VCK urges TN, Pondy govts to convene all party meet on Cauvery

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi on Thursday said governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry should convene all party meetings and simultaneously call for a one day bandh to highlight their rights in Cauvery water system.

Speaking to reporters here, VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan criticised Karnataka's plan to observe a bandh in that state on October 6 to protest Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's directive at the Cauvery River Authority meet in Delhi on Septmber 19 to release 9,000 water to Tamilnadu.

He said Tamil Nadu and Puducherry governments should simultaneously hold bandhs to reiterate their just share in the river water to save the delta districts.

As Puducherry would get water in Cauvery system only when Tamilnadu was getting it, the government here should also convene an all-party meet to discuss the issue, he said.

He said VCK planned to conduct mobile propaganda on Oct 3 and 4 in delta districts to highlight their rights and to press for 12 hour power supply for the farm sector and for raising the number of days from 100 to 150 under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

He demanded that Rs 10,000 as relief per acre be given to farmers to mitigate their sufferings due to drought in delta districts, which included Karaikal region of Puducherry.

The yatra would commence on October 3 in Chidambaram and end in Tiruchi the next day, he said.