A special Assembly session for passing a resolution and commissioning a survey for assessing the actual groundwater table in Tamil Nadu were among the demands raised by the leaders in the all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister at the Secretariat here on Thursday.
DMK leader and Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin and former Minister Duraimurugan represented their party. After the meeting, Mr. Stalin said, “In the beginning of the meeting, I urged for a resolution to insist that the Centre sets up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB). The other leaders made the same demand, and it has been passed as a resolution. We welcome it.”
The DMK had initially convened an all-party meeting on February 23 for the same cause but cancelled it after the AIADMK government announced the meeting on Thursday.
TNCC president Su. Thirunavukkarasar, who arrived here from Delhi to attend the meeting, said that the State government should exert pressure on the Centre to constitute the CMB. “Since the apex court order has not considered any recent survey on the ground water table while reducing Tamil Nadu’s share of water, the State government should take it up,” he said.
Tamil Nadu’s rightful share of Cauvery water should be released so that the kuruvai and samba crops could be protected, he added. Congress whip K. Ramasamy also participated in the meeting.
In her speech, BJP State president Tamilisai Soundararajan appreciated the State government for having organised an all-party meeting and urged it to find out the actual status of the ground water table in the State.
Polls in Karnataka
CPI leader R. Mutharasan said his party stressed that the interests of Tamil Nadu should be protected. “The State government should put pressure on the Centre on this. Karnataka has not implemented either the verdict of the Cauvery Tribunal or the Supreme Court’s. The Centre should maintain neutrality,” he said.
“Since the Assembly polls are around the corner in Karnataka, there are doubts as to whether the BJP government at the Centre would constitute the Board. So, there is a need for putting political pressure on the Centre. In case the Centre doesn’t heed to the State government’s plea, all MPs from the State should tender their resignation,” VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan told reporters.
MDMK leader Vaiko insisted that representatives of all parties should call on the Prime Minister for constituting the CMB.
CPI (M) leader K. Balakrishnan, PMK leader G.K. Mani, DMDK leader L.K. Sudheesh, IUML leader K.A.M. Muhammed Abubacker, Puthiya Thamizhagam’s K. Krishnasamy, Dravidar Kazhagam’s K. Veeramani, NTK’s Seeman, and TMC leader and former Union Minister G.K. Vasan were among the leaders who participated in the meeting.
A total of 14 farmer association representatives, including Mannargudi S. Ranganathan of Cauvery Delta Farmers Association and P.R. Pandian, President, Coordination Committee, All Tamil Nadu Farmers Associations also participated.
