T. R. Baalu: Difference between revisions

Thalikottai Rajuthevar Baalu (Tamil: பாலு) (born June 15, 1941 in Thalikottai, Thiruvarur District in Tamil Nadu) is an Indian politician and the Union Cabinet Minister of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways. T.R. Baalu did his BSc from New College in Madras University and diploma in drafting engineering drawings from Central polytechnic Chennai. He is a member of Lok Sabha of India from Chennai South constituency of Tamil Nadu and has been elected 4 times since 1996. He is an important leader of the DMK party and is known for political loyalty having been in the party since 1957. He is an industrialist with an engineering background in addition to being a political and social worker. Being a firm believer in numerology, he has changed his name to BAALU as against Balu (the normal way in which it is usually spelt). His Amateur Radio Callsign is VU2TRB.

T.R. Baalu began his political career when he joined the DMK in 1957 as a 16 year old boy. He came to limelight when he was jailed under MISA for protesting against emergency for a year. He became the Secretary, DMK of Chennai city District unit in 1982.Baalu was first elected to Parliament as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1986 and served his full term till 1992. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1996 and served as minister of state for petroleum, natural gas and non-conventional energy sources. He was re-elected in 1998, 1999 and 2004 from the Chennai South. He served as cabinet minister for environment and forests from 1999 to 2003. T. R. Baalu was also intrumental in starting the controversial Ram Sethu Project during the 14th Loksabha tenure. He was also accused of alleged corruptions and kickbacks from implementation of the project. T.R.Baalu has been jailed over 15 times for participating in the agitations and demonstrations for public cause. During the Karunanidhi midnight arrest on June 30, 2001. T.R. Baalu was arrested for protesting against the arrest. T.R. Baalu refused to leave prison and said he would do so only if the charges were proved or dropped. Jayalalitha dropped the charges.^[1]

T. R.Baalu was also involved in ensuring subsidised gas was provided to companies owned by himself as a share holder and his sons and other relatives. He had written letters urging the then Petroleum minister Murali Deora to ensure their companies had uninterrupted supply of cheap natural gas.^[2]

On October 17, 2008 he submitted his post-dated resignation to the DMK party chief M. Karunanidhi over the killings of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka.^[3]

T.R Baalu is elected as Lok Sabha member from the Sriperumbuthur constituency in the 2009 Indian Parliamentary Election.

In 2009 Election Mr. Manmohan Singh refused to accommodate him as a cabinet minister as T.R. Baalu was a poor performer

• 1986–1992 : was elected as a Member, Rajya Sabha
• 1996: Elected to Lok Sabha (Eleventh) for the first time
• 1996-1998: Minister of State, Petroleum, Natural Gas and Non-Conventional Energy Sources
• 1998: Elected to Lok Sabha (Twelfth) for the second time
• 1999: Elected to Lok Sabha (Thirteenth) for the third time
• 1999-2003: Cabinet Minister, Environment and Forests
• 2004: Elected to Lok Sabha (Fourteenth) for the fourth time from Chennai South (Lok Sabha constituency)
• 2004-2009: Cabinet minister for Shipping, Road Transport & Highways.
• 2009: Elected to Lok Sabha (Fifteenth) for the fifth time from Sriperumbudur (Lok_Sabha_constituency)

T.R. Baalu is also taking responsibility of the contentious Sethu Samudra project.

• Amateur radio in India

• Minister for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways
• Official biographical sketch in Parliament of India website
• Members of Fourteenth Lok Sabha - Parliament of India website
• T.R.Baalu interview on arrest
• No Reason cited my arrest T.R.Baalu
• Charges against Baalu dropped
• Speakers for action over arrest
• QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - VU2TRB
• National Institute of Amateur Radio