Expressing shock over reports that the Cauvery Water Management Authority had decided to discuss Karnataka’s proposal for construction of Mekedatu dam, Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan on Friday told the Legislative Assembly that it had no jurisdiction at all to discuss the matter and the issue was sub judice .
“We have filed a petition in the Supreme Court against construction of a dam at Mekedatu. We have also filed a contempt petition in the Centrel Water Commission against the Detailed Project Report (DPR). When everything is in the Supreme Court it is sub judice to discuss the issue in the Cauvery Water Management Authority. It is the stand of Tamil Nadu that it cannot be discussed,” he explained while responding to the members of the House.
Mr. Duraimurugan said Tamil Nadu had already reiterated its stand and Union Water Resources Secretary himself would go to the Authority to express Tamil Nadu’s position.
He was confident that Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the son of S.R. Bommai, who was close to Kalaignar (late M. Karunanidhi) and whose petition in the Supreme Court had put an end to unilateral dismissal of State governments under Article 356, would not deviate from justice.
“He might have expressed his view because of the political circumstances. But we would oppose and argue our case in the appropriate forum,” he said.
Recalling the meeting an all-party delegation had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jal Shakti Minister in Delhi, Mr. Duraimurugan said the Minister had made it clear that his Ministry would accept the DPR only if Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry granted permission.
“Dam cannot be constructed in Cauvery of the DPR is not accepted and it was the stand of the Jal Sakthi Minister. He also sent a message that he would come here next week. But suddenly we have received the news about the meeting of the Cauvery Management Authority,” he said.
Mr. Duraimurugan said he fully agreed with AIADMK members K.A. Sengottaiyan that none could defeat Tamil Nadu if everyone stood together on the issue as they stood together against imposition of Hindi while supporting the two-language policy.
He said the Cauvery water dispute had a long history and Tamil Nadu got relief only when the tribunal was constituted by the late Prime Minister V.P. Singh. “Tamil Nadu could not get justice even from the tribunal and Kalaignar wanted us to file a petition in the Supreme Court court since the tribunal would take a long time to deliver its judgement. Only then we got 205 TMC,” he said.
