MYSURU: Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy on Tuesday urged farmers not to protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and assured them that the government would stand by distressed ryots.
He asked farmers, who were protesting in Mandya, to have patience. The dispute concerning Cauvery water sharing and Karnataka’s petition is coming up before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, he added. “I have prayed for a favourable judgement as we have apprised the court of the ground situation in the Cauvery basin.”
Cheluvarayaswamy and Mandya MLA Ravikumar met protesting members of the Raitha Hitharakshana near Sir M Visvesvaraya’s statue.
Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has called for unity in this fight. All political parties have assured the government of support, and an all-party delegation that will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi will ask for a distress formula. The government is committed to farmers’ interests in Hemavathi, KRS, Kabini and Haranadi achukats, he said.