Kerala Assembly enacts legislation on Mullaperiyar issue

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 15 (UNI) Putting political differences on the backburner ahead of the next month's Assembly polls, the Kerala Assembly today unanimously enacted a legislation to safeguard its position of retaining water level of the Mullapperiyar Dam at 136 ft.

The members of the Congress-led ruling United Democratic Front and the Opposition Marxist-led Left Democratic Front, in the midst of discussions on crucial seat sharing, sat through the two-day special session to pass the Kerala Irrigation and water Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2006, giving more powers, including judical power to the Dam Safety Authority.

The Session was convened in the backdrop of a recent Supreme Court order allowing neighbouring Tamil Nadu to raise the storage level of the Mullapperiyar to 152 ft from the present 136 ft.

Besides the Mullapperiyar Dam, the safety of as many as 21 other dams were also brought under the purview of the legislation.

Winding up the debate in the two-day special sitting on introducing the Bill, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the Government would take all possible steps to implement it.

Pointing out that the Government was maintining good relationship with Tamil Nadu, he said during his 18 month tenure he had made three round talks with the neighbouring State on the issue.

Mr Chandy said as the Government's prime duty was to ensure the safety of the people, it had no other alternative but to introduce such a bill.

Thanking the Opposition's cooperation in passing the Bill unanimously, he sought the cooperation in future also for the developmental activities of the State.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan in his reply alleged that the Government had not taken suitable actions and even failed to convince the Supreme Court. The issue could be sorted out through Arbitrary, he added.

Later, the Assembly also unanimously passed two more resolutions, requesting the Centre to provide better treatment and granting parole to People's Democratic Party leader Abdul Nazar Madani, who was lodged in a jail at Coimbatore for the last seven years and requested the Election Commission to give permission to implement the recommendations of the wage revision panel for Government employees.

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