Protests continue; Karnataka describes CMC's order 'unfair'

Bangalore, Dec 8: As

continued against the

Monitoring Committee's directive to release 12 tmc ft of water to Tamil Nadu,

today described the CMC's order as "unfair and highly disadvantageous" to it and appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reject it.

In the Cauvery heartland of Mandya district, a bandh was observed to protest the water release with vehicular traffic on Bangalore and Mysore road paralysed.

Shops and other business establishments in the district downed shutters as the bandh called by the body of farmers spearheading the stir evoked good response.

Public and private vehicles remained off the roads and the district administration had ordered holiday for educational institutions today.

Protesters resorted to rasta roko in various parts of the district including Mandya and Srirangapatna, police said. Armed reserve police were maintaining vigil in the KRS dam area in Mandya district.

President of the 'Cauvery Horata Samithi', G.Madegowda, asked farmers to step up protests till the BJP government in the state was ousted.

Meanwhile, in a letter to Singh, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said "the recommendations of the CMC should be rejected by you at the earliest to save standing crops in Karnataka."

He also said the order may be kept in abeyance. The CMC order "is unfair and highly disadvantageous to Karnataka", he said.

Karnataka has already been releasing 10,000 cusecs, complying with the Supreme Court directive two days ago, an action which has drawn flak from farmers and sparked stir in the Cauvery basin districts.

For the third day consecutive day no Tamil Nadu registration vehicle operated to Mysore and Chamrajnagar from Sathyamangalam near Erode in Tamil Nadu due to demonstrations by some Kannada outfits in some parts of the neighbouring state.

Lorry owners have stopped booking of goods to Mysore and Chamrajnagar areas, trade sources said.

PTI