The Hindu : Front Page : State will not give in to pressure: Prakash

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Friday, Jul 29, 2005

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State will not give in to pressure: Prakash

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The State will not give in to the pressure tactics of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, to go on a fast seeking release of Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu as it is a "politically motivated and Government-sponsored illegal measure," the Minister for Revenue, M.P. Prakash, told the Legislative Council on Thursday.

Replying to the issue raised during Zero Hour by the Leader of the Opposition, D.H. Shankaramurthy, and others, Mr. Prakash said the demand for more water even as water is flowing incessantly to Tamil Nadu shows the confrontation between the ruling and Opposition parties in that State.

The AIADMK and the DMK have been trying to score over each other on the Cauvery issue with an eye on the coming Assembly elections. Both have cultivated the habit of levelling charges against the State on the Cauvery issue for their political gains, he added.

"They have been attempting to mobilise adverse opinion about our State for their mutual convenience. This is not acceptable by any standards. Farmers of both States are aware of the implied political game and the real state of water storage in the State. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's reported move to go on a fast is only a tactic to drive home a wrong point, hoping that it will become credible," he said.

Every day, there has been adequate outflow from the Kabini dam though water is not being released from the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir, he said. He clarified that the Government has not refused to meet a delegation led by the Tamil Nadu Finance Minister, Ponnaiyan, but has merely pointed out that the meeting could be held once the legislature session concludes.

"We have suggested a meeting on August 2," he said. When some members asked why details regarding the quantum of water being released could not be shared, Mr. Prakash said this information is always being shared. Besides, the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, has spoken to the Union Water Resources Minister, Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, and "we have put across our case comprehensively," he added.

Cutting across party lines, members said Ms. Jayalalithaa's threat betrays logic and reasoning as she is aware that 48,000 cusecs of water flows from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu every day owing to heavy rain in the catchment areas of the Cauvery in the State.

Going by the weather forecast, heavy rain is likely to continue in the catchment areas for some more days.

With this being the situation, Tamil Nadu will naturally get more water.The Tamil Nadu Government and the Opposition party should realise that Karnataka is releasing water though it faces distress in some of its regions, they said.

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