State MPs to meet Modi on Cauvery water dispute

Upset with the Centre’s reported move to set up Cauvery Water Management Board to supervise sharing of Cauvery water among river basin states, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to lead a delegation of State MPs to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to register a protest.

Siddaramaiah, who sought the support of Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ananth Kumar and Minister of State for Civil Aviation G M Siddeshwara to “protect” Karnataka’s interests, is learnt to have sought the prime minister’s appointment on June 10.

The ruling Congress is also planning to hold a massive protest rally in Bangalore to draw the Centre’s attention and lend its support to the State government on the issue, sources told Deccan Herald.

Acting quickly on the water-related demands raised by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha during her meeting with Modi on Tuesday, the Union Water Resources Ministry on Wednesday circulated a draft Cabinet note to the ministries concerned with the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB).

The draft note, prepared after Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati held a meeting with ministry officials on Wednesday, is about setting up of a CMB. It aims to implement the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award on water-sharing among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

Even Siddaramaiah opposed any move by the Centre to set up the CMB when the matter is pending before the Supreme Court.

As the CMB has enormous power, including taking control of Cauvery basin reservoirs and regulate the release of water to irrigation, Karnataka has been opposing the move.

“The Board will adversely affect the absolute authority of the State to regulate its reservoirs derived from Entry-17 of the State List.

This would be an unjust and unconstitutional measure, which is against the spirit of the Cooperative Federal System. Therefore, it is not appropriate to constitute a Management Board,” the chief minister had said.