Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) belonging to Opposition on Tuesday mounted pressure on the ruling All India NR Congress Government to impress upon the Centre to stop the proposed construction of dam on Cauvery River at Mekedatu in Karnataka.
Raising the issue of construction of dam by Karnataka, AIADMK MLA Omsakthi Sekar said Karnataka Government has been attempting to construct a dam across the Cauvery River. The issue created problems among Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Contending that the proposed construction was in violation of the final award of Cauvery River Water Tribunal, following the advice of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the Tamil Nadu Government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking to stop the Karnataka from constructing the dam.
Mr. Sekar alleged that the Puducherry Government has been continuing to keep silence over the issue from the beginning.
He said, “Following the example of Tamil Nadu, the Puducherry Assembly should pass a resolution opposing the move of Karnataka and send it to the Union government.”
Raising the same issue, DMK MLA A.M.H. Nazim said a delegation of political parties in Tamil Nadu led by Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam president Vijayakant met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. Though Karaikal is very much part of Union Territory and located at the tail end of Cauvery river, none from Puducherry has participated in the delegation. Mr. Nazim said the farmers in Karaikal are thoroughly dissatisfied over this.
Pointing out that BJP leader and Union Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan was part of the delegation, the DMK MLA wanted to know whether AINRC was not invited by its ally BJP to be part of the delegation.
Replying to the query of the DMK MLA, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy said last month an all party MPs delegation met Prime Minister Mr. Modi and AINRC MP R. Radhakrishnan was part of the delegation. He maintained that his government has opposed the construction of the dam.
