AIADMK coordinator, O. Panneerselvam on Thursday condemned Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa for declaring that his government would go ahead with the Mekedatu dam project in the Cauvery basin.
Expressing his concern over Mr. Yediyurappa’s stand that would affect inter-State ties, the AIADMK leader, in a statement, said the “unilateral” announcement of the Karnataka Chief Minister on the construction of the proposed dam, under the “guise” of a drinking water supply project, had saddened farmers of Tamil Nadu. Not only would the water flow to the State for drinking water and irrigation “go down drastically” but the project would also make Tamil Nadu a “desert.”
Mr. Panneerselvam also recalled how the State government, when he was Chief Minister during September 2014-May 2015, had taken steps to prevent Karnataka from implementing the project. He called upon Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to take such legal measures that would stop Karnataka from making any move on the Mekedatu project.
In another statement, the AIADMK co-coordinator and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, referred to reports in sections of the media that farmers had been experiencing hardships as they did not have the “compassionate view” of members of the ruling party to get their paddy procured at the direct procurement centres of the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation; there was no proper distribution of tokens to them and only those recommended by the ruling party’s cadres had been given preference in selling their paddy to the authorities.
Mr. Palaniswami urged Mr. Stalin to prevail upon his party’s members to not “harass” farmers and expedite the procurement at the centres.
