Tamil Nadu Law Minister Nirmal Kumar on Thursday said the state will take a legal route to oppose any move to build the proposed Mekedatu dam across the Cauvery in Karnataka.
Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat in Chennai, he noted that the Supreme Court has permitted Karnataka only to submit a detailed project report for the project. He alleged that Karnataka Irrigation Minister and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s statement about conducting a “bhoomi puja” for the dam goes beyond what has been allowed.
Nirmal Kumar said Chief Minister Vijay would not permit the construction of the Mekedatu dam and that Tamil Nadu would act to prevent it through legal means. He said the state would file cases in the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court seeking a ban on any groundwork ceremony, and added that an all-party meeting could be convened if required.
He also criticised Shivakumar, alleging that the deputy chief minister was attempting to create a law-and-order situation between the two states for political reasons. Disputes between states, he said, should be resolved through courts, and any unilateral action would be irresponsible and condemnable.
