Karnataka government on Friday strongly opposed the Centre’s initiative on setting up a Cauvery Management Board to ensure the implementation of the award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal on water sharing among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah objected the formation of the board on the ground that the appeals on the award were pending before the Supreme Court.
The Chief Minister said he has sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 10 to explain to him the State’s stance on the constitution of the Board.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function organised to lay the foundation stone for a statue of the Mahatma Gandhi on the State Secretariat premises, Mr Siddaramaiah said a meeting of the floor leaders of the State legislature would be convened on June 9 to discuss the issues related to setting up of the Board.
"I read a news report in The Hindu that centre was moving expeditiously on the water-related demands raised by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa. > It also circulated a draft Cabinet note to ministry concerned ," the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said he had written to four Union Ministers from Karnataka – Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Ananth Kumar, Urban Development, Housing and Poverty Alleviation Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Minister of State for Civil Aviation G M Siddeshwar – explaining the State’s stance on the Cauvery issue and requested them to take up steps to protect the water interests of the State.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said setting up of the Board would adversely affect the State’s interest, particularly supply of drinking water to Bangalore City. The Tamil Nadu Government has field an interlocutory application in the Supreme Court seeking constitution of the Board, he said.