Kerala to approach SC on Cauvery Tribunal verdict

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 13: The Kerala government is planning to seek a clarification from the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal and move the Supreme Court against the Tribunal's verdict, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan informed the Assembly today.

The Tribunal did not consider the state's demand and had not even provided eligible share of water to it, he said in a written reply.

After discussing the verdict with senior counsel, the government would seek a clarification from the Tribunal and move the apex court against the verdict, he said.

Though the state required a total of 6.70 tmc water for its two hydel projects, including five tmc water for Kuttiyadi and 1.7 tmc water for Banasurasagar projects, the Tribunal had alloted only 0.84 tmc water to Banasurasagar hydel project, he pointed out.

In another written reply, Mr Achuthanandan said the government had noted that the Tamil Nadu Government was violating the agreements in the Parambikulam-Aliyar projects and added that there was no case existing before the Supreme court in this regard.

There were no condition in the agreement to renew the Parambikulam-Aliyar project, but a Clause had been included in it that the agreement should be reviewed every 30 years.

Though Kerala and Tamil Nadu had taken steps to review the agreement since 1988, so far both the states had failed to reach a consensus in this regard, he said, adding Kerala had already informed its willingness to Tamil Nadu to solve the differences through dialogues.

Mr Achuthanandan also informed that the state had to receive Rs 21,56,813 from Tamil Nadu as lease amount.

UNI