New Delhi: In a bid to defuse a volatile situation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday asked Kerala Government to create a conducive atmosphere for speedy resolution of Mullaperiyar Dam issue following which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy appealed to protesters in the state to call off their agitation.
The Chief Minister’s appeal came after an all party delegation led by him and Leader of Opposition V S Achuthanandan met Prime Minister seeking his immediate intervention in persuading Tamil Nadu to settle the issue.
“Prime Minister has assured us that the Government of India will consider our request and take an early decision. To create a good atmosphere in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister requested us to suspend our agitation,” Chandy told reporters here after the meeting at Parliament House.
He said the all party delegation has offered the Prime Minister full cooperation from Kerala.
“After the meeting, the leaders discussed the Prime Minister’s request in detail and decided to appeal to all political parties and all organisations to create a cordial atmosphere,” Chandy said.
Meanwhile, KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala, who was part of the delegation, said Congress has decided to call off its agitation on the issue. “Considering the request by the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, Congress has decided to stop the agitation to create a conducive atmosphere to amicably settle the issue,” Chennithala said.
CPI (M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, Muslim League leader P K Kunhalikutty and Kerala Congress (M) leader K M Mani and BJP’s K M Radhakrishnan were part of the delegation consisting of leaders of all political spectrum in the state.
Chandy said the all party delegation urged the Prime Minister to initiate a dialogue between Kerala and Tamil Nadu for arriving at an amicable settlement as early as possible, in view of the “current sense” of anxiety and fear among Keraliites.
In a memorandum submitted to Singh, the delegation said no responsible government or party can afford to remain a silent spectator when people are living in constant fear of death and destruction.
“Kerala has offered to construct a new dam at our cost which will ensure the same quantity of water for Tamil Nadu as they now receive. But government of Tamil Nadu has turned a deaf ear to this unambiguous proposal,” it said.
The delegation told the Prime Minister that there have been more than 26 tremors in the dam area since July this year, with the highest recorded magnitude being 3.8 on Richter Scale. “Along with this continued unprecedented seismic activity, the water level in the reservoir has gone above 136 feet for the past several days.
These two factors have intensified the possibilities of imminent danger and have raised fear and panic among people to alarming proportions. (IANS)