Chennai, Dec 24: The Mullaperiyar dam row between Tamil Nadu and Kerala and the impasse over Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant might figure during the talks Chief Minister Jayalalithaa is expected to have with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his two-day visit to the state from tomorrow.
Jayalalithaa is likely to call on Singh tomorrow evening shortly after his arrival here and may take up a host of issues, including the demand for a financial package.
This is the first visit by Singh to the state after the AIADMK headed by Jayalalithaa stormed to power ousting DMK, a key UPA partner, in the April assembly elections.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi today announced he would meet the Prime Minister on Monday and take up the dam row, particularly “preventing attacks against Tamils” in Kerala and increasing the water level of the dam.
The dam row has escalated in recent weeks with leaders of both states engaged in a war of words. Kerala is insisting on a new dam to replace the existing 116-year-old structure, citing safety concerns which Tamil Nadu opposes.
Jayalalithaa has written four letters to the Prime Minister since the issue resurfaced late last month and has taken exception to the National Disaster Management Authority's move forming a team of experts to draw up a contingency response plan for the dam, saying it was nothing but “succumbing to the subterfuge” of Kerala.
Karunanidhi had expressed dissatisfaction over the action taken by the Centre and the state government on the issue. On the Koodankulam issue, the Prime Minister's recent remarks that the plant would be operationalised in a few weeks did not go well with Jayalalithaa who asked the Centre to allay people's fears before taking any ‘precipitate' action.
Villagers in and around Koodankulam have been demanding scrapping of the project citing safety concerns.
Some political parties and organisations including actor Vijaykanth's DMDK, the principal opposition in the state assembly, and Vaiko's MDMK have announced black flag demonstrations against the Prime Minister protesting Centre's ‘silence' on the Dam issue.
Singh will inaugurate on Monday the 125th birth anniversary function of mathematician legend Srinivasa Ramanujan at the Madras University.
He will then fly to Karaikudi in Sivaganga district, the native district of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, to inaugurate Ramanujan Centre for Higher Mathematics at the Alagappa University and two hospitals.
Security has been beefed up for the Prime Minister's visit.
Meanwhile, TNCC President B S Gnanadesikan asked DMDK and MDMK to withdraw their proposed protest saying the Centre and the Prime Minister “are taking all efforts” in the dam issue.
Noting that MPs from the state had met Singh and “clearly apprised” him of Tamil Nadu's stand, in a statement here he said “the Prime Minister is taking all efforts, well aware of our stand.”
“In such a situation, I believe showing any opposition to the Prime Minister must be avoided. I request parties which had announced of black flag demonstration to drop it,” he said.
