Mullaperiyar : Kerala blames TN for lack of progress

New Delhi, Jan 29 (UNI) Kerala Irrigation Minister N K Premachandran today alleged that the Tamil Nadu government backed out of the discussion with his state on the inter-state Mullaperiyar dam issue only because of the DMK government's inability to withstand the "political opposition" within the state.

Talking to mediapersons after his meeting with Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz, who mediated between the two contending states on the issue of hiking the storage level of the 111-year-old Mullaperiyar dam, he said there was "consensus" among the political parties in Kerala with regard to the state's stand that a new dam should be constructed in place of the existing dam on safety grounds.

Mr Premachandran said Tamil Nadu did not show any interest in discussing the issue with Kerala right from the beginning.

However, it had agreed for a Chief ministerial-level meeting in Delhi under the mediation of Mr Soz in the light of a suggestion to this effect from the Supreme Court on September 25 last year.

He said the second round of meeting between him and his Tamil Nadu counterpart Durai Murugan in Delhi on December 18, again under the mediation of Mr Soz, was not a failure as both sides decided to continue the discussion.

However, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had announced unilaterally on December 19 last about the withdrawal of his state from further discussion on the dam issue.

"It is not yet clarified by Tamil Nadu government why it had withdrawn from the discussion, while Kerala is still willing to resolve the issue through such a democratic and transparent exercise," Mr Premachandran asked.

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