Kerala is examining the possibilities of exercising its riparian rights to seek higher allocation from the Parambikulam-Aliyar rivers in view of the steep increase in utilisation of water from the river basins of the Bharathapuzha and the Chalakudi. The matter was discussed at a high-level review meeting convened by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan here on Monday in preparation of the Chief Secretary-level conference to be held in the State capital on May 30. The Water Resources Minister's office, in a statement issued here on Monday, said the meeting discussed the stand to be taken to protect the State's interests and the points to be raised relating to the review of the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement. Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran, Chief Secretary P.J. Thomas, Additional Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar, Kerala State Electricity Board Chairman (KSEB) Rajiv Sadanandan, Adviser on Inter-State River Waters V.M. Valson, members of the Inter-State River Water Advisory Committee, Chief Engineers and other officials of the Water Resources Department and the KSEB were among those who attended the meeting. The State government has been making elaborate preparations for the Chief Secretary-level conference being held for the first time since an abortive meeting in 2004. On May 13, the Chief Secretary convened a meeting of officials of the Water Resources, Power, Forest, and Law Departments. This was followed up with a review meeting attended by Mr. Premachandran and Power Minister A.K. Balan, leading to the setting up of a task force to collect the necessary details. The Water Resources Minister, along with a high-level team, had visited the project areas on a fact-finding mission. During the last 20 years, several conferences at the official and ministerial levels were held. The latest meeting was on December 18, 2004 when the Chief Secretaries of the two States met in Chennai.