CHENNAI: During the all-party meeting convened by the State government, opposition leaders in unison demanded formation of the Cauvery Management Board and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee.
DMK working president, MK Stalin said, “Though the Supreme Court had given its verdict quoting the Godavari and Krishna Water Tribunals, the court had not given a clear direction to the Centre to form the CMB. This should be dealt with caution.”
The SC verdict on February 16 had rejected an argument by the Centre that Section 6A of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act of 1956 bestowed upon it discretion in framing a Cauvery water sharing scheme. The court said the argument did not stand to reason and a scheme had to be framed under Section 6A as per the Tribunal award, said Stalin.
When the SC, on September 30 last, directed the Centre to form the CMB within three days, the Centre argued that only Parliament had the powers to frame the ‘scheme’. Now, we should not leave it to the Centre to put forth the same argument to dodge the formation of CMB any more, but exert pressure on the PM to form the board within five weeks as already one week had passed after the judgment.
Vaiko opined that the CMB should be formed immediately and Karnataka should not be allowed to construct dams across Cauvery. The State government should go in for an appeal against the SC verdict, he opined.
The Central government should act in an impartial manner in Cauvery water issue and render justice to Tamil Nadu. The rights of our farmers should be established, said CPI State secretary R Mutharasan.
CPM State secretary K Balakrishnan feels that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not form the CMB and CWRC immediately as the present Central government has been taking an unfair stand against TN.
VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan echoed Balakrishnan’s sentiments and said that the State government should exert pressure on the Centre to ensure the formation of these mechanisms immediately.
Naam Thamizhar Katchi leader Seeman welcomed the decision to meet PM Modi and urge him to form the CMB and CWRC.
For the first time, Tamil Nadu stands united on the Cauvery dispute. The resolution on immediate formation of CMB and CWRC is historic, said Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani.
MMK leader MH Jawahirullah said that the Assembly should be convened to discuss the Cauvery issue and it should pass a resolution urging the Centre to form the CMB and CWRC immediately. PR Pandian, president, All Farmers Associations’ Coordination Committee.