THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An emergency all-party meet on the Mullaperiyar issue has asserted that the state is united and will ensure the safety of the people at any cost. It said Kerala is keen to build a new dam and ensure that water due to Tamil Nadu from Mullaperiyar is given without fail in future.It called upon all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and create an atmosphere conducive for talks with Tamil Nadu, which has agreed to come to the negotiating table on December 15 and 16.It was also decided to act tough against those indulging in violence in the border areas and to strive hard to maintain good relations with the neighbouring state.Chief Minister Oommen Chandy gave an undertaking that steps will be initiated to remove the confusion over the oral statement given by Advocate-General K P Dandapani in the court. He reiterated that the latter has been summoned for Wednesday’s Cabinet meet. In the meet chaired by Oommen Chandy and Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan by his side, a general consensus emerged that the state should not allow any steps to weaken its case on the Mullaperiyar issue.However, heated arguments took place over the Dandapani issue.At one point, Achuthanandan lashed out against Chandy and the UDF Government for what he called piloting steps without any sincerity, including on the AG’s issue, and threatened to troop out of the meet.However, Opposition Deputy Leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and former minister N K Premachandran prevailed upon Achuthanandan, while Chandy and Cabinet colleagues treaded cautiously to avert a division.Many from the UDF side, including KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala, were also critical on the stance of the government.A joint communique was brought out in the end underscoring that all legal and administrative ways have to be probed for realising a new dam and bringing the water level down to 120 ft before that.Chandy told a joint news conference that it is for the first time in the history of the country that an issue without any inter-state water dispute has cropped up.“We will ensure that water due from Mullaperiyar will be given without fail in future. Based on the angst and panic of the people, Kerala is keen to build a new dam,” he said.Asked whether the govt would disown the AG, he said all facts would be ascertained. “The AG will appear before the Cabinet and give an explanation,” he added.Ministers K M Mani, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, P K Kunhalikutty, Shibu Baby John, Chief Secretary P Prabhakaran, DGP Jacob Punnoose, M P Veerendrakumar, E T Mohammed Basheer, C K Chandrappan, C Divakaran, Kadannappally Ramachandra, V P Ramakrishna Pillai, P C Thomas, Jose Thettayil, A K Saseendran, A N Rajan Babu, Johnny Nellore, K R Aravindakshan and George Kurien, representing various political outfits attended the meet.
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