Chennai, Aug 20:
Chief Minister Vijay on Thursday urged the Centre and the southern States to ensure that the Supreme Court’s directions and the orders of the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) on the sharing of Cauvery water are strictly implemented, while calling for inter-State river disputes to be handled with mutual trust, scientific evidence and respect for the law.
Speaking at the South Indian Chief Ministers’ Conference chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Kovalam near Mamallapuram, Vijay said the decisions of the CWMA must be implemented in letter and spirit and stressed that the rights of States in inter-State river disputes should be protected through established legal mechanisms.
Vijay said strong States would lead to a strong India and highlighted the importance of cooperative federalism. He noted that the southern States were a major engine of India’s economic growth and together contributed around 30 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
On the Cauvery issue, Vijay said the orders of the Supreme Court and the CWMA should be respected and implemented without deviation. He called for water disputes between States to be approached through mutual trust, scientific evidence and respect for the law rather than political confrontation.
He also urged that steps be taken in accordance with judicial directions to raise the water level of the Mullaperiyar dam to 152 feet.
Vijay raised concerns over the proposed delimitation exercise and said southern States should not lose political representation because they had successfully controlled their population growth. He called for a legal assurance that no State would be adversely affected by the delimitation process.
He also proposed greater cooperation among southern States in maritime transport and fisheries. He said States should work together to strengthen intelligence sharing to combat drug trafficking and called for stricter legal measures to prevent the online sale of narcotic substances.
The Chief Minister also sought the creation of a coordinated network among the States to tackle drug trafficking more effectively, stressing that the movement of narcotics across State borders required joint action.
On medical education, Vijay urged that students should be allowed to secure admission to medical courses based on their Class 12 marks instead of being required to clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). He argued that NEET had adversely affected poor and rural students seeking admission to medical colleges.
Vijay also sought the extension of the Bengaluru Metro from Bommasandra in Karnataka to Hosur in Tamil Nadu, describing better connectivity between the neighbouring States as important for regional development.
On fiscal federalism, he called for greater flexibility for States in determining tax rates and said the southern States were not seeking special privileges but only a fair and equitable approach from the Centre.
The Chief Minister’s remarks came amid several contentious issues involving the southern States, including Cauvery water sharing, Mekedatu, Mullaperiyar, delimitation, NEET and the distribution of financial resources between the Centre and States.
Vijay said closer cooperation among the southern States on water, security, transport, fisheries and economic issues would strengthen the region and contribute to the country’s overall development.