CHENNAI: In a proud moment for Chennai, the Anna Medal for Gallantry was awarded to K.Shanmugam, a Railway Protection force (RPF) constable at the Egmore railway station, who saved the life of a passenger caught between the platform and moving train. The award is presented to the government servants/civilians, each year on Republic Day for their acts of bravery.
“It was on the morning of July 2017 when the Dadar express had departed and I saw the trouble coming when a man in his early 30s gasping for breath slipped while he tried to board a moving train and got stuck in the space between the platform and train. I ran to the area and pulled him and managed to save him without any injuries,” Shanmugam told Deccan Chronicle, adding that he saved three lives prior to this.
He further added that efforts must be put towards increasing the staff of RPF and awareness must be spread among the public on jaywalking on tracks and footboard travel.
Another man from the city, grade -1 constable G.Narayanan from Pazhavanthangal police station, who is one of the team members that busted one of the biggest illicit liquor cases in the history Tamil Nadu, received the Gandhi Adigal police medal on Friday.
“In 2017, March we received information about illicit liquor being brought to Tiruchy from Indore. I tracked the suspect from the list of five major suspects and later tapped his phone and followed it for six months. Later, they were nabbed before the liquor was even unloaded from the truck,” he said.
Narayanan was also successful in nabbing Manoharan, an accused for over 19 years having 27 cases including two murders under his name.
Among others who received the award were S.Kannan, additional superintendent of police, Thanjavur, G. Ramakrishnan sub-inspector, Salem, G.Narayanan, head constable, Ponnai and I.Joseph, head constable, Villupuram.
Further, Kottai Ameer Communal Harmony Award was given to Dr I.Sadiq Basha for promoting communal harmony. During 2014 and 2017, he assisted police in settling communal issues at Tiruvannamalai.
R. Munusamy was given a special award for obtaining the highest yield in the state by adopting System of Rice Intensification (SRI) cultivation method. Based on agriculture department's recommendation the farmer has adopted a seed rate of 8 kg for his 1 ha field.
Water management was done through alternate wetting and drying. By following this, was able to get 3,636.88kg/50 cent grain yield i.e., 18,184.4 kg/ha, thus becoming eligible for the award.
