CHENNAI:With just two more weeks left for the formation of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as directed by the Supreme Court in its February 16 verdict, the Tamil Nadu Assembly may have a special sitting this week to discuss Cauvery issue and adopt a resolution urging the Central government to form the board within the stipulated period.
Already, DMK working president M K Stalin has urged Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the Cauvery issue as the six-week deadline set by the Supreme Court was fast approaching.A few other political parties wanted an all-party meeting to be convened once again.
Official sources said the special sitting may be held on the evening of March 15 or the next day. However, a final decision in this regard will be taken during the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the State Assembly on March 15.
Union Water Resources Secretary U P Singh, after the meeting of the Cauvery basin states on March 9, created a ripple among political parties when he said the Supreme Court had not explicitly said that the Cauvery Management Board should be formed, but indicated that a scheme should be put in place to implement the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
However, a day after, Tamil Nadu government clarified that the ‘scheme’ indeed meant the formation of CMB and it was clearly mentioned in Section 6A of Inter-State River Water Disputes Act and that the Central government has no other option but to form the board.
During the meeting of Cauvery basin states, it was said that the meeting discussed various models of implementing the interstate agreements and that the states would be filing their suggestions within a few days.When asked whether Tamil Nadu had filed its views, official sources said, “Tamil Nadu had given details on March 9 itself. If anything more is to be given, it would be sent.”
The all-party meeting held on February 22 adopted a resolution urging the Central government to form the CMB without any further delay and said a delegation of leaders of all parties would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard. However, the PMO did not give an audience immediately, but asked the State to meet the Union Water Resources Minister first.