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From left: Backward Classes Welfare Minister Mr.M.R.K. Paneerselvam, State Tourism Minister Mr.N Suresh Rajan, Disctrict Collector Mr.Gagandeep Singh Bedi.

Fire broke out in one of the stalls just before the inaguration of the function. The accident happend in an eatable shop. Fire extinguishers were ready at the venue which prevented fire from spreading futher. District Collector Mr.Gagandeep Singh Bedi rushed to the scene within seconds and put things in order. Power supply was put down immediately and fire was put out in less than a minute.This time thoughtfully ‘tin sheets’ were used instead of thatch roofs. If thatch roofs were used, Cuddalore would have seen yet another tragedy. The speed with which the fire was put out shows the level of preparedness by the district adminstration.

Summer Festival is to start in a few hours from now. Elaborate arrangements are done by the district administration. South Esplanade Road (Beach Road) is broadened and a new black topped road is laid. An arch is put up near Hotel Arcot Woodlands. The makeshift bridge over Uppanar backwater is guarded on its both the sides with parapet made of ca stem. To my surprise the old bridge (over Uppanar) which is of great historical importance is put into use for pedestrians. A part of the bridge was broken when a huge pit was dug for the construction of the new bridge. But now the broken parts are reconstructed. A huge parking lot is setup in front of Marine House. Stalls are put up in the green spread to the east of White House (SP Bungalow) and the finishing works are underway. People from the agricultural department is sowing a patch of land.

A ten member team of municipal workers are cleaning up the thrown outs, especially plastic wastes. (It would not be appropriate to say ‘Cleaning up’, since they are not actually cleaning, but collecting the plastic wastes and dumping it in 10’s of approximately 3×3 foot pits, right in sandscape- a myopic and dangerous practice.)

This time roofing for the stalls are made with tin sheets. Also this time there are no ‘gigantic’ tora tora and Columbus, they are replaced with a smaller version of them. Wiring works are going on in the auditorium to east of Periyar College of Arts & Science. Being here one could get the real sense of the festival.

(as of 9am)

Government Technical Training Institute in Semandalam without a compound wall.

It is almost certain that an Integrated Textile Processing Park is coming up at Cuddalore with world-class infrastructure facilities for setting up textile units. The South Indian Mills Association proposed a common infrastructure project for textile wet processing at Cuddalore on September 2004. Since then a tremendous progress has been made. Nine leadings textile firms ( Super Spinning Mills Limited, Premier Mills Private Limited, Premier Fine Yarns Pvt Ltd, Bannari Amman Spinning Mills Limited from Coimbatore, Thiagarajar Mills Limited, Madurai, Loyal Textile Mills Limited, Chennai, BKS Textiles Private Limited, Palladam, Rajapalayam Mills Limited, Rajapalayam and Bangalore-based Subadra Textile Private Limited. Source:SIMA proposes Greenfield projects at the Textile Processing Park -Fibre 2 Fashion) will investment a sum of Rs 475 crore to generate annual production worth Rs 500 crore initialy. SIMA expects conformation of six others.

The initiative comes in the wake of the Sathyam Committee set up by the Textiles Ministry to look into the textile chain. Apart from one at Cuddalore permission had been grated to Gujarat Eco Textiles Park, Surat, Metro Hi-Tech Cooperative Park, Kohlapur and Jaipur Texweaving Park,Silora.(Source:Panel clears 4 projects under textile parks scheme — To bring investments worth Rs 1,756 cr -Business Line). Apart from these Central Government is planning to setup 25 such parks throughtout India before 2007.

SIMA, had sought land from the State Government, and the government has offered 300 acres at the SIPCOT industrial estate Phase III with a provision to take up another 800 acres. It is said that the project will provide direct employment to 5000 and indirect employment to 50,000 persons.

This project may lead to the developement of the region. But will it lead to a ’sustainable’ developement. Why all in a suddenly Cuddalore became an attractive destination for these leading mills in the industry will be the question in every mind. The answer could be easily infered from the statement issued by the Chairman of SIMA .In a SIMA meeting he said “Cuddalore has plentiful ground water and also the facility for marine disposal of wastes.”

Though it promises to employe water frugal technology and biological treatment for disposal of the solid effluents, from the past experiences one can be sure that there will be open violation of all norms and standards .

The news that Cuddalore Port will be deepened at the cost of Rs.15 crores is a bit disappointing when the shipping ministry in union government is with the party of incumbents in the state, and so when we are expecting something big. This measly allocation will hardly be enough to desilt certain portions of the harbour to facilitate the easy movement of fishing vessel, and nothing more.

Cuddalore port is in a neglected state for more than two decades. Even on early 70’s, it set records on goods handling. But fell there after. It is customary for politicians (of minister cadre) to make a visit to the port once in around every five years and make some big promises. But no notable efforts were taken.

Around 2001-02 when then (state) government was in its early stages of its term, put forth a proposal to to built a ‘mega’ port in Cuddalore and the task the was to be vested in the hands to a Singapore firm.

But what followed was a ‘mega’ chaos. It was the time when projects like Nagarjuna’s refinery and Relaince’s thermal power project was getting into shape.So coal from Australia and and crude oil from middle east were to be the major imports of the proposed port. It was said that, then Chief Minister of Andra Pradesh Mr.Chandrababu Naidu put pressure on Nagarjuna Group to setup the refinery in Andra Pradesh itself. At certain point of time, work on the refinery project was progressing slowly (which was partly because that Nagarjuna could not attain financial closure). It was around this time feasibility test was conducted for the port. Government stated that, since both the refinery and power plant project were dropped, it is dropping its proposal to bring up the mega port in Cuddalore.

After government dropping the new project for the port, Reliance which was actually much eager to setup the power plant here, reciprocated by dropping its plan on the grounds that the port is not to comeup here (It later setup power plant in Tuticorin). Government dropped its port project and Reliance dropped its power plant project, pointing out each other. Cuddalore lost both the ‘mega’ projects.