The Hindu : Kerala News : `Government lacking interest in Cauvery issue'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 18, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

`Government lacking interest in Cauvery issue'

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, OCT. 17 . The Janata Dal leader and Member of Parliament, M.P. Veerendrakumar, today alleged that the UDF Government was adopting an indifferent attitude towards protecting the State's interests before the Cauvery Tribunal.

Addressing a meet-the-press programme, organised by the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club here, Mr. Veerendrakumar said the lack of interest on the part of the Government had been proved by the resignation of Rajiv Dhawan, counsel who has been representing Kerala in the Supreme Court and the tribunal.

The Janata Dal leader said Mr. Dhawan had resigned citing the State Government's refusal to give him the relevant documents to argue Kerala's case before the Supreme Court. The resignation has come at a time when several river water sharing issues were at a crucial stage and it had become imperative for Kerala to take strong positions, whether it was the Parambikulam-Aliyar river water agreement or the sharing of the Pampa waters.

"The State Government's attitude on the river water issues is nothing short of criminal negligence," he said. In reply to a question, the Janata Dal (S) leader said the Centre should go ahead with the proposal for inter-linking of rivers only if it had the State Governments' consent.

Liquor policy flayed

Mr. Veerendrakumar also criticised the UDF Government's new liquor policy, which, he said, would only help giant breweries rake in huge profits. The new policy went against the UDF's manifesto and had been decided without discussions in any of the ruling front's forum. The Opposition was not alone in its protest against the new policy and several UDF leaders, including from the Congress such as V.M. Sudheeran had openly come out against it. Mr. Veerendrakumar alleged that the policy decisions had been taken under the influence of the liquor lobby.

The Janata Dal leader criticised the State Government's interference in the affairs of the Science and Technology Council, prompting M.S. Valiathan's resignation. He alleged that the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, hardly had any time to administer the State and was busy accepting petitions and memoranda through his public contact programmes in the districts. The Secretariat was being administered by his office-staff, he alleged.

Expressway project

Mr. Veerendrakumar alleged that a real estate mafia had cornered land along the route of the proposed Expressway.

He questioned the rationale of the State Government continuing to promote the project without proper discussions and in the light of the Centre's plans to develop the national highways.

The Expressway and the mineral sand-mining issues are not as simple as they look, he said.

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