NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, JULY 2
Former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday called the present Chief Minister MK Stalin as ‘puppet’ for not tackling the contentious issue of Cauvery water and construction of a dam over it in Karnataka while PMK founder has urged the Centre to constitute the Pennaiyar River Tribunal within three days.
விடியா அரசையும், பொம்மை முதலமைச்சர் திரு.மு.க. ஸ்டாலினையும் தூக்கிப் பிடித்து நிறுத்தும் இயக்கங்களில் ஒன்றான, இந்திய கம்யூனிஸ்ட் கட்சியின் பட்டுக்கோட்டை நகர முன்னாள் செயலாளர் திரு. ரோஜா ராஜசேகர் என்பவர் காவல்துறை கொடுத்த தொடர் டார்ச்சரால் தற்கொலை செய்துகொண்ட கொடுமை நடந்துள்ளது.… pic.twitter.com/kBxAaJuJTr
— Edappadi K Palaniswami – Say No To Drugs & DMK (@EPSTamilNadu) June 29, 2023
Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday lashed out at the ruling Congress in Karnataka and the DMK in Tamil Nadu over the neighbouring state pushing for the construction of the contentious Mekedatu reservoir and the Stalin-led government not putting up a resistance to protect the interests of the state.
- Palaniswami alleged that the DMK ”cedes Tamil Nadu’s rights” whenever in power, and cited the Cauvery and Katchatheevu issues to buttress his claim
- PMK founder urges Centre to constitute the Pennaiyar River Tribunal within 3 days
Palaniswami especially came down hard on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, charging him with not fiercely opposing Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s assertion that the balancing reservoir would be built on river Cauvery at Mekedatu in the neighbouring state. Tamil Nadu is opposed to the construction of the dam, saying its prospects will be hurt, and also insists that its consent is required to implement the project.
Palaniswami, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, said that due to his previous government’s efforts in 2018, the Mekedatu issue was never discussed in the meetings of the Cauvery Management Authority (CMA). The CMA had said that Tamil Nadu’s consent was required for the project, and the state would intervene in the matter as the reservoir is proposed to come up on the Cauvery river bed, he stated.
”Following this, the Mekedatu issue remained calm till May this year. But, after the Congress government came in Karnataka (in May), Deputy CM Shivakumar is blowing up the matter saying the dam will certainly be constructed,” the AIADMK chief said in a statement.
He said that soon after the Congress formed the government in that state, Shivakumar had asked his officials to expedite the matter. The deputy CM had recently written to the Union Jal Shakti Minister also on the issue, Palaniswami said.
”I had then itself expressed my strong criticism of the Karnataka government. Had the puppet chief minister Stalin of the DMK government given a befitting reply to Shivakumar then (in May when Shivakumar first flagged the matter), he would not have done so today,” Palaniswami said in an apparent reference to the Karnataka leader raising the issue of the dam with the Centre.
Palaniswami alleged that the DMK ”cedes Tamil Nadu’s rights” whenever in power, and cited the Cauvery and Katchatheevu issues to buttress his claim. He slammed Stalin for remaining ”silent” over the Cauvery issue and demanded a strong response from him personally, besides urging him to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the 38 Lok Sabha MPs belonging to the DMK-led coalition to prevent Karnataka from going ahead with the Mekedatu dam.
The AIADMK will go through the necessary struggles to prevent Tamil Nadu from ”turning into a desert,” the former chief minister added. Mekedatu is a multi-purpose drinking water and power project proposed by Karnataka, which involves building a balancing reservoir near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district. Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project, raising apprehensions that the state would be affected if the project takes shape. The project, once completed, is aimed at ensuring drinking water supply to Bengaluru and neighbouring areas (4.75 TMC). It also can generate 400 MW power. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 9,000 crore.
PMK founder urges Centre to constitute the Pennaiyar River Tribunal within 3 days
PMK founder S Ramadoss has urged the Central government to constitute the Pennaiyar River Tribunal within three days as per the promise made in the Supreme Court without falling into the tactics of the Karnataka government that trying to prevent the formation of the Tribunal.
In his statement, the senior leader said that the Central government has assured in the apex court to constitute the tribunal before July 5 to resolve the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the Pennaiyar river water sharing rights.
“Meanwhile, the Karnataka government has urged the Central government not to form the tribunal, which is condemnable. While meeting Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on June 29, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister suggested resolving the issue with talks,” Ramadoss added.
He said that Karnataka has no right to sit in talks after conjuring the uprights of Tamil Nadu. Karnataka has received permission to construct a dam across the Markandeya River.
“Tamil Nadu has filed a case against the move in the Supreme Court. But the court dismissed the petition and directed the state to approach the Central government to form the Tribunal,” he recalled. “Tamil Nadu approached the court again as the central government delayed the formation of the Tribunal. Following this, the court directed the Central government to constitute the Tribunal before March 14. After the Central government failed to act, the court censured. The Karnataka government has requested the Central government to conduct talks and resolve the issue in three months. Even after 100 years of talks, Cauvery is not yet resolved. After the Cauvery Tribunal, Tamil Nadu got some relief,” he noted.
He warned that the Karnataka government will construct the dam while conducting talks as it had done earlier in the Cauvery River issue. “The Tamil Nadu government should not agree to talk with Karnataka on the issue, and the central government should constitute the Tribunal within three days,” Ramadoss urged.
