MYSORE: Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said on Saturday that the State Government was hoping for a "just" solution to the vexed dispute over sharing of the Cauvery river waters between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Referring to the Cauvery Water River Disputes Tribunal's final verdict expected on Monday, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: "All governments are duty-bound to abide by the verdicts delivered by the courts". The Chief Minister was speaking to presspersons after participating in the videoconference with elected representatives of various Panchayati Raj institutions at Abdul Nazir Sab State Institute for Rural Development here. The videoconference was organised to mark the completion of one year of the coalition Government.

Although he refused to predict the outcome of the final verdict of the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal, he said in the event of an adverse verdict, all the political parties in the State should come together and jointly draw up an action plan to launch a struggle for protecting the rights of the State's farmers.

The Chief Minister said the Government had convened an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue in Bangalore on Friday. "All the political parties have resolved to remain united in Karnataka's farmers on the Cauvery issue and upholding peace in the State", he said.

About loan waiver, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Government had already decided to waive agricultural loans obtained by farmers from co-operative banks in the State.

To a question on the coalition Government's decision to ban sale of arrack in the State, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Government was committed to the decision.

At the videoconference, a woman gram panchayat member from Hosaritti in Dharwad Zilla Panchayat wanted to draw the Government's attention to the debilitating effect consumption of arrack was having on the rural populace.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail