatore equivalent to 50 years of progress within five years. Around 1,600 km of roads were improved during the party's tenure, and several major projects, including flyovers, drinking water schemes, colleges, and Smart City works, were undertaken, he said.

He also listed various projects implemented in Coimbatore during the AIADMK regime and alleged that the DMK government had failed to take forward several initiatives, including the second phase of the Athikadavu-Avinashi project.

Responding to the charge, Poyyamozhi said the minister’s claim of having paid a bribe warranted investigation by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.

Participating in the debate on the demands for grants for the School Education and Higher Education departments on Monday, Marie Wilson said he was among those who had been affected by the alleged practice.

"During the previous DMK regime, money was forcibly collected at some places in the School Education Department. I was one of those affected. I am a witness myself," Wilson said.

He said he can provide details of when, where, and how much money was collected, including from minority educational institutions. Wilson also alleged that he himself had paid money to Poyyamozhi at T Nagar during the previous regime.

Facing a serious charge, Poyyamozhi denied the allegation and said a case had been filed against Wilson in December over alleged violations in the running of his school.

Speaking to reporters at Anna Arivalayam on Monday, Poyyamozhi alleged that the finance minister had suddenly stood up and spoken on an unrelated subject when the Higher Education Minister was replying to the debate on his department's demands.

"If he claims to have paid a bribe, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption should investigate the matter and take action," Poyyamozhi said.

"The minister himself should take responsibility for his statements. The DVAC should commence an inquiry against Minister Marie Wilson. This is an attempt to divert attention from the corruption allegations against the TVK-led government," he added.

Raising the issue during the debate on demand for grants for the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department in the Assembly, Shanmugam, the former minister and Mailam MLA, said a daily-wage employee of the Villupuram municipality was allegedly involved in the diversion of around Rs 8 crore from the PF fund. The irregularity was detected on October 8, 2024, following which a police complaint was lodged, and the employee was arrested, he said.

"Even today, the Rs 8 crore has not been recovered. It is not known whether this is the only irregularity, how long the fraud had been taking place or who else benefited from it," Shanmugam said.

He said the authorities had sought to freeze the accused's assets, but a court had subsequently granted a stay. He alleged that no effective steps had been taken to vacate the stay and secure the assets.

Shanmugam also questioned whether similar irregularities had occurred in other municipalities and corporations and urged the Municipal Administration Department to conduct a Statewide audit of PF accounts.

"Is this confined to Villupuram municipality, or have similar irregularities taken place elsewhere? The department should examine the accounts of all municipalities," he said.

The AIADMK MLA further alleged that several political leaders had benefited from the Villupuram irregularity and claimed that the investigation had been stalled.

Seeking a fresh and comprehensive probe, he urged the government to identify all those involved, irrespective of their political or official position, and initiate appropriate action.

"Those responsible must be brought to book, and the money belonging to the employees must be recovered. A proper investigation should be conducted and action taken against everyone involved," Shanmugam added.

Viswanathan said that the government had no intention of targeting students based on their political affiliations or their participation in democratic protests.

Responding to CPM MLA R Chellaswamy during the debate on the demands for grants for the Higher Education Department, Viswanathan said the circular had been withdrawn immediately after the issue came to the government's notice.

"I take moral responsibility for the issue and express my regret and apologise to the House. The circular was issued due to an erroneous communication," Viswanathan said.

The circular had called for details of students participating in protests and sought information on the involvement of Left parties and organisations. Its contents sparked opposition from students and political parties, with concerns raised about the collection of information on students involved in campus protests.

The minister from the TVK's ally Congress said the government had taken immediate steps to withdraw the circular and had sought an explanation from the officials responsible for issuing it.

"The department has sought an explanation regarding how such a communication was issued. Appropriate action will be taken based on the explanation," he said.

“This is an injustice,” he told reporters in Nellai. Karti said delimiting Lok Sabha constituencies based on population would disadvantage Tamil Nadu and other southern states.

Asked about supporters projecting Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay as a future prime minister, Karti said the leader of a political formation securing the backing of 272 MPs would become prime minister.

Employees staged a sit-in protest outside the Tasmac regional manager’s office at Muneerpallam in Tirunelveli after they were allegedly denied entry for talks with officials.

The protest was led by Tirunelveli district Tasmac trade union federation president Ramaraj and secretary Perumal, along with representatives of various unions and employees. The closure affected liquor sales in the two districts. Several customers were reportedly disappointed after shops remained closed.

During the debate on demands for grants for the School Education Department, he said schools and colleges would be classified into three categories after the PWD completed the assessment. "If a school building gets a red card, it will be sealed, and no one can use it. If it falls under the yellow category, it requires immediate attention, and the department will take the necessary action. If the building gets a green signal, it can be used for the next five years without any hindrance," Aadhav said.

Seeking the support of MLAs, he said the government would provide the assessment reports of the buildings to all MLAs, who could conduct field visits and submit their feedback to the government. "Maintenance work is a major issue in educational institutions. It will be rectified, and it is the government's duty," Aadhav said.

Following this, School Education Minister Rajmohan said the initiative aimed to ensure the safety of school buildings. "We are working closely on this issue," Rajmohan said.

Tamil Nadu has 6,279 higher and higher secondary schools, 177 arts colleges, 11 engineering colleges, 55 polytechnic colleges, and 98 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs).

PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna's remarks that if the DMK did not have a 23-party alliance, it would not have won even 10 seats, had a strong hit back from the Deputy Leader of the Opposition KN Nehru, asking the ruling party to form government on its own, instead of surviving on the support of erstwhile allies of the DMK.

A debate in the Assembly on Monday over social justice and representation of marginalised communities swiftly turned into a political slugfest over the role of allies in the DMK's electoral victories, with TVK Minister Aadhav Arjuna asserting that the ruling party had won the 2026 election on its own while DMK leaders credited their alliance partners for helping them secure power in the past.

Participating in the debate on the demands for grants for the Higher Education and School Education departments, DMK MLA Govi Chezhiaan highlighted what he described as the party's long record of advancing social justice and political representation.

Citing the 1967 Assembly election, Chezhiaan said the DMK had defeated the heir of the Ramanathapuram royal family, Raja Shanmuga Rajeswara Sethupathi, by fielding Thangappan, who came from an ordinary background. He also claimed that the DMK had the distinction of fielding a Scheduled Caste worker in a general constituency in Coimbatore.

Higher Education Minister P Viswanathan countered by recalling Congress's role in providing political representation to marginalised communities. He cited P Kakkan, who rose from a humble background to become Home Minister, and said the TVK government had appointed members of the Scheduled Caste community as Ministers in both the Higher Education and School Education departments.

Viswanathan also flagged vacancies in the vice-chancellor posts of 12 universities. Joining the debate, minister Aadhav Arjuna said the DMK could not claim sole credit for its electoral victories, pointing to the contributions of the Congress, VCK, IUML, and Left parties. "Had the DMK contested alone, it would not have won even 10 seats," he said, asserting that the TVK had contested the 2026 election independently and emerged victorious.

DMK MLA K N Nehru hit back, saying the TVK too had benefited from support extended by other parties. "You have formed the government with the support of those who won with our alliance," he said.

Congress floor leader Tharahai Cuthbert said the Congress had campaigned for the alliance and later supported the TVK government, while the DMK members recalled that the DMK had rebuilt itself after being reduced to a single seat following the Rajiv Gandhi assassination.

Speaker's intervention brought the exchange back to the central point: "Victory and defeat ultimately come from the people."

Explaining the party position, TNCC president B Manickam Tagore said that the Congress was supporting the cancellation based on the government’s own studies and official records, and not as a political response to the previous government.

“The Airports Authority of India’s March 2022 feasibility report had already flagged concerns over Parandur’s waterbodies, irrigation tanks and low lying terrain,” he recalled. “More than one-fourth of the identified land comprised irrigation tanks and that a 201-hectare artificial lake was located close to the proposed project area.”

He also compared Parandur with the alternative Pannur site, saying Parandur was around 62 km from Chennai against 27.6 km for Pannur. “While around 1,005 families were expected to be affected at Parandur, only about 250 families would have been affected at Pannur,” he added. “More than 1,000-day protests by Eganapuram and neighbouring villagers reflect genuine concerns over land, water and livelihoods rather than opposition to development.”

The TNCC also demanded that the government announce a clear timeline for identifying an alternative location for the second airport through a proper Social Impact Assessment and meaningful consultation with affected communities. It further sought clarity within three months on land already acquired from farmers and landowners in Nelvai, Nagapattu, Thandalum, Podavur, Valathur and Akkammmapuram, besides immediate payment of the remaining compensation and restoration of basic civic amenities.