Even as several political parties in Karnataka continue to express their protest against the move to form the Cauvery Management Board (CMB), a draft note of the Union Cabinet on the subject is learnt to have gone to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. Once the note is cleared by the Ministry, it will come back to the Union Ministry for Water Resources for the approval. Subsequently, the draft note will be sent to the Cabinet Secretariat for placing it before the Cabinet, explain official sources here.
Last week, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, in her memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterated the State’s position on the establishment of the CMB.
Regarding setting up of a ‘Supervisory Committee' to ensure implementation of the Supreme Court’s judgment on the Mullaperiyar issue, the sources say the draft Cabinet note concerned has been sent to the Cabinet Secretariat.
Karunanidhi joins issue with JayalalithaaTamil Nadu Bureau adds:
DMK president M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday denied that his plea for convening an all-party meeting by the AIADMK to discuss issues related to setting up of the CMB, which will oversee implementation of the Cauvery Tribunal’s Final Award, had been made in an unseemly hurry.
Referring to Ms. Jayalalithaa’s statement on Monday on the issue, Mr. Karunanidhi said it was strange that the AIADMK leader had quickly turned down the demand made by the DMK and other Opposition parties in the State for an all-party meet. “If all the parties meet and take a united stand on the issue, it would have only strengthened the position of the Chief Minister.” Pointing out to reports that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah, on the other hand, was leading an all-party delegation to New Delhi to meet the Prime Minister to press their case against constitution of the CMB now, Mr. Karunanidhi said the AIADMK leader brushing aside his plea would show “who is more concerned about the Cauvery waters issue.”
Ms. Jayalalithaa’s reasoning that the Centre needed to be given some time after her recent meeting with Mr. Modi CMB was more reflective of her eagerness “to be supportive of the Central government” rather than to get the CMB set up expeditiously, he said.