*The Siddaramaiah government on Saturday decided to again defer the release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu as per the Supreme Court order till Monday, when a special session of the state legislature has been convened to discuss the crisis.*
Besides, the government took a stand not to nominate its members to the Cauvery Management Board (CMB). Instead, it decided to file a review petition on Monday on the Supreme Court direction to the Centre to constitute the board within four days.
The government has to nominate two members. "It is not possible to do so (to nominate the members) as we have questioned the constitution of the CMB," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters after chairing a Cabinet meeting.
The apex court on Friday ordered Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs per day from October 1 to 6 to Tamil Nadu and directed the Centre to establish the CMB within four days. It had also directed all the riparian states to nominate members to the board before 4 pm on October 1. The attorney general had agreed to set up the board.
The chief minister said leaders of almost all the political parties had advised the government to adhere to the earlier stand not to release water to Tamil Nadu given the severe scarcity in the basin. Leaders from the Cauvery basin region demanded that the government release water to save the standing crops.
The legislature session held on September 23 had resolved to conserve nearly 27 tmcft of water for drinking purpose only. In case water has to be released, then the legislature has to discuss it again.
To a question whether the government will defy the Supreme Court order, Siddaramaiah said the government had never defied the order either wilfully or deliberately. "The legislature has already passed a resolution to utilise the available water only for drinking. The resolution is binding on us. So, we are going back to the legislature," he said.
*Defective order*
The chief minister termed the order on the establishment of the CMB as defective. The court has given the order though none of the aggrieved states had sought for it. Besides, notices have not been issued to two other riparian states of Kerala and Puducherry on the formation of the Board. Section 6 (a), class 7 of the Inter-state Water Disputes Act 1956 has laid down the procedure to be followed in this regard. The proposal to form the Board has to be placed before Parliament and the Law Ministry has to ratify it, he pointed out.
*'PM aware'*
Earlier, JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda staged a hunger strike and withdrew it later in the day after two Union ministers, Ananth Kumar and D V Sadananda Gowda, requested him to withdraw the protest. They told him that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the Cauvery issue. Efforts are on to find a solution to the problem, Sadananda Gowda told reporters. The Opposition BJP and JD(S) have suggested to the state government not to release water to Tamil Nadu. They also opposed the Supreme Court direction to establish the CMB and asked the government not to nominate its member to the Board. It is for the third time the government has deferred release of water to the neighbouring state.
DHNews Service
*Hunt on for new counsel*
With senior counsel Fali S Nariman informing the Supreme Court that he will not make any submission on behalf of Karnataka, the Congress high command is learnt to have suggested to Siddaramaiah to engage senior lawyers Kapil Sibal or Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Some leaders also favoured Ram Jethmalani. Reported by Deccan Herald 6 hours ago.
Besides, the government took a stand not to nominate its members to the Cauvery Management Board (CMB). Instead, it decided to file a review petition on Monday on the Supreme Court direction to the Centre to constitute the board within four days.
The government has to nominate two members. "It is not possible to do so (to nominate the members) as we have questioned the constitution of the CMB," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters after chairing a Cabinet meeting.
The apex court on Friday ordered Karnataka to release 6,000 cusecs per day from October 1 to 6 to Tamil Nadu and directed the Centre to establish the CMB within four days. It had also directed all the riparian states to nominate members to the board before 4 pm on October 1. The attorney general had agreed to set up the board.
The chief minister said leaders of almost all the political parties had advised the government to adhere to the earlier stand not to release water to Tamil Nadu given the severe scarcity in the basin. Leaders from the Cauvery basin region demanded that the government release water to save the standing crops.
The legislature session held on September 23 had resolved to conserve nearly 27 tmcft of water for drinking purpose only. In case water has to be released, then the legislature has to discuss it again.
To a question whether the government will defy the Supreme Court order, Siddaramaiah said the government had never defied the order either wilfully or deliberately. "The legislature has already passed a resolution to utilise the available water only for drinking. The resolution is binding on us. So, we are going back to the legislature," he said.
*Defective order*
The chief minister termed the order on the establishment of the CMB as defective. The court has given the order though none of the aggrieved states had sought for it. Besides, notices have not been issued to two other riparian states of Kerala and Puducherry on the formation of the Board. Section 6 (a), class 7 of the Inter-state Water Disputes Act 1956 has laid down the procedure to be followed in this regard. The proposal to form the Board has to be placed before Parliament and the Law Ministry has to ratify it, he pointed out.
*'PM aware'*
Earlier, JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda staged a hunger strike and withdrew it later in the day after two Union ministers, Ananth Kumar and D V Sadananda Gowda, requested him to withdraw the protest. They told him that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of the Cauvery issue. Efforts are on to find a solution to the problem, Sadananda Gowda told reporters. The Opposition BJP and JD(S) have suggested to the state government not to release water to Tamil Nadu. They also opposed the Supreme Court direction to establish the CMB and asked the government not to nominate its member to the Board. It is for the third time the government has deferred release of water to the neighbouring state.
DHNews Service
*Hunt on for new counsel*
With senior counsel Fali S Nariman informing the Supreme Court that he will not make any submission on behalf of Karnataka, the Congress high command is learnt to have suggested to Siddaramaiah to engage senior lawyers Kapil Sibal or Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Some leaders also favoured Ram Jethmalani. Reported by Deccan Herald 6 hours ago.