Tamil Nadu all party meet decides on united fight on Cauvery issue

The Tamil Nadu all-party meeting comes in the wake of Karnataka’s proposed decision to challenge the Supreme Court order on the setting up of the Cauvery board.

Politicians in Tamil Nadu attended an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue in the presence of farmer representatives on Thursday and resolved to put up a united fight to secure the interests of the state’s farming community. 

Cauvery river flowing in to Kallanai Dam in Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court increased Karnataka's share of water and directed the state to release 177.25 tmc to Tamil Nadu on Friday.(PTI Photo)

It is for the first time since 2007 that a chief minister convened an all-party meeting, indicating a joint effort to secure the interests of farmers in the Cauvery delta that comprises six districts.

The meeting convened by chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami resolved to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will arrive in Chennai on Saturday, to set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as soon as possible and pressure Karnataka to accept and follow the Supreme Court (SC) order in letter and spirit. 

The meeting comes in the wake of Karnataka’s proposed decision to challenge the Supreme Court order on the setting up of the Cauvery board. 

The Supreme Court had in its final order on February 16 reduced Tamil Nadu’s share of Cauvery water to 177.25 TMC, down from the 192 TMC allocated by a tribunal in 2007.

The Thursday meeting also resolved to pressure the Centre, if need be, by sending an all-party delegation to the Prime Minister.

DMK working president MK Stalin said “the topmost task for Tamil Nadu as a state was to ensure the setting up of the CMB so that there was no need to beg Karnataka for water every year”.

“If need be, we should go in an all-party delegation to Delhi to put pressure on the Prime Minister and the Centre to protect the interests of Tamil Nadu,” Stalin said, echoing the sentiments of all participants. 

BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan told mediapersons that the Centre would soon give its consent to form the board.

CPM leader S Ramakrishnan said the government ought to take steps to secure the 14.75 TMC reduced in TN’s allocation. There was also unanimity over the need to proceed legally with regard to the Supreme Court order. 

Earlier, Palaniswami urged all parties to unite to secure the state’s rights, even though “internally, we all may have our own differences”. 

Speaking at the meeting, the chief minister thanked all leaders and farmers’ associations for their participation.

He added that the government was open to all ideas aimed at safeguarding the interests of the state.