New Shopping Culture in Puducherry!

Puducherry is just booming with new-comers in all the fields. One such field is the flourishing Supermarkets, Cost Price shops or whatever name we give them.
Before some years, I use to wonder at my Mom and Dad about the budget plan they use to make on every end of the month. My mom reads out a big list of items needed for the whole month, whereas, my dad calculates the money for all the items. He takes with him two huge bags and rushes to the nearby grocery shop with the list and after a very big struggle for 2 hours, he returns home with the filled in bags. My Mom’s face shrinks a little because of the low quality product for which she fears that it would affect our health. But, a drastic change had occurred nowadays in my home. There is no list making nowadays, my Mom gets money from my Dad and hires an auto rickshaw nearby my home to the super market and returns within a few minutes with the very good quality products. I’m just awestruck and jumped out of my chair and enquired Mom about this new wonder at my home, and she explained me about the Supermarket. Out of interest, I myself went down town to get the glimpse of the Supermarkets in and around Puducherry. Gone are the days, we wait nearby the Petty-shops and grocery shops to buy groceries. Now, in my own experience to the Supermarkets that gives a relaxed shopping experience is just highlighted in my blog on Supermarkets.
Puducherry has the most popular shopping malls such as Nilgiris, Spencer’s Daily, Vijayaganapathey Stores, Aditya Birla Retail Limited and much more. The Supermarkets gives all the women a stress-free shopping experience in a closet where they could afford a wide variety of things under one roof. We need not wander about for each and every item that’s needed for our daily use, now we could easily get everything we need in the Supermarkets. Starting from a Vegetable to the Cookeries, we could get all the varieties from the Supermarkets.
The super markets also offer discounts on wholesale and retail purchases. The customer service team is excellent in all the Supermarkets; they are customer- friendly and helps us during our purchase. Super markets are not only meant for the home-makers and the women who heads the family, but it is available for everyone. Young girls too prefer these shops to buy Cosmetics and gift items; they get a nice place to chit-chat with their friends and also buy the things they need. Kids are very much interested in going around the mall and they love watching the colorful packs which is arranged in the racks and they like the trolleys which they watch like a wondrous thing, they drag the trolleys here and there and make a wide noise in these shops. It’s a good entertainment during our shopping. Refreshments like Ice- creams, Fruit juices and Pop- corns are also available to refresh us after shopping.
Many such super markets are mushrooming in Puducherry. N.Vaithianathan, spokesperson for Retail Smart Enterprises, the franchisee holder for Nilgiris says that they assessed areas such as Lawspet, Thattanchavady, Nellithope and Reddiarpalayam, and decided to cater the customers there by forming new Supermarkets over there, who, till now, had to travel to the city for their purchases.
Do you know the motto of the Supermarkets, yes, it is this, “Shop with us and get a great experience of comfort”. Are you still bargaining with the vegetable vendors and in the grocery shops, just stop and shop in the Supermarkets with fewer burden. Have a wonderful shopping experience in Puducherry!

The Cipahi Company & Pondicherry Armed Police

The Pondicherry armed police may be described as the continuation of the Cipahi Company of the French days. The Cipahi company, prior to the merger, consists of 283 men of all ranks including technicians such as masons, carpenters, musicians, cobblers, electricians, cooks, etc. The strength of this company gradually dwindled on the account of retirement, death, resignation, etc. The strength came down to 145 in 1960, 117 in 1962 and nil in 1969. It wound up in 1970 by absorbing the remaining strength in Police force.
Soon after the merger, one company of the Malabar Special Police was brought and stationed in the territory to perform the duties of the Cipahi Company. It was decided to organize the Pondicherry armed Police by gradually replacing the Cipahi Company in the territory. According to the first batch of the Pondicherry armed Police consisting of the five jamendars, 145 police constables and four followers was formed in the year 1956 and was trained by the instructors drawn from the Malabar special police. The Malabar special police stationed in the territory was withdrawn with the effect from 31st January 1967 and replaced by the Pondicherry armed police.
The Pondicherry armed police which assisted the local police in maintaining law and order in times of emergency and disturbances, attended to guard duties and special security duties until the Central reserve police took over the functions with the effect from 24th May 1969. So, I am very glad to say you all know about the changes that occurred from the Cipahi Company to Pondicherry armed Police through my blog.

