Cauvery review petition before tribunal first: Karuna

Chennai, Apr 20: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi todayreiterated in the Assembly that his government would first file areview petition before the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in theinterest of the state and move the Supreme Court at a later stage.

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

Karnataka wanted to move the SC and nullify the final award of theTribunal. If such a thing happened, the stalemate over the past 50years 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-partymeeting on April 15, the government would first file the reviewpetition before the Tribunal.

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

Mr Karunanidhi said Cauvery Delta Farmers Association PresidentRanganathan, who moved the Supreme Court on the Cauvery issue and wasinstrumental in constituting the Tribunal, had also expressed the viewat the all-party meeting that the government should move the Apex Courtonly if justice was not rendered by the Tribunal.

Earlier, Mr Panneerselvam said the AIADMK had insisted at the all-partymeeting that filing a review petition before the Tribunal would serveno purpose. Though the party had asserted that moving the Supreme Courtwas the only solution to the problem, an official statement said theall-party meeting decided to file the review petition first and toapproach the apex court if necessary, he said.

He also said the views expressed by the AIADMK at the meeting had not been incorporated in the resolution.

Mr Karunanidhi said a majority of political parties that werepresent at the meeting suggested that the Government prefer an appealbefore the Tribunal first.

As the main opposition AIADMK's opinion on the issue should not beignored, both the views were incorporated in the resolution to strike abalance. Though Mr Panneerselvam agreed to the contents of theresolution initially, he later changed his stand, he said.

If the AIADMK's views were not incorporated in the resolution,they should have raised objection on that day itself, Mr Karunanidhisaid adding it was improper to raise the issue now after maintainingsilence all these days.

The Chief Minister also appealed to the House not to give room tounnecessary confusions and bitter feelings on the issue and give a''sweet news'' to Karnataka that Tamil Nadu was divided on the Cauveryissue.

He said the Karnataka Government had decided to move the SupremeCourt as well as file a clarificatory petition before the Tribunal.

''We will also do the same,'' he added.

UNI

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