The Karnataka government making Rs 1,000 crore budget allocation for construction of a new dam at Mekedatu across River Cauvery was against India’s sovereignty and federal principles, Tamilnadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan has said.
In a statement, reacting to media reports on Karnataka allocating Rs 1,000 crore in the budget for Mekedatu project, Duraimurugan said such announcement at a time when the case was pending in the Supreme Court was against India’s sovereignty and federalism.
‘Without respecting the February 5, 2007 Final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribubnal and the February 16, 2018 Apex Court orders, unilaterally announcing Rs 1,000 allocation for construction of a new dam at Mekedatu across Cauvery River without the consent of the riparian states, is in no way justifiable’, the Minister said.
He said the announcement was made with an eye on the ensuing Assembly polls in Karnataka.
‘Whatever may be, the Tamilnadu government, in the interest of its farmers, will take all steps to prevent Karnataka from constructing a new dam at Mekedatu’, Duraimurugan said.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said the State government will begin the Mekedatu project after getting a nod from the central government and Rs 1,000 crore fund has been allocated for it.
‘Once we get the green signal from the Centre, we will start the Mekedatu project. A Rs 1,000 crore fund has been allocated for this project,’ he said while presenting his maiden budget.
AIADMK coordinator and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly O Panneerselvam also strongly condemned the Karnataka’s move and said it went against the orders of the Supreme Court and without getting the consent of Tamilnadu.
In a statement, he recalled the efforts taken by the AIADMK government when he was the Chief Minister, including personally taking up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said the Karnataka’s move to allocate funds for the Mekedatu project was illegal.
‘It is an attempt to stop release of surplus water (to Tamilnadu)’, he said, adding, it was aimed at snatching the rights of Tamilnadu in the Cauvery River Water sharing issue.
Pointing out that the issue involved four States, including Kerala and Puducherry, Panneerselvam said the Cauvery Disputes Tribunal in its final award has clearly fixed the quantum of water for the four states and directed Karnataka to release 192 tmc ft of water to Tamilnadu. But the Karnataka government has not released the required quantum and has released only the surplus waters.
He said Chief Minister M K Stalin should take steps through the Centre and the Supreme Court to stop this unilateral approach of the Karnataka government.
Strongly condemning the Karnataka’s fund allocation for Mekedatu dam project, PMK youth wing leader and Rajya Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss said such a move as unnecessary as the neighbouring state has not got any permission for it and the Centre had also clearly said that no permission would be given without the consent of Tamilnadu.
‘Such announcements will create problems and hatred between the two States and it should be avoided’, the former Union Minister said in a statement.