K'taka MPs to seek discussion in Parliament on Cauvery

New Delhi, Feb 22 (UNI) A meeting of Members of Parliament from Karnataka today decided to seek a discussion on the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in both Houses of Parliament to highlight the ''injustice'' meted out to the state and pressurise the government not to notify the award in the official gazettte.

A decision in this regard was taken at a three-hour meeting convened by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy here tonight, which was attended by 29 MPs of the state.

The MPs will meet again after the President's address in Parliament tomorrow and seek time from the Presiding Officers to present Karnataka's point of view under rule 123 in Parliament, the highest democratic forum available for resolving contentious matters involving one or more states, Karnataka Home Minister M P Prakash told newspersons after the meeting.

The meeting remained silent on the course to be adopted by the Karnataka government in view of the All Party Meeting called by it on February 24 where the state government is expected to discuss the future steps available to the government including filing a revision petition before the Tribunal or the Supreme Court or seeking intervention by the Centre in consultation with the leaders of all parties.

A final decision, however, would be taken after consulting constitutional and legal experts and irrigation engineers.

Among those who attended the meeting were former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, Irrigation Minister Eswarappa, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan, former Chief Minister of Karnataka S Bangarappa, Union Ministers from the state M V Rajasekharan, K H Muniappa and H N Ananthkumar, besides former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman K Kasturirangan.

Former Information and Broadcasting Minister M H Ambareesh, who resigned from his post in protest against the Cauvery award, did not attend the meeting.

More UNI