The Cauvery Vivasyigal Sangam on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority for implementing the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal.
In its writ petition, the Sangam stated that the Centre had failed in its constitutional duty to protect the tribunal-envisaged rights of the Tamil Nadu farmers as seen from the inordinate delay in forming the bodies since the award was delivered on February 5, 2007.
The petition moved by the Sangam through its general secretary P.R. Pandian pointed out that the Tribunal passed the final award on February 5, 2007, and under the direction of the apex court the Centre notified the award only on February 19 last. However, the respondents vested with statutory powers to protect and implement the award did not take any step in that direction.
Noting that the tribunal award had the same force as the order or decree of the Supreme Court, the petition invoked Article 144 of the Constitution in seeking the Supreme Court to direct the Centre to implement the award immediately.
The petitioner underlined that a petition was submitted to the President on June 6 last bringing to his notice Karnataka not releasing water in violation of the tribunal’s directive and also the need to adhere to the tribunal award by forming the Board and Committee immediately.
