HASSAN: Federation of pro-kannada organisations here on Tuesday took out a protest rally in Hassan. Dharmaraj Kadaga, convener, said they withdrew the proposed bandh called on Tuesday following the appeal from the district administration as Karnataka has announced a state-level bandh on February 8. A meeting has been called on Wednesday to discuss the future course of action, he said.

K. Earappa, president, district unit of Bahujan Samaj Party in Hassan said great injustice was done to Karnataka and blamed the UPA Government for the allocation of Cauvery water. The party appealed to the tribunal to review its decision.

Water crisis

Mujahid Maxood, honorary president of the district unit of Karnataka Tippu Sangharsha Samiti in Hassan and Samir Khan, secretary, said the judgement came at a time when the State was facing severe water crisis.

H.K. Javare Gowda, former member of Rajya Sabha, said the tribunal judgment if implemented would affect the drinking water needs of five districts Bangalore, Mysore, Mandya, Hassan and Tumkur districts.

Farmers would be forced to forgo cultivation of paddy and sugarcane and switch to Ragi and Jowar.

`Review judgement'

The Government cannot file an appeal and hence it had to appeal the tribunal to review its judgment. A.T. Ramaswamy, MLA, said as the tribunal restricted water usage of Karnataka to 18 lakh acres, there was no scope for development. The farmers can at best cultivate semi-irrigation crops.

Gururaj Hebbar, president, Cauvery Hemavathi Raitha Hitha Rakshana Samiti, said the tribunal judgment was one-sided.

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