AIADMK to stage protests at five TN districts over Mullaiperiyar row

RAMANATHAPURAM/MADURAI: Condemning the DMK-led government for releasing water before the Mullaiperiyar dam level touched 140 feet-mark, the AIADMK will stage demonstrations in five south districts, said party coordinator O Panneerselvam at Madurai on Monday. 

Panneerselvam visited the Muthuramalinga Thevar memorial at Pasumpon village in Ramanathapuram district earlier in the day, and paid his respects to the leader on account of Thevar Jayanti. It may be recalled that Panneerselvam had postponed his visit to Pasumpon on Saturday citing pending rituals for his deceased wife. The golden armour of the freedom fighter that was gifted by former AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was handed over to him and he returned it to the safe custody of a nationalised bank in Madurai.  

Presided over by Panneerselvam, a consultative meeting with the party secretaries of Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Sivaganga, and Ramanathapuram districts was held at a private hotel in Madurai. MLAs Dindigul Srinivasan, Natham Viswanathan, Sellur K Raju, RB Udhayakumar, and VV Rajan Chellappa attended the meeting. 

Later briefing mediapersons, Panneerselvam said the level of water storage capacity at Mullaiperiyar dam was raised from 136 feet to 142 feet following a long legal battle by Jayalalithaa. “However, the State government has chosen to ignore the hurdles caused by the Kerala government with regard to storing water in the dam upto 142 feet. As this would affect the livelihood of farmers in five districts, the AIADMK will hold demonstrations in these districts soon,” he added.

Theni farmers stage siege protest, urge State government to recover rights of Mullaiperiyar Dam
Theni: Farmers staged a siege protest at the Lower Camp here on Monday and urged the State government to recover its rights over the Mullaiperiyar dam. Over 50 farmers, led by State President of Vaigai Dam Irrigation Farmers Association SR Thevar, staged a protest on Kumili Road. Raising slogans against the Kerala government for releasing water from the Mullaiperiyar dam from the Idukki district, they wanted their ten demands to be met. The demands include the control of the dam to be handed over to the Theni district administration. Some of the other demands are the ministers, officials, MLAs, and MPs of Kerala need to get permission from the Theni administration before entering the Mullaiperiyar Dam campus; the civic body must give protection to the engineers working at the dam; legal action should be initiated if the political functionaries of Kerala enter the dam campus; and Theni district must form a review committee consisting farmers to inspect the dam, among others. Police Inspector K Muthumani, and Uthamapalayam Tahsildar Arjunan tried to pacify the protestors. Later, they went to meet Collector K V Muralidharan to submit their demands.