Cauvery tribunal award: K'taka hoping Centre will heed plea

Bangalore, Feb 19: The Karnataka government is waiting to see whether the Centre will heed the Supreme Court order to notify the

Water Disputes Tribunal's final award by Feb 20.

A delegation led by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Feb 18 and pleaded against the notification being issued immediately.

In their memorandum, the delegation noted that "the tribunal has over-estimated the crop water requirement of Tamil Nadu". Karnataka's objections were not taken into account by the tribunal and it took a decision merely on the basis of "self-serving affidavits of Tamil Nadu", the delegation said.

The memorandum pointed out that the assessment made by members of the Central Water Commission (CWC) who had gone to the delta districts of Tamil Nadu on the directions of the apex court is quite different from "the incorrect claims of Tamil Nadu".

"Therefore ... the very basis of allocation of water to Tamil Nadu needs to be revisited," the delegation stressed.

Shettar urged the PM not to notify the tribunal's final award since the Supreme Court is still looking at some civil appeals in this connection. The chief minister conveyed his view that the "Cauvery Management Board should not be set up" until the apex court disposes off these appeals.

The delegation included leaders of all the major political parties in Karnataka. The ruling BJP was represented by former central minister Ananth Kumar and Suresh Kumar who serves as the Law Minister in the state.

Union Minister of Minority Affairs K Rahman Khan, Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and Siddaramaiah, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, went on behalf of the Congress. Basavaraj Horatti of the Janata Dal (Secular) was also part of the delegation.

After meeting the PM, Shettar sounded hopeful. "The Prime Minister said that they will study the issue and get back to us," he told newspersons.

OneIndia News