Plan panel agrees to provide Rs.16,000 crore for State

Consequent to the Tamil Nadu Government’s performance in executing the last year’s annual plan, the Planning Commission has agreed to provide Rs. 16,000 crore for the State.

The Annual Plan for Tamil Nadu for 2008-09 was finalised in New Delhi on Monday at a meeting between Finance Minister Anbazhagan and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi is expected to make a formal announcement on the plan size and priorities on Tuesday.

Officials said the State had got what it had wanted to carry forward the capital and development works that it had planned to execute next year.

Declare inter-linking of rivers a national project: Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Wednesday reiterated that inter-linking of rivers in the country should be declared as a ‘national project’ and a time-bound action plan be implemented for the same.
Addressing the National Development Council meeting of Chief Ministers of various States, Mr. Karunanidhi said: “In the last NDC meeting, I had strongly advocated for inclusion and funding of interlinking of the peninsular rivers in the first instance during the 11th Plan itself.”
He added: “I am afraid that any further delay in the implementation of this project will be detrimental to the development of our nation. All of us are well aware of the strain in the inter-State relations due to inter-State river water disputes. If unresolved, such disputes may pose a threat to the very unity and integrity of this country.”
Mr. Karunanidhi said: “Our nation has an established constitutional and legal framework for resolution of such disputes. Hence, in the interest of harmony among the States, it is imperative that all such disputes are resolved under the existing laws of the land and all the States respect and abide by the decisions of the competent authorities.”
Linking of intra-State rivers would also require substantial funding, which a State government could not afford to bear on its own, he said, and urged that funding of projects for intra-State rivers as already resolved in the 53rd NDC meeting.

Sethu project: court adjourns hearing on Swamy’s plea

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to January 16, 2008 hearing on a batch of petitions filed by Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy and others challenging the implementation of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel Project.
A three-Judge Bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice J.M. Panchal, adjourned the hearing as the Centre sought further time to file its response.
Additional Solicitor-General R. Mohan, appearing for the Sethusamudram Corporation, told the Bench that the government was examining the report of the expert committee and some more time was required to file the response. When counsel for some of the petitioners wanted the court to direct the Centre to give copies of the committee’s report, the CJI told them: “We have not appointed the committee. We only allowed them to set up the committee. They may or may not accept the report. You challenge if any decision is taken.”
Dr. Swamy told the Bench: “I had filed an application urging the court to take suo motu contempt of court proceedings against K. Veeramani, President of the Dravidar Kazhagam for writing a letter to the CJI asking him not to entrust the Sethusamudram case to a Bench headed by Justice B.N. Agrawal [it was this Bench that said that Ramar Sethu should not be destroyed].”
He alleged that the DK President, by writing a letter to the CJI, had interfered with the administration of justice.