Chennai, July 2 (BPNS)
AIADMK general secretary and leader of opposition in Tamil Nadu assembly, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) lashed out against the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and the Congress government of Karnataka in the Mekedatu dam issue.
The AIADMK leader who was also the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, in a statement on Sunday said that the state government failed to take up the issue of the Karnataka government taking up the construction of Mekedatu dam across Cauvery river.
It may be noted that Mekedatu is a drinking water and power project which was proposed by Karnataka and it would lead to building a balancing reservoir in Kanakapura in Ramanagar district of Karnataka.
Tamil Nadu is opposed to the construction of the dam across the Cauvery river in Karnataka that would affect the flow of river to Tamil Nadu. As per the Cauvery water agreement also constructing a dam across the Cauvery involves having detailed and threadbare discussions with the affected states. The project is aimed at ensuring drinking water supply to Bengaluru and adjacent areas and the total cost of the project is around Rs 9000 crores.
EPS lashed out at Stalin and said that he was a ‘Puppet’ Chief Minister who did not safeguard the interests of the people of Tamil Nadu. The opposition leader pointed out that, Stalin did not properly oppose the statement of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar who had announced the construction of Mekedatu dam in Ramanagara district. it may be recalled the Congress leader of Karnataka including Chief Minister Siddaramiah and Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar had conducted protest marches across the state for the construction of Mekedatu dam while they were in the opposition.
The former Chief Minister said that when his government was in power, the Mekedatu dam issue was never discussed in the Cauvery Management Authority (CMA) meeting.
Palaniswami said that immediately after the Congress government assumed office in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar had raised the issue of constructing Mekedatu dam and had even asked the officials to commence moving papers regarding the same.
The opposition leader said that Shivakumar has now taken up the matter with the Central government and had even written a letter to Union minister for Jal Shakthi, Giriraj Singh.
He said that if the DMK government led by Stalin had given a befitting reply to Shivakumar, immediately after he raised the issue, the situation would not reached the stage wherein the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister had written a letter to Union government.
The former Chief Minister slammed Stalin and said that he should meet the Prime Minister with all the MPs from the state to prevent Karnataka from going ahead with the Mekedatu dam plan. He also said that whenever DMK was in power, the state’s interests were ceded.
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