The Hindu : Front Page : Karunanidhi, Achuthanandan to discuss Mullaperiyar dam issue

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 19, 2007
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Karunanidhi, Achuthanandan to discuss Mullaperiyar dam issue

J. Venkatesan

Dates to be finalised in consultation with Kerala Chief Minister

Prime Minister requested Karunanidhi to hold talks
Report on desalination plants to be submitted soon

Photo: DIPR

GREETINGS: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi calling on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday. —

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday said that he would meet Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan with a view to resolving the Mullaperiyar dam dispute.

Talking to journalists after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh soon after his arrival in the capital, Mr. Karunanidhi said the Prime Minister requested him to hold talks with Kerala Chief Minister to resolve the issue. He said, “I had told the Prime Minister that the talks held earlier as per the directions of the Supreme Court did not yield the desired results. But the Prime Minister said that there was nothing wrong in having another round of talks. I had accepted the request in the fond hope that a solution would emerge from the talks.”

Dates to be finalised

Asked when the talks would be held, he said the dates would be finalised in consultation with Kerala Chief Minister. Asked whether such talks would be possible in the next two days during his stay in Delhi, he said, “It depends on the programme of the Kerala Chief Minister in Delhi.”

Asked whether the talks would be successful in the context of the Kerala Chief Minister suggesting construction of a new dam, he said, “Both the States are entitled to stick to their own positions. We will try our best to resolve the issue.” Asked whether he would talk to the leaders of the Left parties on the nuclear deal, Mr. Karunanidhi said, “We have stated our position in Parliament. If the Left parties take a political decision [to withdraw support to the UPA government] I don’t want to comment on that.” Asked if he discussed the issue of Union Cabinet expansion and the possible induction of his daughter Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha MP, he said sarcastically, “There is no vacancy.”

Statements by Ramadoss

On the statements being issued by PMK founder-leader Ramadoss criticising the State government, Mr. Karunanidhi said, “It will not affect the alliance in any manner in Tamil Nadu.”

He pleaded with the Prime Minister that the Centre should set up anIndian Institute of Management (IIM) in Coimbatore and a Central University in Tamil Nadu. Mr. Karunanidhi also discussed with Dr. Manmohan Singh the issue of Centre compensating the loss due to implementation of VAT from 2007 just like other States were being compensated.

Mr. Karunanidhi said the State government would soon submit a report to the Centre on the desalination plants proposed at Nemmeli and Minjur, one with Central funds and another independently by the State.

Malaysian Tamils issue

Asked whether he took up the Sri Lankan and Malaysian Tamils issue with the Prime Minister, he said “I do not want to interfere, as it is for the Centre to take any step in this regard.” When pressed further on the arrest of Tamils in Malaysia, he said “I don’t want to say anything on the internal issues of Malaysia.”

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