Minister

New Delhi, Feb 20 (UNI) Kerala today strongly opposed Tamil Nadu's demand for deployment of Central Paramilitary Forces to protect the Mullaperiyar structure in its territory asserting that the Kerala Police was absolutely capable of doing its job in a professional manner and any deployment of central forces was violative of the Constitution and federal structure.

Talking to newspersons after attending a meeting with Union Water Resoruces Minister Saifuddin Soz, Kerala Irrigation Minister N K Premachandran told reporters that Kerala Police had done a wonderful job at a time Tamil Nadu political parties had enforced a blockade for two days without any untoward incidents. If anything wrong happens, it will be people of Kerala who would be affected and the Stte Government will not allow such a situation, he said. Such being the case there was no meaning in the ruling DMK and other political parties seeking the deployment of central forces.

He said even today Kerala was not against providing water to Tamil Nadu but agreed that it had not allowed T N to carry out replastering the Mulla Periyar dam structure.

The Minister said sending Central forces to Kerala would mean failure of the State to ensure law and order situation and the Left and Democratic Front coalition would not allow such a situation.

He said even today, Kerala was not against holding talks with T N but when the matters are before the Supreme Court, the state would have to legally respond to the T N demand wanting to raise the water level beyond 136 feet in violation of Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act 2006.

He said Kerala will file its response before the Supreme Court in four weeks as desired by the Court.

Asked if Kerala was happy with the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal allocating 30 tmc of water, Mr Premachandran said the state certainly can't be happy because its demand was for 99 tmc. The state was studying 1100 page final order in seven volumes and the government will have to take a final decision after after this process, he added.

UNI