Chennai

Referring to the recent appointment of special officers to monitor desilting works in Delta, Stalin, in a statement, wondered if the government would complete desilting of canals in Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pudukkottai, Karur, Tiruchy and Ariyalur districts in the remaining 18 days left for lifting the sluices of Mettur dam.

Alleging that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami was more concerned about floating tenders for highway projects and increase the rates of the tenders even during the lockdown period, the DMK president said that Palaniswami who holds the PWD portfolio did not care or bother about release of water from Mettur dam and hence he has announced desilting works just now, long after he had announced the opening of the dam.

Stating that it remains doubtful if the water released from the dam on June 12 would reach the tail end districts, Stalin asked the government not to collect inspection reports from officials and attempt to create an impression as usual that desilting works were successfully completed. Advising the government to also include representatives of farmers’ associations in the monitoring committee constituted in Delta districts, the LoP said the government should execute desilting works on a war footing in a transparent manner without indulging in irregularities to ensure that farmers and farm labourers receive uninterrupted water supply for kuruvai cultivation.

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