TN not cooperating in Mullaperiyar row: Minister


December 10, 2011: Union Minister of State for Power K.C. Venugopal today opined that Tamil Nadu government was not co-operating in the Mullaperiyar dam issue.
Speaking to the reporters here on Saturday, Minister added that he had no clue on when the issue can be resolved. Meanwhile Prime Minister Manmohan Singh informed that the Mullaperiyar dam issue which has seen Kerala and Tamil Nadu at loggerheads will be resolved amicably as soon as possible.
Defence Minister A K Antony has met Manmohan Singh seeking a peaceful solution to the dispute. His meeting with the Prime Minister took place on a day Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution insisting on a new dam to replace the 116-year old reservoir and UPA ally DMK expressed dissatisfaction with Centre over its handling of the issue.
Prime Minister is learnt to have informed Antony that all efforts are being made by the Centre to bring the two warring states to the negotiating table for amicably settling the dispute. This is for the third time that Antony met the Prime Minister after the issue generated heat both in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, sources said.
The issue has snowballed in the last two weeks with Kerala raising the pitch for the new dam citing safety concerns about the existing structure. Tamil Nadu has charged Kerala with whipping up panic and moved the Supreme Court for a direction to deploy CISF at the dam site, the scene of protests.

No comments: