PMK president, Anbumani Ramadoss
| Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to convene an all-party meeting on the Mekedatu dam issue.
Dr. Anbumani said such a meeting was required, in light of Karnataka’s ruling party politicians commenting that a dam would be constructed at Mekedatu and that land would be acquired for this.
The Karnataka Ministers were commenting on the Mekedatu dam issue for political reasons, although a dam cannot be constructed, as there is no such provision in the law, Dr. Anbumani told journalists at the Tiruchi airport. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister should accord importance to the Mekedatu dam issue and it would be good if he were to speak to his Karnataka counterpart during his proposed visit to Bengaluru for a political meeting, he added.
Dr. Anbumani also said the Chief Minister could take an all-party delegation to Karnataka or to Delhi to reinforce Tamil Nadu’s stand on the issue. He blamed the ruling DMK and the previous AIADMK government for not constructing check-dams at different locations along the Cauvery river, which, he said, would have helped in storing water.
The PMK leader also said the government had announced the opening of 10 sand quarries along the Kollidam river, and said the construction of check-dams would help prevent the “looting” of river sand. Failure to construct check dams was “treachery” on the people of Tamil Nadu, he said.
Replying to a query, he said the Chief Minister and the Governor in Tamil Nadu should work unitedly in the interests of the State. The Governor should not speak of political matters, remain neutral and be focused on development.
Answering another question, Mr. Anbumani said his party was yet to decide on the political stand to be taken for the Lok Sabha elections to be held next year. This would be decided closer to the election, he said.