CHENNAI: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday announced in the Assembly that the Government would move the Supreme Court to prevent Andhra Pradesh from constructing a dam across the Palar after ascertaining whether any work had been initiated.

Five Opposition parties — Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Congress, Pattali Makkal Katchi, Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India (Marxist) — staged a walkout, expressing dissatisfaction over the Government's stand.

Ms. Jayalalithaa urged Union Minister of State for Environment A.Raja of the DMK and the Congress leadership to intervene and stop the dam construction if they were keen on protecting Tamil Nadu's interests.

Raising the issue during zero hour, DMK deputy leader Durai Murugan said farmers in the Palar basin were agitated over reports that officials from Andhra Pradesh had conducted a survey for dam construction.

He sought to know what steps the Government proposed to take to stop it. Members of the Congress, PMK, CPI and CPI(M) expressed similar sentiments.

No reply from Andhra

Ms. Jayalalithaa said she had not received a reply from her Andhra Pradesh counterpart Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy, or his Government, to her January 5 letter making it clear that any attempt to withhold the flow of the Palar would be a serious breach of the Inter State Agreement of 1892.

On her instructions, Public Works Department officials visited the Kuppam area in Chittoor district on January 5 and reported back that the project was only in a "conceptual stage."

Field personnel of the PWD were closely monitoring the situation.

Since the proposed project site fully fell within a reserve forest, the Centre's clearance had to be obtained.

"People of Tamil Nadu are keenly watching as to what the DMK, by holding the Central Environment portfolio and obstructing development projects of my Government, is going to do about this project."

The State Government would pool all its energy to stop the dam construction.

Poser to Congress

Ms. Jayalalithaa said the Congress was ruling Andhra Pradesh.

The people of Tamil Nadu had elected several Congress candidates to the Lok Sabha and some of them had become Ministers.

Against this backdrop, why could not the Congress high command persuade the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister to abandon the proposal?

Congress Legislature Party leader S.R.Balasubramoniyan urged the Chief Minister not to politicise the issue.

If she would not hold talks with Dr. Reddy, she could ask the PWD Minister to do so.

Plea for consensus

CPI leader G.Palanichamy and PMK leader G.K.Mani stressed the need for evolving a consensus.

CPI (M) leader J.Hemachandran urged Ms. Jayalalithaa to hold talks with Dr. Reddy.

The Chief Minister asked him how, in the absence of a response to her letter, she could be sure of being given an appointment for holding talks.

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