Thaindian News

Chennai, Dec 26 (IANS) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday assured DMK president M. Karunanidhi that the central government would consider providing security to the Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala.

According to a statement issued by the DMK party here, the assurance was given to Karunanidhi who led a delegation of party leaders to meet the prime minister at Raj Bhavan to present a memorandum.

During the 20-minute meeting, Karunanidhi explained Tamil Nadu’s case and urged Manmohan Singh to take steps to end attacks on Tamils in Kerala in the wake of the dam row.

After hearing Karunanidhi, the prime minister agreed that the cordial relations that existed between the people of the two states should not be affected and the central government would take action to bring back normalcy in both the states, the statement said.

Manmohan Singh assured the DMK chief that the central government would consider providing security cover to the dam.

A Central Industrial Security Force cover for the dam has been a major demand of all political parties in Tamil Nadu.

The former chief minister highlighted the Supreme Court’s 2006 order to increase the water storage level of the dam to 142 ft from the current 136 ft, urging the prime minister to ensure that Kerala complied with the court order.

Karunanidhi, accompanied by union minister M.K. Alagiri, parliament members T.R. Baalu and Kanimozhi and party leader K. Anbazhagan, among others, requested the prime minister to advise Kerala to cooperate with Tamil Nadu.

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, its waters serve Tamil Nadu.