தித்திக்கும் தீபாவளி

தீபாவளி பண்டிகை நெருங்கி கொண்டிருக்கிறது.போக்குவரத்து தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு இப்பொழுது வரை போனஸ் அறிவிப்பு வரவில்லை.தவிர ஜூலை மாதம் உயர்ந்த 7% அகவிலைபடி இன்று வரை (இம்மாத சம்பளத்திலும்) கொடுக்கப்படவில்லை.
இந்து நாளிதழை இணையத்தில் தேடிய பொழுது கிடைத்த 2001ம் ஆண்டின் தீபாவளி நினைவுகள்.

COIMBATORE, NOV. 16. Even as the strike by Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation employees entered the seventh day today, there was hardly any palpable impact anywhere in the western districts of Coimbatore, Erode and the Nilgiris.

With Deepavali crowds tapering off, even city services on certain routes in Coimbatore looked quite comfortable, while many continue to overload buses.

Apart from more than 80 per cent of the TNSTC buses, the entire fleet of private buses, mini-buses, omnibuses, taxicabs, vans, tempo-travellers, etc., were on the road. While 25 TNSTC workers were rounded up in the city, 40 others were taken into custody in other taluks.

In Erode district, more than 90 per cent of the TNSTC buses were on the road. Of the 315 persons rounded up today, 30 were women members of the workers' families. The women were later released. During the past one week, 904 have been remanded to custody in this district.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the Kovilpatty accident that claimed 28 lives, transport authorities in Erode district have instructed the newly-recruited crew not to drive vehicles at speeds beyond 50 kmph.

The private vehicles, which normally ceased their operation for at least a few hours in the night, are plying almost round-the- clock. However, the major grouse in Erode district is that the private operators are collecting excess fare. In the Nilgiris, 61 TNSTC workers were taken into custody today.