TNCC not to send MLAs, MPs to Mullaiperiyar

Chennai, Nov 23 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee today decided to postpone the visit of the committee of party MLAs and MPs to Mullaiperiyar dam tomorrow, following the tense situation there.

The Congress legislature party, which met here on Monday, had constituted a committee under the leadership of Periyakulam Lok Sabha member J M Haroon Rasheed to visit the dam and submit a report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 27.

In a hurriedly convened press conference here today, TNCC chief M Krishnasamy and Treasurer Sudharsanam said the proposed visit of the committee to Mullaiperiyar was postponed and would take place after the proposed talks between the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in New Delhi on November 29 in the Centre's presence.

When reporters asked what would be the benefit of such a visit, they said it would be for the welfare of people of both states.

They added that the experts committee, after thorough field test, had said water storage level could be raised to 146 ft and the apex court had subsequently directed the level could be raised to 142 ft.

The two leaders said they would apprise Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Dr Singh about the loss to the people of five southern districts of Tamil Nadu due to non-raising of the storage level.

Asked if it would affect the DPA alliance, they said there would not be any problem for the alliance.

Mr Sudharsanam, to a question, said the Lok Sabha Speaker was the final authority to decide on the installation of statues of departed Parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha complex. A committee appointed by the Speaker had cleared installing the statue of senior DMK leader and former Union Minister Murasoli Maran and no one had the right to question it.

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