Mekedatu project "untenable and ought to be rejected outright": Tamil Nadu CM
Chennai: Tamil Nadu has said Karnataka's proposal to construct a reservoir across river Cauvery at Mekedatu was "untenable and ought to be rejected outright" and urged the Centre against giving its nod for the project following a fresh appeal by the upper riparian state.
Tamil Nadu is opposed to Karnataka's proposal to construct a balancing reservoir at Mekedatu in that state, saying it will be affected if the project takes shape.
Chief Minister K Palaniswami wrote to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and his Environment Ministry counterpart Prakash Javadekar, reminding them of pending court cases in this matter.
The letters dated October 9 were released by the state government on Thursday.
He told them the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the Supreme Court "have found that the existing storage facilities available in the Cauvery Basin are adequate for storing and distributing water to the lower riparian states as per the monthly schedule prescribed by it."
"Therefore, the proposal of Karnataka to build a reservoir is ex-facie untenable and ought to be rejected outright," he said. Further, the concurrence of Tamil Nadu and that of other co-basin states has not been obtained for the project, he added.
The chief minister recalled that an Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley and Hydro-electric Projects of the Environment Ministry in its July meeting had "deferred the proposal of Karnataka's Mekedatu project."
It has come to Tamil Nadu's notice Karnataka has again approached the said committee seeking approval of the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the reservoir, he said.
"The Government of Tamil Nadu once again reiterates its strong objections to the project proposal of Karnataka, as it has no right to construct any reservoir on an inter-state river without the consent of the lower riparian state i.e.Tamil Nadu," he asserted.
In his letter to Javadekar, Palaniswami recalled he had earlier written to him in July requesting the union minister to reject and return Karnataka's proposal as it was against the final order of the Tribunal and the February 2018 apex court judgment.
He told Shekhawat he had written a letter to him in July this year, requesting that the Jal Shakti ministry should not accord any clearance to the Mekedatu project.
Palaniswami urged Javadekar to instruct the Environment Ministry to issue instructions to the EAC "not to entertain" Karnataka's proposal and reject its detailed project report seeking grant of ToR to conduct environmental impact assessment (EIA) and environment management plans (EMP)."
He urged Shekhawat to take up the matter with the Environment ministry.
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NIA court to complete framing of charges against 2010 hand-chopping case accused on May 15
Kochi (PTI): A special court here will complete proceedings for framing charges against the prime accused in the 2010 hand-chopping case involving professor T J Joseph, in which PFI activists were accused of attacking him at Muvattupuzha.
Ernakulam Special Court for NIA cases judge P K Mohandas, on April 30, heard the arguments of counsel for accused Savad and Shafeer C and decided to proceed with framing charges against the duo.
A group chopped off Thodupuzha Newman College professor Joseph's right hand in July 2010, accusing him of religious blasphemy in a question paper he had prepared.
The case, later taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), resulted in the conviction of 19 accused.
The first accused, Savad, who allegedly chopped off Joseph’s palm, was arrested in Berram in Mattannur, Kannur, in January 2024, where he had allegedly been hiding under the pseudonym Shajahan.
The NIA also arrested Shafeer, who allegedly arranged shelter and provided logistical support to Savad at Chakkad and Mattannur in Kannur since 2020.
On April 30, the court heard the counsel for the accused and the NIA prosecutor on framing charges against the duo.
"On going through the documents and evidence in the case and on hearing the counsel for the accused and the prosecutor, I am of the opinion that there are grounds for presuming that the first accused has committed offences punishable under provisions of the IPC, the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and that the second accused has committed offences punishable under the IPC and the UAPA, and there are materials for framing charges under these provisions against the accused," the court said.
The court directed that Savad be produced and Shafeer, who is on bail, appear before it on May 15 for recording their pleas as part of the charge-framing process.
After framing the charges, the court will schedule the trial in the case.
