Duraimurugan explains Tamil Nadu govt. stand

He releases a copy of letter of permit to cut trees issued by Kerala

Days after Kerala’s Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran said neither his Chief Minister nor his office was aware of the permission granted to Tamil Nadu for cutting trees in the baby dam in Mullaperiyar, Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan wondered whether an official could grant such permission to another State without the knowledge of his government.

“A media report published in Kerala has quoted a Forest Department official as saying that the permission was given only with the concurrence of the Minister. This involves the officials and Minister of that State and we do not want to interfere. But the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister wrote in goodwill to his Kerala counterpart, thanking him. Some people here intend to politicise any issue,” he said.

The Minister also released a copy of the communication from the Kerala's Forest Department granting permission to fell 15 trees. At an interaction with reporters in the Secretariat, Mr. Duraimurugan sought to explain the circumstances that led to water release from the Mullaperiyar dam on October 29, contending that Tamil Nadu was only following the directions of the Supreme Court.