Karnataka - Mysore   

Call to join stir against tribunal award

Special Correspondent

Cauvery Kriya Samithi to set up committees to broadbase its ongoing agitation

DISCUSSION: Cauvery Kriya Samithi president and former Union Minister V. Srinivas Prasad (second from right) at a meeting to discuss the Cauvery tribunal award, in Mysore on Saturday. — PHOTO:M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: The Cauvery Kriya Samithi has called upon elected representatives including former MPs and MLAs, members of local bodies and cooperative societies in the Cauvery basin of the State to join the stir against the final award on sharing of the river waters.

The Cauvery Kriya Samithi has also decided to constitute committees to broadbase its ongoing agitation to keep the momentum going till the Government files a review petition against the final award within 90 days.

At a meeting held here on Saturday, more than 150 leaders and representatives under the leadership of the former Union Minister and samithi president V. Srinivas Prasad spelt out the action plan and also supported the State bandh scheduled for Monday.

"Our immediate objective is to stall the gazette notification of the final award and explore all legal and political avenues," Mr. Srinivas Prasad said.

The samithi said that the Government should not be faulted for the outcome of the final award as successive Governments had taken a strong stance and fought the issue with the best legal lawyers in the country.

Mr. Srinivas Prasad urged the people to observe calm as the Government was conducting an objective analysis of the 1,000-page judgment. Some of the evidence and documents submitted by the Government might have been either misconstrued or not taken into cognizance and it was being ascertained carefully so that these aspects could be highlighted while filing a review petition, he said.

Opinion of experts

The former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that expert opinion would be taken to urge the tribunal to factor in the nearly 50 tmcft. of groundwater that is untapped in the Cauvery basin in Tamil Nadu and help reduce the burden on Karnataka. The 10 tmcft. of water to be released for environmental purposes could not be the burden of Karnataka alone and hence the State's burden could be reduced by nearly 60 tmcft, he added.

Taking exception to the criticism against the Government for its perceived silence even six days after the award had been announced, Mr. Srinivas Prasad said that the Government was not oblivious of its responsibilities and was making a thorough study.

There were dramatic scenes in the meeting when a section of the participants criticised the Lok Sabha members from the State. Kagalvadi Shivanna, Chamarajanagar MP, offered to submit his resignation.

Mr. Srinivas Prasad said such criticism were unwarranted as Lok Sabha members could not approach the tribunal as the State's case was being represented by legal, irrigation and water resource management experts.

Meanwhile, the samithi has called upon the activists not to resort to violence and refrain from creating inconvenience to the public at any cost. The former Minister H. Vishwanath said that the agitation should be meaningful and create an impact to help the State win its case. Staging "rasta roko" and destruction of public property would only harm the State's interests and affect its revenue.

Mr. Srinivas Prasad said the view of litterateurs too would be considered and the samithi would conduct a seminar that will be addressed by Kannada litterateurs.

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