Swami for out-of-the-court settlement in dam row

Janata Party president Subrahmaniyan Swami has supported the idea of an out-of-the-court settlement in the Mullaperiyar dam dispute between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Speaking at a seminar at the Kerala state conference of ABVP at Kannur on Sunday, Swamy said both states should arrive at a settlement and solve the issue peacefully.

Tamil Nadu has lost the right to insist on settlement of the dispute through court as former chief minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi did not try to get Supreme Court’s order  implemented to raise water level of the dam to 152 ft from the current 136 ft, pointed out Swamy.

During his five year tenure as chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi was bargaining with owners of plantations in Kerala without asking for implementation of court order, opined Subrahmaniyan. Further Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) is exploiting the issue, said Swamy.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu are currently at loggerheads on Mullaperiyar dam in Kerala which supplies water to arid districts of Tamil Nadu. While Kerala is demanding that a new dam be built in place of current Mullaperiyar dam, Tamil Nadu sternly opposes the demand.

Subrahmaniyan’s role in the legal battle in Mullaperiyar issue dates back to 1998 when he filed a transfer petition demanding that all cases in different courts on Mullaperiyar issue be transferred to Supreme Court.