Signature campaign against Cauvery award

Mysore, Mar 22 (UNI) The agitation against the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in the Cauvery basin districts of Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajanagara today further intensified by an awareness rally and signature campaign.

Lakhs of signatures would be collected from the public and sent to President A P J Abdul Kalam and the Union Government, demanding justice for the State, Cauvery Kriya Samithi President and former Union Minister V Sreenivasa Prasad had announced.

In Mandya district, the Janata Dal (United) began a rally from Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir to Bangalore to create awareness among the people and farmers about the ''injustice'' meted out to the State. Party State President B Somasekhar flagged off the rally by performing pooja to an idol of Cauvery at KRS. After reaching Bangalore on March 26, they would submit a memorandum to Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike President Narayana Gowda told reporters in Mandya that the Vedike would take out a rally from Talacauvery, the originating place of river Cauvery, on March 27 to Bangalore.

The Cauvery Hitarakshana Samithi, spearheading the agitation since February five when the final award was pronounced, decided to postpone their meeting of all Cauvery basin leaders in Bangalore by a day to March 29 to discuss, among other things, the future course of action of the agitation.

In Maddur, physically challenged people took out a procession against the verdict. Dharnas were staged at Mandya, Pandavapura and Srirangapatna.

In Mysore, the Cauvery Kriya Samithi continued its dharna at K R Circle. All former and present panchayat office bearers and members also staged a dharna.

UNI