TN to move SC over Karna's Mekedatu project: Panneerselvam

Terming Mullaperiyar dam dispute with Kerala a "settled issue", Tamil Nadu government today said it would approach the Supreme Court to seek stalling of Karnataka government's attempt to construct two dams near Mekedatu across the Cauvery river.

Responding to DMK president M Karunanidhi demand for convening an Assembly session over the Mullaperiyar dam and Mekedatu issues, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said the state is filing a case in the Supreme Court today to stall dam construction by Karnataka.

There was no need to pass a resolution in the state Assembly to increase the height of Mullaperiyar dam to store water in the light of Supreme Court upholding Tamil Nadu's rights on water level, he said.

While the Supreme Court has given its consent that water can be stored up to 142-feet level in Mullaiperiyar dam, water storage in the dam was being regularised, keeping in mind the water management.

"Implementing the Supreme Court judgement is everyone's duty.. No letter has been written to the Prime Minister because Mullaperiyar issue is a settled issue," the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said.

On the Cauvery water issue with Karnataka, he recalled his letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to advise Karnataka not to go ahead with the project.

Meanwhile, TNCC president E V K S Elangovan also flayed Karnataka's move to construct check dams across Cauvery.

He told reporters here that the party's state unit had proposed to call on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah on this matter, but did not divulge details.

Elangovan announced Congress' support for the November 22 'shutdown' in the Cauvery delta districts called for by farmers associations, adding his party leaders would also participate in the protests.

On reports about a Tamil Nadu Public Works Department (PWD) engineer being allegedly manhandled by some persons who accompanied Peermedu MLA Biju Mol to the Mullaiperiyar dam on Monday, Elangovan demanded action against those involved in the incident.

He also pressed the Tamil Nadu government to opt for CISF security cover for the dam, over which Tamil Nadu and Kerala are at loggerheads regarding the storage level.

Elangovan, who had been posted as TNCC President following the resignation of his predecessor and G K Vasan loyalist B S Gnanadesikan, charged some persons in the Vasan camp with resorting to violence.

Senior Congress leader Sakkarapani Reddiyar's car was attacked yesterday and "Vasan should ensure such incidents don't repeat," he said, while warning that his partymen would not hesitate to adopt similar ways if violent incidents went on unchecked.

Meanwhile, a Coimbatore report quoted PMK leader, Dr S Ramadoss demanding immediate convening of the assembly session o condemn the reported attack on a Tamil Nadu Official at Mullaperiyar in Kerala and to air its opposition against the construction of a dam across Pambar.

The unanimous voice of the people of Tamil Nadu should be reflected in the assembly during discussion and passage of a resolution, Ramadoss, here to inaugurate a one day hunger strike organised by Kongunadu Jananayaka Katchi seeking total prohibition in the state, told reporters.

He suggested that an all party delegation meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi also on the issue, he said.

On deaths of infants at Dharmapuri government hospital, he said there was no point in blaming the doctors as lack of facilities and improper maintenance were the main reasons.

Giving credit to his son and former Union Health Minister, Anbumani Ramdoss for setting up the hospital in Dharmapuri, he alleged that the state government failed to maintain the facility and it was not fault of doctors.

On super star Rajnikanth's comments on his possible entry into politics, he said any citizen is free to enter politics in India.

To another question on alliance for the 2016 state assembly elections, Ramadoss said all political parties in Tamil Nadu are busy strengthening their outfits and the issue of alliance will be decided in the period just prior to the polls.

The PMK leader asserted that there will definitely be a change of guard in the state in 2016, with an alternate government, replacing the two Dravidian parties who have been ruling Tamil Nadu for the last 47 years.