Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday told the Southern Zonal Council (SZC) that Tamil Nadu was ready to cooperate with neighbouring States and resolve the issues pertaining to the inter-State rivers for the benefit of all.
Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy delivered the Chief Minister’s speech at the meeting held in Tirupati as Mr. Stalin was busy with rain relief work in Chennai.
Mr. Stalin said, “Solidarity among us [the southern States] is crucial in utilising the limited resources available to us in a judicious manner, and unnecessary litigation and needless conflicts will result in unwanted animosity that may hinder our progress”.
“Tamil Nadu is a water-deficit State. The farmers toil with scanty groundwater and uncertain monsoon. Since we have a large farming population depending on traditional agriculture for ensuring food security, protecting our rights to inter-State rivers is crucial for our State. We are always ready to cooperate with our neighbouring States and resolve the issues in a constructive and amicable manner, resulting in mutual benefit,” he said. He also listed the initiatives taken to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic as soon as he assumed office, the welfare schemes and the plans to generate energy from renewable sources.
He urged the Union Government to declare Tamil one of the official languages of the Union.
The Chief Minister said railway land should be transferred for the Metro Rail Project on a permanent basis. “The transfer must be with full surface rights, without any restriction, when 99% of the market value is charged, as is being done by other Central Government departments/agencies for underground tunnelling work below their land. If the full surface rights are not given, only nominal/token value should be charged for restricted rights. In underground tunnelling, even to a depth of less than 15 metres, only the nominal fee as a track rent should be charged. When the surface is not affected and no surface rights are given, it is totally unreasonable to charge any such amount,” he said.
The culture of the southern States has a lot of similarities, and they share common cuisine, values and weather. “The universal language of love can dissolve all problems and make us march on the path of progress,” he said.
