With the Supreme Court likely to hear petitions related to the Cauvery water dispute next month, the government has decided to hold a meeting with its legal counsel Fali S. Nariman on December 16 in New Delhi to defend the State’s interests with regard to sharing of waters.
Addressing presspersons here on Monday, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs T.B. Jayanchandra said he has discussed the issue in detail with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and obtained his permission to hold the meeting with the legal team that is arguing the State’s case in the Supreme Court.
The legal team would be requested to make all necessary preparations to defend the State’s case before the Supreme Court. Minister for Water Resources M.B. Patil would also participate in the meeting.
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The Ministers would also ask Mr. Nariman and his team to keep all documents ready.
Petitions related to the Cauvery water dispute will come before the apex court on January 15, 2014.
Mr. Jayachandra said the State’s proposal to build a dam near Mekedatu in Kanakapura taluk in Ramanagaram district, to generate hydro-electric power, is within the framework of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s (CWDT) order.
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In order to utilise excess water, it was proposed to construct hydro-power projects at Shimsha and Mekadatu. The State has been releasing water to Tamil Nadu according to the tribunal order, he said.
The government has maintained that the construction of the dam and hydel project will not violate the CWDT’s order. However, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking his intervention and to advice Karnataka not to take up any schemes, including hydro-electric projects, in the Cauvery basin without her State’s consent.