The Hindu : Minister's stand on water-sharing questioned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Minister's stand on water-sharing questioned

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM, MARCH 22. The Leader of the Opposition, V.S. Achuthanandan, has taken exception to the stance taken by the Water Resources Minister, T.M. Jacob, during the talks with Tamil Nadu on inter-State water-sharing.

Speaking to presspersons here today, Mr. Achuthanandan described the Minister's stand suspicious and asked the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, to look into the matter.

According to the Opposition leader, the Legislative Committee under the chairmanship of Mr. Jacob had prepared a detailed report on the issue of water-sharing with Tamil Nadu. The report had specified more than 15 instances where Tamil Nadu had failed to fulfil its commitment to Kerala by denying the State its legitimate share of water.

Later, when a technical committee was formed for preparing the basic document for holding talks with Tamil Nadu on the issue, it was packed with officials chosen by the Minister. Interestingly, the crucial document, which is the basis for holding talks with Tamil Nadu at ministerial and later at chief ministerial-levels, did not mention any of these points raised by the Legislative Committee. The Water Resources Minister, however, chose to tread the path taken by the officials of the technical committee during the talks at the Ministers level, Mr. Achuthanandan said.

He called upon Mr. Antony to take a serious view of the issue and hold talks with the Opposition before the talks at the Chief Ministers level so that the existing report by the technical committee could be scrapped and a new one incorporating the issues raised by the Legislative Committee could be prepared for future discussions with Tamil Nadu.

Alleging that the exercise taken up by the Chief Minister in visiting the drought-affected areas was nothing but an eyewash to wriggle out of the mounting popular antagonism during the run-up to the elections, he said it was the total failure of the UDF Government in ensuring the legitimate share of water from Tamil Nadu and also in getting its fair share of drought relief from the Centre which had led to the present plight of the common people in the State. Governmental apathy in ensuring water to the Chittur taluk in Palakkad district had resulted in a loss of crop in 40,000 hectares of fertile land for two consecutive crops. It amounted to a loss of crop in 80,000 hectares. In Palakkad taluk, the failure in getting the Shiruvani water had led to loss of crop in another 60,000 hectares, Mr. Achuthanandan said.

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