I-Day: Collectors take salute in integrated Vellore, T’malai

VELLORE/TIRUVANAMALAI: Collectors Kumaravel Pandian, Baskara Pandian, B Murugesh and Amar Kuswaha hoisted the Tricolour, reviewed a guard of honour and took the salute at the march past of police contingents in Vellore, Ranipet, Tiruvannamalai and Tirupattur districts respectively on the occasion of India’s 76th Independence Day celebrations on Monday.

Vellore Collector Kumaravel Pandian distributed government welfare measures worth Rs 1.58 crore. Those present included SP Rajesh Kannan, MLA AP Nanda Kumar, Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar and Deputy Mayor Sunil Kumar.

At Ranipet, Collector Baskara Pandian handed over aid estimated at Rs 70.69 lakh to 237 beneficiaries and certificates to 660 officials in the presence of SP Deepa Sathyan and DRO Kumareswaran.

At Tiruvannamalai, Collector B Murugesh provided government assistance worth Rs 3.31 crore to 781 beneficiaries in addition to certificates and awards to 208 government officials for exemplary service.

Collector Amar Kuswaha handed over assistance of Rs 1.29 crore to 144 beneficiaries. He also ensured that 21 relatives of freedom fighters in Tirupattur, Vaniyambadi and Ambur taluks were honoured.

At Arakkonam, NDRF 4th battalion commandant Kapil Varman hoisted the Tricolour and took the salute at a march past of NDRF personnel and the dog squad. At VIT University, Chancellor G Viswanathan hoisted the flag in the presence of ex SC judgeDoraiswamy Raji.

Salem division remarkable in punctuality, freight earnings

The Salem Division of Southern Railways has registered remarkable performance in freight, punctuality and also earned higher revenue.

The division has loaded 3.269 million tonnes of freight during 2021-22, which is 16 per cent more than that of the previous year.

“Also, the division has achieved a remarkable feat in punctual running of trains. The punctuality performance of the division was 96 per cent against a target of 85 per cent,” said A Gautam Srinivas, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Salem Division, after hoisting the national flag.

The DRM said the division has achieved the best ever average freight speed of 50.5 kmph and highest ever earnings through freight.