Do not notify Cauvery award, Karnataka urges PM

Tribunal failed to take note of our objections, says Shettar

Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Monday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to notify the proposed final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.

There are just two days left for the deadline set by the Supreme Court, which had asked the Centre to notify the final award of the Cauvery Water Tribunal by February 20.

“The most important development to be brought to your notice is that the tribunal has over-estimated the crop water requirement of Tamil Nadu based on the self-serving affidavits of Tamil Nadu, overlooking the objections of Karnataka,” Shettar said in a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister.

Shettar was accompanied by state Law Minister Suresh, Opposition Leader in Karnataka Assembly, Siddaramaiah, Union Ministers Mallikarjuna Kharge, Rehman Khan, BJP leader Ananth Kumar, and Janata Dal (Secular) leader Basavaraj Horatti, among others. The memorandum says that the latest assessment made by the team of Central Water Commission (CWC), under the direction of the Supreme Court, “has exposed the incorrect claims of Tamil Nadu”.

“Therefore, I feel that the very basis of allocation of water to Tamil Nadu needs to be revisited,” the memorandum said.

Shettar also brought to the notice of the Prime Minister that civil appeals are pending before the Supreme Court, so he should not notify the final award of the CWDT.

The leaders also contended that unless the civil appeals are disposed of by the SC, the “Cauvery Management Board should not be set up”.

“The Prime Minister said that they will study the issue and get back to us. The Prime Minister said that he will look into the matter,” Shettar said after the meeting. Karnataka commenced release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu from February 9 complying with the Supreme Court order directing it to release 2.44 TMC to save standing crops. The release triggered protests by farmers’ outfits.

Karnataka has moved the SC seeking review of its order citing depleted storage in its reservoirs.

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