Cauvery issue: Minister criticises Jayalalitha plea

By Our Special Correspondent

TIRUCHI, MAY 20. The Union Power Minister and BJP leader, Mr. Rangarajan Kumaramangalam, today dubbed as ``undemocratic'' the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. J. Jayalalitha's demand for the reconstituting the Cauvery River Water Authority with officials from the four Southern States.

``Such a demand is against the very spirit of democratic form of governance,'' Mr. Kumaramangalam said.

Talking to media persons here, he asserted that the Cauvery tangle was resolved only at the intervention of Prime Minister Mr. A. B. Vajpayee. However, he admitted that ``some more fine- tuning'' was required to implement the Cauvery accord to the satisfaction of the four riparian States.

According to the Minister, the interim award could be implemented without any difficulty, if the National Hydel Power Corporation was allowed to establish and run the proposed four hydel stations at Rasimanal, Hogenakkal, Sivasamudram and Meghadatu. The HPTC would then be in a position to provide accurate data on the inflow, realisation and discharge of Cauvery water into Tamil Nadu from Karnataka.

On the PMK and the MDMK extending open support to the LTTE, Mr. Kumaramangalam said that partners of the NDA coalition at the Centre were free to express their views on any issue. However, the two parties had agreed to toe the Prime Minister's line on the Sri Lanka crisis, he said.

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Section  : Southern States
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