Kerala will manage the new dam at Mullaperiyar, says Oommen Chandy

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on friday made it clear that there is no need of confusion regarding the new dam at Mullaperiyar. If Kerala would construct a new dam at Mullaperiyar replacing the old one, the ownership and management would be in the hands of the Kerala state. There would be no compromise in that case, Oommen Chandy said.

The actual proposal of the state government was to constitute a committee jointly by Kerala and Tamil Nadu on the sharing of water from the dam. But it was misinterpreted. The reports appeared in the media on the subject were enirely different from the truth and misleading. Earlier, it had been reported that Kerala government is looking to control the new dam jointly with Tamil Nadu as they are doing in the case of Shiruvani dam. It attracted widspread criticism from the people. The people opined that Tamil Nadu should not be given the control of the dam that built using Kerala's wealth without any benefits.

The minister yesterday said that the state government has not taken any new decision on the Mullaperiyar issue.

The government adopted a wise decision in this point, he claimed. The government look to consider the feelings of TamilNadu also, he said. And this particular stand of the Kerala government amused everyone and attracted appreciation from the Centre and even from some of the officials in Tamil Nadu.

He reiterated that there was no confusion on control and ownership of the new dam and the state government has got an open approach on providing water to Tamil Nadu.

But the opposition took on the government raising the issue. Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan and CPI(M) General Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the government have some hidden agendas. They are playing according to the scripts, the opposition claimed.