Consult riparian states before notifying Cauvery award: CM

The Karnataka government has urged the Centre to consult all riparian states before notifying the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal, contending that
the matter was still pending in the Supreme Court.

“I have already written to the prime minister in this regard,” Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said while speaking at the National Development Council meeting on Thursday.

Karnataka and other states have challenged the final award before the Supreme Court and the matter was yet to be decided, he added.

“I request the Central government that before notifying the award, all the basin states should be consulted,” he said.

Shettar welcomed the broad vision of the 12th plan document that aimed at “faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth,” but said greater cooperation between the Centre and the states in major projects and a genuine participatory approach to planning, in keeping with the spirit of federalism, were necessary for economic and human development.

He also used the opportunity to make a slew of demands for the development of Karnataka.

The chief minister urged the Centre to consider giving special grants for the development of infrastructure in Bangalore, saying the city contributed 40 per cent (Rs 1.35 lakh crore) of the overall software exports of the country. But this had put a “huge burden” on its infrastructure.

He sought expeditious environment clearances for power projects, saying Karnataka was facing “severe constraints” in the power sector. The Centre could make the gas linkage available through imports, he suggested.

Raw silk duty

Shettar said the reduction in customs duty on raw silk from 30 per cent to five per cent had led to a decline in silk prices, resulting in losses to producers and traders. The chief minister urged the Centre to restore the customs duty on silk yarn.

He demanded that the Centre enhance the administrative cost to 10 per cent for the implementation of the rural job scheme (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guaranttee Scheme) and the support level for implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to at least 75 per cent.

“Under the PMGSY, 19,980 km of roads need upgrading. Proposals to utilise the grant for balance road length are pending with the Centre for clearance,” he said. 

The chief minister urged the Centre to increase allocation under the national rural drinking water supply scheme from the current level of Rs 651 crore to Rs 1,000 crore per year.

He also sought enhancement in funding to tackle natural calamities like drought and floods.

Cauvery award notification will not harm State: Nariman

Srirangapatna: Senior advocate Fali S Nariman, representing the State in the Supreme Court in the Cauvery water dispute case, said that notifying the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal’s 2007 award would not cause any loss to the State.

He was speaking to reporters after visiting the KRS reservoir in the taluk, along with officials of the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama, on Thursday. “If at all the notification proves detrimental to Karnataka’s interests, the State can always appeal against it. The State’s farmers need not resort to protests if the order is notified. In fact, any of the riparian states can file an appeal. Karnataka can get justice through legal means,” the advocate said.

He added that Karnataka was giving him all cooperation, including documents necessary to put forth the State’s arguments in the court.

Prof K C Basavaraju, president of the ‘Cauvery family,’ and its members met Nariman and held discussions with him. Sunanda Jayaram, one of the members, said they were trying to work out a solution to the vexed issue through talks with their Tamil Nadu counterparts as suggested by Nariman.