The Hindu : Tamil Nadu goes back on promise: Antony

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 28, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Tamil Nadu goes back on promise: Antony

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 27. Tamil Nadu has virtually gone back on its promise release Kerala's share of water from the Parambikulam-Aliyar project, the Chief Minister, A. K. Antony told the Assembly today.

Replying to a calling attention motion by K.A. Chandran, and a submission by K. Achuthan, both of the Congress, the Chief Minister said, the Pollachi superintending engineer had informed his counterparts in Kerala that the Tamil Nadu Ministers' promise, made at the Ministerial Conference on January 4, could not be complied with.

He had written to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minster regarding the issue, Mr. Antony said.

The Chief Minister informed the House that steps were being taken to solve the drinking water shortage and irrigation problems in Palakkad district.

Drinking water was being supplied using tanker lorries. Steps were being taken to repair the drinking water infrastructure.

The Pothundi and Kollangode projects would be completed on a war-footing.

Steps would also be taken to protect the traditional water sources in the district, he added.

The Chief Minister said that Rs. 35 lakhs had already been distributed to farmers who had suffered crop loss on account of drought.

The Agriculture Department had also distributed seeds worth Rs. 86 lakhs.

The allocation for Palakkad district to tackle the dry spell had been pegged at Rs. 7.5 crores.

Out of the 25,000 tonnes of rice sanctioned by the Centre towards drought relief, 6,000 tonnes would be distributed under the Food for Work programme.

A memorandum would soon be submitted to the Centre to secure additional assistance.

The State would also contribute its mite to ensure that the impact of drought was mitigated to the maximum extent possible, Mr. Antony said.

Earlier, Mr. Achuthan, said he proposed to accompany panchayat presidents from the district to Chennai, to take up the matter with the Tamil Nadu Government authorities.

If the response was not favourable, he would go on a fast in Chennai, Mr. Achuthan said.

He appealed to the Chief Minister and the Water Resources Minister to urgently intervene in the matter and alleged that the last round of discussions between Kerala and Tamil Nadu had resulted only in the further reduction in the quantity of water being released to the State.

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