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Camp in Delhi to resolve Cauvery row: PMK tells CM

By Our Special Correspondent

SALEM Feb. 12. The PMK leader, S.Ramadoss, has urged the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, to take with her Opposition leaders to Delhi and prevail upon the Prime Minister, A.B.Vajpayee, to find a solution to the Cauvery dispute.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Dr. Ramadoss said the Chief Minister should be prepared to camp in Delhi for even a month. The Chief Minister should clinch an agreement on distress-sharing formula and another on legal protection for implementing the Tribunal award, he said.

Ms. Jayalalithaa, who was ready to set apart five days to campaign for the Sattankulam Assembly byelection, should take up the drought issue in right earnest and initiate steps on a war-footing to ameliorate the lot of farmers. Instead of making trips to district headquarters to inaugurate minor projects, the Chief Minister should assign the work to Ministers and officials, so that she could devote all her time to tackling the drought situation. This would save a lot of expenditure for the Government, he said.

The PMK would cooperate with the State Government in getting Rs. 2,094 crores and nine lakh tonnes of foodgrains, which the Tamil Nadu Government had sought from the Centre as drought relief.

Dr. Ramadoss said he would press for the assistance at the February 16 National Democratic Alliance meeting.

He urged the Chief Minister, her Cabinet colleagues and top officials to visit drought-hit districts for overseeing relief measures.

Dr. Ramadoss said it was unfortunate that the former Prime Minister, Deve Gowda, asked Mr. Vajpayee not to direct Karnataka to release water to Tamil Nadu.

Talks with Karnataka ryots

Our Thanjavur Staff Reporter reports:

The federation of farmers associations of Thanjavur was prepared to hold talks with Karnataka farmers on the Cauvery issue, said K.P.Ramalingam, State secretary of farmers wing of the DMK.

Speaking to presspersons, he said agitations launched by Karnataka farmers against every decision on Cauvery marred the cordiality between people of the two States and delayed a solution to the issue. Mr.Ramalingam said letters would be written to farmers' leaders, Nanjundaswamy and Madhe Gowda. Talks could be held in Karnataka or Tamil Nadu.

Mr. Ramalingam held Ms. Jayalalithaa, "responsible for crop loss" and sought relief. He demanded uninterrupted power supply to agriculture pumpsets and supply of free rice.

The DMK farmers wing would launch an agitation if the demand was not met.

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