In Kerala, an all party meeting is being held in Thiruvananthapuram today to discuss Mullaperiyar dam issue. As a follow up of the all party meeting, a special session of Kerala assembly will be held on Friday to discuss the dam issue.

State Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that official level talks between Kerala and Tamil Nadu will be held on 15th or 16th of this month to sort out the mullaperiyar dam safety issue. Addressing the media after a late night emergency cabinet meeting in Thiruvananthapuram he urged the people of Kerala to keep maximum restraint on the issue.

The Centre had invited senior officials from Tamil Nadu and Kerala for discussions on the Mullaperiyar Dam issue. The decision to invite officials came in the wake of several political parties from both states meeting the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and seeking his intervention on the issue. Union Water Resources Ministry has sent out letters to both states inviting them for a meeting on the issue either on the 15 or 16 of this month in New Delhi.

Meanwhile an empowered committee appointed by Supreme Court on Mullaperiyar Dam dispute, will visit the dam site this month to carry out an on-the-spot assessment of the claims made by Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The dates of the visit, which are agreeable to the two states, will be decided later this week.