Report on Mullaperiyar unilateral, hits back VS

Coming out against the report of the Supreme Court-appointed Empowered Committee on Mullaperiyar dam, over which Kerala and Tamil Nadu are at loggerheads, Communist Party of India-Marxist veteran V S Achuthanandan on Monday said it was "unilateral and in favour of Tamil Nadu".

The report was prepared under the influence of Tamil Nadu and Congress-led United Democratic Front government in Kerala failed to overcome the political pressure put by the neighbouring state, the opposition leader in the Kerala assembly, told mediapersons in Thiruvananthapuram.

Achuthanandan alleged that the Centre sided with Tamil Nadu and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy could not do anything about it.

"Whatever progress made by Kerala on Mullaperiyar case during the previous LDF rule has been lost," he said.

The CPI-M leader wanted the state government to challenge the report in the apex court by placing arguments and documents of experts stating that the present 119-year old reservoir was not safe.

The former chief minister asked Kerala not to deviate from its declared position of 'water to Tamil Nadu and safety to Kerala' and said if it departed from its stand, it would be dangerous to Kerala.

Achuthanandan also wanted Chandy to make Kerala's stand clear in the wake of the empowered committee report.

Referring to criticism by state Water Resources Minister P J Joseph against panel member, Justice K T Thomas, he sought to know whether the state government officials made necessary consultations with Justice Thomas on the matter.

Achuthanandan alleged that the ruling UDF and Cabinet were not united on the issue. While Joseph made some remarks against Justice Thomas alleging that he did not support the state's cause, state Power Minister Aryadan Muhammed supported Thomas, he said.