The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to meet and amicably settle the Cauvery water dispute that has been dogging both the states for a long time.
“Why can’t both the chief ministers sit together and give it a try? It is not impossible,” a Bench comprising Justice D K Jain and Justice Madan B Lokur said.
“There would be a problem if either of the two sides blinks, so we want you to meet in a congenial atmosphere and discuss the issue in the larger interests of the farmers in both the states,” the Bench added.
“It is not possible for the Cauvery River Authority (CRA), headed by the Prime Minister, to meet. So, the state governments should meet to find a solution,” it said. “The chief ministers should not meet just for coffee but they should meet along with their experts to find a solution,” it said.
Fali Nariman, senior counsel who appeared for Karnataka, said there was no problem in meeting and the Karnataka Chief Minister would certainly meet his Tamil Nadu counterpart.
However, C S Vaidyanathan, counsel for Tamil Nadu, was non-committal, and said he would have to seek instructions from the state government. The Bench posted the matter to November 30.
Meanwhile, sources said Shettar is likely to meet his Tamil Nadu counterpart Jayalalithaa later this week.