By Umaima Shafiq

Insurance firms face huge claims after floods
Insurance companies have received hundreds of claims from industries to replace machinery, property and vehicles damaged in the recent rains and floods in Chennai.
A senior United India insurance official said: “We have received insurance claims from several units including those producing spare parts for vehicles. Most of the claims are from Ambattur Industrial Estate. Their demands start from lakhs to a few crores of rupees.”
New India Assurance has got claims from IT or information technology companies to repair and replace damaged equipment.
Bajaj Allianz, a leading vehicle hire purchase major, is also processing payments for lost and damaged two-wheelers and cars. All companies have deployed surveyors to assess damages for a correct estimate.
Meanwhile Chennai’s flood relief work is going on as 690 stagnation water points have been drained and medical teams and camps have been set up to screen people for water and air borne diseases. People who had fled from their homes in the suburbs returned to drain out water and salvage and dry their belongings.

Caste bias rampant in govt schools
Caste discrimination is rampant in many government schools of Tamil Nadu and it surfaced again last week, when a Madurai-based welfare organisation was stunned to find that a school in Kurayur village had not admitted any Dalit or ‘lower caste’ children since 1970.
Instead these children had to walk many miles to other schools. Government schools in Sivaganga, Virudhunagar, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli reportedly made Dalit students do menial tasks like toilet cleaning, sweeping and mopping. Such students were ordered to wear colour coded bracelets and vests. This practice continues despite inspections by National Human Rights Commission and government welfare officers.
Several schools also have separate tumblers and plates for Dalit children at the free midday meal and do not allow them to wear watches or other luxuries.

Film director Gopalakrishnan dies aged 88
Veteran film director K S Gopalakrishnan who is credited with introducing yesteryear actress K R Vijaya died in Chennai last week.
He was 88 and is survived by six sons. Gopalakrishan introduced Vijaya, a flower girl who worked at the temple town of Palani in southern Dindigul district, in the 1963 film Karpagam.
Gopalakrishnan was also a talented lyricist and dialogue writer whose hit songs included Unnazhagai kanniyargal, Yaradi nee mohini and others in the film Uttama Puthiran (1958). He also composed lyrics for films like Edhirparaadhahu, Amaradeepam and Engal Veetu Mahalakshmi.
His directorial hits include Vanthala Maharasi (1973), Saradha (1962), Kulama Gunama (1971) and Adukku Malli (1979). His last film was Athaimadi Methaiadi in 1989.

One die, two injured in factory fire
One person was killed and two others injured when fire broke out at the Shahsun drugs and chemicals company at the SIPCOT industrial complex at Kudikadu in coastal Cuddalore district last week.
The fire reportedly started due to a short circuit at the hexane manufacturing unit. Twenty workers also fainted from inhaling toxic fumes from the accident site.
The next day, the unit was shut down for operating without a licence.