Cauvery Water Management Board
All party meeting to discuss issue: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, June 25: As the centre has notified the Cauvery Water Management Board without consulting Karnataka government, the government has decided to convene an all party meeting to discuss on further steps to be taken.
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy along with Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwar and Water Resource Minister DK Shivakumar held a prolonged meeting with the higher officials at the Vidhana Soudha on Monday and discussed the pros and cons of formation of the Board.
DK Shivakumar said that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari on June 18 related to formation of the Board and apprised both of them the apprehensions of the state and appealed them solve them.
Speaking to reporters later, Shivakumar said that the Prime Minister had promised of convening a meeting to discuss the issue. But within overnight, the centre has constituted the Board against the interests of the state. “The centre did not hear our grievances. As per the provisions made in the Board, if only six members attend the Board meeting, it is valid and can take decisions. But the state government has opposed this factor. Opinion from the Advocate General and legal experts was taken and it was also decided to convince the Supreme Court on the injustice to be meted out to the state”, he said.
They got the information that the Board meeting would be held on July 2. As there are chances of taking decisions against Karnataka state in the absence of the representatives from the state, it was decided to send Water Resources Department Secretary Rakesh Singh and Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited Managing Director HL Prasanna as state’s representatives. Before the next Parliament Session, it was decided to convene an all party leaders meeting to get their suggestions on next steps of the state government, he said.
The state government has already sent a letter to the Centre appointing two officers as the representatives of the state for the Board on June 23. “We are fighting neither with the center nor with the Supreme Court. But we want justice. We appeal the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court for the justice”, Shivakumar said.
As alleged by the Opposition party, the government has not delayed in this issue. It is the work of BJP to make allegation. But Cauvery water dispute is the state issue and he would appeal the Opposition leaders to join hands with the government for the interests of the state, he said.
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J&K polls: Amit Shah arrives in Jammu ahead of Saturday's hectic campaigning
Jammu (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu on Friday night ahead of the hectic day-long campaigning on Saturday during which he will address five public rallies in three districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Shah arrived here from Delhi and drove straight to the State Guest house, a senior BJP leader said.
Shah will fly to Poonch early tomorrow morning and address the first of four rallies in Mendhar followed by Surankote in Poonch district, he added.
Shah is scheduled to address rallies in Thanamandi and Rajouri followed by Akhnoor in Jammu.
He is also expected to hold a rally in the Nowshera constituency in support of Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Sunday.
