Opposition calls for rail roko in CMB issue
The DMK and Congress have issued a call to their cadres to participate in large numbers in the two-day bandh called for by farmers’ association condemning the BJP for not constituting the Cauvery Management Board (CMB).
By : migrator
Update: 2016-10-16 17:45 GMT
Chennai
While instructing its secretaries to lead the hartal in respective districts, the DMK has uttered no word about the participation of its senior leaders, who are likely to miss the action on Monday. In Chennai, the party district secretaries would lead the rail roko at Chennai Central, Egmore, Saidapet and Guindy stations.
The opposition party has been mounting pressure on the ruling AIADMK on the Cauvery row of late by first convening a meeting of various farmers’ association in which the two left parties had also participated and subsequently sending its MPs to the national capital where they had met the President and sought his help to immediately constitute the CMB.
A few days back, Leader of Opposition, MK Stalin had also personally submitted a copy of the resolution they had adopted in the farmers meeting to state Finance Minister O Panneerselvam. The resolution demanded the ruling AIADMK to convene a special session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly and adopt a resolution in the House to exert more pressure on the Union government on the Cauvery issue.
Meanwhile, its ally Congress on Sunday announced its support to the bandh.
Expressing solidarity with the state farmers, TNCC president Su Thirunavukkarasar, in a statement, advised the party cadres to participate in large numbers in the bandh to loudly express the dissent of the state people to Narendra Modi-led BJP regime, which, he alleged, has “betrayed Tamil Nadu and acted in favour of Karnataka.”
Criticising the ruling BJP for questioning Supreme Court’s authority on the issue of constituting CMB, the former saffron party leader turned TNCC president accused the Modi regime of making a ‘U’ turn on the Cauvery issue only to advance its political interest. It may be noted that Thirunavukkarasar, who led the party’s one-day token strike at Tiruchy on Saturday, had also assured to depute Congress representatives if the DMK leads an all-party delegation to Delhi.
Farmers across the state have been agitating for the past several days after the Centre struck down on the Supreme Court directive to form a Cauvery Management Board to address the water sharing issue stating that it was up to the legislative to take such a decision.
Security stepped up across major railway stations:
Security has been beefed at all major railway stations and in sensitive areas near railway tracks in view of the rail roko called by various farmers’ associations and supported by major political parties including the DMK. A senior police official said that they had credible information on hundreds of party cadres planning to protest in parts of North and Central Chennai and that they had taken enough precaution to ensure that public were not put to hardship.
“Besides deploying the Government Railway Police personnel, we have also diverted additional personnel in sensitive areas to handle any untoward development. However, in some lines there might be delays due to the protests,” a senior police official said. While there have been several protests and burning of effigies leading to a law and order situation in isolated pockets in the past in the state, Monday’s rail roko would be the first organised protest against the Centre’s stand on constituting of the Cauvery Management Board.
Outflow from Mettur dam reduced:
The outflow of water from Mettur Dam for irrigation in the Delta region was reduced from 18,000 cusecs to 12,000 cusecs from 11 am on Sunday.
The outflow that was 12,000 cusecs till October 13 was increased by 6,000 cusecs after Karnataka increased water release in the Cauvery River, based on a Supreme Court direction. With the neighbouring State reducing water release in the river, the outflow from Mettur dam was also reduced, keeping in mind the fast depleting water level in the dam. On Sunday inflow of water to the dam stood at 7,051 cusecs.
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