Chennai: A meeting of TNCC district presidents was held at the party headquarters in Chennai where a resolution was passed stating that Karnataka’s move to build the Mekedatu dam was in violation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s final award and the 2018 Supreme Court judgement. The move amounted to contempt of court, TNCC said, vowing to intensify its opposition to the project.The meeting also welcomed TNCC president Manickam Tagore’s statement that “not even a single brick” would be allowed to be laid for the project without Tamil Nadu’s approval, and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to safeguarding the rights of Cauvery delta farmers.Meanwhile, Congress leader and tourism minister S Rajeshkumar submitted a petition to chief minister C Joseph Vijay urging him to revoke the Tamil Nadu govt’s June 10 order extending by one year the land allotment granted to Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL) for its mining project in Kanyakumari district. Citing concerns over the livelihood, health and environment of people in coastal villages, Rajeshkumar, who was accompanied by fellow Kanyakumari MLAs, said, “The chief minister assured us that the govt would never permit any project that affects people and that appropriate action would be taken on our demand.”
