Chennai, Mar 31 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and raised a host of issues, including NEET exemption and the Mekedatu, and sought funds for various developmental programmes concerning the State. During the meeting, Stalin submitted a 41-page memorandum to the Prime Minister highlighting 14 issues concerning the state. On the Mekedatu dam issue, he requested him to direct the Ministry of Jal Shakti not to give any clearance to Karnataka for Mekedatu Project or for any new reservoir project of Karnataka in the Cauvery basin, and advise Cauvery Water Management Authority, also not to give approval for the Mekedatu Project and direct the Karnataka Government not to take up any new project construction activities in the Cauvery basin without the prior consent of the Tamil Nadu Government. He said Karnataka is planning to take up Mekedatu Reservoir Project, which is a major project of capacity of 67.16 TMC ft., in the guise of drinking water project, which is in violation of the February 16, 2018 Judgment of the Supreme Court. In the Final Order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, which has been modified by the Apex Court, the three components contributing to the annual quantum of water to be delivered by the State of Karnataka at the inter-State contact point have been clearly identified. They are, (i) the flows coming in river Cauvery from the uncontrolled catchment of Kabini sub-basin, downstream of Kabini reservoir, the catchment of mainstream of Cauvery river below Krishnarajasagara, uncontrolled flows from Simsha, Arkavathy and Suvarnavathy sub-basins and various other small streams, (ii) release from Krishnarajasagara and (iii) release from Kabini reservoir. The proposed Mekedatu project would impound and divert the first component of uncontrolled flows due to Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the implementation of Mekedatu project would affect the interests of Tamil Nadu’s farming comm ty. It is an attempt to impound the uncontrolled flows in violation of the award as affirmed by the Supreme Court. Stalin said Karnataka cannot take action laterally to construct a reservoir in the Cauvery basin, as per the Supreme Court Judgment. Since, this project will affect Tamil Nadu’s interest, Tamil Nadu opposed it and filed applications in the Apex Court on November 30, 2018 and a Miscellaneous Application on August 27, 2021 which are pending in the Supreme Court and hence the matter is sub-judice. Following objections from the Tamil Nadu Government, the Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley and Hydroelectric projects of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in July, 2019 did not grant Terms of Reference to Karnataka’s Mekedatu project and directed to get the issue settled with the co-riparian States. However, in violation of the Supreme Court and without obtaining the concurrences of the co-basin States, Karnataka has allocated a sum of Rs.1000 crores in its 2022-23 budget for the construction of the proposed Mekedatu Project, which has caused great anguish amongst the farmers of Tamil Nadu. It is a fact that even in good or normal rainfall years, the Karnataka Government is not releasing water as per the monthly schedule fixed by the Supreme Court, especially during the months of June to September, when the cultivation has to be commenced and progressed as per the time tested crop calendar for better yield and consequently sustain the livelihood of the farmers. GV 1408