Kaveri river dispute echoed in the meeting with Amit Shah, Southern states raised their voice on NEET and delimitation

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New Delhi: A meeting of the Southern Regional Council was held under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. In the meeting, the states of South India raised many issues related to delimitation, political representation, NEET, river water sharing and economic share. The states said that along with development, their political voice and participation in national policies should also be maintained.

Why are southern states worried about delimitation?

Let us tell you, the issue of delimitation was the most discussed in the meeting. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay expressed concern that the political power of the southern states could be reduced if Lok Sabha seats are redistributed on the basis of population. Vijay said that the states which have done good work in the field of population control and development should not suffer the loss of their political representation because of this.

DK Shivakumar has also appealed to the Council to pass a resolution to maintain the parliamentary strength of the southern states. He has suggested maintaining the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats and implementing reservation for women within this number.

Tamil Nadu's demand on NEET

Tamil Nadu has also raised the issue of NEET strongly in the meeting. Chief Minister Vijay said that this examination creates difficulties for students from rural and economically weaker sections. He has demanded to make 12th marks the basis for admission in MBBS, BDS and AYUSH under state quota.

Water issue also discussed

The distribution of water of Kaveri and other rivers has also been an important topic of discussion in the meeting. Karnataka has sought cooperation on the Mekedatu project. At the same time, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu proposed to use more than 500 TMC of water through the Godavari-Kaveri river interlinking project. Kerala has raised issues related to Mullaperiyar Dam, coastal security and rail connectivity. Along with this, the state has also demanded more cooperation from the Center for coastal erosion and health services.

Chandrababu Naidu pointed out the need to create better transportation, logistics, power and port networks between the southern states. In the meeting, emphasis was also laid on strengthening drug trafficking, coastal security, disaster management and inter-state cooperation.

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