TVK soft on Centre despite fund denial: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam

COIMBATORE: Just 2 days are left for the TVK's much-touted grand alliance announcement, but the key partner they are planning to pull, the CPM, has criticised the ruling party's 'soft stance' towards the BJP-led Centre in garnering pending funds for the State, apart from not convening an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue.

CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Monday said the TVK government is adopting a soft stance towards the Union government and is not doing enough to secure Tamil Nadu's rightful share of funds.

Speaking at a party conference in Dharmapuri, Shanmugam said the State government was merely writing letters to the Centre instead of pressing for the funds due to Tamil Nadu.

“The Centre is refusing to release the rightful share of funds due to the states. However, the State government has adopted a soft approach and is merely writing letters to the Centre,” he said.

Criticising the state government for not convening an all-party meeting to evolve a consensus on the Cauvery water issue, Shanmugam urged the government to take steps to ensure that Karnataka released the Cauvery water due to Tamil Nadu in accordance with the Supreme Court’s verdict. “Failure to secure the required water would adversely affect foodgrain production in the State,” he said.

He also opposed the proposed Mekedatu reservoir project in Karnataka, saying that Tamil Nadu could face a shortage of Cauvery water if the project was implemented. “The Union government should nationalise rivers,” he said.

On the proposed delimitation of parliamentary constituencies, Shanmugam said Tamil Nadu’s representation in parliament could decline if the exercise were carried out on a population basis.