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What is the government hiding regarding the Cauvery issue?
Tamil Nadu politics has heated up once again over the Cauvery water dispute. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has raised several serious questions against the TVK government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, accusing it of lack of transparency. The party claimed that the government is not giving complete information to the public and the opposition on this sensitive issue.
DMK’s advocate cell joint secretary I. Paranthaman said in a press conference that the government’s stand on an important issue like Cauvery is not clear. He also questioned the transfer of the Water Resources Department Secretary, saying administrative changes raise many doubts at a time when the Cauvery dispute is at a crucial juncture.
The DMK has demanded the government to answer three key questions within 24 hours. These include the steps taken to constitute a tribunal on the Mekedatu dam dispute, the decisions taken in the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister and the reasons for not making public the official information regarding the Karnataka visit.
The party says that all political parties should be taken into confidence on issues of state interest like Cauvery. The DMK alleged that the government this time did not follow the tradition of calling an all-party meeting before major decisions.
The all-party meeting also raised questions, with the DMK objecting to the government’s working style.
During the press conference, I. Paranthaman said that former Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu had always adopted the tradition of taking all political parties on board to make decisions on important issues like the Cauvery dispute. According to him, this approach strengthened the state’s position.
He met Power and Law Minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar, who had claimed that convening an all-party meeting was not possible due to a lack of consensus among political parties. Paranthaman said that it is natural to have different political views in a democracy, but this does not mean that the process of dialogue should be stopped.
The DMK alleges that the government should adopt a more transparent approach on a sensitive issue like the Cauvery. Now the official response of the TVK government is awaited on this entire controversy.
What questions did DMK ask the government?
The DMK has demanded that the TVK government make public the answers to several important questions regarding the Cauvery water dispute. The party says that the government should work with complete transparency on such a sensitive issue related to state interest. For this purpose, DMK has challenged the government to clarify its stand within 24 hours.
The party has asked what steps have been taken so far towards the formation of a tribunal to resolve the Mekedatu dam dispute as per the resolution passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Apart from this, there was a demand to make public the information about which decisions were taken in the meeting held on the Cauvery issue under the chairmanship of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.
The DMK also questioned why no official announcement was made regarding the Chief Minister’s proposed visit to Karnataka. The party says that the public and the opposition should get information on such important issues from time to time, so that no confusion arises.
Why were questions raised on the transfer of Water Resources Secretary?
The DMK has also questioned the government over the transfer of the Water Resources Department Secretary amid the Cauvery water dispute. The party says that when such an important water dispute is facing the state, then major administrative changes in the concerned department give rise to many kinds of doubts.
I. Paranthaman said that the role of experienced officers is very important in such times. Therefore, the government should clarify what were the administrative reasons behind this transfer. He alleges that the government did not make sufficient information public regarding this decision, due to which questions are being raised on transparency.
However, no detailed response has come from the government regarding this transfer. In such a situation, discussion on this issue is going on continuously in political circles and the opposition is demanding a clear answer from the government.
Why has politics intensified over the Cauvery dispute?
The sharing of Cauvery river water has been one of the most sensitive inter-state issues between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for many years. The issue often becomes the centre of political debate due to its link to water availability, irrigation and farmers’ interests. In such a situation, the opposition keeps an eye on every decision and statement of the government.
DMK says that there has been a tradition of rising above political differences and taking all parties along to take decisions on issues like Cauvery. The party alleges that the present government did not follow this tradition and did not share adequate information regarding important decisions.
All eyes are now on the government’s response to these developments. Political analysts believe that the government’s response and future steps will determine the direction in which the state’s politics moves regarding the Cauvery dispute.
