Political Theatre Turns to Cauvery Delta For Limelight
DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance calling for protests in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur in support of the agriculturalists community
Chennai: The focus of the DMK and the AIADMK shifted towards the Cauvery delta region on Friday with the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance calling for protests in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur in support of the agriculturalists community and the AIADMK issuing a warning that the delta would turn into a desert in view of the State government’s apathy and complacency.
The farmers in the State had been given a short shrift by the Union BJP government that had now refused to increase the permissible moisture content in paddy meant for procurement, a statement from the DMK-led alliance said announcing the dates for the protests.
In Thanjavur the protest would be organized at 10 am on November 23 and in Tiruvarur on November 24, the alliance said in a statement, urging the Union Government to reconsider the demand for raising the moisture content in paddy for procurement for the benefit of farmers..
Since heavy rains in the delta region had led to paddy stock getting drenched, the demand to increase the moisture content was raised by the Chief Minister M K Stalin with the Union Government, which refused to consider it. So now the ruling front in the State wants the decision to be reviewed.
Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami accused the DMK government of being complacent in not ensuring that court verdicts on the Cauvery water dispute with Karnataka were complied with by the neighbouring State, which, he said, was all set to construct a dam across Cauvery at Mekedatu.
Palaiswami referred to the statements of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D Shivakumar who had pledged recently to construct the dam by submitting a detailed project report to the Union Water Resources Commission.
Though Shivakumar had said that an office for the Mekedatu project would be built near the dam site itself, the State government was taking those threats lightly, Palaaniswami said and explained the loss to Tamil Nadu if the dam becomes a reality. Since the DMK was part of the INDIA coalition in which the Congress is a part, he wanted the DMK to take up the matter with the Congress high command and stop the project.
River Cauvery was the lifeline of Tamil Nadu with lakhs of farmers depending on its water for irrigation and people of 20 districts relaying on it for their drinking water needs, Palaniswami said, urging Stalin to be serious on the issue.
