Kerala committed to new Mullaperiyar dam: Bhardwaj

Acting Kerala Governor H.R. Bhardwaj Thursday said the state government was committed to building a new dam at Mullaperiyar. He also accused the previous Left administration of slowing down development.

Speaking on the first day of the current session of the assembly, he said the Kerala government was keen to ensure good relations with Tamil Nadu, but it remains committed to building a new dam based on the principle of ‘water for Tamil Nadu and safety for Kerala’.

The states are at loggerheads over Kerala’s decision to dismantle the dam on the ground that its structure is not safe. The Tamil Nadu government manages the more than 100-year-old dam.

Bhardwaj also slammed the previous Left Democratic Front government.

“The United Democratic Front government from 2001-06 charted out several projects to give an impetus to the development of the state. Unfortunately, several of these vital projects were shelved or ignored (by the next government led by the Left),” he said.

“In the process the development of the state lost momentum. The Smart City, Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam port are but a few examples of critical projects that suffered from this neglect.”

The governor of Karnataka, Bhardwaj is deputising in Kerala after governor M.O.H. Farook passed away in January.

Showering praise on the Chandy government, the governor said since it took over nine months ago, it has been able to earn the appreciation of people from all walks of life, even those who share divergent political views.