Experts giving shape to review petition on Cauvery: CM

Chennai, Feb 23 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today said legal and technical experts were finalising the clauses to be included in the state's review petition to be filed before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT).

Reacting to AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa's charge that the government failed to take steps on the issue even two days after an all-party meeting extended support to it, he said under Section 5(3) of Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, any aggrieved party could file an appeal within a period of three months.

As the Tribunal would take up the case only after completion of three months, Tamil Nadu still had two-and-a-half months time to file the review petition, he said.

Mr Karunanidhi also pointed out the all-party meeting, convened on Monday last, unanimously adopted a resolution that the appeal be preferred before the Tribunal, after listing out necessary clarifications and steps needed for their implementation.

The meeting, in which AIADMK representatives took part, also resolved to consult legal and technical experts and file the appeal to safeguard the interest of people of Tamil Nadu, he added.

''It is not good on the part of Ms Jayalalithaa to attempt to create a confusion on the issue in order to affect the lives of Tamils in Karnataka and bring embarrassment to the Tamil Nadu Government,'' he said.

On Ms Jayalalithaa's charge the Congress had not spelt out its stand clearly on the Cauvery issue and the party was more concerned about Karnataka than Tamil Nadu, Mr Karunanidhi said TN Congress Committee President M Krishnasamy had not expressed any view against the state's interest at the all-party meet.

Though Ms Jayalalithaa had not attended the meeting, she should have at least sought details from those who had participated, before issuing statements, he added.

UNI