Krishna river dispute: K'taka to challege SC?

Bangalore, Mar 25: A meeting of political leaders including those hailing from Krishna river valley and irrigation experts today urged the Karnataka Government to file an application before the Krishna River Water Disputes Tribunal seeking clarifications on its order and before the Supreme Court challenging the final award of the Tribunal.

The meeting, attended largely by Congress leaders, JD(S) and others passed a 13-point resolution outlining the "injustice" done to Karnataka by the Brajesh Kumar-led Tribunal which adjudicated the sharing of surplus water among riparian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra.

Briefing the press, senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Irrigation Minister H K Patil said, the Tribunal's decision had reduced the water allocation to Karnataka by 101 tmc ft. The Tribunal had allocated 177 tmc ft of water as against the state's demand for 278 tmc ft, he said.

The Tribunal had also regularised what he called "illegal projects" taken up by Andhra Pradesh including the Telugu Ganga project and ignored the water requirement of Karnataka for minor irrigation, which was in the order about 53 tmc ft, he said.

The meeting followed an invitation by Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to leaders of opposition parties to meet with the state's counsel Fali S Nariman to plead him to file a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the Tribunal's award, in the backdrop of the noted jurist expressing against such a step.

Patil said, "if Nariman is convinced (about) the injustice the state has been rendered by the tribunal order, he would certainly agree to fight its case".

Patil said if the government failed to contest the tribunal orders, he would file a petition before the tribunal and also the Supreme Court on behalf of the farmers.

Among those who attended the meeting were Opposition Congress leader in the legislative Council Motamma, former opposition Congress leader in the Upper House V S Ugrappa, Allum Veerabhdrappa, V R Sudarshan, Mattikatti Veeranna, T B Jayachandra, JD(S) leaders H D Revanna and P G R Sindhia, former Irrigation Secretary Capt Ramesh, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike leader T Naryanagowda and leaders from Krishna river valley.

PTI