Tamil parties against Dam Safety Bill; Stalin calls it against interest of states

மாநில உரிமைகளைப் பறிக்கும் #DamSafetyBill-ஐ தேர்வுக்குழுவுக்கு அனுப்புக என்ற திமுக-வின் கோரிக்கையை, பிற எதிர்க்கட்சிகள் ஆதரித்தபோதும், மாநில மக்கள் அளித்த பெரும்பான்மையைக் கொண்டு அவர்களுக்கு எதிராகவே செயல்படும் ஒன்றிய பாஜக அரசு மக்களுக்கு பதில் சொல்லும் காலம் வெகு தொலைவில் இல்லை. pic.twitter.com/rH5pEt2ZN2

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) December 3, 2021

He said the Centre’s move will have a negative impact on the relationship between the Centre and state governments.

While DMK MP Tiruchi Siva had moved a motion on Thursday to refer the Bill to the select committee, arguing that the Bill takes away the rights of the states, his party colleague and fellow MP T K S Elangovan argued that states were the owners of dams and that the Bill violates Article 252 of the Constitution.

For a long time, Tamil parties and the state government had been opposing the Bill on several grounds, alleging that the Bill contains clauses which violate the rights of the state, especially with respect to the dams constructed by it in the neighbouring state, and would cause various problems in their maintenance and operation.

Challenging the claims that the Bill aimed to address all issues concerning dam safety, including regular inspection of dams, emergency action plan, comprehensive dam safety review, adequate repair and maintenance funds for dam safety and the instrumentation and safety manuals, a unanimous resolution passed in the Tamil Nadu assembly in June 2018 said the Centre should not pass the Bill without consulting states, and without arriving at a consensus.

Besides DMK, party allies including VCK, CPI and the AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran also condemned the move and accused the Centre for its majoritarian approach ignoring the views and interests of states.