BENGALURU: Karnataka, which is mulling a review petition against the recent Supreme Court verdict on the Cauvery water dispute, will finalise its stand on the issue based on the opinion of its legal team headed by Fali S Nariman. A meeting of leaders of all political parties, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Thursday, decided to take an appropriate decision on the future course of action based on the opinion of the legal team.
The apex court has awarded 14.75 tmcft more water to Karnataka, which includes 4.75 tmcft water to meet the drinking requirements of Bengaluru. However, the SC order to the Union government to formulate a scheme within six weeks to ensure compliance of its judgment, which includes constitution of the Cauvery Management Board or any other forum, has raised concerns of political parties and farmers’ associations in the state.
The all-party meeting convened to discuss all aspects of the SC verdict and formulate Karnataka’s stand on future course of action was attended by the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Jagadish Shettar, JD(S) floor leader in the Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti, MLAs, MLCs, MPs of Cauvery basin, and Advocate General Madhusudan Naik.Briefing reporters after the meeting, Siddaramaiah said, “Opposition leaders, who participated in the meeting, raised several issues and expressed concern and opposition to constitution of the Cauvery Management Board. The SC has ordered the Union government to set up a dispute redressal mechanism within six weeks. We do not know what mechanism the Centre will evolve.”
Political parties and farmers’ associations in the state are of the view that the state deserved to get a higher allocation of water — about 30 to 40 tmcft instead of 14.75 tmcft.The Union Water Resources Secretary has convened a meeting of Chief Secretaries of all the four states of Cauvery basin — Karanataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry — on Friday in New Delhi to discuss the modalities of implementing the SC verdict.
The state government will finalise its stand on whether to file a review petition against the SC verdict or not after based on the outcome of the meeting to be held in New Delhi on Friday, Siddaramaiah said. “We will present our concerns and opinion about the dispute resolution mechanism at the meeting of the Chief Secretaries.”
Gadkari suggested review plea, says Gowda
Bengaluru:Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Thursday said Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari had suggested that the state government file a review petition in the Apex Court in the Cauvery river water sharing dispute. Gowda met Gadkari in the national capital on Thursday and explained to him the injustice done to the state in the issue. “During the discussion, the minister suggested that the state file a petition and I suggested that the Centre should file a review petition over formation of a Cauvery management board,” Gowda said. The former PM had stayed away from the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Thursday. The Supreme Court had directed the Centre to form a Cauvery Management Board to implement the tribunal order.