CHENNAI: In an interesting matchup in the Assembly on Monday, the TVK-led government and principal opposition party DMK jointly defended the proposal seeking a separate tribunal to deal with the Mekedatu dam issue, while its ally, the CPI, joined opposition parties to oppose it, arguing that it could dilute Tamil Nadu's existing legal position on the Cauvery dispute.
When the issue came up for discussion during the debate on the resolution against the proposed Mekedatu dam project in Karnataka, DMK MLA EV Velu said the amendment it put forth seeking a separate tribunal was based on consultations held with leading legal experts.
"Our proposal was made after detailed legal consultations and with the objective of safeguarding Tamil Nadu's interests in the Mekedatu issue," Velu said.
Replying to the concerns raised by opposition parties, Water Resources Minister N Anand asserted that the proposed tribunal would have no impact on the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal or the Supreme Court judgment that allocated 177.25 TMC of water to Tamil Nadu.
However, A Ganeshkumar (PMK) and T Ramachandran (PMK) contended that a new tribunal could weaken Tamil Nadu's existing rights secured through the tribunal award and the Supreme Court verdict, and urged the government to withdraw the amendment and retain the original wording of the resolution.
Voicing strong objections, N Thalavai Sundaram (AIADMK) argued that creating a new tribunal could dilute the authority of both the Court verdict and the tribunal award. Instead, the government should approach the apex court with a contempt petition against Karnataka over its efforts to pursue the project, he suggested.
Defending the government's position, Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna said Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's decision was guided solely by the interests of Tamil Nadu's farmers. "The chief minister has taken this stand only to safeguard the rights and livelihood of the farmers of Tamil Nadu," Aadhav said.