Friday, Nov 15, 2002
Friday, Nov 15, 2002 |
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Tamil Nadu
By Our Special Correspondent
Describing as "silly" a question whether the stated "cooperation" would extend to following Karnataka's example of withdrawing STF operations, she said the Karnataka Government could not ask for the stopping of STF operations in Tamil Nadu. Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat here, Ms. Jayalalithaa said Tamil Nadu had merely withdrawn its STF from the Karnataka side on a request from the Karnataka Government about a month ago. According to her information, Veerappan was still in Karnataka. However, the Karnataka Government had not sought Tamil Nadu help. Also, it had not been sharing information on the Veerappan issue. Asked about the Congress willingness to form a coalition at the Centre, Ms. Jayalalithaa said this only showed the "desperation" of the party. To a specific question, she said she did not intend campaigning against the Congress in the Gujarat Assembly election. On her proposal for a third front at the national level, the Chief Minister said there was still time. Many leaders of political parties were preparing for elections in their States. The Lok Sabha election was due only in 2004. Reacting to the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's remark that the Centre was adopting a "step-motherly" attitude towards Opposition-led Governments on drought relief, Ms. Jayalalithaa said she did not want to comment on other States, but Tamil Nadu did not receive the assistance it had sought. Detailing the steps taken by the State Government following rain damage to roads in Chennai, she said 750 km of the total 2,919 km roads in the Corporation limits would be relaid between January and March next at a cost of Rs. 75 crores. Another 83 km of the 137 km of highways would be relaid at a cost of Rs.29 crores during the same period. Meanwhile, while the monsoon was still on, temporary repairs were being undertaken. However, the previous DMK Government was to blame for the present state of the roads. Asked whether the State intended moving the Centre for the rain ravage, Ms. Jayalalithaa said the full extent of damage would be known only after the monsoon was over. However, at present, more than the damage, what mattered was the filling up of reservoirs. On the Cauvery issue, Ms. Jayalalithaa declined to comment, saying the matter was before the Supreme Court. The Government received a copy of a letter from the Karnataka Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, to the Prime Minister demanding the convening of a meeting of the Cauvery River Authority. On Karnataka's opposition to Tamil Nadu calling for a "table of agenda" for CRA meetings, she said the State had placed its demand and it was for the Prime Minister to decide on the issue. Tamil Nadu, she said, was striving for a permanent solution to the Cauvery issue. The increase in the level of the Mettur dam following rain was not a permanent solution. Asked about the threat by sections of Dalits to embrace Islam, Ms. Jayalalithaa said the Government would not interfere in "voluntary" conversions. When it was pointed out that the Dalits were citing "non-religious" reasons, she said the Government had implemented several schemes for uplift of the weaker sections.
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