Belgaum: Cauvery Water Release Stopped; Dharna, Furore in Both Houses

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Belgaum, Dec 10: The vexed Cauvery issue caused a furore in both houses of Karnataka Legislature, presently having their winter session the Suvarna Soudha here, and also dharna in the lower as well as upper houses besides adjournment without transacting any serious official business.

Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who made a statement in the State Assembly, informed the members that the State Government has stopped releasing water to Tamil Nadu since Sunday evening and filed a petition before the Cauvery River Authority (CRA) headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to suspend the Cauvery Monitoring Committee’s directive to the State to release 12 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu in December.

The Government has asked the Centre not to notify the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) announced in 2007 by the end of this month as is being widely speculated without holding consultations with the State.

Water has not been released to Tamil Nadu from Sunday evening, Shettar said..

The CMC’s order to release 12 tmc ft of water to Tamil Nadu was against the interest of the State, he said pointing out that the expert committee deputed by the CMC had in its report suggested release of 6.12 tmcft till the end of January 2013.

The Chief Minister said the State Government has complied the Supreme Court’s order and released 10,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu from December 5 to 9, Shettar said.

As soon as House met for the day, entire Opposition staged a dharna demanding Shettar’s statement on the release of Cauvery water.

While JD(S) members blamed the Congress for their failure to put pressure on the Congress-led UPA government to give justice to State, Congress Opposition leader Siddaramaiah hit out at the State Government for neglecting the state’s interest, particularly farmers in the basin districts.

The Opposition also staged a dharna in the Legislative Council opposing release of water to Tamil Nadu.

The Congress and JD(S) members trouped into well of the house and raised slogans against the government for misleading the House and sacrificing state’s interest.

Following pandemonium in the House, Speaker K G Bopaiah adjourned the house for 10 minutes.

When the House met again, the Chief Minister said the CMC in its September 2012, had drawn a roadmap on release of water by the State to Tamil Nadu in October, November, December and January.

As per the roadmap, the State should release 10.37 tmcft of water to Tamil Nadu during the normal monsoon year.

During the distress period, the State should release 6.12 tmcft of water in December.

But the CMC has directed the State to release 12 tmcft of water in December, Mr Shettar said and termed the order as ''detrimental to the State’s interest.”

BJP Regime Neglected UKP During Last 4 Years

The Congress opposition leader Siddaramaiah attacked the Jagadish Shettar regime for neglecting the Upper Krishna Project in the last four years of its rule.

Siddaramaiah, who sought to move an adjournment motion on the issue, said the pace of the UKP project was very slow and implementation of the project in the current face would take another 50 years to complete.

According to the Kirshna Water Dispute Tribunal’s ruling in December 2010, Karnataka can utilise 177 tmcft of water, but till now the State share of water remains unutilised due to incompletion of UKP canals and other projects, he said.

Apart from giving administrative approval of Rs 17,207 crore for the project, no other progress has been made by the government, Siddaramaiah alleged.

The project cost had escalated due to non-completion of the project and farmers had suffered by not receiving water for irrigation and drinking purposes.

This shows the government is least bothered about North Karnataka development,” he alleged.

The State has been unable to utilise even 100 tmcft water out of the 729 tmcft allocated to the State by the Bachawat Tribunal, he said.

''The Starte Government should avail loans from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the Centre to complete the project expeditiously,” he said.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar said that the issue is not a recent one and discussion on it should not be held under adjournment motion.

Speaker K G Bopaiah rejected the discussion of the issue under the adjournment motion and allowed the Opposition to discuss under rule 69 of the House.