Cauvery review petition before tribunal first: CM

Chennai, Apr 20 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today reiterated in the Assembly that his government would first file a review petition before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in the interest of the state and move the Supreme Court at a later stage.

Responding to a special call attention motion moved by Deputy Leader of the Opposition O Panneerselvam, he said the Karnataka Government had decided to approach the apex court for its benefit.

Karnataka wanted to move the SC and nullify the final award of the Tribunal. If such a thing happened, the stalemate over the past 50 years would continue and Tamil Nadu would be back to square one.

''That is why, we have carefully taken a decision to move the Supreme Court at a later stage,'' he added.

Mr Karunanidhi said as per the decision taken at an all-party meeting on April 15, the government would first file the review petition before the Tribunal.

Citing media reports that the Karnataka Cabinet had cleared the draft of the State's petition on the Cauvery dispute, to be filed before the Supreme Court, the Chief Minister said Karantaka would stand to gain cent per cent if they moved the SC and nullified the final award. In such an eventuality, it would be a huge loss to Tamil Nadu, he added.

Mr Karunanidhi said Cauvery Delta Farmers Association President Ranganathan, who moved the Supreme Court on the Cauvery issue and was instrumental in constituting the Tribunal, had also expressed the view at the all-party meeting that the government should move the Apex Court only if justice was not rendered by the Tribunal.

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