K'taka 'disappointed' with Cauvery verdict

Bangalore, Feb 5 (UNI) The Karnataka Government convened a Cabinet meet and an all-party meeting tomorrow to discuss the fallout of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal verdict announced today, even as Governor T N Chaturvedi and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy appealed to the people of the State to maintain peace and harmony.

The Governor, in a message here, requested people not to ''pay heed to rumours of any kind. I request you to cooperate with the authorities to uphold the time-tested tradition of unity and peace.'' Commenting on the award issued 17 years after the Tribunal was formed, Mr Kumaraswamy said he would consult irrigation experts and discuss the future course of action at the all-party meeting. ''I cannot react without a copy of the judgement in my hand,'' he added.

Urging the people not to get emotional and disrupt peace, he sought the cooperation of the people and farmers to help the Government in taking further steps within the legal framework.

However, Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa announced in the Assembly that the Government was committed to file a review petition before the CWDT to safeguard the interests of the State. Making a suo motu statement, he said he held discussions with Mr Kumaraswamy in this regard.

Meanwhile, all members of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, cutting across party lines, extended support to the State Government to put up a legal fight to assert the State's right in the issue.

Terming the award as a ''historic injustice'' to Karnataka, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and Congress leader H K Patil said the ceiling of 14.5 lakh hectares of irrigated land imposed on Karnataka by the Tribunal was a severe blow to the farmers of Cauvery basin.

State Higher Education Minister D H Shankaramurthy told newspersons here that the award was a ''grave injustice'' to Karnataka. The Government was awaiting the full text of the verdict, but the initial report suggested that Karnataka had been denied its due share of water.

Cauvery Hitarakshana Horatta Samiti, spearheading the Cauvery water agitation in Karnataka, decided to hold a meeting tomorrow to analyse the verdict.

Speaking to newspersons in Mandya, Samiti President G Made Gowda said ''there is confusion about the quantum of water to be released to the lower riparian State. We will decide the future course of action tomorrow.'' UNI TEAM-RS GD VD HS2046