THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has alleged that the Congress High Command and the leadership of the UDF Government had a ‘secret agenda’ in the Mullapperiyar issue and were taking a stand detrimental to the interests of the state. Briefing the decisions of the LDF meeting, convener Vaikom Viswan told reporters here on Monday that the Chief Minister and the Congress high command had been taking a dubious stand on the issue.“A new dam is the only solution to the Mullaperiyar issue. Even though it is not acceptable to Tamil Nadu, it is inevitable,’’ Viswan said. He said the Chief Minister’s stand that there could be joint control over the proposed new dam could not be acceptable to the state. “The LDF is of the view that Tamil Nadu should not lose a single drop of water in case of the construction of a new dam. But, the 116-year-old dam is poising a great threat to the safety of lakhs of people in Kerala. He said the LDF was against the idea of joint control over the new dam and everybody should come forward to object to it. The LDF had ruled out allowing any third-party intervention even if it was the Central Government, Viswan said. He said the LDF also questioned the argument of Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan justifying the lease agreement of 1886 with the Tamil Nadu Government as it was executed at the time of foreign occupation. Viswan said that Thiruvanchoor had earlier justified the affidavit by the Advocate General on the Mullaperiyar issue. The LDF also expressed displeasure over the “lack of initiative’’ on the part of the Prime Minister in solving the issue despite his offer to intervene within one month. In view of the situation, the LDF would launch a campaign against the State Government, he said. Referring to the clean chit given to Oommen chandy by the Vigilance in the palmolein case, he said the Chief Minister was using his power to clear his name. The LDF convenor said that there was no need for a global tender in entrusting the work of the Kochi metro project to DMRC and E Sreedharan. In case of any requirement, the DMRC may invite global tender, he said. Move for inviting global tender and sidelining a technocrat like Sreedharan, who had a proven track record, would result in huge corruption, he said. Viswan also alleged that the government was delaying the Piravam Assembly by-election fearing defeat.
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