CHINNAMANUR
The State government’s decision to hold official-level talks to resolve water disputes between Tamil Nadu and Kerala was an attempt to undermine the State’s rights on Mullaperiyar dam and a betrayal to former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who protected the rights of the State’s farmers through a legal battle, said Tamil Nadu All Farmers’ Associations Coordination Committee president P.R. Pandian.
Any dialogue between the States should be only through the Supreme Court-appointed three-member panel, he told media persons after presiding over a meeting of Mullaperiyar, Mangalar and Vaigai Rivers Ayacut Farmers’ Associations and Tamil Nadu All Farmers’ Associations Coordination Committee here on Wednesday.
The farmers feared that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami took the decision to satisfy someone and protect his post. “Why should Tamil Nadu hold talks with Kerala which did not respect the apex court’s decree and tried to stop our efforts to strengthen Baby dam and raise Mullaperiyar dam level to 152 feet. The CM should clarify his stand,” Mr Pandian said.
Kerala prevented Tamil Nadu officials from undertaking maintenance work at Baby dam and refused to provide electricity to the dam. Large tracts of catchment areas leased by Tamil Nadu were encroached upon. Kerala forest and police officials had been intimidating Tamil Nadu Public Works Department officials. Permission had been denied to them to operate the boat for the last two years.
He said Mr. Palaniswami, who disbursed compensation to the families of the farmers who committed suicide, said in the Supreme Court that there was no farmers’ suicide in the State. When farmers were struggling to rehabilitate tanks in Theni district, PWD officials tried to stop them, he charged.
He appealed to the Tamil Nadu farmers who were staging a continuous protest in New Delhi to end it. They should join the farmers here to protect their rights, he added.
