CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday told the Assembly that the government has been waging a legal battle for the formation of the much-clamoured Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee as mandated in the final award of the Tribunal.
Intervening during a debate on the demand for grants to Agriculture department, he denied the charges levelled by DMK’s Kumbakonam MLA G Anbalagan that AIADMK government did not show interest in pursuing the State’s cause on the vexatious river water sharing row.
Explaining the steps, including legal recourse, initiated by late chief minister J Jayalalithaa, Palaniswami said a case relating to the matter would come up for hearing before the Supreme Court on 11 July.
“Amma wrote letters to the Prime Minister twice seeking to constitute CMB and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee. Since there was no action, she moved Supreme Court. As far as Amma’s government is concerned, it is waging legal battle for constitution of CMB and Regulatory Committee.”
Palaniswami attacked the Opposition saying that the party did not take any steps to get the final award, issued on 5 February, 2007, published in the Gazette.
However, Amma approached the apex court leading to publication of the award in the Gazette, he noted.
Will fight for Palar water
Referring to Palar river issue, the chief minister assured that his government would fight for getting TN farmers’ due share of water through legal recourse. “We have filed case in Supreme Court. It is pending. Will soon come up for hearing. We will put forth our arguments to get due share in Palar water.”
Thamirabarani-Karumeniyar-Nambiyar project
Responding to the charges of delay in executing the Thamirabarani-Karumeniyar-Nambiyar project, the chief minister noted that the delay was caused to due to bottlenecks in land acquisition.
However, ninety per cent of land, required for first two phases, was completed while survey was being held for the remaining two phases, he stated.