Minister of Water Resources Duraimurugan on Thursday questioned AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s role as Chief Minister in implementing the Godavari-Gundar scheme, when the latter urged the new DMK government to take steps to implement it.
During a debate in the Assembly, Mr. Palaniswami urged the DMK government to implement various water projects for the benefit of the State. Mr. Duraimurugan intervened to say, “We have just come to power and you are forcing us to do this and that. What were you doing for the last 10 years [of AIADMK government] if the projects were important?”
The Leader of the House also prompted Mr. Palaniswami to list out the challenges faced by the erstwhile government in implementing the scheme. Acquisition of lands was a major challenge in implementing various schemes, Mr. Palaniswami said, adding that the erstwhile DMK government, between 2006 and 2011, did not acquire lands to implement various water projects.
Mr. Duraimurugan said if that was the case, the AIADMK government could have implemented the scheme during its two tenures over a decade. “You could have at least linked rivers within the State. It was during our leader Kalaignar ’s [M. Karunanidhi] tenure that we brought Krishna water to Tamil Nadu,” he said.
While Mr. Palaniswami chose not to respond, AIADMK deputy floor leader O. Panneerselvam said the agreement to bring Krishna water to Tamil Nadu was signed when M.G. Ramachandran was Chief Minister. “I am not denying that. But the AIADMK government only signed the agreement. It was only during the DMK government that the channel was laid,” Mr. Duraimurugan said.
