New tribunal best way to address Mekedatu issue, says DMK's Thangam Thennarasu

CHENNAI: DMK leader and former minister Thangam Thennarasu on Monday (22nd June) defended the Tamil Nadu government's stand on the Mekedatu issue and said constituting a new tribunal was the best way to protect the interests of farmers in the State, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

Speaking to reporters at the Assembly complex, Thennarasu said the Mekedatu dispute was a separate issue and should not be viewed as part of the Cauvery water-sharing case that had already been adjudicated by the Supreme Court.

Mekedatu remains unresolved issue

Thennarasu said the Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed resolutions against the proposed Mekedatu dam on several occasions. He alleged that successive governments in Karnataka, irrespective of the party in power, had continued to support the project and said it posed a threat to the interests of Tamil Nadu farmers.

"The Mekedatu issue is a separate legal matter that has not yet been resolved by the Supreme Court," he said.

State sought tribunal based on legal advice

According to Thennarasu, senior legal experts and lawyers representing Tamil Nadu had suggested that a new tribunal under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, would be the appropriate mechanism to address the dispute.

He said the State government had already written to the Union government on March 4 seeking the constitution of a new tribunal headed by judges nominated by the Supreme Court.

CPM raises objections

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary P Shanmugam criticised the move and alleged that the previous DMK government had not informed political parties about the March 4 letter seeking a new tribunal. He said participants in the all-party meeting on the Mekedatu issue were also not informed about the proposal.

Shanmugam further said the amendment relating to the tribunal was accepted in the Assembly without wider consultation and urged the government to reconsider the matter when the House reconvenes.

Decision taken to protect Tamil Nadu's interests

Responding to criticism over changes made to the Assembly resolution, Thennarasu said the demand for a tribunal was included after it was raised during discussions in the House and accepted by the government. He said the move was aimed at protecting the interests of Tamil Nadu and was not a partisan political decision.

Thennarasu also maintained that seeking a separate tribunal for the Mekedatu issue would not affect the final verdict already delivered by the Supreme Court on the Cauvery water-sharing dispute. He called upon all political parties to work together and present a united stand on the issue.