That was a great lead given by your Chennaionline to pep up and cheer the Chennai Team of the IPL. Almost all Newspapers and every TV Channel had conspicuously noticed the signature campaign, embarked upon by your Chennaionline. The Chennai Super Kings' Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni received the signature banner from L Ravichandran, Managing Director of Chennaionline at a simple, but colourful function held at the TNCA, Chepauk. The campaign was initiated by the Chief Minister of TamilNadu M Karunanidhi.

I was there at the audio release of Dasavatharam.(please see a picturesque description of the function elsewhere on chennaionline.) I felt no other civil society would have allowed its indoor stadium to be (mis) used for an audio release of this kind. It was like an elephant entering a china shop. The astro - turf was heavily damaged - beyond repair. If the original makers of the stadium had even an iota of idea that this would be put to use for such a mega event, perhaps they would have designed it differently.

And what had Jackie Chan had to do with Dasavatharam? I felt frankly that the money spent for this mega event including the special flight of Jackie Chan could have been better used for helping at least a microscopic minority of the needy poor in our society. Of course, Kamal and Oscar know better.

About the attire of Mallika Sherawat at the function, the less, the better � sorry, the less said the better.

I have seen very many old men and women, having their own house, but suffering for want of liquid cash. Their dwelling place might be having high market value. But that is of no use to them. The State Bank of Travancore has come up with a wonderful scheme to help such aged people.. It is a reverse mortgage loan scheme for senior citizens owning houses.

Under the scheme, the bank will extend loans to the clients against mortgage of their residential property. The loan will be sanctioned in the joint names of the property owner and the spouse. Customers will have the option to avail themselves of the loan amount in lump sum or in quarterly/monthly installments.

The borrowers have to stay in the house and they need not make any repayment during their life time. However, on remarriage or on keeping the house vacant for more than one year, the loan has to be pre-closed.

The loan recovery starts on the demise of the last surviving borrower. If the legal heirs do not repay the loan with interest, the bank will recover the loan by selling the property. The loan will be for a maximum period of 15 years and the loan amount is fixed on the basis of the valuation of the property less margin. The bank is sanctioning the loan through selected branches.

Akshaya Thrithiya falls on May 8 and every jewellery store in Chennai is making fabulous offers. Concession on making charges is one such. It is an auspicious day to invite Goddess Lakshmi into our homes and take her blessings for everlasting prosperity and wealth. Chennaionline has some good news for the media on this happy occasion.

H Ramakrishnan