The Hindu : `No final decision yet on PAP agreement'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

`No final decision yet on PAP agreement'

By Our Staff Reporter

PALAKKAD, FEB. 13. The Finance Minister, K. Sankaranarayanan, one of the two Ministers who had represented the State in the talks for the renewal of the inter-State Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) with Tamil Nadu, has said that no final decision has been taken on the new agreement, including Tamil Nadu's demand for water from Anamalayar and Neerar.

Inaugurating `Karshika Mela' organised by the Malayala Manorama here today, the Minister said the clauses in the agreement would be discussed with the Opposition parties and tabled in the Assembly before signing it. ``There will be transparency in the whole affair and there is no question of the UDF Government signing an agreement that goes against the interest of the farmers and the State,'' he said.

Mr. Sankaranarayanan said the reports that the State had agreed to give Tamil Nadu water from Neerar and Anamalayar was `baseless'. The State had demanded to renew the PAP agreement as it went against the interest of Kerala. This was to correct the mistakes and get more water for the State, he said. The Minister said the UDF Government had taken a firm stand to get the due share of the State's water from the PAP project. But it cannot go for `war with its neighbour on it', he said.

Those who demanded such a thing were trying to politicise the issue, he said.

The Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, had sent a fax message to his Tamil Nadu counterpart, J. Jayalalithaa, demanding more water from the PAP for Chitturpuzha scheme to save the standing paddy crop, Mr. Sankaranarayanan said.

The Minister said that he was for the closure of the soft drink units Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola operating in the district considering the shortage of water. The Minister said there should be an action plan on the model of the Ganga Action plan to save Bharathapuzha river.

In his presidential address, K.V. Peter, Vice-Chancellor of Kerala Agriculture University, said the State was facing acute water shortage due to lack of proper water management systems. ``We have to go for diversified cropping pattern and group farming to save our agriculture from the present crisis,'' he said.

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