AIADMK chief and Opposition leader Edappadi K.Palaniswami slammed the DMK government for lack of foresightedness in the Cauvery issue and urged the state government to call an all-party meet on the issue.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Palaniswami said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin released water from the Mettur dam in Salem on June 12 without any foresightedness. “Believing in the government's assurance, about 1.50 lakh farmers in the Cauvery delta region took up short-term 'Kuruvai' crop over 5 lakh acres of land. But now, crops on 3.50 lakh acres have withered and the rest were being taken up with well-water irrigation,” Palaniswami said. Palaniswami said the government should have reduced the release of water from the dam and legally and politically, must have ensured the release of Tamil Nadu’s share of water from Karnataka for the months of June, July and August.
Palaniswami said if Stalin was sincere, and had cared for the people of the State, Stalin would have put the necessary pressure on the INDIA alliance and ensured the necessary release of water from Karnataka to Tamil Nadu. Palaniswami said Stalin could have stayed away from the INDIA alliance meet in Bengaluru or like AAP, which joined the alliance with pre-conditions, Stalin could have said that DMK would join the alliance only if the Congress government in Karnataka released water to Tamil Nadu. “He could have held friendly talks then and ensured release of water when Karnataka had adequate storage in its reservoirs,” Palaniswami said.
Palaniswami charged that the DMK government is “backing” Karnataka Congress government to protect the business interests of former’s family members in Karnataka. Palaniswami urged the DMK government to call an all-party meet and take a firm stand on the issue.
(With PTI inputs.)
