Karunanidhi seeks Sonia’s help to set up 500-MW plant

Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, accompanied by his daughter Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha MP, met Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her residence here on Thursday and pleaded with her to take up the issue of setting up of a 500-MW power plant in Tamil Nadu at the earliest to tide over power shortage in the State.
Talking to reporters soon after the meeting Mrs. Gandhi, the Chief Minister said, “I explained to her the precarious power situation in the State and requested her to take up the matter with Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde for expediting the power project.”
He said the State government was taking all steps to tackle the naxal menace.
The nabbing of the naxalites at Theni on Wednesday was an indication how effectively and seriously the problem was being tackled.
On Wednesday’s talks with Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan on the Mullaperiyar issue, he said, “I will not say it is a failure but it is a forward movement.
We had allayed the apprehensions voiced by Kerala that the seepage would affect the strength of the dam.
We had explained that the various expert committees had said that the fears of Kerala in this regard are unfounded.”