The Kerala Cabinet has decided to file a fresh and comprehensive affidavit in the Mullaperiyar case in the High Court.
Briefing newspersons on the proceedings at the Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, said here on Wednesday that the new affidavit would be filed before December 15.
FERVENT PLEA
The Chief Minister made a fervent plea to the public, especially in the border districts, for keeping utmost restraint on the sensitive matter.
He asked them to desist from doing anything that could vitiate the friendly relations with the neighbouring State.
Mr Chandy also announced the setting up of a Cabinet sub-committee to decide on the contents of the fresh affidavit to be filed in the High Court.
Members of this sub-committee are the Finance and Law Minister, Mr K. M. Mani; the Water Resources Minister, Mr P. J. Joseph; the Revenue Minister, Mr Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan; and the Electricity Minister, Mr Aryadan Muhammed.
The sub-committee was to hold its first meeting on Wednesday afternoon itself, signalling the urgency of the job at hand, sources in the Government said.
ALL-PARTY TEAM
The Cabinet also decided that an all-party delegation from the State be taken to New Delhi for a fresh round of talks with the Prime Minister to make another request for meaningful intervention in the matter.
No dates have been fixed for the proposed trip since the Prime Minister's availability needed to be confirmed first, the Chief Minister said. The delegation would comprise the Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition, among others.
Meanwhile, the move for fresh affidavit comes in the wake of a raging controversy over a ‘statement of facts' given by the Advocate-General earlier last week, which is alleged to have compromised the State's position with respect to the case.
A-G SUMMONED
The Advocate-General, Mr K. P. Dandapani, had been summoned to Wednesday's Cabinet meeting where he was given an opportunity to be heard out.
The Advocate-General reiterated that he had not said anything in the court that would go against the grain of the State's argument in the case.
He also denied having made any comment seeking to link water level in the reservoir and safety of the dam structure.
The burden of his argument was that the level needed to be brought down to 120 ft, which was consistent with the demand of the State Government.
The Chief Minister quoted Mr Dandapani as blaming the media for ‘twisting out of context' the statement made by him by picking and choosing parts thereof at will.
The Cabinet appreciated his logic and decided not to cede to demands for his summary removal from the post.
Mr Chandy said that the controversy involving the Advocate-General was a ‘closed chapter.'