Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister V D Satheesan used the Southern Zonal Council meeting in Mahabalipuram, chaired by Union home minister Amit Shah, on Thursday to pitch a broad regional agenda, seeking cooperation from neighbouring states on water, transport, security and economic development, while raising concerns over offshore mining and recent amendments to mining laws.On Mullaperiyar dam, Satheesan assured Tamil Nadu that Kerala would provide all the water from a new dam once the two states reach an agreement. Under the proposal, Kerala would bear the cost of construction, while the design, construction arrangements and location would be decided by Tamil Nadu. TN, however, showed no indication of moving away from its established position at the meeting. TN CM C Joseph Vijay demanded that the water level in the reservoir be raised to 152 ft.Satheesan sought regional cooperation for Kerala’s plans to develop itself as a major port-led economy under the Mission Samudra initiative. The proposal comes against the backdrop of the commissioning of full export-import operations at Vizhinjam and the state’s efforts to position the port as a major transshipment and maritime hub.Satheesan also called for the annulment of the recent amendments to the mining law, citing Kerala’s concerns over their implications for the constitutional and financial powers of states.In his address, the CM specifically opposed the auction of offshore mineral blocks off Kerala coast until a rigorous scientific assessment and a robust standard operating procedure are put in place. Kerala, he said, was particularly concerned about the potential environmental and social consequences for the state’s fragile coastal ecosystem and fishing communities.Coastal protection was another major concern. Satheesan said Kerala had a coastline of about 586 km, nearly 63% of which was classified as eroding, with around 30% of the state’s population living along the coast. He sought permission to undertake coastal protection and resettle families displaced by erosion using disaster response and mitigation funds.The CM also favoured providing one-third reservation for women in Parliament without increasing the total strength of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.He also sought exemption or substantially concessional toll rates for state road transport undertakings. KSRTC paid more than Rs 2.16 crore in tolls during June alone, despite operating as an essential public service, he said.On connectivity, he sought cooperation from Karnataka and the railway ministry to finalise the alignment and detailed project report for the Thalassery-Mysore and Nilambur-Nanjangud rail lines. He also sought a coordinated approach to night traffic restrictions on highways passing through forest stretches in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, proposing scientifically determined time windows and regulated convoy movement instead of blanket restrictions.Satheesan also sought stronger interstate coordination on policing, including the appointment of senior interstate police nodal officers, real-time intelligence sharing, sharing of prisoner information and coordinated patrolling along state borders to counter narcotics trafficking, organised crime, illegal migration and emerging cyber threats.The CM said the Southern Zonal Council should remain a platform for cooperative federalism and for resolving issues between states through dialogue rather than confrontation.
