Persuading Tamil Nadu, Kerala on Mullaperiyar: PM
December 17th, 2011 - 9:24 pm ICT by IANS
On Board Air India One, Dec 17 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday said his efforts to get the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to the discussion table on the contentious Mullaperiyar dam issue had “not succeed” so far, but he had not given up hope yet.
He also said that Mullaperiyar was not an issue that cannot be solved through “dialogue, debate and discussion”.
“I am trying to persuade both governments to sit together. I have not succeeded so far, but I have not given up hope,” Manmohan Singh told reporters on board his special aircraft while returning home from Moscow after a summit meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Manmohan Singh, who described Tamil Nadu and Kerala as “two very very important states” of the country, also observed that their well-being was “very dear to the hearts of the central government” and to “my heart as well”.
“There is a problem that has arisen (on Mullaperiyar dam). It is my sincere belief that there is no problem which cannot be resolved through dialogue, debate and discussion. And I am confident that when the two governments, their officials and chief ministers sit together, we will be able to find a mutually satisfactory solution.
“If good sense prevails, as I do believe will prevail, I am confident in the leadership of both Tamil Nadu and Kerala and that in a mutually satisfactory manner, this problem can be resolved,” he added.
Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been at loggerheads over the dam, built under an 1886 accord between the then Maharaja of Travancore and the erstwhile British Raj. While it is located in Kerala’s Idduki district, the dam’s water serves Tamil Nadu, which also manages its affairs.
The dam is vital for people living in the drought-prone districts of Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai and Ramanathapuram of Tamil Nadu. It irrigates about 220,000 acres and supplies drinking water to Madurai city and several towns.
Kerala wants the height to be lowered to 120 feet in view of the weakness of the dam.
Tamil Nadu wants storage capacity to be increased by raising the dam height from the present 136 feet to 142 feet as the state’s irrigation needs have shot up.
- The troubled waters around Mullaperiyar: a ready reckoner - Dec 07, 2011
- Chandy writes to Jayalalithaa on Mullaperiyar row (Lead) - Dec 18, 2011
- Dam row: Chandy in Delhi Thursday, likely to meet PM - Dec 01, 2011
- DMK demands all-party meet on Mullaperiyar Dam - Dec 09, 2011
- Mullaperiyar Dam: Chandy, AIADMK MPs meet PM - Dec 02, 2011
- Opposition will raise funds to build new dam: Achuthanandan - Nov 30, 2011
- Kerala assembly restates stand on Mullaperiyar Dam - Dec 09, 2011
- PM yet to reply on demand for CISF at Mullaperiyar: Jayalalithaa - Dec 05, 2011
- PM calls for restraint on Mullaperiyar Dam issue - Dec 14, 2011
- Talks likely with Tamil Nadu on Mullaperiyar: Chandy - Dec 03, 2011
- Don't allow release of 'Dam 999', demands Karunanidhi - Nov 24, 2011
- Kerala seeks new dam, protests erupt against Tamil Nadu - Nov 28, 2011
- Deploy forces to protect Mullaperiyar, Vaiko urges PM - Dec 05, 2011
- Tremors, movie focus attention on controversial dam (Letter from Kerala) - Nov 27, 2011
- Tamil Nadu bans screening of 'Dam 999' - Nov 24, 2011
Tags: air india, british raj, central government, chief ministers, dindigul, dmitry medvedev, good sense, kerala, loggerheads, manmohan, manmohan singh, mullaperiyar dam, prime minister manmohan, prime minister manmohan singh, ramanathapuram, returning home, russian president, satisfactory manner, satisfactory solution, travancore