Mekedatu: TN hits out at Karnataka for allocating Rs 1,000 crore

Chennai/Bengaluru: Karnataka allocating Rs 1,000 crore for constructing a dam at Mekedatu across river Cauvery, when the matter was pending in the Supreme Court went against federalism, the Tamil Nadu government said on Saturday.

Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, referring to the 2022-23 Karnataka budget that set apart the sum towards dam construction, said that it was a unilateral act.

The dam construction proposal had no requisite approvals and this announcement of Karnataka was unjust as it had not taken the concurrence of riparian states for building the reservoir, he said.

The budgetary announcement appears to have been made taking into account the Karnataka Assembly election slated to be held next year, he said in a statement.

Duraimurugan reiterated that Tamil Nadu would take all steps to stop the construction of Mekedatu dam considering the welfare of state’s farmers.

Duraimurugan said a case related to Mekedatu dam construction proposal is before the apex court and during the pendency of the matter, Karnataka coming up with such an announcement went against the ‘Indian sovereignty,’ and also it was contrary to the ‘principles of federalism’.

Also, it went against the final award of Cauvery tribunal and the 2018 judgment of the Supreme Court in the Cauvery dispute, the Minister said.

The main opposition AIADMK backed the government and hit out at Karnataka for making the announcement and said it went against the Supreme Court judgment.

When no dam construction proposal could be taken forward without the consent of Tamil Nadu, which is the lower riparian state, Karnataka has made such an announcement, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam said.

In a statement, he urged Chief Minister M K Stalin to approach both the Central government and the Supreme Court on the issue to halt Karnataka’s initiatives.