Tamil Nadu on Monday rejected Karnataka’s offer for talks on construction of a reservoir at Mekedatu across River Cauvery, terming it as an “attempt to impede” the proceedings on the case filed in Supreme Court against the project.
In response to a letter written by Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami seeking time to meet him to explain about the project, the Tamil Nadu government asked the neighbouring state not to proceed in any manner with the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Mekedatu project.
“The request of the Government of Karnataka to discuss about the Mekedatu Project with the Government of Tamil Nadu, is an attempt to impede the proceedings pending on the Application filed on 30.11.2018 by Tamil Nadu and also the Contempt Proceedings initiated against you and others in the Hon’ble Supreme Court on 5.12.2018 and the matter has now become sub-judice,” Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam told Shivakumar in the letter.
The minister alleged that Karnataka, in violation of the judgment of the ble Supreme Court dated February 16, 2018, had obtained permission from the Central Water Commission to go ahead for preparation of a Detailed Project Report for Mekedatu project, without informing and getting the concurrence of Tamil Nadu and of other co-basin states.
Shanmugam also told Shivakumar not to proceed in any manner with the preparation of DPR and not to take up any construction activities in any place in the Cauvery Basin of Karnataka, without the prior consent of the government of Tamil Nadu.
Shivakumar had last week written to Palaniswami seeking appointment to meet him and explain about the project.
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