AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday lashed out at the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery river dispute and wondered if Chief Minister M K Stalin was concerned about the people of the state on the matter.
The leader of opposition in the state assembly alleged that the DMK was âbackingâ the Congress government in Karnataka âwith a view to ensure the businesses run by its family membersâ there should not be affected.
The AIADMK general secretary also charged âpuppet CM Stalinâ with lacking any foresight, saying he released water from the Mettur Dam in Salem on June 12.
Believing in the governmentâs assurance, about 1.50 lakh farmers in the Cauvery delta region took up short-term âkuruvaiâ 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 in a statement.
âWhat should have the DMK government, which lacks efficient administration, done. It should have reduced the quantum of water released from Mettur Dam and ensured Tamil Naduâs share of Cauvery water from Karnataka for the months of June, July and August as per the law and through political pressure,â he said.
The DMK government was in âdeep slumberâ all through, used up the water in Mettur Dam, pointed fingers at the Centre for the sake of doing so but did not do anything constructive on the matter.
If Stalin was âreally concernedâ about the people of the state, including those from the Cauvery delta areas, he could have taken up the matter with the neighbouring state when he went to Bengaluru to attend the swearing-in of the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in June, the former CM said.