Chennai: In the Assembly yesterday, during the special attention motion on the Cauvery issue, it was urged that the Tamil Nadu government convene an all-party meeting.
Regarding this, party leaders said: Palaniswami (AIADMK): An all-party meeting was held in Karnataka under the leadership of the Chief Minister. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu too, a meeting of all-party leaders should be convened and their views sought.
This year, in the kuruvai cultivation carried out by Delta farmers, one lakh acres have dried up and been affected due to lack of water. They should be assessed and appropriate relief should be provided.
R. Sellasamy (Marxist): We must win the Mekedatu dam issue legally; there is no need to go and plead with them. The Chief Minister says that if we go there and face humiliation, he is prepared to bear it.
That is not right. An all-party meeting should be convened to hear everyone’s views. Relief should be provided to kuruvai cultivation farmers.
T. Ramachandran (Indian Communist): Tamil Nadu must get its rightful share of Cauvery water. Likewise, the construction of the Mekedatu dam must be prevented. On this issue, Congress and the BJP are together in Karnataka.
For both of these issues, an all-party meeting should be convened to hear opinions and deal with them legally. The affected kuruvai cultivation farmers should be given compensation of Rs. 25,000 per acre.
Soumya Anbumani (PMK): An all-party meeting should be convened, a unified stand should be taken, and it should be taken to Delhi. We must definitely pursue legal measures as well.
If the Mekedatu dam is built, 3 wildlife sanctuaries, 12,500 acres of forests, and rare species will be destroyed. Therefore, our position is that a dam should not be built there. They spoke thus.