Dam issue: All-party meet concludes

Chennai: The all party meeting in Chennai to discuss the Mullaperiyar dam issue finished a short while ago.

The parties have asked for further talks between Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the presence of Central Government officials. The dam has always been a bone of contention between the two states.

Parties in TN give green signal to CM for talks with Kerala CM Political parties in Tamil Nadu on Monday gave the green signal to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to talk to his Kerala counterpart V S Achuthanandan on the issue, as per the Supreme Court's advice.

A resolution adopted at an all-party meeting, convened by Karunanidhi, said the decision was taken as a 'goodwill gesture' though the Kerala Government had not come forward to implement the Supreme Court's verdict, permitting Tamil Nadu to raise the water level from the 136 feet to 142 feet.

The LDF government in Kerala thinks that would not be a safe move to increase the level of the dam.

They feel that the 107-year-old dam has already surpassed its life span and may pose a threat to people if its height is raised.

However, if further talks also fail, the Tamil Nadu government plans to approach the Supreme Court to get an order to implement the height increase.

It would also ask the court to instruct the Kerala government to co-operate with Tamil Nadu in completing the works regarding strengthening the Mullaperiyar dam and request the Centre to take steps to implement the court order,it said.

Achuthanandan is expected to meet Karunanidhi on Tuesday in Chennai.

In a rare show of unanimity, DMK's arch rival AIADMK also participated in Monday's meeting, represented by former AIADMK ministers O Pannerselvam and K A Sengottaiyan.

Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy, who filed a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court, was also present at the meeting.

(With inputs from PTI)