Cauvery: Govt gathering info to file review petition

Chennai, Mar 26: Tamil Nadu Public Works Minister Duraimurugan today told the state Assembly that the government was compiling information to file a review petition before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on its final award.

Intervening the debate on the general discussion on the Budget for the year 2007-08, he said the government was holding discussions with eminent laywers and engineers to finalise its review petition to be filed before the Tribunal, seeking redressal of the shortcomings to the state in the final award.

Reiterating that the gazette notification of the final award of the Tribunal was possible only if the Tribunal gave its final report on the review petitions filed by the states concerned within 90 days time, Mr Duraimurugan said till the time the Centre issued notification, the interm award would be in force.

On Mr Ramakrishnan's (MDMK) query on why the state government had not moved the Supreme Court on the issue, the Minister said ''now there was no basis for the state to move the apex court.'' Even if the state government moved the court, the Supreme Court would only ''send us back to exhaust the remedies before the Tribunal'', he said.

However, if Karnataka filed a petition before the Supreme court, the Tamil Nadu government, if necessary, would also file a petition before the apex court, he said.

''We are keenly watching Karnataka's steps to make our moves,'' he said adding Karnataka was ''confusing itself and others'' by stating that it would move the Tribunal, file a petition before the Supreme Court and demand that the Centre should issue the gazette notification on the final award.

Tamil Nadu was, however, very clear that it would approach the Tribunal under section 5(3) of the Inter-state Water Disputes Act 1956, Mr Duraimurugan said

Mr Duraimurugan informed the House that there was sufficient water for Kuruvai cultivation this year. Even if the water was not sufficient, it would take all steps to secure the water as it was fighting for the implementation of the final award, he said. Explaining the legal position on gazette notification, the Minister said after the states concerned filed their review petitions before the Tribunal within the 90 days time, the Tribunal would give its final report to the Centre, giving necessary explanations or guidances.

Only on receipt of the final report, the Centre would notify the award in the gazette, he said, adding till the final award reached the implementation stage, the interim award that Karnataka make available 205 tmc ft of water to Tamil Nadu would be in force.

When the MDMK member asked whether the government would ensure that Karanataka released 205 tmc ft of water, Mr Duraimurugan said Karnataka had also not honoured the interim award. Tamil Nadu received sufficient water only when there was rain in Karnataka, he said.

Rejecting the member's comment that Tamil Nadu remained silent on Kerala's campaign against increasing the water level in the Mullaiperiyar dam through advertisements, the Minister said Kerala was only reacting to the campaign launched by Tamil Nadu about the safety of the dam.

On the move by the Andhra Pradesh government to build a dam across Palar, Mr Duraimurugan said the DMK government had taken up the issue with the Andhra Pradesh government and was trying to amicably resolve the issue to protect the interest of the people in northern districts.

He said the Andhra Pradesh government could not unilaterally build the dam without the knowledge of the state and Union Environment Ministry.

UNI