27 politicos got money from LTTE: Swamy

Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy today claimed he had ‘official evidences’ that 27 political leaders belonging to various parties in Tamilnadu received money from the LTTE.



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Speaking to reporters here, he said he would go to the court with the evidences if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh failed to take action against ‘those leaders’.

‘I have received official and authentic evidences from Sri Lanka that 27 political leaders in the State received money from the Tigers. I am ready to unveil the details in the court if the Prime Minister of India failed to initiate action against them,’ he said.

Swamy also named some leaders, including some popular ones, and alleged all of them were paid by the LTTE seeking their support.

On the Sethusamudram Shipping Canal Project (SSCP), the Janata Party leader said that, if the Union government did not come forward to halt the project, he would file a case against former Union Minster T R Baalu, who he alleged had amassed Rs 3,000 crore through the SSCP.

On the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) row, Swamy said it was the duty of the Election Commission to build confidence on the EVMs. ‘Like how people get receipts when they withdraw money in the ATMs, receipts should be given to voters when they exercise their franchisee in the machines.’

Alleging that the ruling DMK involved in atrocities and malpractices in the 13 May Lok Sabha elections, Swamy said political parties should come together to defeat the DMK in the forthcoming elections.

He also said that a Hindu should take charge as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh as there were problems between Hindus and Christians in the State.

Revealing the future plans of his party, Swamy said Janata Party would work with the BJP and campaign on various issues like agriculture and fishery. ‘We will continue our relationship till the 2011 Assembly polls,’ he said.

On an award presented to Congress president Sonia Gandhi by Belgium, he said there were no issues if it was a mere award. ‘She should be removed from the MP post if the Belgium honour is like an official designation.’ He also said plans were on to file a case in this regard

Farmers demand check dams across the Vahini

Farmers in five panchayats near Hosur are demanding construction of check dams across the Vahini River to store rainwater during the monsoon season. The 20-km river passes through the panchayats of Begepalli, Jhujhuwadi, Nallur, Avalapalli, Kelevarapalli and Muthali.

Taluk president of the Tamilnadu Vivasayigal Sangam D. Kothandaraman told The Hindu that the Vahini was one of the perennial water sources of the region a decade ago and due to mushrooming industries, real estate activities and encroachments, it had shrunk at many places. Its width at some places was as much as 300 feet. It was now reduced to 50 feet. Its main water source was the Bidarakuppa Lake at Athipalli in Karanataka.

A five-feet bund of an old check dam, which was there for about 70 years between Bagepalli and Bagoor in the Begepalli Panchayat, was dismantled by the authorities and it was replaced with a 30-feet concrete road. Though the road was formed just four months back, people had to wade through water in hip-deep water. Water from this check dam was used for irrigating 500 acres of paddy cultivation.

The Vahini’s path was encroached upon all along its length till it converged with the South Pennar River near the Muneeswarar temple in Sangameshwara after passing through Bogepalli, Bagoor, Jhujhuwadi, Pedarapalli, Nallur, Agraharam, Govind Agraharam, Petha Elasagiri, Madiwalam, Nallur, Sithanapalli, Basthi, Punuganthotti, Thimmasandiram and Thottagiri villages, Mr. Kothandaraman said.

“The salubrious weather condition in this region is well suited for cultivation of all kinds of cash crops such as cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, beans, beetroot, noolkol, cucumber, fruits such as grapes, flowers such as rose and samanthi and mulberry cultivation. Even small farmers with marginal landholding would benefit if check dams are built. Farmers are now depending wholly on borewater. Borewells have to dug up roughly about 300 to 400 feet to get water,’’ said the 72-year-old C. Narayana Reddy, a farmer.

He said that if the authorities cleaned up the river path and built five check dams, it would benefit about 2,000 acres throughout the year. Besides helping in recharging the groundwater table in the nearby areas, the check dams would create employment opportunities for the youth of the region who had small land holdings and also improve the socio-economic standards of the people.

The Tamilnadu Vivasayigal Sangam proposed to submit a petition to Collector V.K. Shanmugam soon, said Mr. Kothandaraman.