Kerala CM urges PM not to agree to force deployment at Mullaperiyar

New Delhi, May 28 (UNI) Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to accept the demand of neighbouring Tamil Nadu to deploy central forces for protection at the disputed inter-state Mullaperiyar dam.

He met Dr Singh immediately after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi's meeting with the Prime Minister and reportedly urged him to entrust the Mullaperiyar dam protection to Central Industrial Security Force(CISF).

Mr Achuthanandan told mediapersons that he had drawn the attention of Dr Singh to the fact that the entire Mullaperiyar dam was located within Kerala and therefore the state police would take care of its protection.

He also told the Prime Minister that deployment of central forces without the concurrence of the concerned state would be against the spirit of federalism.

Mr Achuthanandan said he requested the Prime Minister to include the districts of Alapuzha and Idukki under the scheme for providing relief to farmers in distress. Only three districts from the state had been included so far under the Farmers' package scheme.

He said Dr Singh had assured him to take steps to commence the functioning of the proposed National Institute of Space Technology at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thiruvananthapuram.

UNI