Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi rejects contempt plea, then writes to PM for Cauvery Management Board constitution

PUDUCHERRY: Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Kiran Bedi has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Union government to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) to save the farmers of Karaikal region.This comes after she decided against granting approval to the Congress government’s proposal to file a contempt of court petition in Supreme Court against the Central government for not complying with the apex court’s final order on Cauvery water sharing between riparian states by constituting the CMB  and CWRC. 

Instead she approved the UT government to file an interlocutory petition before the Supreme Court to expedite the process of constitution of CMB and CWRC, said Bedi in a letter to Prime Minister on Monday.It may be recalled that the government had moved a file in this regard to the L-G on March 27. It had enclosed the resolution adopted in the territorial assembly on March 26, and sought her approval for filing the contempt petition in the interest of hapless farmers of Karaikal region of the UT, that lies in the tail-end of Cauvery Delta.

Bedi justified her decision against granting approval, stating that Puducherry cannot file the petition being not an independent entity, as it is part of Government of India to an extent as UT. “Which is why I have written to the PMO and others and approved instead, the filing of an interlocutory petition asking for expeditious decision,” said Bedi.Stating that when there is a difference of opinion between the L-G and Chief Minister, the matter is referred to the Government of India for a decision, she said she has done so through a separate letter to Union Home Ministry.

Bedi, who is now in New Delhi, while appraising the Prime Minister about her decisions, urged the PM to direct the ministry concerned to constitute CMB and CWRC forthwith.Bedi said farmers in Karaikal are entirely dependent on timely release of Cauvery water for agriculture. Due to inordinate and abysmally low quantum of water released, the area under cultivation has drastically reduced.It is heartening to note that the Supreme Court has pronounced its judgement with regard the to the quantum of water for Karaikal as 7 tmc, Bedi added.