Centre may step in,call CMs meet

A dedicated special purpose vehicle would be created for executing the projects expeditiously.

With tension rising between Kerala and Tamil Nadu over the Mullaperiyar dam issue,there were indications on Tuesday that the Centre might step in and convene a meeting of the chief ministers of both the states to find a solution.

In a fresh twist to the controversy,the Kerala government said it was left with no option but to proceed with construction of a new dam to ensure the safety of its people. While reiterating that it would ensure that Tamil Nadu continues to receive the same amount of water,the Kerala government said it would approach the Ministry of Environment and Forests MoEF for statutory clearances for construction of a new dam at a cost of Rs 663 crore. A dedicated special purpose vehicle would be created for executing the projects expeditiously.

Sources said the Kerala government is also looking at the option of approaching the Supreme Court with a plea to allow it to bring down the water storage level in the dam.

While the Centre is looking at the option of convening a meeting of the two chief ministers,sources said it was moving cautiously because the case is pending in the apex court,which had constituted an empowered committee to study all the aspects of the issue.

Politicians from both the states,meanwhile,continued to mount pressure on the Centre to intervene in the case. The Kerala government approached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to impress upon Tamil Nadu to accept its proposal for construction of a new dam downstream. On the other hand,a delegation of DMK MPs led by T R Baalu met Singh and told him that Kerala had been consistently making false propaganda about the dams safety. Political parties in Kerala are deliberately misinforming the people of Kerala about the safety of the dam,thereby creating fear in the minds of the people,which will in turn harness hatred and mistrust among the people of the two states, the DMK said in a memorandum given to the PM.

Kerala Revenue Minister T Radhakrishnan and Water Resources Minister P J Joseph and Union ministers from Kerala led by Vayalar Ravi and K V Thomas met Singh separately and said the dam was in danger.