The Hindu : Curbs on drought-related payments to go

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 23, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Curbs on drought-related payments to go

By Our Staff Reporter

PALAKKAD, FEB. 22 . The Finance Minister, K. Sankaranarayanan, has said that the treasury ban on payments related to the drought relief and drinking water projects, would be lifted from February 25 .

Addressing a press conference here today, the Minister said despite its financial difficulties, the State Government was clearing all payments, except huge amounts due to Government contractors.

The Minister, who held discussions with a Central team that visited some areas of Palakkad to assess the loss due to drought, said Kerala had asked for a financial assistance of Rs.1,400 crores. The loss estimated in Palakkad was Rs. 250 crores, he added. He said the Central team would hold discussions with Government representatives in Thiruvananthapuram on February 24 before finalising its report to the Central Government.

The four-member Central team headed by the Joint Secretary, Agriculture, J.P. Meena, today visited the drought-affected areas such as Alathur, Kavassery, Kuzhalmannam, Malampuzha and Kozhinjampara. The State officials presented a report to the team detailing the damage caused by the unprecedented drought in the district. Replying to a question on the reported statement of the Water Resources Minister, T.M. Jacob, that waters of the Anamalayar and Nirar would be given to Tamil Nadu while renewing the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement, Mr. Sankaranarayanan said no such decision had been taken at the last Ministerial-level meeting of the two States in January in Thiruvananthapuram. The new agreement clauses would have to be approved by the Cabinet and discussed in the State Assembly. The Ministerial talks between Kerala and Tamil Nadu were only preliminary, he said.

Mr. Sankaranarayanan, who represented the State in the inter-State talks on water-sharing along with Mr. Jacob, said there was no question of Kerala giving any more water to Tamil Nadu from the PAP. Tamil Nadu had violated the agreement and had denied Kerala's due share of water. The agreement was being renewed to make available more water available to Kerala.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala