Cauvery issue: Will release 8,000 cusecs water to TN, says CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Jul 14: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said the Karnataka government was ready to release 8,000 cusecs of water from the Cauvery river every day to neighbouring Tamil Nadu instead of one TMC as directed by the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee till this month-end.
There is only 63 per cent water in the Cauvery basin dams and in this situation, the state was not in a position to release one TMC water each day, the Chief Minister told reporters after an all-party meeting here.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka, JD(S) MLA G T Deve Gowda, farmer leaders and legal experts attended the meeting.
"Everyone was of the opinion that we should release 8,000 cusecs of water and not one TMC, which is 11,500 cusecs of water. If there is no rain then we will minimise the release of water and file an appeal before the Cauvery Water Management Authority," Siddaramaiah said.
ALSO READ: All party meet to discuss Cauvery panel's directive to Karnataka to release water to TN today
According to him, the Cauvery Water Regulatory Authority has directed that starting from July 12 till the month-end, every day one TMC water has to be released.
In a normal year, 9.14 TMC in June and 31.24 TMC in July should be released, he explained.
Advocate Mohan Katarki, who was present in the meeting, said this time Krishnarajasagar dam on Cauvery river has only 54 per cent water whereas other dams in the Cauvery basin have only 63 per cent water, Siddaramaiah said.
On July 12, the inflow of water was 5,000 cusec water in Kabini, which was allowed to flow towards Tamil Nadu, the Chief Minister said, adding that 5,000 cusecs water was flowing in Biligundlu on Saturday.
He explained that on July 12, 20,000 cusecs and 19,000 cusecs on July 13 was released for Tamil Nadu from Kabini dam because water cannot be stored for long due to its holding capacity.
Siddarmaaiah said all the parties in Karnataka were unanimous that they should appeal to the CWMA stating that releasing one TMC water was not possible.
"Katarki said we cannot say we cannot release water because it will be disrespectful to the Cauvery Tribunal. We will release 8,000 cusecs. If there is good rain then it is okay to release one TMC. We are expecting good rains this time," he noted.
The Chief Minister said 2023 was a 'distress year' with scanty rainfall.
"In a normal year, we release 177 TMC but last year we released only 81 TMC water," he added.
ತಮಿಳುನಾಡಿಗೆ ಕಾವೇರಿ ನೀರು ಬಿಡುಗಡೆ ಮಾಡುವಂತೆ ಕಾವೇರಿ ನೀರು ನಿಯಂತ್ರಣ ಸಮಿತಿ ಆದೇಶ ಹೊರಡಿಸಿರುವ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದು ವಿಧಾನಸೌಧ ಸಭಾಂಗಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @siddaramaiah ಅವರ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸರ್ವಪಕ್ಷಗಳ ಸಭೆ ನಡೆಯಿತು.
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) July 14, 2024
ಉಪಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಜಲಸಂಪನ್ಮೂಲ ಸಚಿವರಾದ @DKShivakumar, ವಿಧಾನಸಭೆಯ ವಿರೋಧ ಪಕ್ಷದ ನಾಯಕರಾದ… pic.twitter.com/iuG8zeXGH2
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
