TN Cong leaders to meet Siddu over dam

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president E V K S Elangovan on Monday said he would lead a team comprising his party’s senior leaders to meet Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urging him to drop his government’s plan to construct two reservoirs across Cauvery river at Mekedatu.

“Since the Congress is ruling party in Karnataka, I will go there with senior party leaders and meet the chief minister asking him to stall his plan to build two dams across Cauvery,” Elangovan said.

The TN Congress had supported the Nov 22 “shutdown” in the Cauvery delta districts called by farmers associations protesting Karnataka’s move to construct dams at Mekedatu. He said his party would also support a ‘rail roko’ protest, called by various political parties, including Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief Vaiko, in TN on Nov 29 protesting Karnataka's move.

Elangovan said the reservoirs would affect the livelihood of farmers in the delta region of TN and the TNCC would make all efforts to stop the project. “If it (Karnataka) goes ahead with its plans, we will use all our powers to stop it,” he said.