The Hindu : Front Page : Give reasons, Kerala tells Tamil Nadu

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Saturday, Jan 06, 2007
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Give reasons, Kerala tells Tamil Nadu

Special Correspondent

Tamil Nadu's `unilateral' withdrawal from talks on the Mullaperiyar issue

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran demanded here on Friday that Tamil Nadu explain the reasons for its unilateral withdrawal from talks on the Mullaperiyar issue.

In an official release, the Minister recalled that Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources Durai Murugan had said after the talks on December 12 that the discussions would continue. Mr. Durai Murugan should explain why he had gone back on that position.

Mr. Premachandran said Tamil Nadu could have withdrawn from the talks because the points raised by it about the safety of the 111-year-old dam had gone against facts. "Tamil Nadu has realised that its opposition to construction of a new dam is not logical. Mullaperiyar dam has no parallels in the world and raised serious threat to life and property."

The Minister said cement plastering had fallen off the parapet wall of the dam owing to its age.

This strengthened Kerala's view that the structure was unsafe. It was not the first time that parts of the dam had fallen off. That was known to Tamil Nadu. Instead of admitting that, Tamil Nadu had raised a ridiculous allegation that the damage was done by miscreants with the aid of the police.

"This is nothing but a childish attempt to put the responsibility on Kerala."

He said Tamil Nadu, the custodian of the dam, had demanded deployment of Central forces at Mullaperiyar without even filing a complaint or first information report with the Kerala police who was in charge of security. It had filed a complained with the Kumily police only after he had pointed that out. The Minister remarked that Tamil Nadu's move to interfere with the territorial jurisdiction of Kerala would not serve to strengthen the federal set-up.

"It is provocative. There is no question of any forces other than Kerala police being deployed at Mullaperiyar dam or the appurtenant areas. There is no situation warranting the deployment of other forces in any part of Kerala. The Kerala Police are capable of carrying out its security duties within its jurisdiction."

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