Stalin seeks special session on Cauvery, delta farmers’ plight

Party Treasurer and Leader of the Opposition M K Stalin alleged that because of the ruling AIADMK’s “confrontational approach” toward the upper riparian state Karnataka, the state could not get its due share of water from the inter-state river for the past six years. In such a situation, some farmers in the Cauvery delta region had died unable to bear the losses suffered due to failure of crops or had committed suicide, he claimed. 

Farmers’ associations, besides DMK, had staged a series of protest on the Cauvery issue, but the government had so far neither held any talks with the ryots on the matter, nor has it provided any relief to them, he said in a statement here. With Karnataka not releasing water, the delta region was “dry” he said, adding, the lawmakers, should therefore discuss the “critical” situation of farmers. Further, with the Centre proposing to establish a single tribunal to look into all inter-state water disputes, he doubted if the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) will be constituted in the near future and sought confidence boosting steps from the government for the farmers. 

“Therefore, a special session of the Assembly should be convened to discuss the critical situation of farmers. Further, a resolution should be adopted for constituting the CMB and declaring Tamil Nadu as droughthit and it should be sent to the Central government,” he said. Come clean on raids The Leader of the Opposition further demanded the Chief Minister to clearly explain the background behind the I-T raids in the home and office of former chief secretary Rama Mohana Rao and his subsequent removal from the post. “The Chief Minister should immediately provide all information related to the raids conducted in the chief secretary’s office and home and ensure that other ‘high level’ officers are not allowed to escape,” he said in a release.