CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami will meet his senior cabinet colleagues and top bureaucrats, including chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and PWD secretary S. K. Prabhakar, on Saturday to discuss the strategy to be adopted on the sensitive Cauvery river water issue.
Sources said Palaniswami would hold detailed discussions with the top brass of the government before taking a final call on the state’s strategy. Girija and Prabhakar will brief Palaniswami and his senior colleagues, including Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, on the consultative meeting called by the Centre on Friday.
At the meeting, Karnataka opposed Tamil Nadu’s demand for constitution of Cauvery Management Board arguing that the Supreme Court only talked of a “scheme” to implement its verdict on release of water and did not specify any mechanism.
While Tamil Nadu says the mechanism meant constitution of Cauvery Management Board as suggested by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in its final award in 2007, Karnataka opposes it saying that the SC only talked of a “scheme” to ensure implementation of the verdict.
“Since the meeting did not take any decision and the Union water resources ministry has asked the states to file their responses in writing, it is imperative to discuss the issue. Hence, the meeting has been called,” a senior official said.
