Kerala Government today lodged its protest with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh over an alleged security inspection conducted by central Intelligence Bureau (IB) across the contentious Mullaperiyar Dam, without informing the state government.
"They have conducted an inspection without the knowledge of our (state) government. After coming to know about it, we have lodged our protest with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh," Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters here.
Chandy also said that the Centre should have informed the state about the security inspection.
"Kerala Government was not at all aware about the inspection conducted by the IB. When such inspections are being conducted in a state, the Centre used to inform the respective state. But, they have not followed it in this issue," the Chief Minister alleged.
Stating that there was no necessity for CISF to man the Mullaperiyar Dam, he said that the Kerala Government police was already providing security in the dam.
He also expressed hope that the Centre would take the same stand of the Kerala Government that CISF security was not required to the contentious dam.
Chandy's statement comes on a day when the Supreme Court sought response from the Kerala government on Tamil Nadu's plea that security of Mullaperiyar dam be handed over to CISF.
On May 7 last year, the Supreme Court had held that the 120-year-old dam was safe and allowed the Tamil Nadu government to raise the water level to 142 feet and ultimately to 152 feet after completion of strengthening measures on the dam.
Mullaperiyar dam is a masonry dam and was constructed pursuant to the Periyar Lake Lease Agreement of October 29, 1886 across Periyar river. The construction continued for about eight years and was completed in 1895.
The dam is situated in Thekkady in Idukki district of Kerala. The length of the main dam is 1,200 feet and top of the dam is 155 feet.
