Karnataka: All party meet decides to challenge Cauvery water authority in SC

Bengaluru, June 30: An all-party meet called by Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy decided to authorise the state's legal team to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Centre's recent notification of the Cauvery management authority.

The Cauvery water-sharing issue has been a major flashpoint between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The government discussed next move after the Centre's decision to set up the Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee.

After the meeting, Irrigation minister DK Shivakumar said "We have appointed two officers to the authority and they will go to the meeting on July 2 to present our views and raise the issues of farmers of Karnataka."

The state government has nominated two senior officials as its representatives to the Authority and the Committee under 'protest' so as to 'block' any further 'damages' to the state's interests.

The Centre had on June 22 constituted a nine-member Cauvery Water Management Authority and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, comprising representatives from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

Karnataka had not nominated its representatives.

The state has been opposing any move to form the Authority and had instead suggested the formation of Cauvery Decision Implementation Committee.

Kumaraswamy had last week accused the Centre of having taken a "unilateral" decision, hurting the state's interests.

(With PTI inputs)