The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : “State’s rights should not be ignored”

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Saturday, Mar 22, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

“State’s rights should not be ignored”

Special Correspondent

Finance Minister Anbazhagan raises the issue of inter-State disputes in his budget speech

— Photo: M. Vedhan

SHARING A POINT: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi with Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veeraswami at the DMK MLAs’ meeting in Chennai. Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan and Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin are in the picture.

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said on Thursday that it was to ensure that the Centre did not turn a blind eye to the rights of the State that the Finance Minister’s budget speech raised the issue.

In a brief chat with reporters after meeting his party MLAs, Mr. Karunanidhi pointed to the problems being created by a section in Karnataka over the Hogenakkal drinking water supply scheme.

Efforts were being made to stall the scheme which, he said, would provide drinking water to the people of two water-starved districts.

In his speech, Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan said: “In our endeavour towards prosperity and development in Tamil Nadu, we have to struggle very hard to overcome the obstacles in our path towards solutions.

To quote a few — the issues like the Cauvery dispute with Karnataka, which has historically been a friend and contributor to our prosperity and Palar and Mullaperiyar have been persisting.

It has come to such a pass that even our rightful drinking water is being denied! The rhetoric of ‘One India–One Nation–One Country–One people from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari’ has been shining only on paper, while the unity, integrity and sovereignty of our country have become question marks and the needs and pleas of our State have been objects of ridicule.

In this situation, while urging the Union Government to protect our rights and not to turn a blind eye and desist from coming forward to assist in our steady and sustainable growth, which we seek to achieve by implementing various schemes with lot of difficulties and overcoming various obstacles; we will march together to enhance the prosperity and strength of our State.”

Strategy for session

At the MLAs meeting held at the party headquarters, Mr. Karunanidhi advised them on the strategy to be adopted for the long session, which will close around mid-May.

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