Few Facts About a Historical School: Calve College

I often wonder at the majestic building of the Calve College that is situated at the Mission Street. The higher secondary school has stories for generations together. It has taught children for centuries together. I have heard pleasant memories from my Grandfather and my dad about their days in the school. This prompted me search for the history of this historical landmark. The following words takes you back to the 19th century i.e to the culmination of the school and it tells you about its progress.
College clave was opened in 1875 by Calve Soupraya Chettiar for the education of the Hindus. To begin with, it functioned as a private grant in-aid school from 1875 to 1877. The arête of 2nd May 1877 placed it under the public management. It was managed for some time by the members of the congregation i.e from 1877 to 1880. An English section was opened in1880 to prepare students for the Matriculation examination of the Madras University. In accordance with the terms of an agreement signed on 24th January 1185, the heirs of the Calve Soupraya Chettiar gave away the institution to the government. The school was then upgraded into an upper primary school and thrown open to all people.

The Pondicherry Cultivating Tenants Protection Act of 1970

This act was brought into force on 10th April 1971 and the provisions of this act were made applicable only to Pondicherry, Karaikal and Yanam regions. Relevant rules were framed under the act and they were notified on 17th May 1971. The act provided protection to tenants from the eviction of landlords. This protection was not, however, available to those tenants who were in arrears of rent which occurred after 21st March 1970, to those who were guilty of any negligent or injurious act to the land or crop, to those who had diverted the land to non-agricultural use and to those who denied the title of landlord. Besides laying down the procedure for regulating surrenders and abandonment of tenancy the act also provided for the restoration, on application to the revenue court of the tenant who was actually in possession of land on 1st December 1969 but was not in possession of it at the commencement of this act. The act, nonetheless, protects the right of the landlord to resume to personal cultivation, land not exceeding one half of the land leased out to cultivating tenant, although he cannot do so, if the land he owns exceeds 5 1/3 hectares of wet lands, or when he is assessed to sales tax during 1967-68 or holds land as tenant of wet land exceeding two hectares.

Interesting Facts on an Age-old Social Organization in Puducherry

The Societe Progressiste de l’Inde Francaise was started on 2nd March 1880 for the avowed purpose of popularizing the French Language and culture. It played an important role in educational advancements. It was through the efforts of this Societe that the upper primary education and teacher training courses were introduced in Calve College. It made some monetary contributions to the educational projects sponsored by the administration. A school was also opened in its premises. Scholarships were awarded to the deserving students for pursuing their studies.

In 1904, the school had to be closed down for the want of resources. However it was reopened in 1921, thanks to the donation of Rs.5000 given by T.S.N. Nannaya Bagavathar, a leading merchant of the town. The Societe utilized the income derived from the investment of about 30,000 and the rent from a building owned by it for carrying on its activities. An executive committee managed the accounts of this Societe.

Know the Facts on the Fire Service of Puducherry

The Cipahi company was in charge of fire fighting from the year 1933. Proposals for starting fire service stations in Pondicherry and Karaikal took concrete shape only during 1956. To begin with, two station officers were recruited locally and sent for training at the National Fire Service college, Rampur. At present the fire service functions as a branch of the Inspector General of Police, with the IGP as the director of the fire services. The Assistant Divisional Fire officer is directly in charge of the fire services.
Proposals for the opening of the new fire station with a pump escape at Dhanvantrinagar and for providing one large fire engine as reserve and one ambulance for Pondicherry and one small fire engine for Karaikal fire station were approved in 1966. The same year, the Pondicherry fire station was shifted from Mangir Barracks to Godowns No.8 and 9 in the South Boulevard taken on rent. Static tanks required for the pupose was built on five places viz. near Government distillery, Botanical garden, Orlayanpet, North Boulevard and Railway station in Pondicherry town. Major equipments such as trailer pump, mobile tanks etc. were added next year.