Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Saturday took exception to objections expressed by Kerala Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran on repair work on the Mullaperiyar dam.
Pointing out that the Supreme Court had made it clear that the Tamil Nadu could carry out routine maintenance, Mr. Karunanidhi said the government had been executing minor maintenance work regularly. There was nothing new in this. “It is wrong on the part of the Kerala Water Resources Minister to claim as if something new is being carried out and attribute motives.” Countering All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Jayalalithaa's statement about her government forming a commission for providing reservation to minorities, Mr. Karunanidhi gave an account of steps taken by his government over the years for the welfare of minorities. In February 1989, the State Minorities Commission was established.
On her observation that he had been indicted by the Sarkaria Commission, the Chief Minister said Ms. Jayalalithaa had brought up the issue to deflect attention on corruption cases concerning her.
He recalled that the commission, constituted in 1976, went into allegations made by AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran.
Not only was the AIADMK founder unwilling to depose before the panel but he also filed an affidavit claiming that he was not personally aware of the substance of the allegations and he merely went by what an advocate had told him.
When MGR became Chief Minister, V.P. Raman, who was Advocate General, had opined that there was no basis in the report to pursue the matter.
Land encroachment
On complaints of land encroachment at Siruthavur, the Chief Minister said there were two issues.
Acceding to the representation by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on encroachment of 50 acres of government land outside the Siruthavur bungalow (where Ms. Jayalalithaa has stayed at times) given to Dalits, the Sivasubramanian Commission was constituted.
It held that action could be taken as per law. However, the matter was now before the High Court.
The other issue pertained to encroachment of government land of 30 acres within the bungalow. Action was being initiated under law on land encroachment.
