CHIEF MINISTER PINARAYI VIJAYAN’S DAM REMARKS DRAW FLAK

CHIEF MINISTER PINARAYI VIJAYAN’S DAM REMARKS DRAW FLAK

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement on the construction of a new dam at Mullaperiyar and the safety of the existing dam has evoked sharp criticism from various quarters, with the Congress party coming out vehemently against Mr. Vijayan’s views terming it as a major shift in Kerala’s long-standing position.The newly elected Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the Chief Minister’s new stand was against the pulse of the people of the State. The views were diametrically opposite to the unanimous stand taken by political parties and the State Assembly.His statement that the expert committee report on the dam safety would be taken into consideration while handling the issue was against the stand of the State government that a new dam should be constructed as part of the solution to the issue.

Mr. Vijayan’s stand would only be helpful to Tamil Nadu and increase the apprehension of the people living in the high ranges. He hoped that Mr. Vijayan would change his opinion at the earliest.Reacting to Mr. Vijayan’s statement in Delhi, former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the Chief Minister’s stand was totally different from the consistent stand taken by successive governments in the State. KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran also criticised the Chief Minister and wanted to know what was the inspiration behind such a shift in stand.The State has been united in its stand on the Mullaperiyar issue which had been reflected in the numerous all-party meetings and Assembly proceedings. There was something amiss in the sudden shift in stand that totally ignored public opinion and the stand of political parties and the Assembly.

Former Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran, MP, said Mr. Vijayan’s stand that the Mullaperiyar dam row with Tamil Nadu should be resolved through talks was contrary to the interests of the State.“The Chief Minister’s stand tends to justify Tamil Nadu’s contention that the storage level of the dam’s reservoir be raised to 152 feet,” he said.Mr. Vijayan was party to the stand on the issue taken by the State earlier. But mystery shrouds his sudden shift from that, Mr. Premachandran said. He called upon former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan who was always in the forefront of the State’s agitations on the Mullaperiyar issue to clarify his stand on Mr. Vijayan’s statement. Mr. Vijayan’s stand would only prove to be harmful to the State.The stand endorses the Central Water Commission’s report that the strength of the dam was intact.

Prof. John Kurakar