The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Vaiko seeks priority for linking rivers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 18, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Vaiko seeks priority for linking rivers

By J. Venkatesan

The MDMK leader, Vaiko, calling on the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, at his residence in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 17. The Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader, Vaiko, today met the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and pleaded for expeditious completion of feasibility studies on interlinking of peninsular rivers.

Mr. Vaiko, who met Dr. Singh to brief him on his Tirunelveli-Chennai renaissance walk from August 5 to September 15, explained the need for giving priority for interlinking rivers. He also urged nationalisation of inter-State rivers.

Mr. Vaiko presented a memorandum seeking the Prime Minister's intervention to resolve the Cauvery row. It highlighted the sufferings of farmers owing to non-availability of water and also the plight of people in several villages in Tamil Nadu who had to walk for several kilometers to get one pot of potable water.

Mr. Vaiko later told The Hindu that the Prime Minister had assured him, saying, "We are really committed to it". When he brought to Dr. Singh's notice Karnataka's attempts to "scuttle" the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, the Prime Minister told him "the integrity of India will be jeopardised if this trend is not checked".

Mr. Vaiko said he thanked the Prime Minister for declaring Tamil a classical language.

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

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section