Tamil Nadu Assembly adopts resolution on Cauvery Management Board

Chennai: At a special sitting on Thursday, the Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution asking the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC) within six weeks as per the directive of the SC.

Opposition leader M. K. Stalin, Congress' K. R. Ramasamy and IUML MLA K. A. M. Muhammad Abubacker supported the resolution, moved by CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami at the special sitting convened exclusively to discuss sensitive Cauvery issue.

Moving the resolution, Palaniswami recounted the decades old dispute with Karnataka and at one point sought to give entire credit to late chief minister J. Jayalalithaa for notifying the CWDT award in gazette, prompting strong protests from the Opposition benches.

Deputy floor leader of DMK Durai Murugan took objection to Palaniswami's remarks and asked him to refrain from politicising the sensitive issue.
“According to the Supreme Court verdict, ‘scheme’ means constitution of Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC). The Tamil Nadu government has clarified that there was no other way for the Centre than to constitute the two aforesaid institutions and implement the Supreme Court verdict,” Palaniswami said, after moving the resolution.

 Moving the resolution in the Assembly was one of the key demands of Opposition DMK as part of the state government’s efforts to ratchet up pressure on the Centre. Supporting the resolution, Stalin said Karnataka has never released the quantum as prescribed in the interim or final award of the tribunal.

“The Centre should constitute CMB within six weeks. If the Centre does not by then, then MLAs should resign en masse. DMK members are ready to resign. I hope that the Centre will not push us to such a situation,” Stalin said.
Recalling the February 16 verdict of the Supreme Court, the resolution insisted that the Centre set up the CMB and the CWRC within six weeks.

“The House urges the Centre to constitute the board and committee vested with all powers as per the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and the judgment of the Supreme Court within six weeks as directed by the court to effectively implement the final award,” the resolution said.