Chennai: Political parties, especially the ruling AIADMK, hailed the Supreme Court observation on the Cauvery issue and in asking the Centre to frame a draft Cauvery management scheme and file it by May 3 for implementation of its judgment on sharing the Cauvery river water among the riparian states.
While Congress was skeptical, AIADMK expressed the hope that the Central government will not delay further in forming the CMB.
Describing the SC observation on Monday as a “victory” to Tamil Nadu, State Law Minister C.V. Shanmugam however expressed disappointment that further time has been given to the Centre. “We can’t say it’s a setback. The Supreme Court’s observation is welcome. Now the Central government should come up with a draft Cauvery management Scheme and file it before the SC by May 3 without causing further delay,” Mr Shanmugan said. He asserted that the Court had clearly mentioned about the CMB in its judgment. “I hope that there won’t be impediment to this issue,” the Minister added.
Political parties in TN are apprehensive that the Centre may once again advance some arguments or seek clarification and delay the process further till elections were over in the neighbouring Karnataka.
DMK working president M.K. Stalin said a decision on today’s observation would be discussed with all the opposition parties after his Cauvery Rights Retrieval Yatra concluded. He however claimed that both the Centre and state governments have let down the people of TN in not constituting the CMB as per the deadline fixed by SC.
“There is no point in blaming the Karnataka Government over the Cauvery issue, since it is the failure of the BJP-led government at the Centre to form the CMB,” TNCC President Su Thirunavukkarasar said on Monday in Ooty. Talking to reporters on his way to Gudalur to observe fast on communal harmony,
Thirunavukkarasar said that it was the total failure of the Centre to constitute the board and it was not appropriate to criticise the Karnataka government.Evading a direct reply to today’s development in the court, Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said, “we will wait and see.”
