Bengaluru: Unrelenting in its position despite the fresh Supreme Court order to release 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka cabinet on Saturday night decided to convene a legislature session on October 3, the second recently, to take a call on the apex court directive.
Refusing to budge from its stand a day after the Supreme Court gave the "last opportunity" to comply with its order, the state questioned the constitution of the Cauvery Water Management Board and decided to file a review petition in this regard on Monday.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah spelt out the state's stand to reporters after an all-party meeting convened by him told the government not to release "at any cost" 6,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu as directed by the Supreme Court, and to oppose the formation of the Board.
"All-party meeting has told us not to release the water. We have to go back to the legislature," Siddaramaiah said, adding "as far as release of water (is concerned), we will go back to the Assembly on Monday."Also Read: Cauvery Row: Opposition Asks Govt Not to Release Water to Tamil Nadu
He emphasised that a special session of both the Houses of the state legislature had on September 23 mandated through a resolution that water should be used only for drinking purpose, and not be spared for any other use.
Siddaramaiah said the state would also question the formation of the water management board, for which the Supreme Court had set 4 PM as the deadline for the riparian states to give the names of their representatives. "That we are questioning. That is why we are filing the review petition on Monday."
Taking Karnataka to task for its repeated "defiance" by flouting its orders on release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu and giving it a last chance, the Supreme Court had yesterday asked it to discharge 6,000 cusecs from October 1 to 6, warning no one would know when the "wrath of the law" would fall on it.
He said, "Our argument since the beginning is that Management Board cannot be created. Since the final award (Cauvery tribunal's) came on February 5, 2007, we have been saying that Management Board cannot be created."
He also said on October 18, the SLP by Karnataka challenging final award of the Cauvery tribunal was coming up before the court's three-judge bench. "There it will be decided, because Tamil Nadu's Interlocutory Application has said this application can be heard along with main petition."
"They (TN) have said that three-judge bench can decide on it (the Board), but here two-judge bench has done this. There was no prayer either by Tamil Nadu or by Karnataka. Also, notices were not issued to Kerala and Puducherry (riparian states). In their absence, this order has been passed."
"So according to me it is a defective order. That is why we have decided to file a review petition. Most likely Monday we are filing the review petition."Also Read: Cauvery Water Management Board Could Further Complicate Water Sharing Row
He said procedures under the Inter-State Water Dispute Act, 1956 had to be followed and the issue has to be placed before Parliament. After the scheme is drawn in Parliament, the states have to send nominees for the Board to the Water Resources Ministry. "This is the legal position."
Before he went into a huddle with his ministerial colleagues, Siddaramaiah held consultations with Opposition leaders at an all-party meeting on the state's next move as it suffered repeated judicial setbacks on the issue.
Emerging from the over three-hour long all-party meeting, BJP and JDS leaders said they told the government to stick to the resolution passed by both the Houses of state legislature that water should be used only for drinking purpose, and not be spared for any other use.
"We should not obey the Supreme Court order at any cost as it is unimplementable. The House (legislature) decision should be upheld. Government should stick to the decision," Opposition Leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar said.
He said BJP was opposed to formation of Cauvery Water Management Board. "We will do all that is necessary to put pressure on the Centre (not to constitute it)," he said.
JDS leader Y S V Datta said the state should not release 6,000 cusecs as directed by the apex court "at any cost".
"Whatever may be the consequences, we will all face it together. We are with the government," he said.
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